Claude-Helene Mayer

Burnout is described as emotional and physical exhaustion, reduced accomplishment, together with an outlook of inadequacy and cynicism related to job stress. It has a harmful impact globally, especially in developing countries, such as South Africa. This study is a phenomenological collective case study focusing on burnout experience in a sample of female medical doctors working in a South African public hospital. Based on ongoing explorations of burnout themes, empirically based intervention strategies are needed to be developed and presented for the South African public health sector to prevent stress-related burnout. The findings support the trend in literature that burnout is an overwhelming experience for female medical doctors in South Africa. The study presents voices of female medical doctors, their concerns, the causes for burnout and their coping mechanisms. It provides a strong contribution to exploring and presenting women’s experiences in working in the medical field in...

Virtuelle Friedhöfe, gestreamte Beerdigungen, Hologramme der Verstorbenen – die Digitalisierung beschäftigt uns nicht nur im Leben, sondern begleitet mittlerweile viele Menschen bis in den Tod. Welche virtuellen Tools zum Umgang mit Trauer und Tod schon heute Realität sind – und wie unsere Gedächtnis- und Erinnerungskultur in wenigen Jahrzehnten aussehen könnte.

Love is the core of human experience and central to our meaning in life and wellbeing, yet it is also a complex concept full of ambiguity and contradiction. The main purpose of this paper is fourfold: Firstly, we want to clarify questions such as ‘What is the meaning of love?’ and ‘Why is meaning of love so important to us?’ Secondly, we want to explain why love is both suffering and essential for our happiness and mental health. Thirdly, we identify the major types of love and clarify which types are constructive and which are destructive. We also identify the key dimensions of true love. Finally, we emphasise that love does not always mean happiness; rather, it is meant to be a school to teach us important lessons and to make us complete. Therefore, we need to embrace suffering and at the same time cultivate the constructive types of love to improve our mental health and to make the world a more compassionate place.

Social role theory posits that binary gender gaps in agency and communion should be larger in less egalitarian countries, reflecting these countries’ more pronounced sex-based power divisions. Conversely, evolutionary and self-construal theorists suggest that gender gaps in agency and communion should be larger in more egalitarian countries, reflecting the greater autonomy support and flexible self-construction processes present in these countries. Using data from 62 countries ( N = 28,640), we examine binary gender gaps in agentic and communal self-views as a function of country-level objective gender equality (the Global Gender Gap Index) and subjective distributions of social power (the Power Distance Index). Findings show that in more egalitarian countries, gender gaps in agency are smaller and gender gaps in communality are larger. These patterns are driven primarily by cross-country differences in men’s self-views and by the Power Distance Index (PDI) more robustly than the Gl...

Various studies have shown a decrease in well-being and an increase 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) identifies COVID-19 fear, well-being, and depression predictors. German and South African societies differ from each other socio-culturally, politically, and economically. Their university systems also differ 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-1...

The aim of the research was to explore experiences of a Positive Psychology 2.0 (PP2.0) intervention for burnout among Generation Y medical doctors working in a South African public hospital. The emphasis was on the potential benefits and recommended intervention amendments in a specific cultural context of South Africa. A phenomenological approach was followed in the collective case study. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was administered in phases I and III to quantify the level of burnout. This study offers findings that could be incorporated into a bigger burnout intervention strategy in the South African public hospital, involving all stakeholders to ensure that burnout is combatted on a long-term basis. Furthermore, the findings emphasized certain culture-specific structural issues and the impact that the neglection of burnout has on newly qualified medical doctors working in a South African public hospital and patients in their care. Certain recommendations were made for the Sou...

Die zunehmende Interkulturalisierung von pädagogischen Settings und insbesondere von Schulen erfordert ein verstärktes interkulturelles Bewusstsein sowie die Vermittlung von interkulturellen Kompetenzen, die auch die Gesundheit aller Beteiligten fördern. In diesem Artikel wird die Problematik der interkulturellen Gesundheitsförderung in Schulen thematisiert und das Programm "Ich bin Ich - Gesundheitsförderung durch Selbstwertstärkung" vorgestellt, das die Förderung von Gesundheit im interkulturellen Miteinander in der Schule ermöglicht. Es soll ein Beitrag zur Verbesserung des nachhaltigen, gesunden und interkulturellen Lernens im Sinne von Sensibilisierung für globale Gerechtigkeit gegeben werden. (DIPF/Orig.)

This study on the world-known writer Paulo Coelho uses a psychobiographical single case study approach to explore creativity across his life span. Coelho is one of the best known in- ternational contemporary writers. Throughout his life he has shown a huge amount of artistic creativity. Creativity, in this study, is viewed as a form of mental activity which needs the sys- temic interaction of the individual thinking and the socio-cultural context. It therefore takes the person, process, product and environment into account to manage the areas of investiga- tion. Methodologically, this single psychobiographical case study is based on Dilthey’s modern hermeneutics. First- and third-person data were collected and analysed through content anal- ysis. Findings show the development of creativity in terms of mini-c, little-c, Pro-c and Big-C creativity throughout Paulo Coelho’s life span. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations for theory and practice are given.

The aim of this text is to develop specific theses on the interrelation between shame and shaming in the face of the corona pandemic. It refers to global and diverse cultural contexts and, from the perspective of Positive Psychology 2.0, pays particular attention to the efforts made by individuals and collectives to constructively manage and transform this crisis. As pointed out by different scholars during the previous year, the crisis evolved an immense physical, mental, emotional, social and economic challenge and has contemporarily massive legal socio-economic, cultural, political and humanitarial consequences.

