What can be said about that which, at rock-bottom, is most fundamental in a contact that transforms us? Whether in psychotherapy, in a long-term relationship or in a spontaneous moment shared suddenly and unexpectedly with a stranger? What is more primary than theory and technique, rules or guidelines, in meeting the other and seeking a contact that fosters a shifting in boundaries that brings with it the possibility of being receptive to a more direct experiencing of life and others simply (...) as they are? Even when this brings with it, inevitably, a more direct confrontation with and acknowledgment of pain and frustration, and the disappointments and difficulties that are inherent in this change. Even when this means bearing what seems utterly unbearable. Perhaps the answer, as simple as it is difficult to grasp or allow in its simplicity, is love. Drawing from the process of a long-term therapy, the novel The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Marbery (2008), the work of Martin Buber as well as of philosopher and psychologist Eugene Gendlin, this article seeks to articulate the centrality of love in the moments of our life that transform. Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology , Volume 12, Special Edition July 2012. (shrink)

O presente trabalho retrata os resultados de uma pesquisa realizada nos moldes da observação participante e da etnobiografia com o objetivo de compreender a dinâmica existente entre o ensino e aprendizagem e os valores civilizatórios inerentes às práticas cotidianas de uma comunidade tradicional afro-brasileira. O estudo foi realizado por meio da observação e participação de atividades litúrgicas de um terreiro de Umbanda e Candomblé – o “Ilè Asè Tobi Babá Olòrigbìn” - localizado na cidade de Ituiutaba, MG. O ensinar como (...) uma responsabilidade partilhada, a reafirmação de princípios éticos/civilizatórios (como a circularidade, a ancestralidade, a corporalidade, a conduta), a centralidade da oralidade e as relações entre a vida comunitária e uma singularidade que se funda no coletivo foram aspectos percebidos como características de uma dimensão formativa que orienta os aprendizados no interior desse grupo. Considerando que o modelo praticado por essas comunidades seja um modelo de sucesso (que tem resistido ao tempo e a um histórico de opressão), destacamos o grande desafio de aprender com os ensinamentos dos territórios afro-brasileiros e encontrar maneiras de incorporá-los às nossas práticas educativas, para que assim, vislumbremos uma escola mais diversa e humanizada. (shrink)

In 1943, a distinguished child psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University, Leo Kanner, published what would become a landmark article: a description of 11 children who suffered from a distinct disorder he called ‘infantile autism’. While initially quite obscure, in the early 1950s Kanner’s report garnered much attention, as clinicians and researchers interpreted these case studies as exemplifying the ill-effects of maternal deprivation, a new theory that rapidly gained currency in the United States. Sensory deprivation experiments, performed in the mid-1950s, further (...) complicated the picture, as experts debated whether maternal deprivation was unique or simply a form of environmental stimulation. As experts strove to make sense of this new disorder, they relied on concepts of maternal and sensory deprivation, both to promote their own theories and to critique or refute those of their colleagues. This interplay between the two theories also informed new forms of intervention, including ‘rage reduction therapy’, which served as a precursor for controversial forms of therapy today termed as the ‘attachment therapies’. This article sheds light on a little-known aspect of the history of autism, and examines the far-reaching effect popular etiological theories have in shaping debates over emerging medical concerns. (shrink)

Each particular possesses its own form by virtue of its rational principle by which it expresses its universal in its unified and intelligible individuality. Logos is able to express its form uniquely because of the infinite possibilities inherent within and among the perfect, immutable Forms ; all of the possibilities of formal expression exist within the intelligible cosmos. Insofar as this is the case, particular forms can be identified qua individual, by virtue of their intrinsic unity; the oneness of each (...) individual thing, by which it is distinguished from all others, is owing to the One, in which and by which all things have their being and intelligibility. (shrink)

This article examines the current state of end-of-life care in internal medicine wards in Israel, through an analysis of medical practice and the existing legal framework. The authors demonstrate the processes that lead chronically ill, elderly patients to perceive death as an unexpected phenomenon that is to be avoided at all costs. This perception stems, among other things, from the lack of public debate on questions relating to the end of life and the dominant cultural expectation that physicians provide curative (...) interventions. This results in a dearth of palliative care for the elderly along with a growing number of medical interventions that are of questionable value. The authors propose an alternative approach that highlights individual well-being and that demonstrates the potential areas of intervention by which death can be transformed into an expected and acceptable occurrence for the old and infirm. This approach allows patients to avoid unnecessary interventions and to reduce the burden of responsibility on family members and physicians, who are currently being called on to make end-of-life choices under exigent circumstances. We present these dilemmas by focusing on typical cases of incompetent elderly patients when there is no clear documentation of their wishes regarding treatment, and when their families do not have a coherent perception of what they may have wanted or of the care that would be most appropriate for them. We conclude with a call to action that highlights the need for greater awareness—through public discourse and private discussions—of end-of-life medical choices before the onset of ill-health and incompetence. (shrink)

In the 1950s, the term ‘deprivation’ entered American psychiatric discourse. This article examines how the concept of deprivation permeated the field of mental retardation, and became an accepted theory of etiology. It focuses on sensory deprivation and cultural deprivation, and analyzes the interventions developed, based on these theories. It argues that the controversial theory of cultural deprivation derived its scientific legitimization from the theory of sensory deprivation, and was a highly politicized concept that took part in the nature—nurture debate.

Enriched by the methods and insights of social history, the history of mentalites, linguistics, anthropology, literary theory, and art history, intellectual and cultural history are experiencing a renewed vitality. The far-ranging essays in this volume, by an internationally distinguished group of scholars, represent a generous sampling of these new studies.".

Given the extraordinary influence of the DSM-III and its successors, the DSM-III-R and the DSM-IV, it behooves humanistically oriented practitioners to appraise these new manuals most carefully. Toward this end, we discuss the goals that have guided the manuals' development and provide an overview of their basic structure. This is followed by a phenomenologically based critique, evaluating the claim that these manuals are "descriptive" and "atheoretical." We conclude with a discussion of five guiding principles for phenomenological diagnosis and assessment.