Ben Berger
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691144689
- eISBN:
- 9781400840311
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691144689.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter discusses the shortcomings of the term “civic engagement” and argues that it must be reconceptualized as its constituent parts: political, social, and moral engagement—concepts that are ...
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This chapter discusses the shortcomings of the term “civic engagement” and argues that it must be reconceptualized as its constituent parts: political, social, and moral engagement—concepts that are better equipped to clarify and enhance our discourse about making democracy work. It shows how and why the term “civic engagement” quickly rose to prominence, illustrating its meteoric rise and the confusion that accompanies its widespread use. It contends that civic engagement has remained popular, influential, and ultimately misleading, in part due to the word “engagement,” which entails a combination of activity and attention, an investment of energy and a consciousness of purpose. The chapter also distinguishes among political engagement, social engagement, and moral engagement—distinctions that tend to be neglected in civic engagement scholarship—and provides examples of each type. Finally, it differentiates among engagement undertaken at the local, national, and international level, each of which involves unique challenges, commitments, and rewards.Less
This chapter discusses the shortcomings of the term “civic engagement” and argues that it must be reconceptualized as its constituent parts: political, social, and moral engagement—concepts that are better equipped to clarify and enhance our discourse about making democracy work. It shows how and why the term “civic engagement” quickly rose to prominence, illustrating its meteoric rise and the confusion that accompanies its widespread use. It contends that civic engagement has remained popular, influential, and ultimately misleading, in part due to the word “engagement,” which entails a combination of activity and attention, an investment of energy and a consciousness of purpose. The chapter also distinguishes among political engagement, social engagement, and moral engagement—distinctions that tend to be neglected in civic engagement scholarship—and provides examples of each type. Finally, it differentiates among engagement undertaken at the local, national, and international level, each of which involves unique challenges, commitments, and rewards.
Ben Berger
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691144689
- eISBN:
- 9781400840311
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691144689.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This book has argued that civic engagement is a hopelessly confusing term and therefore should give way to political, social, and moral engagement. It has also critiqued idealistic conceptions of ...
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This book has argued that civic engagement is a hopelessly confusing term and therefore should give way to political, social, and moral engagement. It has also critiqued idealistic conceptions of participatory democracy for aiming for the Full Monty: high and widespread political engagement among all citizens, all (or much) of the time, in spite of citizens' long-standing inclinations toward the opposite. Some idealistic theories of democracy, the Full Monty versions, have asked too much of citizens' tastes, attention, and energy. This concluding chapter proposes three approaches to improving democracy that conform to Alexis de Tocqueville's premises and insights: changing our approach to politics and political mobilization, changing ourselves, and changing our institutions.Less
This book has argued that civic engagement is a hopelessly confusing term and therefore should give way to political, social, and moral engagement. It has also critiqued idealistic conceptions of participatory democracy for aiming for the Full Monty: high and widespread political engagement among all citizens, all (or much) of the time, in spite of citizens' long-standing inclinations toward the opposite. Some idealistic theories of democracy, the Full Monty versions, have asked too much of citizens' tastes, attention, and energy. This concluding chapter proposes three approaches to improving democracy that conform to Alexis de Tocqueville's premises and insights: changing our approach to politics and political mobilization, changing ourselves, and changing our institutions.
Ben Berger
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691144689
- eISBN:
- 9781400840311
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691144689.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
Handwringing about political apathy is as old as democracy itself. As early as 425 BC, the playwright Aristophanes ridiculed his fellow Athenians for gossiping in the market instead of voting. In ...
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Handwringing about political apathy is as old as democracy itself. As early as 425 BC, the playwright Aristophanes ridiculed his fellow Athenians for gossiping in the market instead of voting. In more recent decades, calls for greater civic engagement as a democratic cure-all have met with widespread agreement. But how realistic, or helpful, is it to expect citizens to devote more attention and energy to politics? This book provides a surprising new perspective on the problem of civic engagement, challenging idealists who aspire to revolutionize democracies and their citizens, but also taking issue with cynics who think that citizens cannot, and need not, do better. “Civic engagement” has become an unwieldy and confusing catchall, the book argues. We should talk instead of political, social, and moral engagement, figuring out which kinds of engagement make democracy work better, and how we might promote them. Focusing on political engagement and taking Alexis de Tocqueville and Hannah Arendt as guides, the book identifies ways to achieve the political engagement we want and need without resorting to coercive measures such as compulsory national service or mandatory voting. By providing a realistic account of the value of political engagement and practical strategies for improving it, while avoiding proposals we can never hope to achieve, the book makes a persuasive case for a public philosophy that much of the public can actually endorse.Less
Handwringing about political apathy is as old as democracy itself. As early as 425 BC, the playwright Aristophanes ridiculed his fellow Athenians for gossiping in the market instead of voting. In more recent decades, calls for greater civic engagement as a democratic cure-all have met with widespread agreement. But how realistic, or helpful, is it to expect citizens to devote more attention and energy to politics? This book provides a surprising new perspective on the problem of civic engagement, challenging idealists who aspire to revolutionize democracies and their citizens, but also taking issue with cynics who think that citizens cannot, and need not, do better. “Civic engagement” has become an unwieldy and confusing catchall, the book argues. We should talk instead of political, social, and moral engagement, figuring out which kinds of engagement make democracy work better, and how we might promote them. Focusing on political engagement and taking Alexis de Tocqueville and Hannah Arendt as guides, the book identifies ways to achieve the political engagement we want and need without resorting to coercive measures such as compulsory national service or mandatory voting. By providing a realistic account of the value of political engagement and practical strategies for improving it, while avoiding proposals we can never hope to achieve, the book makes a persuasive case for a public philosophy that much of the public can actually endorse.
