Claude-Helene Mayer
Claude-Hélène Mayer is a Professor in Industrial and Organisational Psychology at the Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a Semester at Sea Alumni (SASFA22) and a Board member of the International Academy of Intercultural Research (IAIR). Claude is a Senior Editor for the Europe`s Journal of Psychology (EJOP), an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Psychology (Positive Psychology) and for the International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management (IJCCM).
She holds Doctoral degrees in Psychology, Management and Cultural Anthropology. Her Venia Legendi is in Psychology with focus on Work, Organisational and Cultural Psychology (Europa Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany).
Her research areas include transcultural mental health, salutogenesis, transcultural conflict management and mediation, women in leadership, shame and love across cultures, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, and psychobiography. She is the winner of the William B. Gudykunst Book Award 2023 together with Elisabeth Vanderheiden for her „International Handbook of Love”. Further, together with six other co-editors, she has won one Nautilus Silver Award with special honours for academic on “Women empowerment for a Sustainable Future”. Finally, she has won another Nautilus Award with special honours for academic rigor for her authored book “Unwrapping transcultural romantic love relationships” (both books are published by Springer).
Her teaching areas are cross-cultural psychology, leadership, mental health, psychobiography, organizational theory, systems and design thinking, coaching, positive psychology, organizational behaviour and transcultural conflict management and mediation. She works as a licensed (Germany) systemic family therapist and facilitator in family therapy (SG), constellation facilitator (KI), mediator and mediation facilitator (BM 2001-2021), hypnotherapist (TIM) and coach in private practice. Since 2005 she consults for leaders and international organizations in industry, education, social and therapeutic institutions.
Contact:
www.claudehmayer.com
www.interkulturelle-mediation.de
LinkedIn: Claude-Hélène Mayer, https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudehelene/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude-Hélène_Mayer
She holds Doctoral degrees in Psychology, Management and Cultural Anthropology. Her Venia Legendi is in Psychology with focus on Work, Organisational and Cultural Psychology (Europa Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany).
Her research areas include transcultural mental health, salutogenesis, transcultural conflict management and mediation, women in leadership, shame and love across cultures, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, and psychobiography. She is the winner of the William B. Gudykunst Book Award 2023 together with Elisabeth Vanderheiden for her „International Handbook of Love”. Further, together with six other co-editors, she has won one Nautilus Silver Award with special honours for academic on “Women empowerment for a Sustainable Future”. Finally, she has won another Nautilus Award with special honours for academic rigor for her authored book “Unwrapping transcultural romantic love relationships” (both books are published by Springer).
Her teaching areas are cross-cultural psychology, leadership, mental health, psychobiography, organizational theory, systems and design thinking, coaching, positive psychology, organizational behaviour and transcultural conflict management and mediation. She works as a licensed (Germany) systemic family therapist and facilitator in family therapy (SG), constellation facilitator (KI), mediator and mediation facilitator (BM 2001-2021), hypnotherapist (TIM) and coach in private practice. Since 2005 she consults for leaders and international organizations in industry, education, social and therapeutic institutions.
Contact:
www.claudehmayer.com
www.interkulturelle-mediation.de
LinkedIn: Claude-Hélène Mayer, https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudehelene/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude-Hélène_Mayer
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We are overly #excited! Our new book #SHAME4.0 - Investigating an Emotion in #DigitalWorlds and the #FourthIndustrialRevolution is out!
JOIN US for our vitual book launch event in which our authors will speak and be interviewed on the latest insights. Sign up below!
Find out more on: https://lnkd.in/dF7QYGG
and join or virtual book release event on
1. September 2021 at 13.00 to 14.00 hours CET (Berlin/Johannesburg time). Please register here: https://lnkd.in/d45PpKz
Thanks to all the authors and my co-editors!
#shame #transformingshame #fourthindustrialrevolution #industry4.0 #digitalisation #maketheworldabetterplace #research #event #education #innovation #positivepsychology #positivemindsets #shame4.0 #excellenceinresearch #video #universityofjohannesburg #iopsychology #industrialandorganisationalpsychology
Papers by Claude-Helene Mayer
in mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic; however,
only a few studies have explored fear, depression, and well-being cross-
culturally during this time. Accordingly, we present the results of a cross-
cultural study that (1) compares these mental health scores for German and
South African students, (2) compares the correlations among them, and (3)
identifes COVID-19 fear, well-being, and depression predictors. German and
South African societies difer from each other socio-culturally, politically, and
economically. Their university systems also difer to a large extent. University
students in both countries completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the World
Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and the Patient Health
Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Welch’s t-test, correlation, and multiple regression
analyses were performed. (1) German students were found to have statistically
lower levels of COVID-19 fear and depression, but lower levels of general well-
being than South African students. (2) In both samples, fear of COVID-19 was
negatively correlated with well-being and positively associated with female
gender and depression. (3) Additionally, female gender, depression, and lower
well-being were identifed as predictors of COVID-19 fear in both samples.