To fail in a task, to misjudge a situation and to make wrong conclusions, or to be unable to achieve a desired goal, are basic human experiences that occur in everyday activities as well as in longer-term projects in the context of personal development. But the assessments of what is a mistake, an error, or a failure depend heavily on cultural as well as individual contexts. Errors, failures and mistakes do not constitute objectively ascertainable facts, but are subject to the validity of certain rules within a context-dependent judgement. These rules can exist in various forms and degrees of explicitness and are adopted in the course of social negotiation processes. The aim of this book is to synthesise empirical research-based and theoretical perspectives on mistakes, errors, and failure in and across cultures, in order to provide a comprehensive view of contemporary research and practice which is accessible to researchers and practicing professionals internationally.

Public exposure through naming and shaming in cyberspace has become an important side effect of the advancement of the digitalisation and technologisation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This chapter provides insights into shaming in the digital arena and presents an overview of shaming forms, effects, strategies and counterstrategies in the context of technological changes and advancement from different cultural perspectives on individual, social and global levels. In this chapter, the authors present contemporary debates on shaming in the 4IR, referring to forms of shaming used to reinforce social norms. On one hand, the authors provide insight into online shaming and its special forms, such as slut-shaming (the exposure and shaming of individuals for their perceived or actual sexual behaviour) and body shaming, for instance, the “pro-Ana” (anorexia nervosa) and “pro-Mia” (bulimia nervosa) movements glorifying shame-based eating disorders which are interlinked with shame and shaming. On the other hand, the authors note that the presentation of self-injurious behaviour is currently a strong trend on the Internet. Scribing, snipping and cutting are glorified as a lifestyle, as is the increase in instructions, announcements and appointments for suicide, especially among children and adolescents. The authors reflect on how shame impacts on these behaviours described on the Internet.

This chapter explores the subjective health concepts in family therapy trainees (FTTs) in a systemic family therapy (SFT) organizational training setting inwhich individuals study to become certified family therapists (FTs) within a 3-year training period. Subjective health concepts and their development within organizational contexts are studied. The aim of the chapter is to contribute to a discourse on the development of subjective, personal health concepts and their impact on the development of a broader organizational culture of health and well-being. The chapter is based on a longitudinal hermeneutical case study design.The sample consisted of 65 FTTs, enrolled for a 3-year training course in SFT to become future FTs. Questionnaires were used to collect data with three measurements, one measurement per year of the FTTs. The data was analyzed through content analysis. The findings show that subjective health concepts of FTTs changed over the 3-year training period with regard to perceptions on aspects that support health and how professional health is conceptualized within the organizational training context. The development of subjective health concepts has implications for the FTTs’work and their perceptions, attitude, and behaviorin therapeutical work contexts. The findings provide further insights on how subjective health concepts develop in professional FTTs, who work within social and therapeutical organizations, and how this impacts on the broader organizational well-being. The conclusions indicate how subjective health concepts and organizational well-being relate and recommendations for future theory and practice regarding the development of FTTs’ health concepts on a personal and organizational level are given.

Shame can be a powerful emotion in leadership and workplaces. Previous research highlights the effects of shame on organisations and how it can be transformed. This chapter discusses love in the form of a compassionate, human love as one possible way to overcome and transform shame, particularly in transcultural workspaces. The chapter presents empirical findings from a qualitative study conducted in line with a hermeneutical research paradigm. Methodologically, the study used structured interviews with 22 leaders from different countries and cultural backgrounds to inquire about shame and love in leadership, the workplace, and the organisation. The findings show that leaders’ (compassionate) love transforms shame in workplaces in four ways. The study further shows that love and shame are interlinked in certain ways, for example, love experience causes shame, love is a resource for overcoming shame and love, and shame and the self are integrated. The study further shows that love narrations are a powerful resource for transforming shame and negative emotions in Industry 4.0-related contexts. Finally, the findings show which strategies of loving leadership leaders chose to implement in order to transform toxic shame in the workplace, emphasising that the inner attitude of a loving mindset is the key to healthy and transformed, positive transcultural workplaces.

Precarious manhood beliefs portray manhood, relative to womanhood, as a social status that is hard to earn, easy to lose, and proven via public action. Here, we present cross-cultural data on a brief measure of precarious manhood beliefs (the Precarious Manhood Beliefs scale [PMB]) that covaries meaningfully with other cross-culturally validated gender ideologies and with country-level indices of gender equality and human development. Using data from university samples in 62 countries across 13 world regions ( N = 33,417), we demonstrate: (1) the psychometric isomorphism of the PMB (i.e., its comparability in meaning and statistical properties across the individual and country levels); (2) the PMB’s distinctness from, and associations with, ambivalent sexism and ambivalence toward men; and (3) associations of the PMB with nation-level gender equality and human development. Findings are discussed in terms of their statistical and theoretical implications for understanding widely-held...

Purpose/objective: The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between value- and life-orientation and job satisfaction, as well as determining the influence of gender, age and cultural group within the selected South African organisational context. Problem investigated: The success of a diverse organisation in a complex globalised world is largely dependent on the values of managers, their life-orientation and their level of job satisfaction. Managers and employees, in a multicultural and diverse South African organisational context, need to be aware of and manage their similarities and differences in these aspects to contribute to overall organisational success. Design and/or research methodology and/or approach: In this exploratory research, use is made of a quantitative perspective in the positivist research paradigm. Value-orientations of managers (N = 30) at a selected parastatal organisation in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa were measured by maki...

At present, our knowledge about the mechanisms of party-voter linkage in Africa is very limited. There are very few systematic studies in this field and we know next to nothing about what parties in Africa really do and how they function internally. This poses a number of challenges to the project at hand.

Die Liebe ist ein Kern der menschlichen Existenz und gibt dem Leben Sinnhaftigkeit und Wohlbefinden. Trotzdem erleben sie die meisten auch als Dilemma: Neben extremen Glücksgefühlen kann die Liebe starke Betrübung, Hass und Depressionen auslösen. Dieser Artikel diskutiert den Zusammenhang von Liebe und Schmerz und was man tun kann, um dieses Leid zu transformieren.

