Edizioni FrancoAngeli - Last issue of PSICOLOGIA DI COMUNITA’ (2/2011)

Presentazione del numero. Convivenza responsabile: prospettive di intervento

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

A cura di Fortuna Procentese

Promoting togetherness. Dialogical interactions and knowledge building in participatory governance mechanisms

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

Terri Mannarini
The paper highlights how participatory decision-making practices inspired by the principles of governance constitute partial public spheres in which the community actors can discuss and address collective problems; engage in sense-making processes; and negotiate norms and principles. The author suggests that the relationships with the other and the collective knowledge building processes - assumed as the fundamental dimensions of togetherness can be read through the lens of Marková’s (2003) dialogical model of social knowledge, which emphasizes the tensive nature of social relationship and its capability of engendering shared knowledge.

Convivenza responsabile: quali i significati attribuiti nelle comunità di appartenenza?

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

Fortuna Procentese, di Luzio Silvia Scotto, Alfredo Natale
The research explores the meanings attributed to living together with responsibility in local contexts. The aim is to understand of discrepancy between the cultural changes related to the redefinition of the citizen's role and practices aimed at promoting social well-being. For such purpose, seventy-three students' scripts were collected. Through thematic analysis, emerge the structuring dimensions of the local representation of living together and the various factors determining the construction of pro-social actions. A non-recognition of spaces for sharing and negotiation is underlined. In particular, the lack of trust that empowers constructive interdependence, functional to responsible co-living prevails.

The dilemma of co-living: Social identity, trust, and interdependence

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

Francesco La Barbera
The aims of this study were to test if perceived interdependence could have a significant effect on cooperation, and if trust could mediate that effect. Eighty-two college students of both genders played a two-person dilemma game with a bogus European partner. The level of subjects’ perceived interdependence with the other European citizens was measured, as well as the level of trust they allowed to their European bogus partners. Results show that perceived interdependence has a significant effect on cooperation that is fully mediated by trust. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

Donne migranti: convivere nella invisibilità sociale

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

Caterina Arcidiacono, Filomena Tuccillo
The research explores the mutual awareness and cooperation in local interactions. Examined, in particular, are the dimensions which are based on the harmonious interactions between individuals and their living context. The main aims of the study is to deepen the strategies life of immigrant women employed in home and family care, and finally to know the elements that characterize their life story, in connection with the local context and the native inhabitants. To this end, the textual material collected, through focused interviews, was analysed using Grounded Theory which helped us to construct emergent theories concerning our research topic.

Promoting a path of civic participation. A study in a province of Naples

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

Francesco Scafuto, Giovanni Erra, Fortuna Procentese
This work sought to understand a Movement of citizens, that would like to be a mediation organization between institutions and citizens. It developed a co-operative inquiry, to understand the point of view of the local community about collective interest topics and at the same time to make it think about solutions for some political problems, that is a first step of an active participation. The results were discussed during a meeting with the Mayor of the city. Pragmatic results came out as well. Those results were put together by citizens in political consultation groups, who periodically presented their requests to some Council representatives, and also created a local newspaper, where this process was made visible.

Building participation in Squatter communities in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

Liz Cunningham
This article outlines a case study of building participation in squatter communities in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The building blocks for participation are identified and the mechanisms used, Participatory Action Research and a Savings and Credit Scheme, are examined as examples of processes others might use for similar purposes. This analysis is provided by an expatriate who worked with the organization from its inception and includes reflections on their part in the process.

Photovoice: a participatory action-research method for promoting community change. An experience with adolescents

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

Daniela Caso
Photovoice is a participatory action-research method which uses photographs taken by participants to encourage a critical discussion about community's difficulties and resources for promoting individual and community change. In this contribution, Photovoice's method allowed the adolescents of a small community in a mountain region involved in research to develop a critical awareness about the link between their lives and the solutions offered by the community related to their requests about the management of free time. This critical vision has granted young participants to suggest new solutions to politicians, becoming in this way active promoters of social change.

How empathic tendency motivates nonobligatory helping. A study among a group of volunteers

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

Anna Maria Meneghini, Riccardo Sartori
Empathic concern is considered to motivate helping, prosocial behaviours and volunteering. From an evolutionary perspective, scholars state that human beings have an innate disposition to take care of others in need. Why then do some people become volunteers and others not? This study makes a comparison between volunteers (n = 483) and non volunteers (n = 443) in terms of various aspects of emotional empathy, using the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale. Results show that volunteers score higher than non volunteers with strangers (outgroup) but levels of empathy towards family members/friends (ingroup) are similar. An empathic tendency towards outgroups is proposed as a possible component of the motivation to volunteer.

Schede bibliografiche

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT

Liana Arcuri, Patrizia Calasso, Salvatore Di Martino, Terri Mannarini, Carolina Messina, Valentina Petralia, Floriana Romano

Abstracts

Fri, 15 Mar 2012 8:00:00 GMT