The fndings indicate that the fear of COVID-19 is associated with and varies
according to gender, depression, and well-being across cultures, and that the
diference in the intensity of fear between German and South African students
may be partly explained by cultural and contextual diferences. These fndings
can create a deeper understanding of the pandemic’s impact on student
communities and may be used by mental health practitioners and researchers
to develop and apply culture-specifc interventions.
KEYWORDS
COVID-19, fear, well-being, depression, South Africa, Germany, cross-culture
The research methodology is qualitative and phenomenological in nature. Alltogether 422 international students between 18 and 23 years participated in this study. They described their critical intercultural experiences in selected CCZs.
Findings show that students experienced various intercultural challenges, particularly in Morocco, Portugal and Spain which led to shame. Further, the shameful experiences were related to gender. Shameful situations were experienced in the following domains: 1. inappropriate behaviour (eight incidents); 2. gendered lifestyles (five incidents); 3. begging (three incidents); 4. intercultural misunderstanding (three incidents); 5. surprise about shamelessness (two incidents); and 6. scamming (one incident). It is concluded that culture-specific intercultural trainings and diversity management trainings could prepare students for their visits abroad and help them gaining practical skills to transform shame experiences into growth-orientated learning processes.
We are overly #excited! Our new book #SHAME4.0 - Investigating an Emotion in #DigitalWorlds and the #FourthIndustrialRevolution is out!
JOIN US for our vitual book launch event in which our authors will speak and be interviewed on the latest insights. Sign up below!
Find out more on: https://lnkd.in/dF7QYGG
and join or virtual book release event on
1. September 2021 at 13.00 to 14.00 hours CET (Berlin/Johannesburg time). Please register here: https://lnkd.in/d45PpKz
Thanks to all the authors and my co-editors!
#shame #transformingshame #fourthindustrialrevolution #industry4.0 #digitalisation #maketheworldabetterplace #research #event #education #innovation #positivepsychology #positivemindsets #shame4.0 #excellenceinresearch #video #universityofjohannesburg #iopsychology #industrialandorganisationalpsychology
in mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic; however,
only a few studies have explored fear, depression, and well-being cross-
culturally during this time. Accordingly, we present the results of a cross-
cultural study that (1) compares these mental health scores for German and
South African students, (2) compares the correlations among them, and (3)
identifes COVID-19 fear, well-being, and depression predictors. German and
South African societies difer from each other socio-culturally, politically, and
economically. Their university systems also difer to a large extent. University
students in both countries completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the World
Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and the Patient Health
Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Welch’s t-test, correlation, and multiple regression
analyses were performed. (1) German students were found to have statistically
lower levels of COVID-19 fear and depression, but lower levels of general well-
being than South African students. (2) In both samples, fear of COVID-19 was
negatively correlated with well-being and positively associated with female
gender and depression. (3) Additionally, female gender, depression, and lower
well-being were identifed as predictors of COVID-19 fear in both samples.
The fndings indicate that the fear of COVID-19 is associated with and varies
according to gender, depression, and well-being across cultures, and that the
diference in the intensity of fear between German and South African students
may be partly explained by cultural and contextual diferences. These fndings
can create a deeper understanding of the pandemic’s impact on student
communities and may be used by mental health practitioners and researchers
to develop and apply culture-specifc interventions.
KEYWORDS
COVID-19, fear, well-being, depression, South Africa, Germany, cross-culture
The research methodology is qualitative and phenomenological in nature. Alltogether 422 international students between 18 and 23 years participated in this study. They described their critical intercultural experiences in selected CCZs.
Findings show that students experienced various intercultural challenges, particularly in Morocco, Portugal and Spain which led to shame. Further, the shameful experiences were related to gender. Shameful situations were experienced in the following domains: 1. inappropriate behaviour (eight incidents); 2. gendered lifestyles (five incidents); 3. begging (three incidents); 4. intercultural misunderstanding (three incidents); 5. surprise about shamelessness (two incidents); and 6. scamming (one incident). It is concluded that culture-specific intercultural trainings and diversity management trainings could prepare students for their visits abroad and help them gaining practical skills to transform shame experiences into growth-orientated learning processes.
- Points towards new directions in humor research
- Presents global humour research
This handbook is the updated and expanded second edition of a highly cited and impactful collection, which provides new perspectives on humour from transdisciplinary perspectives. The collection’s focus is on humour as a resource from different socio-cultural and psychological viewpoints, bringing together authors from different cultures, social contexts and countries. The handbook enables researchers and practitioners to unlock research findings which give new directions for contemporary and future humour research.
By employing transdisciplinary and transcultural perspectives, the volume further discusses humour in regard to different cultural and political contexts, humour over the lifespan, in therapy and counselling, in pedagogical settings, in medicine and the workspace. The contributions also highlight the connections between humour and the COVID-19 pandemic and promise new inspiring insights. This second edition includes a new introduction from the editors, updates to the majority of the chapters, and five new chapters which take a humour-research approach to contemporary issues such as the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, the consequences of the pandemic, and tackles developments related to artificial intelligence and gamification. With an expanded scope, this handbook will continue to appeal to researchers, practitioners and students in the fields of industrial and organisational psychology, positive psychology, organisational studies, future studies, health and occupational science and therapy, who will find each chapter highly topical, insightful and applicable to practice.