Carl Gustav Jung veränderte die Denkweise über den Menschen, das Bewusste und das Unbewusste. Nach Jung trägt jeder Mensch einen Schatten in sich, der umso stärker ist, je weniger er im bewussten Leben der einzelnen Person verankert ist. Scham wird als eine intensive, „seelenfressende“ Emotion angesehen, die sich negativ auf den Menschen auswirken kann. Caroline Myss hat ein therapeutisches Konzept für die Arbeit mit den Jung’schen Archetypen in der Einzeltherapie aus der Perspektive der positiven Psychologie entwickelt. In diesem Kapitel geht es um die Frage, wie Scham vom Schatten ins Licht, vom Unbewussten ins Bewusstsein transformiert werden kann. Ziel dieses Kapitels ist es, eine ausgewählte Einzelfallstudie über einen therapeutischen Prozess vorzustellen, in dem mit Scham, Schatten und archetypischer Psychologie in einem Einzel- und Gruppenprozess gearbeitet wird. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Scham durch therapeutische Arbeit von einer „seelenfressenden“ in eine „seelenerfüllende“ Emotion verwandelt werden kann.

Das Konzept der Scham ist in der Psychologie weithin erforscht und wurde sozio-kulturell und im Blick auf Gender und Nationalitäten kontextualisiert. In afrikanischen Ländern südlich der Sahara wurde Scham vor allem in Bezug auf HIV/AIDS und kulturelle Traditionen untersucht. Die meisten der durchgeführten Studien scheinen sich jedoch nicht auf die Arbeitswelt oder die Scham als mögliche Gesundheitsressource zu konzentrieren, sondern eher auf ein Konstrukt, das mit negativ empfundenen Konzepten wie Schuld, Scham oder Stigmatisierung zusammenhängt. Im Südlichen Afrika mangelt es an Studien, die einen Überblick über die Forschungsarbeiten zum Thema Scham geben. Dieses Kapitel stellt einen entsprechenden Überblick zur Verfügung. Darüber hinaus werden die Schamerfahrungen an südafrikanischen Arbeitsplätzen untersucht und persönliche und organisatorische Strategien zur konstruktiven Verarbeitung von Scham vorgestellt. Die verwendete Forschungsmethodik basiert auf einem interpretativen hermeneutischen Paradigma und wendet qualitative Forschungsmethoden an, wie z. B. halbstrukturierte Interviews mit Personen aus verschiedenen Hochschuleinrichtungen und Beobachtungen an einer Hochschule. Das Kapitel präsentiert neue Einsichten und Erkenntnisse darüber, welche Erfahrungen in der Arbeitswelt zu Scham führen und wie Mitarbeitende diese Erfahrungen bewältigen, um die negativen Auswirkungen von Scham auf individueller und organisatorischer Ebene zu überwinden. Es werden Empfehlungen für die zukünftige Theorie und Praxis gegeben.

This study proposes that Moses’ agape and storge love of his people was the motivation for his adoption of fatherly leadership style. The study relies on a direct reading of Hebrew language version of the relevant books of the Old Testament. We provide examples that anchor Moses fatherly leadership style in biblical texts, and reference it to modern leadership thoughts and practical wisdom. Moses’ traits, such as humility, gratitude, forgiveness, and altruism, and his unparalleled grit provided him with the capabilities required to perform as a father leader. This leadership style is characterized by availability (awareness), building community, commitment to the growth of people, disciplining, foresight, healing, involvement, listening, persuasion, providing, relinquishing control, role modeling, showing empathy, stewardship (serving), supporting, and teaching. We provide leaders with a list of fatherly leadership behaviors that lacks the authoritarian component of eastern paternalistic leadership style, and that may be well practiced in the health care, social work, education, sport management and other people service industries.

Since the start of COVID-19, demands on leaders have increased due to rapid changes in the workplaces and the implementation of interventions, such as social distancing, travel restrictions, virtual work, and new essential teamwork methods. At the same time, these changes have had a strong impact on psychological health and well-being, performance of employees and performance leadership. Therefore, leaders are asked to explore new ways of managing work, organisations and employees. It is argued in this chapter that creating meaning in the workplace, in particular with remote working, has gained importance. Leaders who begin with a pro-active mindset of creating meaning in remote workplaces foster mental health and well-being in leaders and in organisations. Meaning creation as a concept of successful performance leadership ensures and supports the building of a constructive organisational culture, a strengthened connectedness between employees, and more holistic and integrative approaches. How meaning is created can differ, however, it has been shown that family resilience and spiritual resilience are both supportive when it comes to creating mental health and well-being and increasing performance. The chapter discusses creating meaning for mental health and well-being and performance leadership with regards to familial and spiritual resilience and special regard to South African workplaces and leadership. Conclusions and recommendations for future research and practice will be given.

Dieser Band kombiniert empirisch-wissenschaftliche und theoretische Perspektiven auf Scham in kulturellen Kontexten und aus soziokulturell unterschiedlichen Perspektiven. Es bietet neue Einsichten und eine umfassendere kulturelle Basis für die zeitgenössische Forschung und Praxis im Kontext von Scham. Das Buch untersucht Scham aus der Perspektive der Positiven Psychologie, aus dem Blickwinkel der Definition des Konzepts als psychologisches und kulturelles Konstrukt und im Hinblick auf praktische Perspektiven in verschiedenen Kulturen.

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.

