Solidarität

Which socio-psychological terms are connected with the term “solidarity”? Solidarity is understood as a specific attitude and quality of relationships between individuals in groups and organizations and on the level of society. A disturbed balance between “self-enhancement” and “self-transcendence” caused by socio-cultural developments diminishes solidarity. The questions that are considered and discussed, are the following: Under which conditions does solidarity arise, which conditions in groups allow individuals to learn about solidarity, do current organizational structures affect the well tried forms of organized solidarity and how does empowerment conflict with the balance of power in society?     

Gruppendynamik in Baugemeinschaften

Residential communities are attractive forms of living, which find acceptance and are political supported by considering the necessity of young families and taking care of old people. The focus lies on projects of generation overarching models of living together. Realization of such projects is difficult and threatened by failure, when group dynamic processes are not taken in consideration.     

Gemeinsam lernen auf Facebook & Co.?

The Internet allows to communicate and to collaborate in various ways. Students use the net for communication and as an exchange tool for their leisure time as well as for study related issues. An open question is, however, what exactly influences the use of the Internet for course related online exchange—person factors or social aspects like trust or affiliation towards an online network. To examine young peoples’ study related usage of the Internet we conducted a web-based survey (N = 165) asking for their general online exchange behavior. Results suggest that social aspects, personality and general Internet skills determine to what extent social media are used for learning exchange. Active participation in this exchange is predicted by gender and social aspects. Hence, we conclude that for information sharing, in the context of university learning, social aspects are of particular relevance.     

Hat die personzentrierte, gruppenbezogene Beratung einen Platz in der Zahnmedizin?

Group-counseling in dentistry represents an unusual subject, even though consultation and advisory services are integral parts in the daily dental practice. These are, however, almost exclusively individual consultations of patients who are only occasionally accompanied by a spouse or a parent. Moreover, such advice is almost always regarded as medical advice provided by an expert. In dentistry, and particularly in the field of chronic orofacial pains, psychological and social factors play a significant role alongside somatic problems. On the basis of the literature and my personal experience that a person-centered approach is well accepted by patients, this essay will describe why the person-centered approach in general and a person-centered group-counseling in particular represent promising alternatives for successful counseling and therapy for this clientele. Additionally, I will adress problems with the implementation in the daily routine of a dental practice and the need for scientific verification of that approach.     

Familiengr��ndung: die entscheidende Nahtstelle f��r Geschlechtergerechtigkeit bei Paaren

This article discusses the question why young, well educated couples fall into the traditional role??s repartition stereotype as soon as the first child is born, in spite of their wish to share family duties in an equal way and live an emancipated partnership. Several explanations and alteration conditions will be discussed.     

Sozialpolitik als Instrument der Geschlechtergerechtigkeit

The German welfare state supports traditionally the male breadwinner model and remunerates continuous full-time employment. Recent developments in social policy like the reform of ??Elterngeld?? (paid parental leave) and the introduction of ??Pflegezeit?? (unpaid care leave) increase the value of unpaid care work done for the family and set incentives to share care work between the partners. Thus, ??Elterngeld?? and ??Pflegezeit?? work against the gender discrimination of the German welfare state and might foster gender equity. But, the analysis shows that the steps towards gender equity are only minor. The sharing of care work, the financial autonomy of the caring parent and the reconciliation of children care and employment do not materialise sufficiently.     

Mindful Leadership: Sind achtsame F��hrungskr?fte leistungsf?higere F��hrungskr?fte?

In the last years, mindfulness became the focus of increasing research interest in the health sciences. More than hundred studies highlight the positive impact of mindfulness based interventions on a variety of health relevant parameters. Mindfulness became a well-established intervention in clinical and non-clinical contexts such as stress prevention, substance abuse treatment or relationship counselling in couples. The concept has until now not received much attention in business contexts; implications and applications in this field are highlighted in this article. In particular, it is described how mindfulness may help leaders and managers to perform their tasks more successfully and in a much more relaxed way.