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RE: [xmca] ISCAR Newsletter?

Andy i have read some parts of that book ' "Therapy Culture" from the library sometime ago.

It is an interesting book. But neverthless I find dangerous sometimes this approach of trying to normalize everything in the sake of radical relativism. Because serious Psychopathology it seems to be cross-cultural and it has been classified and categorized under different traditional medical approaches in all around the planet in various times of history. From the Greeks- to Tibetans to the DSM and ICD. If DSM and ICD have been more and more lately pushed to create more and more diseases which are not really diseases from the pharmaceutical companies? Of course that is a valid point, but this  doesnt diminishing the severe symptoms of serious mental health problems like major depression and schizophrenia where these individuals during their crisis are undergone a living hell. Thats why I am a bit skeptic about some radical social constructionism approaches towards psychopathology.

Nektarios


-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu on behalf of Andy Blunden
Sent: Mon 11/12/2012 1:55 PM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] ISCAR Newsletter?
 
In our times, it has become very socially acceptable to seek therapy, to 
the extent that that scoundrel Frank Furedi has published a book on 
"Therapy Culture" which he takes to be characteristic of our times. 
(This guy is a Marxist who has moved so far to the right that the 
right-wing think-tanks invite him to Oz to beef up their right-wing 
armoury). Seeking the help of a psychiatrist or psychologist is very 
socially acceptable. But their remain those who can ask for help for 
anything other than psychological problems. This goes so close to one's 
identity. I can admit to needing help to learn to drive a car or cook or 
strengthen my damaged muscles, but it takes a lot of self-confidence to 
ask for help with my mind, doesn't it? For a start I think it means the 
one helped also has to accept what Mike pointed to, that seeking help is 
what we do every moment. And that our mind isn't just something 
ephemeral and intangible, but takes blows and cuts just like our body does.