Die »systemischen Sternstunden« vermitteln neuartige Denkansätze und inspirierende Tools für systemische Praktiker:innen, die neue Anregungen suchen, noch mehr in den Austausch mit anderen gehen wollen und tiefere Verbindungen erfahren möchten. In sieben kurzen und prägnanten Kapiteln präsentiert Claude-Hélène Mayer diese innovativen Themen und Tools: • Ikigai: Ein japanisches Konzept zur Sinnfindung im Therapieraum • Sinnlosigkeit und Fußball: Albert Camus ganz praktisch • TTT: Technologie – Tiefe Beziehung – Therapie • Die Liebe: Kulturelle Perspektiven auf ein Gefühl • Unter der Oberfläche: Systemdynamiken durchschauen • Die Theorie des Terrors oder was wir alles tun, um unsterblich zu werden • Treebathing: Die Natur neu erleben Jedes Kapitel gibt einen knappen theoretischen und praktischen Einblick in das jeweilige Thema, stellt den Bezug zur systemischen Praxis her und verdeutlicht diesen in Anwendungsbeispielen und Best Practices. Ergänzende Reflexionsfragen können Berater:innen für sich selbst nutzen oder in systemischen Therapie- und Beratungsprozessen einsetzen. Gerade wenn es im beraterischen und therapeutischen Alltag herausfordernd wird: Diese Zusammenstellung von überraschenden Interventionen und cleveren Tools bringt frischen Wind hinein.

Burnout is described as emotional and physical exhaustion, reduced accomplishment, together with an outlook of inadequacy and cynicism related to job stress. It has a harmful impact globally, especially in developing countries, such as South Africa. This study is a phenomenological collective case study focusing on burnout experience in a sample of female medical doctors working in a South African public hospital. Based on ongoing explorations of burnout themes, empirically based intervention strategies are needed to be developed and presented for the South African public health sector to prevent stress-related burnout. The findings support the trend in literature that burnout is an overwhelming experience for female medical doctors in South Africa. The study presents voices of female medical doctors, their concerns, the causes for burnout and their coping mechanisms. It provides a strong contribution to exploring and presenting women's experiences in working in the medical field in South Africa from a positive psychology perspective. The findings indicate the struggles and the coping mechanisms of female medical doctors working in the field.

This research study explores the interlinkages of three major themes, namely transcultural romantic love relationships (TRLRs), sense of coherence (SOC), and identity development (ID) in individuals who are presently involved in romantic love relationships (RLR) with partners from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds. The study uses a qualitative research design within the hermeneutical interpretative research paradigm, aiming to understand the interlinkages of TRLR, SOC, and ID. Based on purposive and snowball sampling techniques, the study includes 22 participants (12 female and 10 male) between 23 and 68 years of age, from 14 different (self-defined) cultural backgrounds. At the time of the interview, participants had been in TRLRs for at least 6 months to a maximum of 26 years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed through content analysis. Qualitative quality criteria and ethical considerations were applied. The findings show that TRLRs are firmly based on relationship qualities, strong feelings, common actions, spirituality, and future orientation. Further, the findings present clear interlinkages between TRLR and SOC, contributing positively to meaningfulness, manageability, and comprehensibility. Finally, TRLRs support SOC on intrapersonal, cultural, and interpersonal levels. In addition, they influence the development of identity awareness, actions, feelings, and sexual SOC. Conclusions, limitations, and recommendations for theory and practice are provided.

This chapter uses a comparative psychobiographical approach within the research paradigm of hermeneutics to explore the heroine’s journeys of two extraordinary women: Angela Merkel and Graça Machel. The author explores the lives of these women through the theory of the heroine’s journey. Joseph Campbell was the first to describe the hero’s journey, originally taking the stance that a female person does not need a hero’s journey. But this claim has been refuted during the past decades. This psychobiography contributes to: (1) the expansion of comparative psychobiographies with WEIRD and non-WEIRD women, (2) filling the gender gap in psychobiographical literature exploring the lives of two women leaders in politics, (3) expanding the theories on heroine’s journeys, (4) expanding the transcultural understanding of women’s leadership through psychobiography, and (5) providing insights into the lives of woman role models while offering practical recommendations for women in leadership across cultures.
Keywords: Women LeadershipTransculture Psychobiography Gender WEIRD Non-WEIRD Heroine’s journey Comparative psychobiography

Male graduates are faced with many challenges when transitioning into work life after graduation. This transition from university to the workplace is one of the most important developmental stages in a young adult’s life. It has an important impact on their careers and causes increased stress levels. Often, young men are suffering from mental health challenges and feel as though they cannot seek the appropriate help. Thus, it is necessary to determine how young male graduates cope with the changes experienced in this period, especially relating to their sense of coherence and salutogenesis. The aim of the study is to investigate the transition from university to the workplace and to understand their stress and well-being experiences in terms of activating the three sense of coherence components for coping. A qualitative approach is employed through the use of semi-structured interviews with 10 male South African university graduates. A content analysis technique was used to analyse the qualitative data. The findings indicate that most of the young male graduates understand the transition from university to the workplace and the challenges that come with it (comprehensibility). They also have the necessary personal resources to cope with the stress (manageability) while experiencing this life phase as meaningful (meaningfulness). To understand the transition into the workforce was the most important aspect to stay health during the transition. However, male graduates mainly coped by applying their personal coping strategies and mechanisms and thereby managed their transition mainly by themselves, not based on organizational structures or integrative processes. Meaning applied to the transitional process mainly derived from their personal concepts of creating a meaningful life, not as such from the meaning applied to the work or position they held. The findings provide insights which can be used by higher education institutions to prepare graduates for the transition into the workforce and for organizations to develop programmes for graduates to improve their transition into the organization.

Psychobiography is a well established methodological approach to explore the entire life course or specific events in the life of extraordinary individuals by using psychological theories.
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.

Covid-19 has put a mental strain on many people globally in the short- and long-term perspective. It is extremely important to stay mentally healthy in times of pandemic challenges during social distancing, repeated lockdowns and social isolation, remote work, and home office and home-schooling practices. Humour is a coping strategy to deal with difficult situations and has a positive effect on mental health and well-being. This study uses a qualitative design and a hermeneutical research paradigm to explore the humour used in the professional WhatsApp communications of colleagues working in a consultancy organisation in Gauteng, South Africa, during a hard lockdown in March and April 2020. Findings show that humour was used to cope with the highly challenging situation of working remotely during these times. Humour could be identified in terms of five themes: women professionals and work–life challenges, individual change from professional to “savage”, new lifestyles, marital relationships during social isolation, and the cure of Covid-19. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations for future research and practice are given.

