Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH / Bibliography: leaf 48. / by Sheri Maria Pruitt. / M.C.P.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar uma proposta de educação para o envelhecimento voltada para pessoas que estão nesta fase da vida. Pretendeu-se aprofundar a compreensão a respeito dos aspectos psíquicos doenvelhecimento e das demandas de uma parcela desta população para construir uma proposta de intervenção. A abordagem da pesquisa foi qualitativa. Foram realizadas três etapas de trabalho de campo. Inicialmente, foram aplicados questionários para quinze participantes de um curso da Universidade Aberta à Terceira Idade do Instituto de Psicologia da Universidade de São Paulo. Em seguida, foram realizados quatro encontros em grupo com três mulheres, com idades entre 57 e 64 anos, ex-participantes da Universidade Aberta à Terceira Idade do Instituto de Psicologia da Universidade de São Paulo. Por fim, foram realizados cinco encontros em grupo com seis mulheres, entre 60 e 70 anos de idade, frequentadoras de uma associação com atividades para a terceira idade, nazona leste da capital. Para compreensão dos dados, os encontros foram analisados separadamente e foram destacados os temas emergentes de todas as etapas de coleta de dados. As temáticas foram analisadas com base nos eixos teóricos propostos pela Psicologia do Desenvolvimento, dos estudos de educação em relação às perdas e à morte, bem como de abordagens em grupo com idosos. Os principais conteúdos emergentes foram: elaboração das perdas e das mudanças advindas do processo de envelhecimento; mudanças nos papéis familiares; diferenças de gênero na velhice; comunicação, aprendizagem e prevenção no grupo, além de sugestões para a organização prática deste tipo de intervenção. Considerou-se que o grupo de reflexão se mostrou como espaço educativo, terapêutico, preventivo e de estímulo a cuidados com qualidade de vida e saúde mental no processo de envelhecimento / This study investigates a proposal for education for aging people who are facing this stageof life.It was intended to deepen understanding about the psychological aspects of aging and the demands of a portion of this population to build a proposed intervention. The research approachwas qualitative. There were three stages of fieldwork. Initially, questionnaires were administered to fifteen participants in a courseat the Open Universityof the Third Age of the Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo.Then, four meetings were heldwith a group ofthree women, aged between 57 and 64 years, students of the Open University of theThird Ageof the Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo.Finally, five meetings were heldwith a group of six women between 60 and 70 years old attending at an association with activities for senior sin the east area of the São Paulo. Tounderstand the data, the meetings were analyzed separately andwere chosen emerging issues in all stages of data collection.Thethemes were analyzed based ontheoretical axesproposed by developmental psychology, studies of educationin relation tolossand death, as well as approachestothe elderlygroup. Themain contentswere: developmentof lossesand changesresulting from theaging process, changes in family roles, gender differencesin old age, communication, learning and preventionin the group, as well as suggestions for thepractical organizationof this type ofintervention.It was felt that the focus group proved as educational space, therapeutic, preventive care and stimulating quality of life and mental healthin the aging process