Der Band bietet eine solide Grundlage für Forscher:innen und Praktiker:innen, neue Modelle, Therapien und Beratungspraktiken zu entwickeln, um Scham neu zu definieren und so zu gestalten, dass sie zu Stärke, Resilienz und Stärkung des Individuums führt.
Keywords: Women LeadershipTransculture Psychobiography Gender WEIRD Non-WEIRD Heroine’s journey Comparative psychobiography
Psychobiography in Times of Transcultural and Transdisciplinary Perspectives
This volume presents psychobiographical research in non-WEIRD—Western, Educat- ed, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic—contexts and samples, focusing on culture, transcultural and transdisciplinary work. It creates a platform for researchers, scholars and scientists from diverse backgrounds to put forth new theoretical and methodo- logical stances in psychobiography, thereby making the field more inclusive, diverse and equitable. The chapters in this volume investigate the role of context across the life course of non-WEIRD psychological subjects, as well as the interplay between them and their environments across the life span. They further elucidate cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects of individuals with non-WEIRD backgrounds.
The volume provides a broad and at the same time in-depth perspective into psycho- biography beyond the usual contexts and therefore has new and original learnings to offer across disciplines and cultures. It is a breakthrough in terms of its transcultural and transdisciplinary insights into lives lived in different contexts in the world.
“Every person is in certain respects (a) like all other persons, (b) like some other persons, (c) like no other persons. This book is a challenging and fascinating exploration of extending psychobiography beyond its origins in Europe and America to women and men of differ- ent races and social and economic classes from Africa, Asia, and around the world. At its best, psychobiography can increase people’s awareness of their own subjective experience and that of others, contributing to movements for social, cultural and political change.”
William McKinley Runyan, Professor Emeritus & Professor of the Graduate School, School of Social Welfare, U. of California Berkeley
Beyond Weird is beyond needed. The book triumphantly fills the gap created by a dearth of studies of people other than Western, educated, European and American men.
James William Anderson, PhD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago.
This study uses a new psychobiographical focus, exploring the interplay of personality, non-verbal communication and body-language to analyse the meaning of specific life events in the life of Angela Merkel, the contemporary German chancellor. It thereby contributes to political psychological psychobiography on global women leaders through adult observation.
The article evaluates how Merkel uses non-verbal communication and body-language to establish herself as a meaningful chancellor.
Methodologically, it uses a hermeneutical research paradigm with Merkel being purposefully sampled as the subject of research. This study includes written accounts for analysis and interpretation on Merkel and refers to media scenario as a relevant methodological reference for adult observation, exploring Merkel as a public figure.
It thereby, on the one hand contributes to explanding previously used theories in psychobiography, and on the other hand contributing to new and original research on Angela Merkel, as one of the women leaders in the world.
The chapter takes a psychobiographical approach to the life of the subject, Karl Otto Lagerfeld. The subject was purposefully sampled.
The study found that Lagerfeld’s early affective experiences with his mother, Elizabeth, as well as an entire childhood spent learning about culture and art at her feet, informed his later ability to reach for the positivity hidden within shameful experiences and turn it toward the creation of new and original fashion designs.
Today, mental health is regarded as an important aspect of human life in many societies. For example, the British government published the ‘No health without mental health’ policy in 2011, emphasizing the importance of mental health to our wellbeing. Likewise, the Japanese government implemented a new policy to reform people’s working styles to reduce high rates of mental health problems in 2018. Focus on mental health has become more salient since the outbreak of COVID-19. Despite the abovementioned initiatives and global changes, how mental health is perceived across different cultures remains to be examined. This Research Topic was developed to address this global problem.
Although mental health has been widely discussed, the definition and understanding of mental health remain to be refined. This is partly caused by a lack of cross-cultural perspectives on mental health. Moreover, due to the rapid internationalization taking place in the world today, a culturally aware understanding of, and interventions for mental health problems are essential. Accordingly, this Research Topic aims to fill this gap and deepen our understanding of mental health by comparing positive and negative psychological constructs cross-culturally, and discussing how cultures may be related to their similarities and differences. Insights offered in this Research Topic will help inform diverse perspectives on mental health and contribute to constructing a more universal definition of mental health.
More details; https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/23522/comparing-mental-health-cross-culturally
Join us face-to-face or on video recording after the symposium!
Women leaders in 21st century workplaces need creativity to manage daily work-related challenges and their way to the top in organisations (Henriksen, Mishra, & Fisser, 2016). The authors explored creativity in women leaders from a subjective, qualitative perspective, and revealed the way in which 23 women leaders from diverse cultural backgrounds see creativity in their 21st century workplaces.
Abstract:
This article provides the reader with an insight into the topic of love in cultural and intercultural perspectives. It refers to love in the context of health and the creation of health cultures. This manuscript is foun- ded on the oral presentation held at the DACHS-Symposium on 4.-6. May 2018 in Göttingen, Germany.