Shame can be a powerful emotion in leadership and workplaces. Previous research highlights the effects of shame on organisations and how it can be transformed. This chapter discusses love in the form of a compassionate, human love as one possible way to overcome and transform shame, particularly in transcultural workspaces. The chapter presents empirical findings from a qualitative study conducted in line with a hermeneutical research paradigm. Methodologically, the study used structured interviews with 22 leaders from different countries and cultural backgrounds to inquire about shame and love in leadership, the workplace, and the organisation. The findings show that leaders’ (compassionate) love transforms shame in workplaces in four ways. The study further shows that love and shame are interlinked in certain ways, for example, love experience causes shame, love is a resource for overcoming shame and love, and shame and the self are integrated. The study further shows that love narrations are a powerful resource for transforming shame and negative emotions in Industry 4.0-related contexts. Finally, the findings show which strategies of loving leadership leaders chose to implement in order to transform toxic shame in the workplace, emphasising that the inner attitude of a loving mindset is the key to healthy and transformed, positive transcultural workplaces.

This chapter reflects on prejudice, bias and shame in the context of predictive policing. Predictive policing in crime prevention and crime science has gained interest during the past years and has, in some socio-cultural contexts, become a favoured technique to prevent crime and to detect offenders and victims before the crime happens. Predictive policing uses specific computer programs, algorithms and big data. Critical voices have pointed out that these programs are highly prejudiced and biased, particularly against members of minority groups. Such programs are said to predict crime scenes based on racist, gendered and stigmatising categories found in previous data sets and programming biases. Being categorised by computer programs as a potential offender or victim—either through personal ascription or according to crime location—can evoke shame in the person concerned. Previous research shows that shame often impacts negatively on the individual. However, it can be positive when it is understood as reintegrative shame or when it can be transformed towards personal growth and development. The aim of this chapter is to reflect on the interlinkages of the described concepts within the specific context, present a state-of-the-art intervention and reflect on a possible way forward based on provided conclusions.

The transformation into Industry 4.0 comes with many challenges for organisations all over the world. During the past years, many publications have focused on highlighting the challenges of restructuring, technological defaults, and lack of infrastructure to implement Industry 4.0 transformational challenges. This chapter does not focus on the challenges of Industry 4.0 in terms of hardware or technology, but rather on the emotional aspects of the transformational process. The chapter presents findings from a qualitative study on Industry 4.0 transformational processes and the perspective of managers within a single case study of an engineering organisation. Altogether 16 interviews were conducted on Industry 4.0. This chapter responds to the research question of how managers experience shame in the context of Industry 4.0. It shows that shame, as an often negatively experienced emotion, needs to be taken into account to support a positive and constructive transformation of employees and organisations towards Industry 4.0. Conclusions are drawn on how to deal with negative emotions such as shame, and recommendations are given with regard to future research and practice from an industrial and organisational psychology perspective.

This handbook includes state-of-the-art research on love in classical, modern and postmodern perspectives. It expands on previous literature and explores topics around love from new cultural, intercultural and transcultural approaches and across disciplines. It provides insights into various love concepts, like romantic love, agape, and eros in their cultural embeddedness, and their changes and developments in specific cultural contexts. It also includes discussions on postmodern aspects with regard to love and love relationships, such as digitalisation, globalisation and the fourth industrial revolution. Th e handbook covers a vast range of topics in relation to love: aging, health, special needs, sexual preferences, spiritual practice, subcultures, family and other relationships, and so on. Th e chapters look at love not only in terms of the universal concept and in private, intimate relationships, but apply a broad concept of love which can also, for example, be referred to in postmodern workplaces. Th is volume is of interest to a wide readership, including researchers, practitioners and students of the social sciences, humanities and behavioural sciences. In the 1970s through the 90s, I was told that globalization was homogenizing cultures into a worldwide monoculture. Th is volume, as risky and profound as the many adventures of love across our multiplying cultures are, proves otherwise. Th e authors’ revolutionary and courageous work will challenge our sensibilities and expand the boundaries of what we understand what love is. But that’s what love does: It communicates what is; offers what can be; and pleads for what must be. I know you’ll enjoy this wonderful book as much as I do! Jeffrey Ady, Associate Professor (retired), Public Administration Program, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Founding Fellow, International Academy for Intercultural Research The International Handbook of Love is far more than a traditional compendium. It is a breath-taking attempt to synthesize our anthropological and sociological knowledge on love. It illuminates topics as diverse as Chinese love, one-night stands, teen romance or love of leaders and many more. Th is is a definitive reference in the field of love studies. Eva Illouz, author of Th e End of Love: A sociology of Negative relationships. Oxford University Press.

Psychobiographical investigations have been used to explore the life of extraordinary individuals through the perspectives of psychological theories since over a century. However, particularly the life of extraordinary women leaders from minority groups has been neglected This chapter’s aim is to explore the faith development of Angela Merkel, the contemporary German chancellor, across her life time. It uses the theory of stages of faith development of Fowler and responds to the questions: how does faith develop over the life span of Angela Merkel? How are faith development and leadership intertwined? Findings are shown, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are given.

This book introduces the topic of intercultural mediation and conflict management. Based on the latest scientific research and successful conflict management practices, it provides theoretical insights and practical, self-reflective exercises, role-plays and case studies on conflict, mediation, intercultural mediation, and solution-finding in conflict mediation. The book serves both as a self-learning tool to expand personal competences and cultural sensitivity,and as training material for seminars, workshops, secondary, advanced and higher education and vocational training. It is a valuable contribution to the fields of intercultural conflict mediation and conflict management, intercultural communication, intercultural training and coaching. This is a book about practicing-the applied practice of competent conflict crafts in diverse intercultural contexts. Conflict practitioners, mediators, and intercultural trainers would be inspired by Professor Claude-Hélène Mayer's creative integration of relevant intercultural models with do-able conflict strategies and in reaching intergroup harmony with reflexivity and cultural resonance.