Alors que de nombreuses recherches se sont intéressées à la variabilité perçue des groupes (Park & Rothbart, 1982; Quattrone & Jones, 1980), l’existence de différences de variabilité objective entre les groupes sociaux n’a suscité que peu de recherches. Il a néanmoins été montré que le pouvoir détenu par un groupe pouvait augmenter sa variabilité objective. Si les résultats des quelques études réalisées sur le sujet tendent vers cette conclusion, des résultats contradictoires ont également pu être observés. L’objectif de cette thèse est de mieux comprendre ces différences de variabilité objective, notamment via l’étude de l’(in)certitude, définie comme la capacité à comprendre et à prédire son environnement. Après une revue des nombreux concepts associés au terme d’ « incertitude »,nous proposons cinq études qui visent à définir précisément l’« (in)certitude » manipulée dans cette thèse. Par la suite, nous testons l’hypothèse d’une augmentation de la variabilité objective avec le degré de certitude au travers de six études, dont trois en contexte écologique. Dans les expériences en laboratoire, le degré d’(in)certitude ressentie par les membres de groupes artificiels a été expérimentalement manipulé et la variabilité des groupes mesurée par diverses méthodes (écart à la norme et distance entre les choix des membres). Cette manipulation expérimentale de l’(in)certitude a également été testée en contexte écologique avec les membres de groupes naturels. Enfin, deux études ont traité des données écologiques recueillies lors de la Coupe du Monde de Football 2010 et dans une enquête internationale et longitudinale, l’European Values Survey. Nos résultats montrent qu’il semble possible d’influencer la variabilité des groupes par une modification de l’(in)certitude ressentie par leurs membres. Les groupes composés de membres certains sont objectivement plus variables que les groupes composés de membres incertains. De plus, en laboratoire comme avec les données écologiques, nous avons pu établir un lien entre nos recherches et les précédentes concernant l’effet du pouvoir sur la variabilité objective. / A lot of studies have focused on perceived group variability (Park & Rothbart, 1982;Quattrone & Jones, 1980) while very few were interested in the existence of objectivedifferences in variability between groups. Nevertheless, it was shown that the power held bya group could increase its objective variability. If the results of some studies tend to this conclusion, contradictory results have also been observed. The aim of this work is to better understand differences in variability objective, particularly through the study of(un)certainty, defined as the ability to understand and predict the environment. After are view of numerous concepts associated with the term "uncertainty", we propose five studies aimed at defining precisely the "(un)certainty" handled in our work. Subsequently, we testour hypothesis about the influence of (un)certainty on the objective variability through six studies, three of them in ecological context. In laboratory, the degree of (un)certainty felt by artificial group members was experimentally manipulated and variability of groups wasmeasured by different methods (deviation from the norm and distance between the choicesof members). This experimental manipulation of (un)certainty was also carried out in an ecological context with members of natural groups. Finally, two studies have dealt with ecological data collected during the Football World Cup 2009 and in an international and longitudinal investigation, the European Values Survey. Our results show that it seemspossible to influence the variability of groups by a modification of the (un)certainty felt bytheir members. Groups composed of members who are certain are objectively more variable than groups composed of members who are uncertain. In both type of data, in laboratory and in ecological context, we were able to establish a link with the previous research on the effect of power on objective variability.

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This study sought to explore what Self-Help Support Groups (SHSGs) might have to offer young people who experience mental health issues. By definition, these non-profit support groups are run by and for people who come together on the basis of a shared experience. Although much research has been conducted on SHSG involvement among adults, there has been little investigation on the experiences of young people; this is despite the importance of youth mental health. Although several bodies of knowledge contributed to this study, they offered a limited understanding to the findings. Consequently, a more encompassing social capital framework was used to illuminate and challenge the findings. Among the varied understandings of social capital are two oft-cited perspectives – that of Bourdieu (1986) and that of Coleman (1988). However, that applicability of social capital to this study necessitated a theoretical extension of these two perspectives. The present study offers valuable direction to improve current social policy. This includes increased training opportunities for human service providers to raise awareness and appreciation for the unique role filled by SHSGs ; the demonstration of explicit support for SHSG’s in social policy that is relevant to mental health, substance use issues, and young people; and the establishment of a New South Wales clearing house. The thesis closes by attesting the potential benefits associated with SHSGs; if not for the potential benefit they offer young people with mental health issues, and the communities to which they belong, then as a valuable area for future investigation. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This study documents three cases of protracted conflict in an institution of higher education. Work groups in conflict were studied for one year in order to create cases and to describe factors influencing conflict escalation. From these cases, autistic conflict as a descriptive construct was developed to illustrate one phase of protracted conflict escalation. The following research questions guided this study. 1. How and why does protracted conflict develop and escalate in higher education work groups? 2. What is the nature of chronic autistic conflict? 3. How do higher education cultures and system affect the development of protracted autistic conflict? The population studied included the administration and three distinct work groups from one university where conflicts had continued for an extended period of time. The stories of group conflict are fully reported in this study, and process maps illustrate incidents and influences related to conflict escalation. To study conflict and human behavior in this context and to describe the effect of the institutional culture on conflict escalation, ethnographic methodology was used. Cases were developed from interviews, participant observation, and document review. The researcher worked with the university in a number of settings for over a year, which provided opportunities to observe daily life in these disputant groups and to develop a broader understanding of the organizational culture. From findings in this study, it was possible to form a number of hypotheses regarding protracted conflict escalation. These hypotheses include the following: 1. Protracted conflict in institutions of higher education develops in five phases. 2. When conflicts escalate among groups in higher education without successful resolution, disputants develop dysfunctional behaviors which contribute to conflict escalation. 3. A number of contextual factors evident within institutions of higher education contribute to autistic conflict development. Additional research questions with broader implications for conflict in organizations and recommendations regarding the improvement of practice regarding conflict within institutions of higher education were also generated by this study. / Graduation date: 1999