Claude-Hélène Mayer , Christian Martin Boness and Lynette Louw
Department of Management, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
10th China Goes Global Conference, University of Macerata, Italy 26-28 July 2016
Abstract
Purpose: Chinese organisations have a long tradition operating in Tanzania, and even today, the country is the gateway for Chinese interests entering sub-Saharan markets. The purpose of this paper is to understand perspectives and challenges of Chinese and Tanzanian employees working in a private Chinese organisation in Tanzania.
Methodology: The study uses a case study approach within a hermeneutical research paradigm. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and observation in a selected private Chinese organisation. Data was analysed by content analysis using Terre Blanche’s five-step model of content analysis.
Findings: The findings show that working together interculturally is a challenge for both Chinese and Tanzanian employees in the selected private Chinese organisation. Overall, Chinese employees share a mostly positive view of their organisation, while Tanzanians tend to be more critical of the organisation. Members of both groups, however, feel that intercultural collaboration and cooperation could improve if the other group members make recommended changes. Despite this, both groups adhere to their stereotypic experiences of the other and maintain expectations that the other should change.
Limitations: The study is limited to a single organisation and the in-depth qualitative data explored.
Practical implications: Chinese organisations need to create opportunities for training in the basics of intercultural communication to improve the understanding of the self and the other within the organisation, to reflect on stereotypes and prejudices, and to improve the understanding of thought styles, experience, knowledge and basic cultural values and concepts. As such cultural knowledge-sharing opportunities would contribute to a sustainable intercultural communication practice in the organisation.
Keywords: Chinese and Tanzanian employee perspectives, challenges in collaboration, synergies
Track 2: Sub-Saharan Africa: New dynamics, New synergies
Acknowledgements: This work is based on the research supported in part by a Research Grant Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
Ng, Van Dyne & Ang 2009). It is suggested that a high EI and CQ
could both contribute to improved intercultural and interreligious understanding and dialogue. In this light, and due to rapid changes and new challenges in regard to intercultural and interreligious encounters within ecclesiastical contexts, the Catholic Church in Germany provides new training courses aimed at increasing EI and CQ.
This longitudinal study aims at exploring the SOC, as a positive psychology construct, among a cohort of systemic family therapist trainees in Germany and its development over a period of three years by focussing on SOC, focusing on the development of the SOC subscales of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness and selected demographical variables.
Using non-parametric methodology as the sample is non-random and to counter the effect of range restriction use was made of related-samples Friedman’s Two-way Analysis of variance by ranks procedures. General linear modelling techniques were also employed to explore the data for possible interactions. The sample consisted of 65 students in the first year, 55 and 43 respondents in the 2nd and third year respectively. The measurements were taken during the course years 2012 to 2015.
Data were collected through the German Version of the 29-item Life-Orientation Questionnaire (Antonovsky, 1987). This instrument has well-established reliability and validity with regard to the cultural context of research. In terms of the present study, internal consistency reliabilty ranged between .72 and .92.
In total the Sense of Coherence (SOC ) score and sub-scores, except comprehensibility , were significantly different in the three periods. Interestingly, meaningfulness changed the most over the three year period, especially for protestant respondents and for married/live in couples. In contrast single or divorced/ widowed participants had significantly different manageability scores over the three years. In short for protestant respondents the meaningfulness scores increased in each of the three measurement periods, in the case of married respondents meaningfulness was nearly the same as that of single or divorced respondents in the first period, but then steadily increased significantly more than in the single persons. The latter again started with much lower scores for manageability than the married persons, but at the end of the three periods this score had caught up with that of the married ones.
These results are discussed in the context of this training environment and recommendations for theory and practice are provided.
Antonovsky, A. (1987). Unraveling the mystery of health: How people manage stress and stay well. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hansson, K. & Cederblad, M. (2004): Sense of Coherence as a Meta-Theory for Salutogenic Family Therapy, Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 15(1-2), 39-54
Welter-Enderlin, R. (2015). A view from Europe: Gender in Training and Continuing Education of family Therapists. In: Weingarten, K. & Bograd, M. (Eds.). Reflections on feminist family therapy training. New York: The Haworth Press Routledge.
The Catholic Church is challenged by complex changing world realities such as decreasing numbers in members, increasing multicultural work settings, a decrease in pastoral communities, and restructuring processes within the organisation. Therefore, ecclesiastical professionals are trained to increase mental health and well-being through a strengthened sense of coherence and mindfulness to cope with these complex challenges.
The aim of this longitudinal study was to explore the development of sense of coherence and mindfulness constructs in a group of senior professionals attending adult educational trainings in the German Catholic Church. A 12-day educational training course spread over a period of nine months was offered and was entitled: “Becoming intercultural and interreligious mediators”.
This qualitative study was based on a longitudinal case study approach within the phenomenological and interpretative hermeneutical paradigms with specific reference to constructivism, temporality, development processes and change.
A sample of eight participants, the total of the adult educational training group, voluntarily enrolled for a 12-day training programme (spread over a period of nine months) to develop SOC and MI. Quantitative scores of the pre- and post-test SOC and MI questionnaires were qualitatively analysed.