Louise Barrett and Drew Rendall
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195326598
- eISBN:
- 9780199864904
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326598.003.0028
- Subject:
- Psychology, Neuropsychology, Evolutionary Psychology
This chapter presents an alternative view to the notion that complex social behaviors in primates require complex brain processes. It argues that social behavior in primates may be mediated by ...
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This chapter presents an alternative view to the notion that complex social behaviors in primates require complex brain processes. It argues that social behavior in primates may be mediated by relatively simple rules that use the structure of the social environment as a scaffold. This is in opposition to the notion that social knowledge must be explicitly represented by specialized neural circuits. The complexity of the social environment is, in essence, an emergent property of these simple rules of social engagement.Less
This chapter presents an alternative view to the notion that complex social behaviors in primates require complex brain processes. It argues that social behavior in primates may be mediated by relatively simple rules that use the structure of the social environment as a scaffold. This is in opposition to the notion that social knowledge must be explicitly represented by specialized neural circuits. The complexity of the social environment is, in essence, an emergent property of these simple rules of social engagement.
Peter C. Mundy and C. Françoise Acra
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195168716
- eISBN:
- 9780199847853
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168716.003.0004
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
The development of joint attention reflects and contributes to the early developmental processes necessary for social engagement and social competence in infants. Results of longitudinal studies ...
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The development of joint attention reflects and contributes to the early developmental processes necessary for social engagement and social competence in infants. Results of longitudinal studies suggest that the tendencies of infants to initiate joint attention (IJA) bids could be predictive of some aspects of social engagement and social competence during childhood. Observations further suggest that more frequent IJA bids during infancy could be used as a marker of at-risk children's vulnerability to poor social outcomes. IJA measures may be useful in identifying children who are likely to have hyperactivity and attention problems, or those who may have stronger resistance to the negative impact of moderate attachment disturbances. Measures of joint attention could provide unique data on processes affecting developmental continuity, risk, and social outcomes for children.Less
The development of joint attention reflects and contributes to the early developmental processes necessary for social engagement and social competence in infants. Results of longitudinal studies suggest that the tendencies of infants to initiate joint attention (IJA) bids could be predictive of some aspects of social engagement and social competence during childhood. Observations further suggest that more frequent IJA bids during infancy could be used as a marker of at-risk children's vulnerability to poor social outcomes. IJA measures may be useful in identifying children who are likely to have hyperactivity and attention problems, or those who may have stronger resistance to the negative impact of moderate attachment disturbances. Measures of joint attention could provide unique data on processes affecting developmental continuity, risk, and social outcomes for children.
Stephen W. Porges and C. Sue Carter
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195388107
- eISBN:
- 9780199918386
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195388107.003.0020
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
This essay describes neurobiological and neuroendocrine mechanisms that are implicated in human caregiving. Anatomical and biochemical systems that first appeared in the evolutionary transition from ...