Identity have come to fore in daily life, political life and social sciences in recent years. Debates on the ways how identity can be studied and conceptualized have been varying. There needs to make critical studies on multicultural Mardin using current theoretical possibilities. The reason of why Mardin is selected as the case of this study is that the significant role of identity in people living in Mardin as a multi-religious and multi-ethnic site. However, because of that &quot / difference&quot / which is expressed in the &quot / cultural diversity&quot / is understood with only ethnic and religious belongings, social class and gender are generally neglected. In this thesis, identity is studied as intersectionality of ethnicity, social class, and gender differences. It is focused on where, how and how certain identity expressions are selected. Accordingly, it is tried to be revealed that identity is not fixed and essentialist, rather is historical, contextual and contingent in the case of Mardinian Arabs. The most suitable data generation method for this research question is interviewing and participant observation as a part of living experience in the researching site.

This dissertation contributes to music scene and online community studies. It is an historical examination of the CBLocals music scene in the summer of 2006. This scene is located in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, and the website with which its participants identify. This study analyzes the CBLocals website as a cultural infrastructure of a music scene and thus positions itself to advance pre-Internet arguments about scenes. This dissertation argues that on the one hand, the Internet changes how music scenes function by increasing accessibility and mobility. On the other hand, it has left the social composition and ideological outlook of music scenes unchanged. Users celebrate the medium's possibilities and what the CBLocals website has brought to their scene. They also feel nostalgia for the practices they feel their scene has lost along the way. The result is that the most significant consequence of CBLocals.com and the Internet on the music scene is a feeling of ambivalence in its participants. In the second and third chapter, I demonstrate how local context still greatly affects the representation of the CBLocals scene. In Chapter Two, I analyze the social composition of CBLocals based on race, gender, region, class, sexuality and age. I conclude that this social composition is unaffected by technological advances. In Chapter Three, I analyze discussions of "selling out" within the scene. I conclude that regional perspectives of state-supported professionalism in music and arts inform discussions on "selling out" that are specific to the CBLocals community. The fourth chapter explores the CBLocals users' perceptions of the website and messageboard. Users celebrate a variety of benefits, such as an interactive forum, the social lubrication provided by online gossip and the ease of promoting music online. However, many users dislike what they see as the erosion of work ethic and standards of discourse that have occurred in the Internet age. These mixed emotions reflect the ambivalence resulting from the celebration of possibilities and the nostalgia emergent with new technology.

This paper examines the group ethos that is such a critical part of preschool education in contemporary Japan. The paper discusses the importance to parents and to the government of suppressing individuality and of inculcating a positive feeling for the group in children in Japanese early childhood education. The group ethos is a part of Japanese society as a whole and of its political culture, in particular. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to discover parallels between values that prevail in early childhood classrooms and in Japanese politics and culture. The paper also explores the possible costs, both to individual children and to society, of the overarching priority of socialization for group living in the preschool setting. / Graduation date: 1998

Cognitive fatigue refers to the decline in mental efficiency and accompanying feelings of strain and weariness that occur over time-on-task. This study extends previous research on the determinants of cognitive fatigue by evaluating the independent and joint effects of individual differences in extraversion and performance context (individual vs. team) on reports of fatigue. Using a within-subjects counterbalanced design, 92 undergraduate participants performed a three-hour series of problem-solving tasks alone and as part of a four-person team. Results indicated main effects for context, such that all participants report greater fatigue in the solitary performance context compared to the team context. Extraversion was also negatively related to fatigue across time-on-task. However, no extraversion X context interaction was observed. I conclude that task engagement provides a specific source of variance in fatigue-reduction, and suggest that extraverts benefit more from task-related arousal or state positive affect.