Cultural Diversity

This thesis aims to contribute to the discussion of everyday multiculturalism focusing on El Raval, a neighbourhood in Barcelona with a growing presence of Pakistani migrants. Among immigrant populations in Barcelona, Pakistanis are most dynamic in terms of entrepreneurship. Within a locality affected by global tourism and gentrification, Pakistani entrepreneurs in El Raval operate within an ethnic enclave economy. I discuss how shopkeepers often rely on co-ethnic resources regarding funding and recruitment. However, ethnic shops are also shown to function as convivial spaces that facilitate contact between an otherwise relatively invisible migrant community on the one hand, and the host society and visitors on the other. Confronted with a superdiverse reality, and driven by the need to survive in a highly competitive environment, Pakistani shopkeepers learned the essential skills to deal with their diverse clientele. I address the concepts of conviviality and cosmopolitanism to demonstrate how Pakistani entrepreneurs deal with their customers, and how their high-entrepreneurship profile contributes to the visibility of the community and the ways in which this shapes the image of Pakistanis in El Raval. 

Keywords: Ethnic entrepreneurship; Conviviality; Pakistani Migrants; Barcelona; El Raval; Cosmopolitanism

"The increasing sensibility regarding intangible cultural heritage provides momentum to better define a legal framework for the protection of these peculiar immaterial goods. This article questions whether the current intellectual property rights (IPRs) regime represents an adequate model of protection vis-à-vis intangible cultural heritage. A plethora of caveats must be taken into consideration, starting with the desirability of the commodification of intangible cultural heritage, i.e. its exploitation and commercialization through the IPRs regime, but also including the outlining of the legal instruments needed for guaranteeing adequate advantages for the countries and communities representing the sources of origin of the intangible goods. 
After framing the crucial issues detected in literature regarding intangible cultural heritage, the article investigates the ways in which the actual IPRs regime grants protection to intangible goods. Our evaluation supports the idea that, without a many-faceted remodeling, current intellectual property laws represent an unsatisfactory mechanism for protecting intangible cultural heritage. This inadequacy is rooted in the inefficacy of IPRs under the patent and copyright regimes in ensuring the protection of cultural heritage, while also falling short of fostering an appropriate comprehensive social policy."

In order to better cope with the pressures and stresses of the current day, modern psychology is anxiously seeking to find new therapies to address the increasing disorders within the human psyche. In the process new fields of research, such as humanistic and transpersonal psychology, curiously appear to borrow more and more from the wisdom of the ages. This volume, containing eighteen articles by noteworthy expositors of the perennial philosophy such as Huston Smith, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Frithjof Schuon, presents the spiritual psychology of the wisdom traditions as a much-needed antidote to the current impasse in modern psychology.

Some Endorsements for Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy:

“[Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy] is more than an anthology. It is a wisely crafted collection of classic and contemporary scholarship noting that what many are seeking is what has always been, a perennial philosophy, that remains foundational. As one of the authors, Tage Lindbom, properly notes, ‘Secularization is a fish in troubled waters.’ This book claims the waters and is essential reading for all those who may have forgotten or are simply ignorant of the rich foundation provided by the perennial philosophy.”
—Ralph W. Hood, Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association, co-founder of The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion and co-author of The Psychology of Religion

“A necessary and bracing critique of the assumptions and limitations of contemporary Western psychology, this generous volume is also a passionate call and learned guide towards a truer perspective that embraces man's spiritual nature.”
—Gabor Maté, M.D., and author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

“Knowing the nature of the mind is perhaps the most difficult undertaking, especially in today’s world. To comprehend the nature of mind one needs to turn to the domain of religion and spirituality. Yet the truth of the mind and its complexity cannot explicitly be defined in words. Inner or transcendent wisdom sees the mind’s own nature without the duality of the seer. Suchness (tathatā) of mind is only experiential and not expressible. The words used to describe thought are themselves a product of thought, which is conditioned and limited. Thus, differences and contradictions are unavoidable. Therefore, a comparative study of different viewpoints and commentaries is immensely important to awaken the inner intelligence to see the mind as it is. Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy: Studies in Comparative Religion edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is an outstanding effort in this direction.”
—Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa) of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, author of Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World: Tibetan Buddhism and Today’s World

“The rise of psychology has impacted the study and practice of spirituality, the experiences and attitudes relevant to ultimate human values that transcend ordinary behavior. Each chapter of this remarkable book demonstrates this interaction in a unique and provocative way. But rather than using psychology to reduce and ‘psychologize’ spiritual topics, its authors demonstrate how directives from the spiritual traditions can enhance and even illuminate the enduring importance of psychology in the 21st century.”
—Stanley Krippner, Saybrook University, co-author of Spiritual Dimensions of Healing

