Unfulfilled attachment related needs and wants are viewed by many therapists as the heart of couple distress (Johnson & Whiffen, 2003; Johnson, 2004). As a result, efforts to discover and utilize therapeutic processes that encourage couples to identify and appropriately respond to their partner's core attachment needs and wants continue to increase. This study served as a pilot study for a planned, larger-scale investigation examining enactments as a potential best-practice change mechanism to strengthen secure attachment in marital therapy. Twelve couples were randomly assigned to one of two possible experimental groups. Group 1 experienced three therapist-centered therapy sessions, followed by three enactment-centered sessions. Group 2 experienced three enactment-centered sessions followed by three therapist-centered sessions. Before each experimental session, both spouses independently completed a measure assessing their attachment security to their spouse over the past week. After each experimental session, both spouses independently completed a measure assessing how their attachment security to their spouse changed during the session. Each participant's scores were averaged and analyzed descriptively to explore possible trends and trajectories regarding the relationship between an enactment-focused clinical process and secure attachment and how it compared to a therapist-centered clinical process. The results of this pilot study provide preliminary support of enactments as an effective treatment protocol for therapists to help couples strengthen their secure attachment. Findings revealed trends suggesting that enactment-focused therapy sessions tended to increase overall couple secure attachment, perhaps superior to that of a solely therapist-centered approach.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Constituir uma paisagem da arte contemporânea, a partir da qual seja possível tratar encenações fora do âmbito da disciplina cênica atribuindo-lhe, portanto, uma desejada extradisciplinaridade é a que este projeto se dispõe. O ato artístico, em suas deslimitadas configurações; as derivas em que se aventura; os intensos fluxos com que se faz atravessar pela vida, e, reciprocamente, com que a ela atravessa; a constituição de vontades de arte que ultrapassam um programa estritamente artístico: estes são alguns dos elementos na geografia dessa vasta e complexa paisagem sobre a qual o presente projeto, interessado, se detém. Considerações acerca das encenações extradisciplinares são, então, tecidas, levando-se em conta as poéticas suscitadas num deixar-se ir por esta paisagem recortada. Prática que se quer como multiplicidade, se alastrando sem rumos previamente definidos, as encenações extradisciplinares sonham algum lugar para dizer do mundo, como o mundo, para o mundo e de dentro dele; e compartilham, assim, de uma vontade para a arte tomar o mundo como matéria plástica para, daí, revelar as plasticidades do mundo / The goal of this project is to ground a landscape for contemporary art, from which it is possible to approach to enactements from an extradisciplinary perspective. The artistic act, on its dislimited features; the flux of intensities and crossings with life; the drifts it faces; the will to art that goes beyond a strictly artistic program: these are some of the elements in the geography of this vast and complex landscape on which the present project dwells. Considerations on extradisciplinary enactements are made, taking into account their poetics, as we picture this landscape. Practice that cruises with no previous route, extradisciplinray enactements render places to tell about the world, to the world, like the world, and from within it; thus, they share a wish for art, for taking the world as plastic matter, hence, for bringing up the plasticities of the world

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Constituir uma paisagem da arte contemporânea, a partir da qual seja possível tratar encenações fora do âmbito da disciplina cênica atribuindo-lhe, portanto, uma desejada extradisciplinaridade é a que este projeto se dispõe. O ato artístico, em suas deslimitadas configurações; as derivas em que se aventura; os intensos fluxos com que se faz atravessar pela vida, e, reciprocamente, com que a ela atravessa; a constituição de vontades de arte que ultrapassam um programa estritamente artístico: estes são alguns dos elementos na geografia dessa vasta e complexa paisagem sobre a qual o presente projeto, interessado, se detém. Considerações acerca das encenações extradisciplinares são, então, tecidas, levando-se em conta as poéticas suscitadas num deixar-se ir por esta paisagem recortada. Prática que se quer como multiplicidade, se alastrando sem rumos previamente definidos, as encenações extradisciplinares sonham algum lugar para dizer do mundo, como o mundo, para o mundo e de dentro dele; e compartilham, assim, de uma vontade para a arte tomar o mundo como matéria plástica para, daí, revelar as plasticidades do mundo / The goal of this project is to ground a landscape for contemporary art, from which it is possible to approach to enactements from an extradisciplinary perspective. The artistic act, on its dislimited features; the flux of intensities and crossings with life; the drifts it faces; the will to art that goes beyond a strictly artistic program: these are some of the elements in the geography of this vast and complex landscape on which the present project dwells. Considerations on extradisciplinary enactements are made, taking into account their poetics, as we picture this landscape. Practice that cruises with no previous route, extradisciplinray enactements render places to tell about the world, to the world, like the world, and from within it; thus, they share a wish for art, for taking the world as plastic matter, hence, for bringing up the plasticities of the world

