Proxemics is an area of study devoted to the interrelated theories of man's use of space as a special elaboration of culture. Edward T. Hall, an anthropologist, has begun to draw these theories together in his work dealing with proxemics. It is the purpose of this study to determine whether certain dimensions of interpersonal conversations vary with the distance between the conversants. Three distances were used as experimental variables. Intimate distance was set at nine inches, personal distance at three feet, nine inches, and social distance at eight feet. A total of fifty-four subjects was used with nine pairs situated in each of the three distances. Conversations between dyads were tape recorded and subjected to content analysis. Eight categories were established to cover certain dimensions hypothesized to exist in interpersonal communication. Data from the content analysis were subjected to statistical interpretation with six out of eight hypotheses revealing significant differences. The hypotheses and principal findings are as follows: Hypothesis 1. Frequency of references to the speaking situation will vary with the distance variables. A significant difference was found. Intimate distance conversants referred least to the situation and social distance conversants referred most often to the situation. Personal distance subjects' references were closely allied with the expected frequency. Hypothesis 2. Time orientation as revealed by verb tense will vary with the distance variables. This hypothesis also revealed a significant difference. All subjects chose to use the present tense most often. Intimate and personal distance conversants preferred the future tense second and the past tense last. Subjects in social distance chose the past tense second and the future tense least. Hypothesis 3. Frequency of references to self and others will vary with the distance variables. No significant difference was found. Hypothesis 4. Total pause time will vary with the distance variable. Total pause time did not differ. Hypothesis 5. Signs of tension (such as laughing, coughing, sighing) will vary with the distance variables. A significant difference existed in this category. Intimate distance conversants revealed the most tension releases, social distance the second most, and personal distance the least. Hypothesis 6. Types of statements will vary with the distance variables ("asking" and "giving" information). A significant difference was found. Subjects placed at intimate distance gave and asked for the most information. Subjects in social distance ranked second in both "giving" and "asking" for information and personal distance subjects ranked third in both categories. Hypothesis 7. Frequency in changing the topic of conversation will vary with the distance variables. Different distances did affect the changes made in the topic of conversation with intimate distance deviating the most from the expected frequency and personal the least. Hypothesis 8. Frequency of short vocal reinforcements {such as "oh, " "really, " "huh") vary with the distance variabIes. A significant difference was found. Intimate and social distance conversants used the most reinforcements and personal the least. Some general conclusions can be made about the selected aspects of conversations within the three distances. Intimate distance might be observed to be most uncomfortable for subjects. More tension releases, changes in the topic of conversation, and vocal reinforcements existed than in the other distance conversations. The situation was seldom mentioned perhaps indicating avoidance. The most information passed between these subjects suggesting a rapid speaking rate and nervousness. Social distance also appeared to be less than comfortable for subjects by ranking second in several of the categories. Personal distance had the least vocal reinforcements, topic changes, references to the speaking situation and amount of "giving" and "asking" of information. It is concluded that personal distance is the most appropriate distance for casual conversation between two strangers placed in a situation encouraging verbal interaction.

This novella focuses on the lives of Walter, his mother Sabine, and his would-be love Bernadette. Walter is an awkward, unemployed thirty-year-old that still lives at home with his mother pressed into the pursuit of love by an obsession with romance novels. Walter is an outstanding cook and dishwasher but has no other notable talents. He eventually finds a job and manages to lose his virginity but changes little otherwise. The narrative is interested in the failures of family, love, and traditional societal expectations. It is interested in seeing and being seen. It is interested in a path around the conventional plot arc. Walter's Rules for Getting By wishes to disrupt the expected and the roles we often feel forced into.

No description available.

This case study began as a peer mediation program for a class of Year 4 students, implemented over an eighteen-month period as part of the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education syllabus. The program developed into a process that integrated skills development, an understanding of interpersonal interactions, emotional responses and self understanding. Using an action research model and analysis based in grounded theory it became an interactive, interpretative analysis of conflictual issues between student/student and student/teacher as together they explored a major psychological and philosophical issue, conflict resolution, on a local and personal level. This thesis seeks to authenticate the participants? attempts to change the way in which learning about conflict occurs, to change the ambience of the classroom and to develop a web of interrelationships that work towards a greater understanding of the problem area and ultimately of the wider social and cultural network in which we choose to li / Master of Education (Hons)

This thesis explores the quality and sustainability of facilitated co-operative processes in organisations, and the difficulties and opportunities associated with this way of working. Three complementary research methods have been used: a survey, an Internet dialogue and a co-operative inquiry of facilitators, managers and academics. The survey revealed that facilitators have diverse and sometimes contradictory approaches to their organisational work, co-operative processes are not easy to sustain within hierarchical organisations, and that facilitator ethics need clarification. The development of a Statement of Values and Code of Ethics by the International Association of Facilitators formed the content for the Internet dialogue part of this research. The co-operative inquiry highlighted that sustainable co-operation depends on embodied whole people connecting with love and compassion, and with the commitment and courage to speak their own truth and deeply engage with the collective wisdom of the group. It is shown that co-operative organisational forms, methods, processes, values and ethics are only part of what is needed to support co-operative endeavour. Underpinning all of these are ways of being that are learnt through modelling and mutually supportive interactions between persons in relationship. These ways of being need to be transmitted along with conceptual frameworks, processes and methods for ‘co-operacy’ to be sustainable in groups and organisations / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Psychology Department, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