“The work at hand is a thinking and debating man’s delight. If you have any interest at all in attempting to include an educated and enlightened view of man’s higher functions in your purview of the world, you will learn from and enjoy this collection of essays. If you already have some knowledge in this area, brace yourself: you may see some of your favorites sharply criticized. A thought-provoking work.”
—Bruce W. Scotton, University of California, San Francisco, co-editor of Textbook of Transpersonal Psychiatry and Psychology

“This book, superbly edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos, is a masterful critique of the field of psychology and its loss of the sacred ground in which it once was rooted. It offers depth psychologists an opportunity to contemplate timeless truths echoed through the centuries by perennial philosophers who have always claimed psyche is subordinate to Spirit. Although ignored in depth psychology’s early years due to prejudice and lack of understanding, this is a message today’s psychotherapists must take seriously. Human beings need a deeper and wider transpersonal vision of who and what we are, which the saints and sages of the world’s spiritual traditions have always pointed to. In psychotherapy with a therapist committed to such a vision, patients penetrate into their unconscious depths and not infrequently awaken to the Ground of all Being. Their suffering itself occurred because they had turned away from Spirit. Above all, this volume passionately calls upon depth psychology to remember its origin in the perennial wisdom at the core of the great religions. There is something of a polemic in these pages. It deserves to be considered by depth psychologists of all persuasions.”
—Bryan Wittine, Transpersonal psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst

“This anthology from Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is a must reference for anyone who is interested in psychology and its relationship to spirituality, and in developing an inclusive dialogue between disciplines that favor an integral outlook on the person and his or her potential. Selections in this anthology will inspire us to reexamine the metaphysical underpinnings of psychology, and remind us how important it is to rise above science’s attempt to reduce the human being to an epistemic object.”
—Sangeetha Menon, National Institute of Advanced Studies (Bangalore, India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Beyond Experience: Consciousness in Bhagavad Gita

“This anthology has some of the most discerning essays and reviews on spirituality and psychology, which provide much-needed care and caution to all those engaged in bringing them together or who wish to do so in future. Therefore, it is a must-read for all those who teach, research, consult, or study in such frontier areas as transpersonal psychology, states of consciousness, mind-body relation, holistic health, Indian psychology, and so on. It will be an invaluable textbook for courses in these and other related areas. I congratulate the editor of the book.”
—Kiran Kumar K. Salagame, University of Mysore (India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Psychology of Meditation: A Contextual Approach

“One of the finest collections of essays on the Perennial Philosophy—a must-read for all psychologists who are engaged with spirituality and transpersonal psychology. The essays which critique modern psychology (including transpersonal psychology, and the framework of Carl Jung), in the light of the Perennial Philosophy are a revelation and make compelling reading. The book serves as a corrective to the excesses of modern psychology, and to this end Sotillos has done a commendable job. I for one will include the book in some of the graduate courses that I teach.”
—Suneet Varma, University of Delhi, co-editor of Foundations of Indian Psychology

“To its credit modern science by-and-large is becoming more cognizant of the essential connection between spirituality and psychological health and well-being and most of all its positive implications within the field of psychology. While there is ample data to document this in a plethora of academic journals and books, this new book Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy adds a novel contribution to the dialogue between psychology and spirituality, which captures many nuances that for the most part go unnoticed within these discussions, and last but not least, it provides a keen eye of discernment to understand this intricate relationship on a deeper level that is crucially needed. This work will be a valuable asset to students and long term mental health practitioners and professors alike who seek to better understand the relationship between psychology and spirituality.”
—Harold G. Koenig, Duke University, Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, co-author of The Handbook of Religion and Health

The diversity of local Mediterranean food elements is not known in detail, but offers itself to search for new vegetables, salads, fruits and spices which could be used in to enrich diets outside their region of origin. Most amid those interesting local elements are edible wild plants and weeds. Ethnobotanical research has identified ca. 2,300 different plant and fungi taxa, which are gathered and consumed in the Mediterranean. Among these,
1,000 are only consumed in one single zone, therefore are strictly local. The percentage of local gathered food plant (GFP) taxa (present in 5 samples), is higher in the main centers of diversity at the periphery of the Mediterranean (Sahara, Alps, Caucasus, Canary Islands, the Levant). Islands (Sicily, Sardinia, Crete, Cyprus) also show a high proportion. Endemism of GFP taxa only accounts for a limited number of these ‘ethnobotanical endemics’ (only ca. 350 are endemic/ endangered species). On the other hand, only a few taxa – 30 occurring in...