This study evaluated the effectiveness of proxy voice intervention, embedded within couple enactments, on client-perceived softening. During enactments, direct couple interaction is the focus while the therapist coaches from the periphery. In the context of an enactment, the therapist may use proxy voice when partners appear to be distressed and expressing themselves in terms of secondary emotions by modeling appropriate attachment and self-concept expression. The primary research question was whether therapist use of proxy voice in an enactment would be more likely to bring about softening effects, or whether use of proxy voice was counter-intuitive to enactment conceptualization and would bring about effects related to struggle (e.g. withdrawal or negativity). The review of literature sets forth (1) enactments as common factors; (2) enactments conceptually and operationally; (3) proxy voice in the context of enactments; and (4) the effects of proxy voice on softening versus withdrawal or negativity. Proxy voice occurred 42 times in nine research sessions where proxy voice was delivered repeatedly in a 20-30 minute enactment episode. Results indicated that proxy voice was significantly (both statistically and clinically) associated to softening while dissimilarly linked with withdrawal or negativity. Results also suggested that proxy voice may be used to dampen volatility and foster couple softening during enactment in the following ways: (1) proxy voice temporarily increases the structure of the couple interaction, thereby allowing the therapist to dampen reactivity and model healthy expression before returning to direct couple interaction; (2) proxy voice is a hypothesis of softer emotions that fits the clients' experiences, helps them to feel validated, and encourages them to consider something in a newer, softer way; and (3) proxy voice taps into foundational relationship dynamics surrounding self-concept and attachment experiences that "propel" interaction processes but remain outside conscious awareness or explicit expression for the couple. These preliminary findings suggest that proxy voice intervention embedded within a fluid, carefully delineated, and discriminating model of enactments effectively facilitates essential elements of couple interaction (expression of primary affect, and self-concept and attachment threats) while promoting self-reliant couple interaction and increased couple softening.

This study is an empirical investigation of 35 clinically distressed therapy seeking couples receiving sequential sessions of both therapist-centered and, alternatively, couple- centered, enactment-based therapy processes. Using a mixed-level longitudinal analysis with a repeated measure design, analysis of secure attachment, and the interrelated dimensions of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were examined demonstrating that couple- centered, enactment-based sessions produced higher levels of post-session and within-session attachment gains than therapist-centered process for both males and females. Couple-centered, enactment-based process was observed to have a unique treatment effect after the second session, where both partners experienced higher levels of attachment followed by levels returning to pre-experiment levels. Clinical implications and future research considerations are suggested.

Enactments consist of episodes of direct couple engagement being carefully monitored and coached by the therapist. Enactments have been identified and studied as a potential common factor in marriage and family therapy. Attachment security is considered to be a foundational marker of marital health. This study explored what role enactments play in promoting attachment-related outcomes in therapy. A qualitative group hermeneutic approach was used to analyze the interviews of twelve participants (six couples) who had participated in six experimental sessions: three sessions with a preponderance of therapist-centered process and three of enactment-based process. The results of this analysis provide a general profile of participants' experiences of these two approaches in therapy and contribute to an emerging framework to inform potential best practice of enactments for helping couples work towards more secure attachment. Major findings include the importance of therapeutic alliance and sequencing of interventions for promoting positive attachment-related outcomes.

Questionnaires were sent by mail and e-mail to 143 members of the Sociological Practice Association. The purpose of the questionnaire was to measure the role expectations as qualities (competencies), role expectations as actions, and role enactments of the respondents'. An additional goal was to examine how respondents perceived their work to be sociological in nature, and how they saw their work as different from the practices of social workers, counselors, and psychologists. The first question that was addressed was, “Do sociological practitioners have clear and unambiguous role expectations for their work as practitioners?” The data showed that most role expectations measured as competencies were clear and unambiguous, and only a few were ambiguous and unclear. The second question addressed was, “Do sociological practitioners perceive their role enactments to differ from other helping professionals such as social workers, counselors, and psychologists?” The data showed that sociological practitioners do perceive their role enactments to be different because of their use of sociological theory and their focus on social structures. The final question asked was, “How do sociological practitioners perceive their work as sociological in theory, methods, or both?” The data showed that sociological practitioners perceive their work as sociological based on their use of sociological theory. Most respondents reported that they used common scientific methods, and few reported the use of psychological theory.

The PhD thesis deals with the role of archives in the contemporary artistic and curatorial practice, with an emphasis on the performance art. It also analyses the creation process, methodology and the contents of selected personal and institutional archives in both Czech and international contexts. The objective of the paper is to answer the following questions: In what way is the documentation and subsequent archiving of process-oriented forms of art performed? How is the history of the contemporary art formed and interpreted through these archives and with the help of the artistic and curatorial practice? To what extent are we able to reconstruct the history from records and performance documents that are only fragmented, thus making a reference to a real action? Do the archives leave some room for misinterpretation, creating a myth or personality cult through its system of classification of knowledge? How indeed is the performance art related to its own history; how is this history perceived by the performer alone; and how is it approached by the professional audience? The paper will also include the analysis of current state and possible solutions to the operation of the archive of the Faculty of Fine Arts, which is related to opening a dialogue among artists, theorists and institutions that might be interested in better accessibility of such an archive.