At the commencement of the training, participants were invited to complete three questionnaires, as well as at the end of the training programme:
• A biographical and demographical questionnaire
• The 29-item Life Orientation Questionnaire (LOQ) (Antonovsky, 1979)
• The 14-item Freiburger Mindfulness Inventory (FMI-14) (Walach, Buchheld, Buttenmuller, Kleinknecht & Schmidt, 2006).
•
Results indicate that the majority of participants scored lower on the post-test on SOC and slightly higher in MI. Individual sub-scores on the questionnaires were analysed as well as trends with individual candidates.
The discussion explores trends as well as the pitfalls in the development of SOC and MI and highlights the implications for theory and practice. Practical training implications for developing SOC and MI are therefore offered.
Keywords: Sense of coherence, mindfulness, adult education, training, Catholic Church, Germany
We want to make a difference!
International Handbook of Emotions. Positive and Cultural Psychology Perspectives.
Editors
Claude-Hélène Mayer, Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
Elisabeth Vanderheiden, Global Institute for Transcultural Research, Römerberg, Germany
Dear colleagues,
You are cordially invited to submit a chapter proposal for the book project: “International Handbook of Emotions. Positive and Cultural Psychology Perspectives".
The book is envisioned as a primary reference resource on the topics of emotion from positive psychology (PP1.0, PP2.0, and PP3.0) and cultural, as well as inter-/transcultural perspectives.
This international handbook approaches the topic of emotions from positive psychology perspectives, thereby taking PP1.0 (Seligman, 2002, 2019; Seligman, & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000), PP2.0 (Wong, 2011), and PP3.0 (Lomas, et al., 2020) into consideration. Positive psychology is dedicated to the question of what keeps people psychologically healthy and how this development can be promoted and supported (Mayer, 2021; Mayer & Vanderheiden, 2020). It focuses not only on emotions that usually have positive connotations, but also on those that are usually seen as stressful, disturbing or negative. From a positive psychological point of view (especially PP2.0 and PP3.0), it is necessary to focus on the transformation of pain, suppering, dark sides and grief to make sense of life and work and reach well-being on individual, but also on organisational and socio-cultural levels (Wong, 2009, 2011). Therefore, negative experiences and emotions need to be transformed into positive connotated emotions and they need to be integrated within one’s identity, personality and growth experience (Vanderheiden & Mayer, 2017). With the help of these transformation processes, burdensome and toxic emotions can be converted into resources and strengths for the individual, as well as for the organisation and the society (Mayer & Vanderheiden, 2020).
Research in the past years has shown that positive psychology perspectives are of major interest in leadership and organisation studies, as well as industrial and organisational psychology, psychology, social and cultural sciences, human sciences, political and crime sciences. Emotions which are experienced as negative in organizations usually have negative influences on job satisfaction, job engagement, happiness at work, productivity as well as mental health and well-being on individual, organisational and societal levels (Castillo, 2022; van Kleef & Côté, 2022). Negative emotions need to be transformed towards positive experiences to contribute positively to the individual, organisation’s employees, leadership and culture, as well as society and global interactions (Mayer & Vanderheiden, 2021).
This handbook will present foundational research on
1. Emotions experienced in individuals across cultures
2. How positive experienced emotions contribute to individual, organisational and societal interaction within cultures and across cultures
3. How negative experienced emotions can be transformed to contribute positively to the life of individuals, organizations, societies and global networks and cooperation.
4. How emotions are connected to mental health, success, peace, constructive communication etc.
Especially in the context of the transformation of commonly declared negative emotions, such as shame, guilt or fear, positive psychology has been able to present remarkable culture-specific and inter-/trans- and cross-cultural research results in recent decades, which will be included in this handbook.
Even if emotions are usually considered as being universal, they differ depending on the socio-cultural context (Jovanović & Joshanloo, 2022; Mayer & Vanderheiden, 2019), for example: in terminology, cause, experience and expression or reaction patterns. These cultural differences and commonalities are discussed within the contributions of this handbook through its international approach.
The editors aim at including contributions from as many continents and countries/cultures as possible, thereby expanding the often WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic) perspective towards a non-WEIRD perspective. Based on this approach, WEIRD and non-WEIRD perspectives are supposed to be balanced within this handbook.
The handbook will take the following content into consideration, but is not limited to it:
1. Emotions from the perspective of positive psychology (PP1.0, PP2.0 and PP3.0)
2. Positive transdisciplinary approaches to emotions
3. Emotions in specific cultures and country settings
4. Emotions in the context of culture, intercultural and transculture
Emotions, such as: Anger, Annoyance, Anxiety, Astonishment, Awe, Disgust, Empathy, Envy, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Happiness, Hate, Humility, Humour, Joy, Love, Pain, Pleasure, Pride, Sadness, Shame, Schadenfreude, Shame
The handbook focuses on fundamental research and addresses emotions, positive psychology and culture.