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This essay describes neurobiological and neuroendocrine mechanisms that are implicated in human caregiving. Anatomical and biochemical systems that first appeared in the evolutionary transition from reptiles to mammals allowed the emergence of mammalian sociality. Human behaviors are characterized by symbiotic and reciprocal interactions, which are necessary for successful caregiving. The autonomic nervous system, and especially the mammalian changes in the parasympathetic system, provides an essential neural platform for social behavior. Especially critical to coordinating the features of positive sociality are neuropeptides including oxytocin and vasopressin. These neuropeptides modulate the mammalian autonomic nervous system to foster the expression of social behaviors and, when adaptive, defensive behaviors. Oxytocin, the same peptide that regulates various aspects of mammalian reproduction including birth, lactation and maternal behavior, is also involved in the beneficial and reciprocal effects of caregiving on physiology, behavior and health.Less
This essay describes neurobiological and neuroendocrine mechanisms that are implicated in human caregiving. Anatomical and biochemical systems that first appeared in the evolutionary transition from reptiles to mammals allowed the emergence of mammalian sociality. Human behaviors are characterized by symbiotic and reciprocal interactions, which are necessary for successful caregiving. The autonomic nervous system, and especially the mammalian changes in the parasympathetic system, provides an essential neural platform for social behavior. Especially critical to coordinating the features of positive sociality are neuropeptides including oxytocin and vasopressin. These neuropeptides modulate the mammalian autonomic nervous system to foster the expression of social behaviors and, when adaptive, defensive behaviors. Oxytocin, the same peptide that regulates various aspects of mammalian reproduction including birth, lactation and maternal behavior, is also involved in the beneficial and reciprocal effects of caregiving on physiology, behavior and health.
Omri Elisha
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520267503
- eISBN:
- 9780520950542
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520267503.003.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Anthropology, Religion
The chapter explains the concept of moral ambition highlighting two key points. First, as socially engaged evangelicals work to attain religious virtues associated with grace and compassion, they ...
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The chapter explains the concept of moral ambition highlighting two key points. First, as socially engaged evangelicals work to attain religious virtues associated with grace and compassion, they simultaneously work to inspire others to adopt the appropriate moral dispositions necessary to enhance volunteer mobilization. Second, the moments of creative agency triggered by these aspirations are at once fueled and constrained by the ideological demands of the institutional contexts in which they emerge. They are also complicated by multiple and at times conflicting historical, cultural, and theological influences that coexist within those contexts. In addition, the chapter offers an in-depth perspective on important aspects of North American evangelicalism, including the complexity of evangelical moral and political attitudes at the congregational level, about which there has been much speculation but little concrete analysis. The moral ambitions are shaped within specific cultural and institutional milieus that define, authorize, and constrain their actual potential.Less
The chapter explains the concept of moral ambition highlighting two key points. First, as socially engaged evangelicals work to attain religious virtues associated with grace and compassion, they simultaneously work to inspire others to adopt the appropriate moral dispositions necessary to enhance volunteer mobilization. Second, the moments of creative agency triggered by these aspirations are at once fueled and constrained by the ideological demands of the institutional contexts in which they emerge. They are also complicated by multiple and at times conflicting historical, cultural, and theological influences that coexist within those contexts. In addition, the chapter offers an in-depth perspective on important aspects of North American evangelicalism, including the complexity of evangelical moral and political attitudes at the congregational level, about which there has been much speculation but little concrete analysis. The moral ambitions are shaped within specific cultural and institutional milieus that define, authorize, and constrain their actual potential.
Peter J. Marshall and Nathan A. Fox (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195168716
- eISBN:
- 9780199847853
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168716.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
This volume presents an overview of contemporary work on certain aspects of social engagement across a range of contexts, species, and domains. Early social engagement is defined in terms of its ...
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This volume presents an overview of contemporary work on certain aspects of social engagement across a range of contexts, species, and domains. Early social engagement is defined in terms of its subcomponents and a summary of a number of current biological approaches to the study of social engagement in infants and young children is given. Approach-related behaviour is introduced as an essential but understudied characteristic of temper that indicates developing processes of social engagement. A series of chapters is focused on cognitive capacities related to social-engagement development, including face processing, joint attention, language development, and social cognition. The third section of the volume describes certain contemporary works on social engagement processes in various mammalian species. The chapters deal with the neurobiology of social bonds and material behaviour and certain aspects of play. These demonstrate the current comparative work on the processes of social engagement in juveniles and adults, specifically on neurochemical mechanisms. Evolutionary concepts in social engagement are also presented. The last three chapters focus on two developmental disorders signified by deficits or deviations in social engagement: impairments in social engagement in autism and the unique profile of social engagement in individuals with Williams syndrome. Finally, recent work on some mechanisms involved in the development of difficulties associated with emotional and social functioning in children brought up in institutional environments is summarized.Less
This volume presents an overview of contemporary work on certain aspects of social engagement across a range of contexts, species, and domains. Early social engagement is defined in terms of its subcomponents and a summary of a number of current biological approaches to the study of social engagement in infants and young children is given. Approach-related behaviour is introduced as an essential but understudied characteristic of temper that indicates developing processes of social engagement. A series of chapters is focused on cognitive capacities related to social-engagement development, including face processing, joint attention, language development, and social cognition. The third section of the volume describes certain contemporary works on social engagement processes in various mammalian species. The chapters deal with the neurobiology of social bonds and material behaviour and certain aspects of play. These demonstrate the current comparative work on the processes of social engagement in juveniles and adults, specifically on neurochemical mechanisms. Evolutionary concepts in social engagement are also presented. The last three chapters focus on two developmental disorders signified by deficits or deviations in social engagement: impairments in social engagement in autism and the unique profile of social engagement in individuals with Williams syndrome. Finally, recent work on some mechanisms involved in the development of difficulties associated with emotional and social functioning in children brought up in institutional environments is summarized.
