Despite the extensive investigation into murder, violence and aggression, it continues to be a pervasive problem in the modern world. As Menninger (in Halleck, 1967) said, "We still don't know how to protect Abel and we still don't know what to do with Cain." The position of this thesis is that if we want to know why Cain murdered his brother then we should ask him - a phenomenological perspective. That is to advocate that the subjective experience an individual has, offers the reality about the intention of the action. Traditionally objectivism and the desire to obtain absolute truths has taken precedent over constructivist thought, which values the idea that reality belongs within the mental representation an individual makes of the world. Thus this research supports narrative theory which offers a framework that invites the exploration of these mental representations of the self and the world. This theory with mounting support illustrates how people think and make sense of their lives as stories. Didion (in McAdams 1988) succinctly says 'We tell ourselves stories in order to live.' The life story is seen as being synonymous with self-identity. This research set out to explore the idea that a problem in the self-identity of murderers may be intrinsic in the emergence of murder. Following McAdams 1988 proposal, self-identity was viewed as being reflected in the self-narrative. The narrative accounts of fifteen homicide offenders were collected from Nottingham Prison by two interviewers. These were tape recorded then transcribed for analysis. The narratives were deconstructed and assigned to groups of how structurally similar they were to each other based upon a scheme founded by McAdams' idea that there are six criteria for a good narrative form vis a vis mature identity; coherence, credibility, openness to change, reconciliation, differentiation and generativity. Apart from the group where the offenders claimed to have changed, each group appeared to be defined by lacking in at least one of the criteria. (Apart from differentiation which was seen to be an underlying process upon which these other criteria depended). Moreover there appeared to be a cumulative structure from coherence to generativity. Thus the aim of the analysis was threefold. Firstly to demonstrate the cumulative structure from well formed narratives to incoherent narratives. Secondly to show how this ability to make sense of ones life (or not) manifest itself in the account an offender gives about himself, his life and the murder. Thirdly to explore the issue of change. The results showed that there was a cumulative structure based around how well formed the narrative accounts were. The "better" the narrative the more sense it made and the more the offender had to offer with respect to information about himself and his life. The group who has changed, told reflective stories about a central character who had changed over time, how personal issues had been resolved not least coming to terms that they were killers. It was then found that murderers could be seen to be dysfunctional on a scale of development. This shows how well they can make sense of themselves and their lives. The change having taken place in the offenders in the last group suggests that change comes about through being able to make sense of oneself and incorporate the disparate parts of ones identity. This then has implications for the possibility of change. The likelihood of change decreasing as the narrative becomes less well formed. In commenting on the assertion that we tell ourselves stories in order to live. The findings of this research suggest that we need to be able to tell good stories in order to live functional lives.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Santa Cruz, 2001. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-59).

Thesis (DClinPsychol)--Salomons Centre. BLDSC no. DX208359.

No description available.

This thesis investigates ideas of interiority and thought in relation to the building of self identity. I express them through the visual means of text and photography, resulting in a conceptual self-portrait by way of installation. Concerned with what thought terrain might look like and the way information perceived though the senses is stored, I explore the overdetermined evidence provoked by the unconscious. By the study of my own inner monologue in response to everyday rituals, I bring attention to the fragmented and overwhelming anxieties, fears, associations and fabrications of the mind - moments that often go unnoticed, but help concretize my experience of being in the world. The thesis is made up of 80% practice and 20% written exegesis.

With the growing use of digital camera and internet album, it brings a new internet visual culture called as ¡§internet self-portrait culture¡¨ in Taiwan. Internet users take digital self-portrait photos, upload self-portrait onto personal websites like blog or internet album, and communicate with people in this way. This culture is much popular especially among the adolescents (aged form 12 to 24) in Taiwan. This research refers to what kind of effects this new internet visual culture brings to the adolescents, especially focusing on the effect it brings to self-identity development and social relation. And interview is adopted in this research. According to the result, first, internet self-portrait culture could be seen as an adolescent sub-culture. In this subculture, the adolescents develop a series of communicative methods like ¡§to see¡¨ and ¡§to be seen¡¨. In this way, the adolescents chase for chances and stages for ¡§showing oneself¡¨, and the ¡§beautiful looks¡¨ is the main point of the show. ¡§Chasing for aesthetics of body¡¨ and ¡§everyone having equal and unique prettiness¡¨ are the two important values in this subculture. As for self-identity, participating in internet self-portrait culture brings the adolescents the experience of alternative role playing experience. Moreover, it helps build up self-confidence and positive self-identity on looks. As for social relation, it helps the adolescents keep in touch with the old friends and brings them new friends who help the adolescents build self-confidence on looks. Besides, participating in internet self-portrait culture could be seen as a way for the adolescents to retrieve ¡§freedom of making friends¡¨ and ¡§freedom of managing one¡¦s own body¡¨ from their parents.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore the significant predictors that related to adolescent¡¦s positive thinking and self-identity. Four hundreds and sixty-seven public junior high school participants from 3 different grade levels (i.e., seventh-grade, eighth-grade, and ninth-grade) completed a questionnaire on Adolescent Self-awareness Scale(ASS). The ASS included Background Questionnaire, Positive Thinking Scale, and Self-identity Scale. Moreover 5 junior high school students with the highest total scores on positive thinking and self-identity, and additional 5 with the lowest total scores on positive thinking and self-identity were recruited as target students for individual interviews to find their common background factors. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple-regression were conducted on the quantitative data. For the interview data, an inductive analysis was applied. The major findings are as follows: 1.The significant predictors for adolescents¡¦ Positive Thinking are subjective family atmosphere, physical leisure participation frequency, interpersonal relationships, and academic achievement. 2.The significant predictors for adolescents¡¦ Self-identity are subjective family atmosphere, interpersonal relationships, physical leisure participation frequency, and academic achievement. 3.Ninth-grade students¡¦ Positive Thinking and Self-identity scores are significantly lower than seventh-grade and eighth-grade students. 4.Adolescents with more harmonious family atmosphere prescent significantly higher scores on Positive Thinking and Self-identity. 5.Adolescents with better interpersonal relationship obtain significantly higher Positive Thinking and Self-identity scores than their counterparts. 6.Adolescents who often involved in physical leisure participation present significantly higher Positive Thinking and Self-identity scores than these less involved in physical leisure participants. 7.Adolescents with high positive thinking and high self-identity scores present the following characteristics: better academic achievement, harmonious family atmosphere, good interpersonal relationships, and leisure in physical participation. 8.Adolescents with low positive thinking and low self-identity scores present the following characteristics: lower academic achievement, inharmonious family atmosphere, bad interpersonal relationships, and leisure engagements in non-physical participation. 9.There are significant correlations between adolescents¡¦ Positive Thinking and Self-Identity.

No description available.

This thesis investigates ideas of interiority and thought in relation to the building of self identity. I express them through the visual means of text and photography, resulting in a conceptual self-portrait by way of installation. Concerned with what thought terrain might look like and the way information perceived though the senses is stored, I explore the overdetermined evidence provoked by the unconscious. By the study of my own inner monologue in response to everyday rituals, I bring attention to the fragmented and overwhelming anxieties, fears, associations and fabrications of the mind - moments that often go unnoticed, but help concretize my experience of being in the world. The thesis is made up of 80% practice and 20% written exegesis.