In the 21st century world of work, stress has become a well-known term. This is true for both global and South African occupational contexts. Although “stress” is a term that does not find its origin in South African indigenous languages and cultural concepts, it has become a well-known concept in contemporary South African work-life. The aim of this chapter is to present insights into the topic of stress in workplaces in South Africa. This chapter therefore presents an overview of selected relevant studies on stress within South African contexts while providing insights into South African- specific work and living contexts from historical and contemporary perspectives of the 4th Industrial Revolution. We present findings on stress in selected South African workplaces. Ideas on stress management on individual, organisational and societal levels are presented specifically within the South African context. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for future research and practice are outlined.

This volume provides comprehensible, strength-based perspectives on contemporary research and practice related to navigating mistakes, errors and failures across cultures. It addresses these concepts across cultural contexts and explores any or all of these three concepts from a positive psychology or positive organisational perspective, highlighting their potential as resources. The volume further discusses the consequences of errors and failures at individual, organi-sational and societal levels, ranging from severe personal problems to organisational and collective crises, perspectives how those can be turned into opportunities for contingent and sustainable improvement processes. The book shows that there are significant cultural differences in the understanding, interpretation and handling of errors and failures. This volume provides practical guidance for transcultural understanding of mistakes, errors and failure through new models, ideas for self-reflection, therapeutic and counselling interventions and organisational change management processes. This book is a must for researchers and practitioners working on mistakes, errors and failures across cultures and disciplines!

This volume offers insights into contemporary trends and perspectives in psychobiographical research. It applys new theoretical and methodological frameworks and presents discourses on psychobiography from transdisciplinary backgrounds and various socio-cultural contexts, displaying the new state-of-the-art, new trends and themes in psychobiography. The book outlines psychobiography’s outstanding contribution to psychology from 36 internationally reputable authors. It also presents the ideas of five outstanding psychobiographers through interview excerpts. This book is a must for researchers, lecturers and practitioners in the field of psychology and social sciences interested in the use of new psychological theories and methodologies in life-span research.

Das Trainingshandbuch der Autorin Claude-Hélène Mayer, nun in dritter, aktualisierter Auflage, stellt den Themenkomplex der interkulturellen Mediation in Form trainingsorientierter und praxisnaher, kurzer theoretischer Inputs und praktischer, selbstreflexiver Übungen dar.
Dabei gliedert sich das Buch in vier aufeinander aufbauende und doch einzeln anwendbare Bausteine: Konflikt, Mediation, interkulturelle Mediation und Lösungsoptionen. Die Bausteine sind als Trainingsmaterialien für Seminare, Workshops, Weiter- und Ausbildungen in den Bereichen interkultureller Konfliktlösung und Mediation und in interkulturellen Trainings und Coachings einsetzbar. Sie stellen außerdem Materialien für den Einsatz in der schulischen bzw. universitären Arbeit zur interkulturellen Kommunikation und Konfliktlösung bereit. Darüber hinaus können sie als autodidaktische Lernmaterialien für all Personen dienen, die im Bereich von Training, Beratung, Coaching, Lehre und Mediation ihre persönlichen Kompetenzen für die interkulturelle Praxis erweitern möchten.

ORGANISATIONAL DIAGNOSIS Tools and applications for practitioners and researchers The highly experienced and knowledgeable authors of Organisational Diagnosis provide the reader with the necessary advice, tools and applications to conduct a successful organisational diagnosis. Readers will come to understand how to diagnose concerns/problems and leverage untapped possibilities in the organisation in order to improve and be successful in a competitive, fast-changing world. The book consists of 13 chapters, which covers the core concepts in conducting an organisational diagnosis

The Value of Shame
Exploring a Health Resource in Cultural Contexts

Editors: Vanderheiden, Elisabeth, Mayer, Claude-Helene (Eds.)

• Provides new comprehensible perspectives on contemporary research on shame
• Discusses shame concepts from a positive psychology perspective across cultures
• Highlights new insights on the concept of shame for researchers and practitioners in the field of psychology and cultural studies


This volume combines empirical research-based and theoretical perspectives on shame in cultural contexts and from socio-culturally different perspectives, providing new insights and a more comprehensive cultural base for contemporary research and practice in the context of shame. It examines shame from a positive psychology perspective, from the angle of defining the concept as a psychological and cultural construct, and with regard to practical perspectives on shame across cultures.  The volume provides sound foundations for researchers and practitioners to develop new models, therapies and counseling practices to redefine and re-frame shame in a way that leads to strength, resilience and empowerment of the individual.

Salutogenic Perspectives - Developing and Promoting Health in the Encyclica
Claude-Hélène Mayer

What does Pope Franciscus say about health and health promotion in his 2015 published Eco-Encyclica? Claude-Hélène Mayer reflects on salutogenic perspectives in the encyclica. She poses questions, such as: "What role does the sense of coherence play within the concept of holistic ecology?" or "How can sense of coherence be created according to the encyclica?" Comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness, as the three main components of sense of coherence - based on Aaron Antonovsky's concept of salutogenesis - are analysed within the text. The analysis opens up new perspectives on health in the context of holistic ecology and refers to them on individual, organisational, regional, socio-cultural, and global levels. Value-orientations and constructs of spirituality are explored in this context and are identified as a fundament of environmentally-sensitive and creative actions. Pope Franciscus provides the reader with stimuli for conscious actions in terms of a salutogentic, holistic and dignified lifestyle for present and future generations.