The aim of this study is to analyse mutual enactments of critical literacies and social visualisation tools as information resources. The central concept of critical literacies as used here extends and redefines prior critical literacy definitions to denote the pluralistic situated enactments of meaning through which study participants identify, question and transform bias, restrictions and power related aspects of access, control and use in relation to the tools. The study is based on two critical ethnography inspired case studies involving observations, interviews, and contextual inquiry and located in professional settings. Case 1 is centred on how a geographic information system (MapInfo) is used for analysing and preventing traffic accidents. Case 2 is centred on how a dynamic time series animating chart (Trendalyzer) is used for analysing and spreading knowledge about the world’s development. The results demonstrate co-existing critical literacies described in terms of three main directionalities as reactive, proactive, and adaptive, of which the adaptive varieties seem thus far largely overlooked. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that dominant cognitivist and positivist narratives of visualisations should be replaced with more nuanced alternatives that emphasise the potentials of visualisation tools as evocative and non-blackboxed information resources; i.e., as encouraging new questions and allowing alternative analyses, rather than constructing them as enunciative tools providing true answers. As theoretical contributions, the dissertation argues for a conceptualisation of visualisation tools as representational artefacts and a species of documents actuating information organisation related problems of representation. It also presents a new theoretical construct for the analysis and understanding of the mutual shaping of critical literacies and information resources that includes both cultural practices and actor interests through a combination of sociocultural theories on tools and sociotechnical theories on inscriptions. / <p>Academic dissertation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and</p><p>Information Science at the University of Borås to be publicly defended on Friday</p><p>14 December 2012 at 13.00 in lecture room C203, the University of Borås,</p><p>Allégatan 1, Borås.</p>

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology : Fine Arts, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2014. / The motivation for this research results from the notion that art-making is a regenerative enriching process that can counteract the sense of dislocation that one suffers as a consequence of depression. The study has two objectives: to open a discourse around the transformative function of art for a person suffering depression; and challenge notions of dominant constructed ideals of normality by presenting alternative realities of the performative mind. From the earliest memories of my life, I knew I did not fit in, I was not part of the crowd. Depression has been my companion ever since I can remember. The intention for this self-study is to interrogate the ways in which art can become a self-actualising process in coping with depression. The content for this research deals with narratives of the mind, that is, my understanding of who I am. I have therefore, positioned myself as the pivot for this research, drawing on authentic personal experiential knowledge. This autobiographical phenomenological study is thus a self-reflexive exploration addressing concepts of difference and belonging in relation to social constructs of acceptability. The study looks at contemporary concepts of multiple selves, relationality and the application of therapeutic methodologies within art practice. Art-making becomes games of truth, mind games that offer alternative realities and possibilities for the construction of complex, multi-faceted narratives as dialogues between the self and the inner critic. Of importance is the concept that self is not a fixed conclusive notion but one that continues to unfold, shift and become a multi-layered construct. These new narratives examine how creativity enables or creates a sense of belonging or re-positioning of one’s states of mind. The overall intention of the art-making process is its potential for transformative self-recovery processes – the re-construction of who we are, rather than how we are perceived. This research thus examines the notion of belonging in this world through body/land enactments of ritualised behaviour. The body as metaphor investigates rites of passage as the re-tellings of one’s story within specific body/site/space relationships. The ideal of connection to site is central as a means of renewal and recovery – these performative relationships become the creative meaning-making processes of locating or positionality. In support of these ideas and concepts, the work of Ana Mendieta, Magdalena Abakanowicz and Suzanne Lacy are considered in relation to ideals of positionality and as reflecting each artist’s ethics or paradigms of equality. Artworks are examined against the notion of locating oneself within social contexts. The aim is to question the intention and outcomes of art-making as social function in dealing with issues of marginalisation and stigma. Performativity, personal writings/reflections and memory drawings are the quintessential tools of my art-making. The written psychological renderings and unravellings of my mind, questionings that are both reflexive and critical, are intentionally presented in dialogical, conversational and direct modes. This personal tone aims to allow a scope into my mind – it is my perspective from the inside, my voice, my personal understanding of the potential of art as a metaphorical process of transformation. Lacy asserts that the artist becomes a witness, reporter and analyst for socio-culturally biased concerns; a performance gives public articulation and permission to speak out loud, gives voice to internal dialogues, reveal information that requires questioning and that personal individual experience has profound social implications. Lacy believes that it is an innate human need to reflect on the meaning of one’s life and one’s work (2010:176-177). Central to the findings of this study, are both the transgressive and transformative functions of art. / M