The purpose of this study was to validate the Portuguese translations of four cystic fibrosis quality of life questionnaires (CFQ). The first three were developed for patients with cystic fibrosis aged from 6 to 11 years, from 12 to 13 years and 14 years or more, while the fourth was developed for the parents of patients aged 6 to 13 years. The four CFQ translations contained from 35 to 50 questions covering nine domains and were validated as follows: translation from English to Portuguese, pilot application, back translation and then approval by the author of the English versions. The four translations were applied to 90 stable patients (30 from each age group) and the parents of patients aged 6-13 years (n = 60), on two occasions with a 13 to 17 day interval. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) were used to measure reproducibility. This study was approved by the Commission for Ethics in Research at the institution. Reproducibility was good (ICC = 0.62 to 0.99) for the four t...

The UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (UDCD or the Declaration) adopted by 185  Member States in 2001 (discussed below), represents the first international standard-setting instrument aimed at preserving and promoting cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. The Declaration, together with the applicable suggestions of an action plan, can be an outstanding educational tool for developing a dialogue about diversity while humanizing globalization.

The current political climate provides fertile ground for toxic narratives that turn immigrants into convenient scapegoats. But such communities also present an enormous opportunity, and more can be done to capitalise fully on their potential. By highlighting both promising practices and shortcomings in Member State efforts to foster participation by migrants and their descendants, this report aims to encourage determined and effective action towards building a Europe that is truly inclusive, rights-based and fair.
This report examines Member States’ integration policies and action plans for promoting their participation in society, focusing on non-discrimination, education, employment, language learning and political engagement.

The objectives of the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) are to investigate the nature, severity, and impairment of mental disorders among national samples of the black and non-Hispanic white (n = 1,006) populations in the US. Special emphasis in the study is given to the nature of race and ethnicity within the black population by selecting and interviewing national samples of African-American (N = 3,570), and Afro-Caribbean (N = 1,623) immigrant and second and older generation populations. National multi-stage probability methods were used in generating the samples and race/ethnic matching of interviewers and respondents were used in the largely face-to-face interview, which lasted on average 2 hours and 20 minutes. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) IV World Mental Health Composite Interview (WHO-CIDI) was used to assess a wide range of serious mental disorders, potential risk and resilience factors, and help seeking and service use patterns. This paper provides an overview of the design of the NSAL, sample selection procedures, recruitment and training of the national interviewing team, and some of the special problems faced in interviewing ethnically and racially diverse national samples. Unique features of sample design, including special screening and listing procedures, interviewer training and supervision, and response rate outcomes are described. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd.

Asian American Pacific Island college students (N = 93) completed measures of acculturation and mental health worldview, in the form of beliefs about the likely causes of 24 typical counseling presenting problems. A criterion sample of 27 staff from 2 university counseling centers reported their beliefs about the most likely cause of the same 24 problems for a typical client. A response similarity index was calculated, with higher scores reflecting greater similarity between student and counselor mental health worldviews. Results suggest that higher acculturation was associated with greater level of match between the students' etiology beliefs and those of counselors. The greatest differences were observed for serious personal problems, whereas there was more belief convergence about causes of academic problems.

This chapter critically explores the news and journalistic discourses surrounding the concept of the role model in the UK. It draws upon news content and semi-structured interviews with journalists from a wider study commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government exploring the media image of Black young men and boys in 2009-10. Analysis demonstrates negatively stigmatising discourses at play in role model news and polarised attitudes towards role models among journalists’ reflections. Post-Marxist discourse theory is employed to argue that rather than challenging the complex social inequalities facing young Black men as recent government policy suggests, role modelling as a ‘technology of the self’ is likely to articulate neoliberal logic and reinforce existing social inequalities

To outline the lessons learned about the use of focus groups for the multisite, multi-ethnic longitudinal Study of Women Across the Nation (SWAN). Focus groups were designed to identify potential cultural differences in the incidence of symptoms and the meaning of transmenopause among women of diverse cultures, and to identify effective recruitment and retention strategies. Inductive and deductive focus groups for a multi-ethnic study. Seven community research sites across the United States conducted focus groups with six ethnic populations: African American, Chinese American, Japanese American, Mexican American, non-Hispanic white, and Puerto Rican. Community women from each ethnic group of color. A set of four/five focus groups in each ethnic group as the formative stage of the deductive, quantitative SWAN survey. Identification of methodological advantages and challenges to the successful implementation of formative focus groups in a multi-ethnic, multi-site population-based epid...

In the coming decades, the platforms and formalisms scholars employ to display, transform, and transmit information will continue to evolve. Innovations in information management did not stop with the codex. They will not stop with the PC. The purpose of this paper is to explore a specific implication that new paradigms of computing—especially those pertaining to 3D objects and 3D environments—will present for the discipline of history. Put simply, this study suggests historians will need to re‐think the aesthetics of their discipline. Drawing on the experience of the<it> 3D Virtual Buildings Project</it>, it suggests there are two possibilities historians can and ought to explore. The first is to test the efficacy of 3D objects as cognitive tools, tools designed to assist student realization that historical works are models, models that must be distinguished from the objects they represent. The second is to explore the use of 3D‐immersive environments as platforms to display research findings. If Virtual Reality is to emerge as a viable medium for the historical discipline, scholars will need to transform their practice. Assumptions regarding the constitution of narrative, authorship and the scholarly work will all require modification.