Salutogene Perspektiven - Zur Entstehung und Förderung von Gesundheit in der Enzyklika
Claude-Hélène Mayer

Was sagt Papst Franziskus zur Gesundheit und Gesundheitsförderung in seiner 2015 erschienenen Öko-Enzyklika? Claude-Hélène Mayer setzt sich in ihrem Kapitel zu salutogenen Perspektiven mit dieser Frage auseinander. Das Interesse daran, welchen Platz das Kohärenzgefühl im Kontext einer ganzheitlichen Ökologie einnimmt und wie es nach Papst Franziskus geschaffen werden kann, stehen im Fokus der Analyse. Das Kapitel zeigt auf, wie die drei Komponenten des Kohärenzgefühls - Verstehbarkeit, Handhabbarkeit und Sinnhaftigkeit - in Anlehnung an Aaron Antonovskys Konzept der Salutogenese in der Enzyklika hervorgehoben werden. Der Text eröffnet somit einen neuen Blick auf die Laudato Si und bietet einen wesentlichen Beitrag zum wissenschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Gesundheits-Diskurs im Kontext eines holistischen Umweltkonzeptes. Dabei werden auf individueller, organisationaler, regionaler, sozio-kultureller und globaler Ebene Aspekte der Wertorientierungen und Spiritualitätskonstruktionen hervorgehoben, die eine motivationale Basis für ein umweltgerechtes und kreatives Handeln bieten. Anregungen zum bewussten Handeln im Sinne eines salutogenen, holistischen und würdevollen Lebensstils werden schließlich identifiziert, um einen Ausblick zu geben.

Der Artikel bietet einen Einblick in das Thema der Liebe aus kulturellen und interkulturellen Perspektiven und betrachtet ihren Zusammen- hang mit Gesundheit und Gesundheitskulturen. Dieser Text gründet auf dem beim DACHS-Symposium vom 4.-6. Mai 2018 in Göttingen gehaltenen Vortrag. -

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.

Family therapy has advanced as an important therapeutic approach in Europe and, in Germany, future family therapists enter a three-year-training programme every year. Family therapist trainees (FTTs) have hardly been studied in terms of their value-orientations (VOs) and how they see the world. This study aims at researching the value-orientation developments in FTTs during the three-year training period and based on the Schwartz value model. A longitudinal study was carried out over a three-year period. The sample consisted of 65 FTTs. VOs were investigated using open questions in self-developed questionnaires. The findings show that FTTs focus mainly on VOs in the Schwartz value domain of "benevolence", followed by "self-direction" and "universalism". This shows that the well-being of others is in the centre of interest in FTTs. However, VOs which indicate a freedom to make decisions and be self-directed are also extremely important. The least-mentioned value domains include "power" and "stimulation", showing that FTTs are neither focused on status, wealth or richness, nor on excitement or a varied life. With regard to the Schwartz value dimensions, the dimension of "self-transcendence" was the most frequently mentioned, followed by "conservation", "openness to change" and "self-enhancement". Self-transcendence includes the value domains of benevolence and universalism and shows that the preservation and enhancement of welfare of other individuals are highly important, as well as VOs such as understanding, appreciation, tolerance and protection of human beings and the environment. So-called collectivist VOs seem to be more important to German FTTs than individualistic VOs: they focus on the needs of the social group and their VOs show that the systemic view is inherent in their social VOs. Findings further show that FTTs develop their professional identity while consciously strengthening their VOs. This study contradicts previous research which claims that FTs are, to a large extent, unconscious in respect of their VOs. The study shows that FTTs are aware of their VOs and this supports them in facilitating client-centred approaches and develop themselves as FT professionals. Recommendations for future research and practice are provided.

The faith development theory (FDT) of James Fowler (1981) refers to an in-depth understanding of the conceptualisation of God, human core values, meanings and beliefs across the life span. Faith is a source of empowerment, of resilience and sustainability. It is the centre of values, and impacts on the shaping of individual roles, careers, individual success (Holland, 1989) and career behaviour (Lips-Wiersma, 2002) across the life span (Mayer, 2015), as career development (CD) does (Greenhouse et al., 2010). Research has highlighted (Mayer, 2017) that the exploration of faith and career development (CD) has hardly been researched from an in-depth qualitative perspective in gendered and cultural contexts. The aim of this study was to explore the interconnection of Fowler's FD and Greenhaus et al.'s (2010) CD model in a single case study in the context of gender and culture.

This article explores the self-defined roles of women leaders working in higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa in the context of systems psychodynamics and thereby increase the understanding of unconscious dynamics in HEIs. This qualitative study is based on the research paradigm of Dilthey's modern hermeneutics. Women leaders are containers of anxieties, while they act out defense mechanisms, such as splitting, projection, projective identification, introjection, idealization, simplification and rationalization. Splitting seems to be important in terms of categories such as mother/professional, mother/daughter, women/men leaders and White/Black women leaders. Women leaders further have introjected the roles of their mothers and female family members from their childhood. They do not embrace the full authority and agency of their leadership, and explore their own difficulties and negative emotions in others through projective identification. The findings create awareness of the roles of women leaders, strengthen women leadership and emphasise the need for leadership training taking the systems psychodynamic perspective into account.

This study assesses the experiences of workplace transformation of eleven Black women leaders working in South African higher education institutions (HEIs). The theoretical background is based in intersectional theories, also providing contextual informati on. The study uses a research paradigm based in Dilthey ’s modern hermeneutics, using qualitative methods, such as semi-structured interviews, as well as observations within HEIs. Interviews were analysed through content analysis. Findings show a strong commitment of women leaders to transforming their workplaces. Their testimonies point in to the prevalence of gendered and racially biased experiences of Black women leaders in past and present. Their narratives include an account of their transformative vision including consciousness, awareness and positive attitudes, and transformative practices, such as networking and social support.

Perspectives of Chinese and Tanzanian employees on intercultural cooperation in a private Chinese organisation in Tanzania

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

Emotional intelligence (EI) and cultural intelligence (CQ) have recently been strongly researched and investigated particularly in work contexts (Brouwers & van de Vijver 2015; Conway & Kovacs 2015;
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.

