大学英语教学中的人文素质教育刍议

高等教育的目的是提高大学生的综合素质,为现代化建设培养德才兼备的高素质人才。作为高等教育有机组成部分的大学英语教学担负着人文素质教育的重要使命。本文从大学生人文素质要求及当代大学生人文精神缺失成因着手,探讨大学英语教学中加强人文素质教育的理念和方法。     

跨文化非语言交际视角下的中日手势语

体态语言是指通过人的面部表情和手脚肢体等活动来表现个人情感的身体动作,在人们的日常交际过程中起着不可估量的作用。它是心理语言的外露,也是民族文化形成的印记。一方水土养育一方人,不同人群拥有不同的体态语言。文章从跨文化非语言交际视角着手,通过比较中日手势语言,阐述中日跨文化非语言交际过程中的注意事项。     

论跨文化交际学的几个基本问题

本文介绍了跨文化交际学的概况、研究角度、国外研究动态及主要成果，指出了跨文化交际研究中文化定型的局限性及相应的对策。     

全球化语境中的跨文化美学研究

随着全球化进程的不断加快,中西方文化交流、碰撞日趋频繁,“跨文化美学”研究成为世界美学研究新的发展路向之一。在认识到“跨文化美学”研究的未完成形态之前提下,试图从文化语境、美学新质、研究方法、学科关联域等不同方面阐发跨文化美学研究的当下意义与合法性问题,以期对跨文化美学研究的学科建设有所助益。     

中美主流文化对比与增强跨文化交际意识

东西方国家在政治经济、文化形态、社会结构、价值观念诸方面,包括语言体系方面存在差异,异质文化的冲突以及文化心理的碰撞在跨文化交际中表现得最为明显。它会对日益频繁的跨文化交际带来许多障碍。本论文通过中美主流文化的对比,研究跨文化交际中东西文化存在的明显差异,提出要增强跨文化交际意识的教育,这对消除交际失误,提高跨文化交际质量有着十分重要的意义。     

Psychosocial Correlates of Interpersonal Sensitivity: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis examines how interpersonal sensitivity (IS), defined as accurate judgment or recall of others’ behavior or appearance, is related to psychosocial characteristics of the perceiver, defined as personality traits, social and emotional functioning, life experiences, values, attitudes, and self-concept. For 215 independent studies reported in 96 published sources, higher IS was generally associated with favorable or adaptive psychosocial functioning. Significant mean correlations were found for 27 of the 40 categories of psychosocial variables; these categories covered many different personality traits, indicators of mental health, and social and work-related competencies. Moreover, many additional studies that fell outside these conceptual categories also showed significant positive relations between IS and numerous other psychosocial variables. Taken together, the results support the construct validity of IS tests and demonstrate that IS is associated with many important aspects of personal and social functioning.

The Indirect Effect of Child Maltreatment Severity on Adult PTSD Symptoms through Anxiety Sensitivity

Although the rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of child maltreatment is high, individuals differ in symptom severity and many do not experience clinically significant levels of psychopathology. The present study tested the indirect effects of child maltreatment severity on adult PTSD, suicidal ideations, and alcohol dependence via anxiety sensitivity. A sample of 336 participants (mean age of 22.81 years, SD = 8.93; 70.2% female) completed an online survey of child abuse and neglect, anxiety sensitivity, PTSD symptom severity, suicidal ideation severity, and alcohol dependence severity. The results revealed significant indirect effects of child maltreatment on PTSD symptom severity through cognitive and social concerns, but not physical concerns. No direct or indirect effects were demonstrated for suicidal ideations or alcohol dependence severity. These findings elucidate mechanisms in the robust relationship between child maltreatment and adult PTSD symptoms and can potentially inform future research on mechanisms of change in psychotherapy.     

Multi-ethnic school environment from the school leader’s perspective: challenges and approaches to improve multi-cultural competency among teachers in Malaysia

This study aims to identify the challenges and approaches to improve a multicultural competency among teachers in multi-ethnic schools environment based on school leaders’ perspective. Data collection method used in this study is qualitative method. A total of nine school leaders from the states of Kedah, Penang, and Perak were included in the interview session. The results of this study show that the challenges faced by teachers in practicing the multicultural competency are lack of experience toward cultural diversity. A late exposure to cultural diversity makes it difficult for teachers to accept and adapt in a multi-ethnic school environment. The approaches suggested by school leaders to improve the multicultural competency are as follows: (1) Courses on cultural diversity should be organized to enhance the knowledge about cultural diversity; (2) the development of more open and better policy for education system in Malaysia in order to prepare teachers with a higher multicultural competency for teaching students from diverse ethnic and cultural groups; (3) an early exposure to cultural diversity in order to increase the multicultural competency, especially during teaching practicum.     

‘Can I borrow your glasses?’: a prescription for learning to see the cultural roots of identity terms and implicit categories through others’ lenses

Why is there so much confusion and conflict around common identity labels, a problem that extends well beyond any stereotypes that they may evoke? How do we escape the seeming paradox that we reject racism but still speak frequently of black and white? Who claims the power to determine or name others’ identities? The confusion and conflict about identity that play out on a surface level are often caused by starkly different but implicit understandings that operate beneath the surface. For example, terms like black, Jewish and Muslim may invoke several of our deeper conceptions or categories like race, culture, religion and ethnicity, and to varying degrees in different places. Critically, these categories themselves are culturally rooted. This article shows how our implicit categories can lead to both cross-cultural confusion and problematic misunderstandings in course content. Helping students to recognise and to understand the cultural roots of our implicit categories should be a deliberate learning outcome. This type of cultural understanding can be advanced significantly through guided reflection on experience and explicit instruction; in addition, some subjects and approaches – intercultural education, study abroad and Holocaust education among them – show particular promise for achieving this aim.     

How young people perceive factors that support or prevent understanding between worldviews: perspectives of Finnish lower secondary school pupils

This paper investigated Finnish youth’s perceptions on what supports or prevents understanding between people holding different worldviews, especially religious and non-religious ones. A survey using projective, open-ended questions was conducted examining factors that enhance or damage inter-worldview dialogue among Finnish lower secondary school students (N = 563). The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Abu-Nimer’s developmental model of interreligious sensitivity was used as a theoretical framework, but data-driven categories were also created. First, pupils thought of reasons why somebody would wish that religions did not exist. Four categories were created: atheism, confusion about religious expressions, problems related to one’s own worldview, or problems in social interaction. Second, pupils reflected on why somebody would be reluctant to share things about his/her faith. The most important feature addressed here was social deviance, either fear of it or its consequences or actual experiences. Third, pupils suggested ways to create a culture of peaceful dialogue. Most responses referred to changes in attitudes or different kinds of social interaction.