Raphael Bernier, Sara Jane Webb, and Geraldine Dawson
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195168716
- eISBN:
- 9780199847853
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168716.003.0011
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
This study aims to examine the core early social impairments that affect the social engagement of individuals with autism, i.e. impairments in social orienting, emotion perception, joint attention, ...
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This study aims to examine the core early social impairments that affect the social engagement of individuals with autism, i.e. impairments in social orienting, emotion perception, joint attention, affective sharing, and imitation; some contemporary hypotheses on the fundamental deficits that underlie the said impairments; and their neural bases. The observed impairments, new imaging technologies, and existing research paradigms all provide avenues for understanding certain aspects of social engagement in individuals with typical development. Identifying the neural basis of autism enables better understanding of the nature of the impairments. Further work is needed to explore the social motivation hypothesis, despite the many research works into social impairments in autism and the various theories developed to explain the disorder.Less
This study aims to examine the core early social impairments that affect the social engagement of individuals with autism, i.e. impairments in social orienting, emotion perception, joint attention, affective sharing, and imitation; some contemporary hypotheses on the fundamental deficits that underlie the said impairments; and their neural bases. The observed impairments, new imaging technologies, and existing research paradigms all provide avenues for understanding certain aspects of social engagement in individuals with typical development. Identifying the neural basis of autism enables better understanding of the nature of the impairments. Further work is needed to explore the social motivation hypothesis, despite the many research works into social impairments in autism and the various theories developed to explain the disorder.
Heidi Keller and Athanasios Chasiotis
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195168716
- eISBN:
- 9780199847853
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168716.003.0010
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
This chapter argues that competition, conflict, and cooperation are at the core of human social engagement, emphasizing the importance of interaction of selfish and cooperative motivation in gaining ...
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This chapter argues that competition, conflict, and cooperation are at the core of human social engagement, emphasizing the importance of interaction of selfish and cooperative motivation in gaining understanding of the nature of human social engagement. Discussions suggest that children seem to gain reputation through competent involvement in cooperative and competing interactions. Social dominance is achieved with competent practice of pro-social and competitive behaviour, and this can be considered a mechanism when understanding social structures in groups. Pro-social interactions and helpfulness are associated with popularity and social status during childhood. Dominant individuals, who have better access to resources, apply a combination of aggressive and cooperative interactive strategies to maintain their status. The strategies are based on the group's ecology and the related costs and benefits.Less
This chapter argues that competition, conflict, and cooperation are at the core of human social engagement, emphasizing the importance of interaction of selfish and cooperative motivation in gaining understanding of the nature of human social engagement. Discussions suggest that children seem to gain reputation through competent involvement in cooperative and competing interactions. Social dominance is achieved with competent practice of pro-social and competitive behaviour, and this can be considered a mechanism when understanding social structures in groups. Pro-social interactions and helpfulness are associated with popularity and social status during childhood. Dominant individuals, who have better access to resources, apply a combination of aggressive and cooperative interactive strategies to maintain their status. The strategies are based on the group's ecology and the related costs and benefits.
Peter J. Marshall and Nathan A. Fox
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195168716
- eISBN:
- 9780199847853
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168716.003.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
The growing interest in the biological mechanisms subserving social behaviour in humans and animals has been fuelled partly by techniques and assays for monitoring or recording nervous activity ...
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The growing interest in the biological mechanisms subserving social behaviour in humans and animals has been fuelled partly by techniques and assays for monitoring or recording nervous activity becoming more sophisticated and accessible. The use of new technologies and improved old ones has caused a surge in research studies investigating how the different aspects of social behaviour are related and how a great number of physiological systems work. Developmental scientists have started to apply some of the new neurobiological techniques to deal with fundamental questions of human development. One important aspect of this work is the possible adoption of converging methods, integrating findings obtained from the scope of functional neuroimaging and electrophysiology with results from comparative, computational, and neuropsychological approaches. The renewed and growing interest in the biology of social behaviour is also brought about by the increasing acceptance of studying biological mechanisms and the surfacing of cognitive neuroscience.Less
The growing interest in the biological mechanisms subserving social behaviour in humans and animals has been fuelled partly by techniques and assays for monitoring or recording nervous activity becoming more sophisticated and accessible. The use of new technologies and improved old ones has caused a surge in research studies investigating how the different aspects of social behaviour are related and how a great number of physiological systems work. Developmental scientists have started to apply some of the new neurobiological techniques to deal with fundamental questions of human development. One important aspect of this work is the possible adoption of converging methods, integrating findings obtained from the scope of functional neuroimaging and electrophysiology with results from comparative, computational, and neuropsychological approaches. The renewed and growing interest in the biology of social behaviour is also brought about by the increasing acceptance of studying biological mechanisms and the surfacing of cognitive neuroscience.