References
Castillo, C. (2022). Six emotional stages of organisational change: Conceptualisation and scale development. Economics and Sociology, 15(1), 253-267. doi:10.14254/2071-789X.2022/15-1/16
Jovanović, V., & Joshanloo, M. (2022). The Contribution of Positive and Negative Affect to Life Satisfaction across Age. Applied Research Quality Life, 17, 511–524. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-020-09903-5
Lomas, T., Waters, L., Williams, P., Oades, L. G., & Kern, M. L. (2020). Third wave of positive psychology: Broadening towards complexity. The Journal of Positive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1805501
Mayer, C.-H. (2021). Albert Camus – A psychobiographical approach in times of Covid-19. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644579
Mayer, C.-H. & Vanderheiden, E. (2019). The Bright Side of Shame. Transforming and growing through practical applications in cultural contexts. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Mayer, C.-H., & Vanderheiden, E. (2020). Contemporary positive psychology perspectives and future directions. International Review of Psychiatry, 32(7-8), 537-541.
Mayer, C.-H. & Vanderheiden, E. & Wong, P.T. (2021). Shame 4.0. Investigating Emotion in Digital Worlds and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Seligman, M. E. (2002). Authentic Happiness. New York: NY: Free Press.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2019). Positive psychology: A personal history. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 15, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050718-095653
Seligman, M.E.P., & Csikzentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive Psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5-14.
Van Kleef, G.A. & Côté, S. (2022). The Social Effects of Emotions. Annual Review of Psychology, 73, 629-658.
Vanderheiden, E. & Mayer, C.-H. (2017). The Value of Shame - Exploring a Health Resource in Cultural Contexts. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Wong, P. T. P. (2009). Existential positive psychology. In S. Lopez (Ed.), Encyclopedia of positive psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 361-368). Oxford, UK: Wiley Blackwell.
Wong, P. T. P. (2011). Positive Psychology 2.0. Towards a balanced interactive model of the good life. Canadian Psychology, 52(2), 69-81.
Guidelines for contributions
Chapter contributions should comprise well-established, accepted body of knowledge and should exclusively be prepared for the handbook.
Important dates
Please submit your abstract (max. 250 words) together with a short bio and affiliation to Claude-Hélène Mayer at
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwIbDpxIo7cVpKGxyNGqCeRXcGBni0B8qrh6_Lni6EandO5g/viewform until 31. December 2023.
Review/selection of abstracts and notifications to contributors: 1 February 2024
Invited full chapter submissions (max. 7000 words): 1 June 2024
Review process: 1 June to 1 August 2024
Revised chapter submission: 1 September 2024
Publication of book in January 2025.
Further information on the editors you may find here:
Claude-Hélène Mayer
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claude_Helene_Mayer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudehelene/?ppe=1
Elisabeth Vanderheiden
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elisabeth_Vanderheiden
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-vanderheiden-13680646/
An exploration of extraordinary individuals by their cultures
Editors:
Claude-Hélène Mayer,
University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa; claudemayer@gmx.net
Roelf van Niekerk,
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
The study of the lives of extraordinary individuals has gained momentum in the past years (e.g., Mayer & Kovary, 2019; Mayer et. al, 2023; Schultz, 2005). Increasingly, researchers and psychobiographers from various socio-cultural contexts and countries have started to explore the life development of individuals from an in-depth psychological, psychobiographical, psychohistorical and theory-led perspective.
While in the beginning of psychobiographical research, most of the psychobiographers used psychoanalytic theories to explore and interpret the life of the individuals (Elms, 1994), psychobiographies have developed further and the theoretical foundation as well as the methodological approach in psychobiographies are expanded (Ponterotto, 2014; Mayer & Fouché, 2021, van Niekerk, 2021).
Contemporarily, the focus of psychobiographies is primarily on the individual, intra-personal development across the life span and often the socio-cultural context is minimally considered or even neglected when the development of the individual is described, analysed and interpreted. Mayer et al. (2023) have recently highlighted that most of the psychobiographical research has in the past focused on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and democratic) individuals and contexts (Heinrich, 2020). They have claimed further that psychobiographies need to take more non-WEIRD individuals and contexts into consideration. In the context of this major paradigm shift in psychobiography, is becomes of utter importance to explore the individual and their development in particular through a socio-cultural lens. Therefore, this special issue aims at focusing on the influence of socio-cultural factors and impacts on the life of the extraordinary individual. Authors should use and apply theories from cultural sciences, social and cultural psychology, social and cultural anthropology. The editors therefore request a shift in focus which becomes more inclusive of the external, the societal, the socio-cultural, cultural and contextual influences in the life of an individual from birth to death. This Special Issue thereby expands the disciplinary use of theories in psychobiographies and encourages researchers to apply theories which are transdisciplinary.
This Special Issue will provide a broad and an in-depth insight into the influence of socio- cultural factors / culture on individuals throughout their lifetime and thereby add to the currently limited discourses in psychobiography. The impact of culture should be the focus in the psychobiographies submitted to this special issue, since it has rather been neglected in previous and current psychobiographies. The editors invite contributions which focus on, but are not limited to the following topics:
• The influence of culture on the development of the individual person’s life and in- depth development
• Socio-cultural influences on major life events over the individual’s life span
The interrelationship of the individual development and the socio-cultural influences on the person’s life
• The interrelationship of culture and being/becoming an extraordinary person
• Identity development and cultural identity development
• Expansion of theories used in psychobiography
• Transdisciplinary approaches in psychobiographies with focus on culture
• The impact of culture and language on the development of the subject in psychobiography
• Combining psychological and cultural theories in psychobiography
• Culture in psychobiography and psychohistory
• Cultural theories to use in psychobiography •...