Andy

mike cole wrote:
> I can well understand that in the middle of gaining professional acceptance
> with the data collected it could be a little difficult to
> change courses, Nektarios.
>
> Still, it is interesting to think about how, in principle, one's approach to
> the "concept of helping" that is the standard of your field would be
> changed by CHAT perspective.
>
> In a way, the method of dual stimulation, taken as the "ur" act of using
> a second stimulus as a tool to organize response to a stimulating problem
> situation, could be interpreted to mean that we all, all the time "seek
> help" as a simple fact of human existence. It could be an interesting
> starting point in seeking to understand the various practices of "help
> seeking" that emerge under different circumstances in different cultural
> groups.
> mike
>
> On Sun, Nov 11, 2012 at 6:09 PM, Nektarios Alexi <NEKTARIOS.ALEXI@cdu.edu.au
>   
>> wrote:
>>     
>
>   
>> **
>>
>> Hi Mike,
>>
>> I dont know if at the end I will manage to contextualize my PhD thesis
>> under the CHAT principles because already it got a more mainstream
>> psychology form and we gonna start analyzing data soon then start writing
>> results and discussion by the beginning of next year. But neverthless
>> simoultaneously with my PhD thesis I have started to thinking in terms of
>> CHAT for other studies that are possible to be undertaken for the
>> population of Cyprus in comparison with other populations for help-seeking
>> behaviours for mental health problems but also for other problems. If I was
>> starting my PhD now I would have probably set a different theoretical
>> background and utilize different methodologies than those I am using at the
>> moment but it is a bit late now, since I am under a 3 year Australian
>> Postgraduate Award and I have to finish at time.
>>
>> Nektarios
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu on behalf of mike cole
>> Sent: Mon 11/12/2012 3:31 AM
>> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
>> Subject: Re: [xmca] ISCAR Newsletter?
>>
>> Hi Nektarios--
>>
>> The history of your background and the various papers you sent provide a
>> really helpful context for understanding your messages on xmca. Thanks a
>> lot for sending along.
>>
>> An observation related to a question:
>>
>> In skimming the references in several of the the papers, only one of them
>> seemed to border on the edges of XMCA discourse; Knorr-Cetina, and others.
>> But the rest appear to be from a completely discourse world, but
>> overlapping topic of concern. Is that a correct impression?
>>
>> If so, how are you planning to locate the concept of "help seeking" within
>> whatever clan of CHAT family theories you are using to think about the
>> problem. It seems a great topic for cross-cultural research because it is
>> goes right to the issue of the differing meanings in the semantic field of
>> "hope" related to differing social solutions to universal problems.
>>
>> All very interesting.
>> mike
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Nov 10, 2012 at 11:04 PM, Nektarios Alexi <
>> NEKTARIOS.ALEXI@cdu.edu.au> wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> This is a very important and considerable big study in Australia which is
>>> focused more to young people but I think many findings and are also
>>>       
>> applied
>>     
>>> for older individuals.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu on behalf of Andy Blunden
>>> Sent: Sun 11/11/2012 4:31 PM
>>> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
>>> Subject: Re: [xmca] ISCAR Newsletter?
>>>
>>> Oh! Much too much for me to  cope with Nektarios.
>>> Do you have some simple guidelines, relevant to contemporary Australia?
>>>
>>> Andy
>>>
>>> Nektarios Alexi wrote:
>>>       
>>>> Well they could be some cultural differences between Anglo-Australians
>>>> and  Greeks or Greek-Cypriots for the simple fact that church and
>>>> state is not separated in Greece and Cyprus, therefore very often
>>>> people see them selves as Greek-Orthodox christians which very often
>>>> comes with certain attitudes towards seeking solutions for health
>>>> problems and also mental health problems. These differences we reckon
>>>> would be bigger between older population than younger people which
>>>> probably more or less 80% of the population under 40, over there, have
>>>> graduate and postgraduate qualifications.
>>>>
>>>> Nektarios
>>>>
>>>> (find attached some important articles on the subject)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu on behalf of Andy Blunden
>>>> Sent: Sun 11/11/2012 10:10 AM
>>>> To: ablunden@mira.net; eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
>>>> Subject: Re: [xmca] ISCAR Newsletter?
>>>>
>>>> I don't know about cultural differences, Nektarios, but when you've
>>>> figured out how to encourage people to seek help who either deny they
>>>> need it, or don't want to cause trouble, please get in touch! Or if
>>>> you have any good literature for a novice reader, I would be
>>>> interested, too. What are the factors?
>>>>
>>>> Andy
>>>>
>>>> Nektarios Alexi wrote:
>>>>
>>>>         Yes something like that Andy:)
>>>>
>>>>         If all goes as it is expected to goes i might be finishing
>>>> next year that time. I am going to Cyprus next week to collect the
>>>> data from there and then start writing the next part of it, results
>>>> and discussion.Literature review it is almost finished i think...
>>>>
>>>>         Help-seeking behaviours for mental ilness it is simply means
>>>> to whom are asking for help individuals that are going through mental
>>>> health problems. e.g Are Greeks more willing to ask help from a family
>>>> member or friend or the priest than the psychologist or the
>>>> psychiatrist? And also are the Anglo Australians more willing to ask
>>>> for help when facing such problems from mental health professionals
>>>> than Greeks? Something like that in a nutshell:)
>>>>
>>>>         Nektarios
>>>>         ,
>>>>
>>>>         -----Original Message-----
>>>>         From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu on behalf of Andy Blunden
>>>>         Sent: Sat 11/10/2012 8:46 PM
>>>>         To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
>>>>         Subject: Re: [xmca] ISCAR Newsletter?
>>>>
>>>>          From Budapest to San Diego via Darwin, eh?
>>>>
>>>>         Where are you up to in your PhD, Nektarios?
>>>>         And what does "help-seeking behaviours for mental illness"
>>>>         
>> mean?
>>     
>>>>         Andy
>>>>         Nektarios Alexi wrote:
>>>>         >