Suzanne Franzway, Nicole Moulding, Sarah Wendt, Carole Zufferey, and Donna Chung
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781447337782
- eISBN:
- 9781447337836
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447337782.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gender and Sexuality
This chapter examines how the sexual politics of domestic violence gives rise to stigma and shame, eroding women's confidence and trust in others. The analysis presented here therefore makes a new ...
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This chapter examines how the sexual politics of domestic violence gives rise to stigma and shame, eroding women's confidence and trust in others. The analysis presented here therefore makes a new contribution to knowledge about how intimate partner violence interrupts and changes women's social relationships and affiliations in ways that have lasting effects on the capacity to exercise citizenship. In common with findings in relation to employment, housing, and mental health, this chapter shows that women do not regain the levels of social engagement they had prior to intimate partner violence, and that the nature of social participation is also changed by intimate partner violence in ways that are not wholly negative. It explores how intimate partner violence affects women's participatory citizenship and the interconnections with its impact on the three other key life domains. This chapter also examines how women rebuild the social relationships and connections in their lives.Less
This chapter examines how the sexual politics of domestic violence gives rise to stigma and shame, eroding women's confidence and trust in others. The analysis presented here therefore makes a new contribution to knowledge about how intimate partner violence interrupts and changes women's social relationships and affiliations in ways that have lasting effects on the capacity to exercise citizenship. In common with findings in relation to employment, housing, and mental health, this chapter shows that women do not regain the levels of social engagement they had prior to intimate partner violence, and that the nature of social participation is also changed by intimate partner violence in ways that are not wholly negative. It explores how intimate partner violence affects women's participatory citizenship and the interconnections with its impact on the three other key life domains. This chapter also examines how women rebuild the social relationships and connections in their lives.
Brian Steensland and Philip Goff (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199329533
- eISBN:
- 9780199369379
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199329533.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Evangelicals are increasingly turning their attention toward issues such as the environment, international human rights, economic development, racial reconciliation, and urban renewal. This marks an ...
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Evangelicals are increasingly turning their attention toward issues such as the environment, international human rights, economic development, racial reconciliation, and urban renewal. This marks an expansion of the social agenda advanced by the Religious Right over the past few decades. For outsiders to evangelical culture, this contemporary trend complicates simplistic stereotypes. For insiders, it brings contention over what “true” evangelicalism means today. The New Evangelical Social Engagement brings together an impressive interdisciplinary team of scholars to map this new religious terrain and spell out its significance. The volume’s introduction describes the broad outlines of this “new evangelicalism.” The editors identify its key elements, trace its historical lineage, account for the recent changes taking place within evangelicalism, and highlight the implications of these changes for politics, civic engagement, and American religion. Part One of the book discusses important groups and trends: Emerging evangelicals, the New Monastics, an emphasis on social justice, Catholic influences, gender dynamics and the desire to rehabilitate the evangelical identity, and evangelical attitudes toward the new social agenda. Part Two focuses on specific issues: the environment, racial reconciliation, abortion, international human rights, and global poverty. Part Three contains reflections on the new evangelical social engagement by three leading scholars in the fields of American religious history, sociology of religion, and Christian ethics. This volume is certain to become an essential text for understanding trends in contemporary evangelicalism.Less
Evangelicals are increasingly turning their attention toward issues such as the environment, international human rights, economic development, racial reconciliation, and urban renewal. This marks an expansion of the social agenda advanced by the Religious Right over the past few decades. For outsiders to evangelical culture, this contemporary trend complicates simplistic stereotypes. For insiders, it brings contention over what “true” evangelicalism means today. The New Evangelical Social Engagement brings together an impressive interdisciplinary team of scholars to map this new religious terrain and spell out its significance. The volume’s introduction describes the broad outlines of this “new evangelicalism.” The editors identify its key elements, trace its historical lineage, account for the recent changes taking place within evangelicalism, and highlight the implications of these changes for politics, civic engagement, and American religion. Part One of the book discusses important groups and trends: Emerging evangelicals, the New Monastics, an emphasis on social justice, Catholic influences, gender dynamics and the desire to rehabilitate the evangelical identity, and evangelical attitudes toward the new social agenda. Part Two focuses on specific issues: the environment, racial reconciliation, abortion, international human rights, and global poverty. Part Three contains reflections on the new evangelical social engagement by three leading scholars in the fields of American religious history, sociology of religion, and Christian ethics. This volume is certain to become an essential text for understanding trends in contemporary evangelicalism.