Guidelines for contributions
Please submit your abstract of max. 250 words asap to: claudemayer@gmx.net
Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit a full paper of max. 7500 words all inclusive until 1 August 2023. The special issue will be published at the end of 2023. Please see the submission guidelines here: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/iirp20
References
Elms, A.C. (1994). Uncovering lives. The uneasy alliance of biography and psychology. Oxford University Press
Mayer, C.-H. & Kovary, Z. (2019). New Trends in Psychobiography. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Mayer, C.-H., Fouché, P.J., & van Niekerk, R. (2021). Psychobiographical illustrations on meaning and identity in sociocultural contexts. Sociocultural Psychology of the LIfecourse Series. London: Palgrave Macmillian.
Mayer, C.-H.; van Niekerk, R., Fouché, P.J. & Ponterotto, J. (2023). Beyond WEIRD: Psychobiography in Times of Transcultural and Transdisciplinary Perspectives. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Ponterotto, J. G. (2014). Best practices in psychobiographical research. Qualitative Psychology, 1(1), 77–90. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000005
Schultz, W. T. (2005). Handbook of psychobiography (pp. 3–18). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Van Niekerk, R. (2021). Psychobiographical perspectives on the development and manifestation of extraordinary human achievements. Inaugural lecture. Director school of Industrial Psychology and Human Resources, 21 October 2021. https://lectures.mandela.ac.za/lectures/media/Store/documents/Inaugural%20lectures/ Prof-R-van-Niekerk-full-lecture.pdf
BEYOND WEIRD: PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY IN TIMES OF TRANSCULTURAL AND TRANSDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES
Dear colleagues, please feel invited to submit a book chapter abstract to our new call. We are looking forward to your contributions.
Roelf Van Niekerk, Paul Fouche, Joseph Ponterotto, Claude-Hélène Mayer
#psychobiography #nonWEIRD #transculture #transdisciplinary #beyondthenorm #maketheworldabetterplace #thepersoninpsychology #minority #marginalized #positivepsychology #research #books #publishing #internationalcooperation
please find attached the Call for Book Chapters:
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE WORLD
Transcultural Positive Psychology Perspectives
We are looking forward to receiving your abstracts!
Kind regards, Claude
creates opportunities both for each woman and in terms of the development of society/ies.
This Research Topic will explore women in various situations and contexts. We aim to demonstrate by the various papers which will be contributed to this research topic the different ways in which women encounter, experience and cope with stressful and challenging environments and events in various spheres
in societies. The various papers will demonstrate how these experiences contribute to women’s distress on one hand and growth, resilience and leadership on the other hand.
"Positive and Existential Psychology in Times of Change: Towards Complex, Holistic, Systemic and Integrative Perspectives"
in the
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The impact factor is 2.849 and the Journal is an Open Access Journal and covered in PubMed.
Abstract deadline is 20 June 2021.
Please see the full call for papers here:
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/positive_psychology_times_change
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
Claude
Positive and Existential Psychology in Times of Change: Towards Complex, Holistic, Systemic and Integrative Perspectives.
in the
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The impact factor is 2.849 and the Journal is an Open Access Journal and covered in PubMed.
Abstract deadline is 20 June 2021.
Please see the full call for papers here:
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/positive_psychology_times_change
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
Claude
In the era of COVID-19, many people have suffered high levels of stress and mental health problems. To cope with the widespread of suffering (physical, psychological, social, and economical) the positive psychology of personal happiness is no longer the sole approach to examine personal wellbeing. Other approaches such as Viktor Frankl’s theory of self-transcendence provide a promising framework for research and intervention on how to achieve resilience, wellbeing, and happiness through overcoming suffering and self-transcendence. The existential positive psychology of suffering complements the positive psychology of happiness, which is championed by Martin Seligman, as two equal halves of the circle of wellbeing and optimal mental health.
This Research Topic aims to examine the different approaches to Positive Psychology and their influence on individual wellbeing during the COVID-19 era. One of the exciting development in the positive psychology of wellbeing is the mounting research on the adaptive benefits of negative emotions, such as shame, guilt, and anger, as well as the dialectical process of balancing negative and positive emotions. As an example, based on all the empirical research and Frankl’s self-transcendence model, Wong has developed the existential positive psychology of suffering (PP2.0) as the foundation for flourishing. Here are a few main tenets of PP2.0: (1) Life is suffering and a constant struggle throughout every stage of development, (2) The search for self-transcendence is a primary motive guided by the meaning mindset and mindful mindset. (3) Wellbeing cannot be sustainable without overcoming and transforming suffering.