Aim This research focuses on concepts of mental health, culture and spirituality in an international South African managerial context. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the interrelationships in this complex and growing scientific discourse and to respond to the research question of how mental health, culture and spirituality are interrelated from a managerial perspective.

Mediation is often used in contemporary conflict resolution processes in Western societies. Structures, methods and techniques of conflict resolution and mediation are characterized culture-specifically (Busch, Mayer & Boness, 2010). Therefore, it is assumed that conflict resolution processes differ across cultures and interculturally.
This study explores conflict mediation in socialist Cuba. In Cuba, conflict mediation has a tradition since the 1990s, however, hardly any research has been conducted on conflict mediation theories and practices in Cuba.
The aim of this study is to explore the concept of conflict mediation in Cuba from a culture-specific perspective of conflict mediators practicing mediation in Cuba to generate "thick descriptions" (Geertz, 1973) of the phenomenon.
The study is based on a hermeneutical-constructivist, qualitative research paradigm. Data are collected through qualitative semi-structured expert interviews and observations, gathered during a field stay in Cuba. Data are analyzed through the qualitative five-step process of content analysis according to Terre Blanche, Durheim & Kelly (2006).
Findings show that conflict mediation plays a crucial role in resolving conflicts in Cuba since the 1990s. Since then, conflict mediators in Cuba use Western tools and concepts of conflict mediation whilst adjusting them culture-specifically. Usually, the phase structure of Western mediation concepts is used. However, in mediation processes in Cuba collectivist interests and responsibilities are considered as more important than individual problems and needs. Quality standards in mediation are valued as highly important to guarantee a enrichting and empowering conflict resolution process. Mediators explain that the professionalisation processes of mediation in Cuba depend primarily on the individual development of the mediator: the mediator needs to develop his/her personality constructively and positively with regard to a constructive and positive attitude and the acknowledgement of self and others. Cultural aspects, such as images of self and other, friends and enemies, as well as collectivism and individualism are important issues in conflict mediation processes in Cuba.
In conclusion, conflict mediation in Cuba is viewed as a positive and constructive tool of intervention in conflict resolution processes.

Key words: Conflict mediation, Cuba, attitude of mediator, culture in mediation, challenges

References
Busch, D. Mayer, C.-H. & Boness, C. (2010). International and regional perspectives on cross-cultural mediation. Studien zur interkulturellen mediation Band 5. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures: selected essays. New York: Basic Books.
Terre Blanche, M., Durrheim, K. & Kelly, K. (2006). First steps in qualitative data analysis. In Terre Blanche, M., Durrheim, K. & Painter, D. (eds.). Research in practice. Applied methods for the social sciences. (pp. 321-344). Cape Town: University of Cape Town.

Leadership is a complex process that has been widely investigated, after all, good leadership could make the difference between life and death, success or failure of organizations, and citizens’ standard of living and quality of life across the globe. Studies across cultures focus on the leader’s traits, ethics, values, and behaviors, as well as the relationships between the leader and the followers. However, the study of the role of sentiments in leadership and cross-cultural contexts is in its infancy.

CALL FOR PAPERS:
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/

The sociocultural lens in psychobiography:
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

Women are operating in various parts of the society and organizations which have in many societies became extremely diverse in terms of culture, language, gender roles, competencies and abilities. They experience challenges and stressful events throughout their life span. These challenges and events may affect their health, both physically and mentally. Thus, it
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.

You are cordially invited to contribute to the Special Issue on:

"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

THIS IS A CALL FOR PAPERS on:

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

This book provides deep insights into intercultural collaboration among business partners, employees, managers, and entrepreneurs in Chinese-African professional interactions. It presents cultural and theoretical knowledge on Chinese and African management, leadership, and philosophy. Chinese and African scholars and professionals share their insights into how to address intercultural management challenges proactively and successfully. The cases provide insights into a wide variety of industries and offer actual scenarios studied in governmental, parastatal, and private Chinese-owned organizations in twelve African countries. This book will benefit a broad readership including scholars in employment relations and business management as well as African and Chinese collaborators in academia, government, NGOs and industry.

Dear colleagues,
You are cordially invited to submit a chapter proposal for a textbook on "New trends in Psychobiography". The book is envisioned as a primary reference in psychobiographical work from transdisciplinary perspectives, such as psychology, biographical work, psychosocial care, health care and health scienes, education, and other allied social sciences.

In this book, it is envisioned to reflect on the state of the art of psychobiographies, classical approaches, new trends and directions in psychobiographical theories, methodologies and applications to provide researchers, lecturers and students with and overview and new insights into psychobiographical work for the use of fundamental psychobiographical research, classroom and lecture work and applied settings in terms of interventions for practitioners.

PLEASE READ THE CALL FOR PAPERS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION!

Coming soon! A book edited by Elisabeth Vanderheiden & Claude-Hélène Mayer Visit us on: valueofshame.jimdo.com Content An introduction to the value of shame - Shame and culture as health resources Part I Theoretical perspectives on shame and culture Part II Culture-specific perspectives on shame Part III The application of shame and culture in therapeutic and counseling practices This is a project that has been realised with many different authors of various origins and cultural perspectives.

Mayer,  Claude-Hélène and Elisabeth Vanderheiden, Eds., International Handbook of Love: Transcultural and Transdisciplinary Perspectives
Springer Nature Switzerland AG.,  2021
ISBN 978-3-030-45995-6 ISBN 978-3-030-4599

Reviewed by Dr. George Simons, @ diversophy®

Daryl R. Van Tongeren and Sara A. Showalter Van Tongeren's book “The Courage to Suffer” seems to have been published at just the right moment, at the beginning of 2020, the year in which humankind faces one of the biggest global health-related crises in history. The book is dedicated to the authors' clients and students who have shown how working with suffering and the deep experience of pain and loss can lead to flourishing and well-being....