Helen Tager-Flusberg and Daniela Pleas-Skwerer
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195168716
- eISBN:
- 9780199847853
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168716.003.0012
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
Unique insights into understanding gene–brain–behaviour relationships could be obtained from genetically based neurodevelopmental disorders, especially Williams Syndrome (WS), which is useful in ...
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Unique insights into understanding gene–brain–behaviour relationships could be obtained from genetically based neurodevelopmental disorders, especially Williams Syndrome (WS), which is useful in investigating the genetic and neurocognitive systems underlying social-emotional behaviour, owing to the striking social phenotype related to the disorder. In the past 20 years, there has been a significant development in the study of the cognitive-affective mechanisms underlying the empathy, hypersociability, and unusual attention to people and emotional responsiveness characterizing the phenotype. However, little is known as to the neurobiological systems that influence the behavioural patterns distinguishing WS from other disorders. Very few studies have also been done to examine the changes in the social phenotype of the disorder due to maturational or contextual influences at various developmental levels.Less
Unique insights into understanding gene–brain–behaviour relationships could be obtained from genetically based neurodevelopmental disorders, especially Williams Syndrome (WS), which is useful in investigating the genetic and neurocognitive systems underlying social-emotional behaviour, owing to the striking social phenotype related to the disorder. In the past 20 years, there has been a significant development in the study of the cognitive-affective mechanisms underlying the empathy, hypersociability, and unusual attention to people and emotional responsiveness characterizing the phenotype. However, little is known as to the neurobiological systems that influence the behavioural patterns distinguishing WS from other disorders. Very few studies have also been done to examine the changes in the social phenotype of the disorder due to maturational or contextual influences at various developmental levels.
Fred Dallmayr
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780813165783
- eISBN:
- 9780813165813
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813165783.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This book explores the possibility of a transition from the modern paradigm—presently in a state of decay or disarray—toward new modes of life where freedom and solidarity would be reconciled, thus ...
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This book explores the possibility of a transition from the modern paradigm—presently in a state of decay or disarray—toward new modes of life where freedom and solidarity would be reconciled, thus making possible a new flourishing of humanity on a global scale. However, it also acknowledges that antinomies of the past cannot quickly be exorcised by philosophical writings and that inherent conflicts in the modern paradigm may surface in virulent forms. Chapters 7 through 9 offer individual case studies that illustrate the difficulties involved in overcoming modern antinomies, especially the tension between freedom and solidarity. They look in particular at contemporary Protestant theology in its quest to reconcile human freedom with the Christian community of believers; Russian intellectual history in its difficult journey from traditional holism via totalitarianism to a precarious democratic freedom; and recent Indian philosophy as it tried to situate itself vis-à-vis traditional Hindu cosmology in its search for a viable democratic path in postcolonial India. The end of the book returns to the book’s central theme—the issue of a reconnection of freedom with social engagement—and stresses the need for new beginnings in this reconnection. Freedom and Solidarity ultimately offers that the solution to the possible derailments of freedom and solidarity into selfish narcissism and ethnocentric collectivism consists in the conception of solidarity as an open-ended, differentiated “public” and the conception of freedom as “authentic” guardianship.Less
This book explores the possibility of a transition from the modern paradigm—presently in a state of decay or disarray—toward new modes of life where freedom and solidarity would be reconciled, thus making possible a new flourishing of humanity on a global scale. However, it also acknowledges that antinomies of the past cannot quickly be exorcised by philosophical writings and that inherent conflicts in the modern paradigm may surface in virulent forms. Chapters 7 through 9 offer individual case studies that illustrate the difficulties involved in overcoming modern antinomies, especially the tension between freedom and solidarity. They look in particular at contemporary Protestant theology in its quest to reconcile human freedom with the Christian community of believers; Russian intellectual history in its difficult journey from traditional holism via totalitarianism to a precarious democratic freedom; and recent Indian philosophy as it tried to situate itself vis-à-vis traditional Hindu cosmology in its search for a viable democratic path in postcolonial India. The end of the book returns to the book’s central theme—the issue of a reconnection of freedom with social engagement—and stresses the need for new beginnings in this reconnection. Freedom and Solidarity ultimately offers that the solution to the possible derailments of freedom and solidarity into selfish narcissism and ethnocentric collectivism consists in the conception of solidarity as an open-ended, differentiated “public” and the conception of freedom as “authentic” guardianship.