The overarching theme of these stories is the relationship between love and hate, especially the connection between kindness and violence. In this fictional world, love often begets hate, and hate, love: a man's capacity for empathy serves as the catalyst for an act of brutality; a character's loneliness, his desire for love, causes him to chivvy members of his church congregation, while the same character's unambiguous overtures of friendship produce revulsion in the narrator; the victim of a man's complicity coaxes him to take a beating that, in effect, heals him; and a sexual encounter, violent in its impersonality, its objectification of a woman, gives rise to a comment that awakens the abuser's conscience as well as his regard for his victim. One may undermine the other: in the story involving sexual abuse, the woman treats the men lovingly, like people, and in so doing erodes their ability to treat her as something less than human; a character's habitual spite finds its way into his marriage, damaging the most important (and the only loving) relationship in his life. And they sometimes exchange clothes: a man's attacks on his neighbor and the neighbor's quest for revenge mimic a courtship, are the beginnings of a relationship; the character who hurts his wife does it by perverting an act of love; friends and coworkers express affection by insulting one another and by pretending to fight. What is the point of this juxtaposition and mingling of supposed opposites? To be honest, I'm not sure I know. I wrote these stories without conscious intent, and gathered them into the same collection accidentally: there were others that didn't quite work, and which had nothing much to do with amity and strife, that might have been included, too, had they been better or more finished. Still, I, like any other reader, can divine a few meanings. With their frequent inversion and mingling of love and hate, these stories might serve as one piece of evidence that all things contain the kernel of their opposite. Given the right circumstances--enough time, a narrative--they will demonstrate affinity. This Hegelian interdependence of opposites implies a correlary--narratives procede by dialectic: love heads into hate, or hate into love, and the synthesis of these two spawns a hybrid possessing bits of its progenitors. "Angel of Tough Love" provides an example of this sublation: boy's complicitous response to a beating alienates him from himself--thesis; he accepts an invitation to enter a crucible of hate and love, to do the opposite of remaining a bystander--antithesis; he emerges whole and yet changed, at peace for the first time--synthesis. Another conclusion, one that does not contradict the first: if love may lead to hate and hate to love, then the value of each impulse and action depends on context. Fine motives, however pure, might produce ghastly results if a full understanding of circumstances, a broad and informed point of view, is not present, too: perspective, point of view, is seminal. And yet--with the possible exception of those with mystical gifts, who may rely on Dionysian rapture or its equivalent to grant them views of entire causal chains--our points of view are limited; we cannot know all the ramifications of our actions. (And, at least in one sense, it seems that we aren't supposed to know: a story hatched whole is bound to be boring and, well, predictable.) So we are left to examine our motives and anticipate what consequences we can. It's not much, but it will have to do. Love conquers all, sometimes. A kind word--or just an honestly felt one--may change a mind or an afternoon, now and then. We're all in the same dirt boat, heading somewhere, so we might as well use the oars provided and hope that our imaginations, incrementally, will point us in the right direction. Some of the time, we may row in concert. / Graduation date: 2001

There is increasing recognition of the importance of older adults in providing support to and maintaining relationships with their nonkin peers. Social trends, such as smaller family size, may reduce the role of family members and increase the importance of nonkin peers in providing help to the elderly. Relationships with peers have a greater influence on the well-being of the elderly than do interactions with family members. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of perceived reciprocity of aid exchange and relationship quality among elderly female nonkin peers from a social exchange perspective. A review of the literature led to the hypotheses that perceived reciprocity of instrumental, social, and total aid exchange would have a curvilinear association with relationship quality. The volunteer sample of 62 women over 60 years of age participated in interviews tapping help given and received, demographic data, and relationship quality. Respondents were more likely to be widowed and to have lower incomes than the general population; the average respondent's health was fair to good. A series of three polynomial regression analyses were used to determine if perceptions of reciprocity in aid exchange had a linear or curvilinear association with relationship quality. Data suggest that respondents perceived a greater exchange of socioemotional than instrumental help and reported giving more help than they received. The perceived amount of help exchanged was low compared to other studies while perceived relationship quality was relatively high. Regardless of the operationalization of reciprocity as a linear or a curvilinear term, perceived reciprocity among older female nonkin peers was not helpful in explaining variance in relationship quality. This lack of association held for perceived reciprocity in instrumental, socioemotional, and total help exchanged. Limitations in the study and possible reasons for the nonsignificant outcomes are addressed. / Graduation date: 1993

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Alliant International University, California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.