In this Research Topic we welcome diverse approaches discussing the following points:
• The dialectic process of overcoming the challenges of every stage of development as necessary for personal growth and self-transcendence;
• The role of self-transcendence in resilience, virtue, meaning, and happiness;
• The upside of negative emotions;
• The new science of resilience based on cultivating the resilient mindset and character;
• How to make the best use of suffering to achieve out potentials & mental health.
***Due to the exceptional nature of the COVID-19 situation, Frontiers is waiving all article publishing charges for COVID-19 related research in this Research Topic. Please be aware that only manuscripts submitted by the deadline will be considered ***
Keywords: Positive psychology, existential positive psychology, resilience, suffering, flourishing, Viktor Frankl, self-transcendence, spirituality, religion, positive change, mental health, personal wellbeing, wellbeing
We would kindly like to invite authors from various disciplines and cultural backgrounds to submit their chapters.
We are now focusing on shame within the emerging context of the „Fourth Industrial Revolution” and what shame means within the context of, for example, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, remote workplaces, social media interaction, smart solutions, a technologised world etc.
We thank everybody who has already submitted an abstract and we are looking forward to further submissions of abstracts until 1 September 2019.
Please pass on this call to interested colleagues and within your departments.
These theories suggest that their main concepts, namely, several ways of coping, hope, personal and collective sense of coherence, and others, are universal and, therefore, predict that, in all cultures, they could be considered as potential protectors against stress. However, to date, the studies with non-western population have revealed ambiguous results.
Thus, in this Special Issue we aim to address these concerns comprehensively by inviting researchers from around the world to present their studies based on special research methods and mixed research methods. There researches will enable a fundamental understanding of positive adaptation in stressful and in conflictual situations in various cultural and ethnic groups and contexts around the world.
on the "Internationla Handbook of Love" published by Springer International
heitswesen. Übereinstimmend wird geklagt, dass Verwaltungs- abläufe, Profitorientierung und Krankheits-statt Personen-Bezogenheit
zunehmend in den Vordergrund treten, dass die Zeit für persönliche Begegnun- gen fehlt und das Bemühen um Gesundheit nicht nachhaltig wirkt.
Das Gesundheitswesen braucht visionäre Leitbilder, Projekte, die solche Ideen zu verwirk- lichen suchen, positive Erfahrungen, die ansteckend wirken. Wir laden ein zu ko-kreativen
Gruppenprozessen und zukunftsweisenden Vorträgen!
Wir erhoffen uns von dem Symposium, dass
◉ erfolgreiche Projekte ansteckend wirken und neue Vernetzungen erfolgen;
◉ Hindernisse bei der Umsetzung diskutiert und Lösungen gefunden werden;
◉ neueIdeenkreiertundhandlungswirksamwerden.
Da dieses Symposium als Prozess konzipiert ist, bitten wir um kontinuierliche Wegbegleitung.
Nehmen Sie bitte, wenn irgend möglich, von Freitag bis Sonntag an der Veranstaltung teil und ermöglichen
Sie kontinuierlichen Austausch und gegenseitige Bereicherung.
Konflikte sind etwas vollkommen Alltägliches, doch wenn wir sie erleben, erscheinen sie als große Herausforderung. Bei Beltz ist heute ein Kartenset zum Thema "Konflikt" erschienen, das Claude-Hélène Mayer und ich gemeinsam erarbeitet haben. Das Kartenset fördert einen konstruktiven Umgang mit Konflikten, der die individuellen und zwischenmenschlichen Ebenen im Konflikt berücksichtigt. Die Karten können dabei helfen, konflikthafte Erlebnisse sowie konfliktfördernde Strukturen anzusprechen, zu reflektieren und neue Perspektiven auf sie zu entwickeln. Zudem können sie als ein Analyseinstrument dienen und einen konstruktiven Gesprächsrahmen schaffen. Denn es geht auch darum, Entwicklungspotenziale in Konflikten zu erkennen und zu gestalten. Das Set ist Teil der Reihe »In Worten«: Die Sets umfassen eine Anzahl von reinen Textkarten zu jeweils unterschiedlichen Themen. Sie können im Rahmen von Therapie, Beratung und Coaching oder der Bildungsarbeit eingesetzt werden. Weitere Infos und Bestelloption unter: https://lnkd.in/dyYMdbX #konflikte #konfliktmanagement #interkulturell #mediation #entwicklungspotenziale_in_Konflikten #frieden #gender #coaching #change #beratung #weiterbildung #psychotherapie #beltz
Claude-Hélène Mayer & Elisabeth Vanderheiden's "The bright and the dark side of shame: Transforming shame in cultural contexts". Podcast for the IAIR Podcast Series.
You can find the podcast OPEN ACCESS here:
https://intercultural-academy.net/publications/podcasts.html#podcast-07-the-bright-and-the-dark-side-of-shame-transforming-shame-in-cultural-contexts-16-mins
You will also find other very interesting podcasts on cultural and intercultural topics!
Kind regards, Claude & Elisabeth
Springer Nature Switzerland AG., 2021
ISBN 978-3-030-45995-6 ISBN 978-3-030-4599
Reviewed by Dr. George Simons, @ diversophy®