Sergio M. Pellis and Vivien C. Pellis
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195168716
- eISBN:
- 9780199847853
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168716.003.0009
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
Play has long been considered as either insignificant or irrelevant to normal behaviour development, or as important in the onset of normal behaviour development. Two fundamental factors that have ...
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Play has long been considered as either insignificant or irrelevant to normal behaviour development, or as important in the onset of normal behaviour development. Two fundamental factors that have caused this confusion about play are discussed in this chapter: the tendency for play to be defined as without immediate purpose, and the tendency of utilitarian and cognitive perspectives to focus on skills development. The model used in this chapter suggests that social play experience allows for modifying the stress-response system and emotional control generally. During play, juveniles realize the emotive value of certain events and that social interactions may involve pain and uncertainty. Animals with play experience have better control of how they react to a particular situation and are better able to give more subtle and graded responses to new social contexts.Less
Play has long been considered as either insignificant or irrelevant to normal behaviour development, or as important in the onset of normal behaviour development. Two fundamental factors that have caused this confusion about play are discussed in this chapter: the tendency for play to be defined as without immediate purpose, and the tendency of utilitarian and cognitive perspectives to focus on skills development. The model used in this chapter suggests that social play experience allows for modifying the stress-response system and emotional control generally. During play, juveniles realize the emotive value of certain events and that social interactions may involve pain and uncertainty. Animals with play experience have better control of how they react to a particular situation and are better able to give more subtle and graded responses to new social contexts.
Omri Elisha
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520267503
- eISBN:
- 9780520950542
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520267503.003.0004
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Anthropology, Religion
This chapter offers ethnographic profiles of four individuals who personify the activist orientation of evangelical social engagement and embody the virtues, struggles, and moral ambitions that go ...
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This chapter offers ethnographic profiles of four individuals who personify the activist orientation of evangelical social engagement and embody the virtues, struggles, and moral ambitions that go along with it. The profiles are categorized thematically according to four biblical archetypes that include the Apostle, the Teacher, the Prophet, and the Missionary. The apostle, Paul Genero, founded the Samaritans of Knoxville as a coalition of pastors, ministry professionals, and laypeople committed to outreach mobilization, training, and collaboration. Modeled on faith-based organizations in other cities, the Samaritans of Knoxville were meant to serve an intermediary role in the Christian community. Stacy Miggs, the teacher, described the gift of mercy as an almost visceral compulsion rather than a cognitive choice, a force that impels her to get involved in other people's lives. The prophet, Jim Elroy, was the director of the Fuller Street Mission, one of the largest homeless shelters in Knoxville. The Missionary, Margie Mckenzie, a staff member at Marble Valley Presbyterian, was charged with overseeing the megachurch's social outreach ministries, which meant coordinating charity drives, scheduling outreach events, and organizing workshops on outreach-related topics.Less
This chapter offers ethnographic profiles of four individuals who personify the activist orientation of evangelical social engagement and embody the virtues, struggles, and moral ambitions that go along with it. The profiles are categorized thematically according to four biblical archetypes that include the Apostle, the Teacher, the Prophet, and the Missionary. The apostle, Paul Genero, founded the Samaritans of Knoxville as a coalition of pastors, ministry professionals, and laypeople committed to outreach mobilization, training, and collaboration. Modeled on faith-based organizations in other cities, the Samaritans of Knoxville were meant to serve an intermediary role in the Christian community. Stacy Miggs, the teacher, described the gift of mercy as an almost visceral compulsion rather than a cognitive choice, a force that impels her to get involved in other people's lives. The prophet, Jim Elroy, was the director of the Fuller Street Mission, one of the largest homeless shelters in Knoxville. The Missionary, Margie Mckenzie, a staff member at Marble Valley Presbyterian, was charged with overseeing the megachurch's social outreach ministries, which meant coordinating charity drives, scheduling outreach events, and organizing workshops on outreach-related topics.
Omri Elisha
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199329533
- eISBN:
- 9780199369379
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199329533.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter builds on the premise that evangelical social engagement shares meaningful characteristics in common with religious ideas and sensibilities located outside of evangelical Protestantism, ...