Purpose – To provide an initial assessment of the nature and extent of the involvement of Asian-owned firms in the creative industries in London; to identify and assess any barriers they face; and draw out the implications for policy. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study, undertaken in late 2002. Data sources included official statistical data and previous reports, as well as a programme of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 23 Asian entrepreneurs spread across eight sub-sectors. Findings – Asians are making a significant contribution to London’s creative sectors, although they do face a number of specific constraints. Some of these are specific to the creative industries but others are shared with other small firms. However, few of these constraints appear to be exclusively Asian. Research limitations/implications – There are some limitations relating to the small scale of the study and its focus on a single geographical location. Practical implications – The res...

Abstract: Each year, increasing numbers of international students enroll in Chinese universities, yet no literature is available on their intercultural communication competences (ICC) and acculturation status. The study aimed at investigating these two key concepts at Central China Normal University. Two dimensions of intercultural communication competence (affect and behavior) and two dimensions of acculturation (attitude towards maintenance of one’s culture and attitude towards contact with other cultures) were employed to measure and analyze the two research constructs. A representative sample of 302 international students shows that Asian international students are less motivated to adapt than other students from other continents. In addition, time and education level do not seem to be sufficient factors in facilitating adaptation. Furthermore, the most preferred acculturation strategy is found to be integration. Finally, attitude towards contact positively correlates with affec...

La scuola, oggi più che mai, deve aprire un dibattito sui "mondi diversi" per avere un visione di insieme del bambino/ragazzo e delle forme in cui si rendono possibili gli apprendimenti in un'ottica di continuità educativa sia orizzontale (tenendo in considerazione la propria storia, coinvolgendo la famiglia e il territorio), sia verticale (assumendo una visione educativa plurale e coerente, che concepisca la crescita e l'educazione del bambino/ragazzo in prospettiva, mettendo quindi in relazione tutti i servizi e le agenzie educative di ogni ordine e grado).

Eleta, P. (2017). Un Piazzale di mondi diversi, In Rivista Bambini, Settembre.

The first part of this paper presents a historical outline of how racial and cultural alterity (particularly indigeneity) has been imagined and represented by elites in Colombia since the nineteenth century. The evolution of these ideas takes us to the contemporary category of “ethnic groups” and its representation in positive terms, a process that signifies a substantial change compared to past discourses in favour of cultural homogeneity. The second part of this text reflects on the ways in which ethnic policies are legitimized  –today more than ever– through the principle of “the protection of cultural diversity”, a principle which is widely praised and uncontested, but which has become totally dependent on problematic concepts such as “cultural damage”, “authenticity” or “preservation”. Furthermore, the institutional actions based on that principle are actually uncertain, ambiguous and inefficient, a situation that invites us to question the “policies for diversity”.

Abstract: This contribution seeks to identify the short and long-term economic and cultural effects of file sharing on music, films and games, while taking into account the legal context and policy developments. The short-term implications examined concern direct costs and ...

This article addresses the reasons why ethnic diversity has never posed a challenge to the stability of Transnistria (also called the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic), an unrecognized state that broke away from Moldova during the collapse of the Soviet Union. We analyze the major societal and political patterns relevant to ethnic relations in the region and focus on the structure, content, and effectiveness of Transnistrian legislation concerning ethnic and linguistic diversity along with the practices of its implementation. In our view, formal and informal ethnic divisions do not hinder the political stability of Transnistria. We conclude that the stability of ethnic relations in Transnistria in part results from a deliberate policy aimed at managing diversity. This policy provides for the dependence of the populace on the state apparatus achieved through a dense plethora of government-orchestrated activities as well as the reproduction of nonconflictual, eclectic, and thus sociall...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of diversity training on course design and instruction using a quantitative methods research design. Faculty at a large research university in the southeast attended a diversity institute whose purpose was to assist faculty in infusing multicultural education into their syllabi, courses, and curriculum. The authors wanted to determine if faculty incorporated the skills learned in the institute into their courses and if students benefitted from the training faculty received. Both faculty and students were administered self-report surveys to provide feedback on the effect, if any, on the achievement of desired outcomes from diversity training. Overall, the analyses indicated that the institute positively affected both faculty and students. Due to a number of social shifts in the United States, colleges and universities, especially Traditionally White Institutions (TWIs), now encompass a wider range of student diversity. The ethnic ...