>>>>         > Thats a good question Andy, it seems that a sequence of
>>>> events lead me
>>>>         > to xmca, but i think who put the seed to me of such a
>>>> comprehensive
>>>>         > approach to human development and human problems was my
>>>> professor of
>>>>         > developmental psychology Magda Kalmar when i was doing my BA
>>>>         > Psychology and MA Clinical Psychology at Eotvos Lorand
>>>> University of
>>>>         > Budapest. She has worked directly with Jerome Bruner i have
>>>> discovered
>>>>         > accidentally a week ago ''In Oxford Bruner collected a large
>>>> group of
>>>>         > graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who participated
>>>> in the
>>>>         > effort to understand how young children manage to crack the
>>>> linguistic
>>>>         > code, among them Alison Gopnik, Magda Kalmar hu:Kalmár Magda
>>>>         > (pszichológus), Alan Leslie, Andrew Meltzoff, Anat Ninio,
>>>> Roy Pea,
>>>>         > Susan Sugarman [2], Michael Scaife, Marian Sigman [3], Kathy
>>>> Sylva and
>>>>         > many others. '' (Wikipedia) and Uri Bronfenbrenner i think.
>>>> But i
>>>>         > didnt know about xmc a specifically till 2 years ago when i
>>>> started
>>>>         > writing my PhD research proposal here at Charles Darwin
>>>> University
>>>>         > where i was seeking material to write a proposal explaining
>>>>         > help-seeking behaviours for mental illness under a
>>>>         
>>> sociocultural
>>>       
>>>>         > framework, and somehow through google i have discovered the
>>>> infinite
>>>>         > food for thought world of xmca:)
>>>>         >
>>>>         > Nektarios
>>>>         >
>>>>         >
>>>>         > -----Original Message-----U BronfenbrennerFrom:
>>>>         > xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu on behalf of Andy Blunden
>>>>         > Sent: Sat 11/10/2012 7:05 PM
>>>>         > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
>>>>         > Subject: Re: [xmca] ISCAR Newsletter?
>>>>         >
>>>>         > The infinite regression happens by itself, Nektarios, along
>>>> with the
>>>>         > pleasure you will get from reading this stuff. Don't worry
>>>>         
>>> about
>>>       
>>>>         > "absolute answers" because you won't find them. What brought
>>>> you to xmca
>>>>         > to begin with?
>>>>         >
>>>>         > Andy
>>>>         >
>>>>         > Nektarios Alexi wrote:
>>>>         > >
>>>>         > > But what about creating questions as reading? What about
>>>> expanding by
>>>>         > > learning? And what about reading for the sake of
>>>> questioning rather
>>>>         > > than seeking for absolute answers? What about reading for
>>>> sake of the
>>>>         > > pleasure of reading by it self? But not a pleasure that it
>>>>         
>> is
>>     
>>>>         > > exhausted after its fullfillment but for a pleasure that
>>>> is getting
>>>>         > > deeper and deeper as more someone read?
>>>>         > >
>>>>         > >
>>>>         > > -----Original Message-----
>>>>         > > From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu on behalf of Andy
>>>>         
>> Blunden
>>     
>>>>         > > Sent: Sat 11/10/2012 2:02 PM
>>>>         > > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
>>>>         > > Subject: Re: [xmca] ISCAR Newsletter?
>>>>         > >
>>>>         > > To read productively, Nektarios, I think it is always
>>>> necessary to read
>>>>         > > purposively, that is, especially, to seek for the answers
>>>> to specific
>>>>         > > questions (or betters ways of framing the question!).
>>>> Sometimes what you
>>>>         > > are reading is not at the appropriate degree of generality
>>>> to give
>>>>         > > answers recognisable to your questions, and that is a
>>>> problem in itself.
>>>>         > > But always proceed like Sherlock Holmes, looking for clues.
>>>>         > >
>>>>         > > Andy
>>>>         > >
>>>>         > > Nektarios Alexi wrote:
>>>>         > > >
>>>>         > > > Hi Andy,
>>>>         > > >
>>>>         > > > Tnx for posting your work. I am looking toward to read
>>>> it carefully
>>>>         > > > very soon and hope to come up with some relevant
>>>>         
>> questions.
>>     
>>>>         > > >
>>>>         > > > Sometime it is hard to find appropriate questions,
>>>> because i am not
>>>>         > > > always sure if i am understanding correctly what i am
>>>> reading, from
>>>>         > > > scholars of the calibre that are writing in this forum.
>>>> But i think
>>>>         > > > that all these fascinating readings that people posting
>>>> here it is a
>>>>         > > > kind of Zone of Proximal development for me since it
>>>> keeps my
>>>>         > > > intellectual curiosity always alert.
>>>>         > > >
>>>>         > > >
>>>>         > > >
>>>>         > > > Nektarios
>>>>         > > >
>>>>         > >
>>>>         >
>>>>         >
>>>>         > __________________________________________
>>>>         > _____
>>>>         > xmca mailing list
>>>>         > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>>>         > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>>>         >
>>>>
>>>>         --
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>     
>>>>         *Andy Blunden*
>>>>         Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
>>>> <http://home.mira.net/%7Eandy/> <http://home.mira.net/%7Eandy/>
>>>>         Book: http://www.brill.nl/concepts
>>>>         http://ucsd.academia.edu/AndyBlunden
>>>>
>>>>         __________________________________________
>>>>         _____
>>>>         xmca mailing list
>>>>         xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>>>         http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> ________________________________
>>>>
>>>> *Andy Blunden*
>>>> Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/ <http://home.mira.net/%7Eandy/>
>>>> Book: http://www.brill.nl/concepts
>>>> http://ucsd.academia.edu/AndyBlunden
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> --
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> *Andy Blunden*
>>> Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
>>> Book: http://www.brill.nl/concepts
>>> http://ucsd.academia.edu/AndyBlunden
>>>
>>> __________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>       
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>>     
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>   

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
Book: http://www.brill.nl/concepts
http://ucsd.academia.edu/AndyBlunden

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