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This chapter builds on the premise that evangelical social engagement shares meaningful characteristics in common with religious ideas and sensibilities located outside of evangelical Protestantism, strictly defined. Specifically, I explore the possibility of subtle and mostly implicit Roman Catholic resonances in what constitutes contemporary evangelical social engagement, especially with regard to ministries of social welfare. I focus my essay on three thematic elements: briefly, suffering, sacramentalism, and social teaching/social justice. Building on field observations and other sources, I argue that these resonances not only invite consideration of the affinities between the two faith traditions but also open up new paths of inquiry regarding the scope and direction of evangelical social engagement in the foreseeable future. In light of ongoing collaborations between evangelicals and Catholic on hot-button moral and political issues, the plausibility of conceptual and even programmatic overlaps in other, more altruistic areas of engagement may have significant cultural and practical implications.Less
This chapter builds on the premise that evangelical social engagement shares meaningful characteristics in common with religious ideas and sensibilities located outside of evangelical Protestantism, strictly defined. Specifically, I explore the possibility of subtle and mostly implicit Roman Catholic resonances in what constitutes contemporary evangelical social engagement, especially with regard to ministries of social welfare. I focus my essay on three thematic elements: briefly, suffering, sacramentalism, and social teaching/social justice. Building on field observations and other sources, I argue that these resonances not only invite consideration of the affinities between the two faith traditions but also open up new paths of inquiry regarding the scope and direction of evangelical social engagement in the foreseeable future. In light of ongoing collaborations between evangelicals and Catholic on hot-button moral and political issues, the plausibility of conceptual and even programmatic overlaps in other, more altruistic areas of engagement may have significant cultural and practical implications.
John Sloboda
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198530121
- eISBN:
- 9780191689741
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198530121.003.0023
- Subject:
- Psychology, Music Psychology
This chapter poses several questions regarding useful criteria to evaluate research in music psychology, deciding what to research, and whether to carry out research at all. In exploring them it is ...
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This chapter poses several questions regarding useful criteria to evaluate research in music psychology, deciding what to research, and whether to carry out research at all. In exploring them it is necessary to address broader questions, to do with the social responsibilities of scientists, academics, and educated citizens. Attitudes towards values and priorities are so intimately connected to a person's social context and background that removing them from the discourse can hide key assumptions that motivate the argument. The chapter further discusses that the lack of attention to social benefit may also be a consequence of employment culture. The chapter then presents some characterisation of what different levels of socially responsible academic engagement might look like. The template postulates four successive social engagement levels, which involve increasingly prominent roles for considerations impacting on academic activity ‘from the outside’.Less
This chapter poses several questions regarding useful criteria to evaluate research in music psychology, deciding what to research, and whether to carry out research at all. In exploring them it is necessary to address broader questions, to do with the social responsibilities of scientists, academics, and educated citizens. Attitudes towards values and priorities are so intimately connected to a person's social context and background that removing them from the discourse can hide key assumptions that motivate the argument. The chapter further discusses that the lack of attention to social benefit may also be a consequence of employment culture. The chapter then presents some characterisation of what different levels of socially responsible academic engagement might look like. The template postulates four successive social engagement levels, which involve increasingly prominent roles for considerations impacting on academic activity ‘from the outside’.
Helen Tager-Flusberg and Daniela Plesa Skwerer
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199890712
- eISBN:
- 9780199332779
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199890712.003.0022
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter examines the social phenotype of Williams syndrome (WS). WS is a rare genetic disorder in which about 25 genes are missing from one copy of the long arm of chromosome 7. People with WS ...
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This chapter examines the social phenotype of Williams syndrome (WS). WS is a rare genetic disorder in which about 25 genes are missing from one copy of the long arm of chromosome 7. People with WS are strikingly social creatures. They are outgoing, gregarious, warm, and socially engaged with other people. Despite their mild to moderate levels of intellectual disability, children and adults with WS will approach new people they meet, strike up a conversation, and show intense interest in them. However, there is also a darker side to the social world of people with WS. First, the social engagement, especially in young children, can be so extreme that their fearlessness and willingness to accompany complete strangers pose real potential danger. And second, by middle childhood they experience difficulties forming friendships, have limited conversational and other discourse skills, and are vulnerable to teasing and social rejection.Less
This chapter examines the social phenotype of Williams syndrome (WS). WS is a rare genetic disorder in which about 25 genes are missing from one copy of the long arm of chromosome 7. People with WS are strikingly social creatures. They are outgoing, gregarious, warm, and socially engaged with other people. Despite their mild to moderate levels of intellectual disability, children and adults with WS will approach new people they meet, strike up a conversation, and show intense interest in them. However, there is also a darker side to the social world of people with WS. First, the social engagement, especially in young children, can be so extreme that their fearlessness and willingness to accompany complete strangers pose real potential danger. And second, by middle childhood they experience difficulties forming friendships, have limited conversational and other discourse skills, and are vulnerable to teasing and social rejection.
