Feminist “Cant” and Narrative Selflessness in Sarah Grand’s New Woman Trilogy

2012 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-365
Author(s):  
Lauren Simek
Keyword(s):  
Moral Development ◽  
Moral Agency ◽  
Political Change ◽  
New Woman ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Narrative Forms ◽  
Authorial Voice

This essay examines the ethical and rhetorical significance that narrative knowledge holds for women’s public articulation of belief in Sarah Grand’s New Woman trilogy (1888–1897). Grand’s novels’ interest in moral and political expression has led critics, early and late, to criticize Grand for moralizing. The novels themselves, however, express a similar concern, and strive to distinguish between moral expression aimed to effect positive change and moral expression aimed toward self-promotion. A public speaker on women’s issues herself, Grand portrays her feminist heroines’ airing of their beliefs as essential to their moral development. While demonstrating moral articulation as key to self-awareness, Grand’s narrators emphasize the selfless unselfconsciousness behind her heroines’ expressions of belief—an unself-consciousness that maneuvers around the risk that self-awareness might become self-regard. Narrative can pinpoint this selfless unself-consciousness, but, as Grand realizes, it can also transform it into just another instance of moralizing self-promotion on the part of the author. This essay reveals that Grand’s unorthodox narrative forms, previously assumed to be isolated experiments, serve as part of a complex rhetorical schema that allows Grand to grasp at ethical self-awareness that avoids self-absorption as she speaks out for moral and political change for women. Grand ultimately understands her authorial voice as engaged in a kind of secular prayer, in which her intended audience lies somewhere between self and other, the purpose of her expression somewhere between self-reflection and rhetorical efficacy. Training her readers to interpret a version of her heroines’ selfless unself-consciousness in themselves and others, Grand imagines an ethically self-reflective, rhetorically powerful mode of moral agency for women facing misinterpretation in the real, "narratorless" world.

Chutes, Not Ladders

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-130
Author(s):  
Pavithra Nagarajan
Keyword(s):  
School Success ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Single Sex ◽  
Black Bodies ◽  
Boys Of Color ◽  
And Control

This article explores how a single-sex school for boys of color intentionally and unintentionally (re)defines masculinity through rules and rituals. The school’s mission posits that boys become men through developing three skills: selfregulation, self-awareness, and self-reflection. Drawing from qualitative research data, I examine how disciplinary practices prioritize boys’ ability to control their bodies and image, or “self-regulate.” When boys fail to self-regulate, they enter the punitive system. School staff describe self-regulation as integral to out-of-school success, but these practices may inadvertently reproduce negative labeling and control of black bodies. This article argues for school cultural practices that affirm, rather than deny, the benefits of boyhood.

Beyond Self-Interest

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua May
Keyword(s):  
Moral Development ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Helping Behavior ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Concern For Others ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Christian Love ◽  
The Right ◽  
Conceptual Difficulties

This chapter introduces the long-standing idea that inappropriate motives, such as self-interest, can militate against virtuous motivation (acting for the right reasons). Some theorists have tried to show that we are universally egoistic by appeal to empirical research, particularly evolutionary theory, moral development, and the neuroscience of learning. However, these efforts fail and instead decades of experiments on helping behavior provide powerful evidence that we are capable of genuine altruism. We can be motivated ultimately by a concern for others for their own sake, especially when empathizing with them. The evidence does not show that empathy blurs the distinction between self and other in a way that makes helping behavior truly egoistic or non-altruistic. Whether grounded in Christian love (agape) or the Buddhist notion of no-self (anātman), such self-other merging proposals run into empirical and conceptual difficulties.

scholarly journals On the mental toughness of self-aware athletes: Evidence from competitive tennis players

2017 ◽  
Vol Volume 113 (Number 1/2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G. Cowden ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Multivariate Regression ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
The Self ◽  
Mental Toughness ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Tennis Players ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This study examined the relationship between mental toughness (MT) and self-awareness in a sample of 175 male and 158 female South African tennis athletes (mean age = 29.09 years, s.d. = 14.00). The participants completed the Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire and the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale to assess MT (confidence, constancy, control) and self-awareness (self-reflection and self-insight) dimensions, respectively. Linear regression indicated that self-insight (β=0.49), but not self-reflection (β=0.02), predicted global MT. Multivariate regression analyses were significant for self-reflection (ηp²=0.11) and self-insight (ηp²=0.24). Self-reflection predicted confidence and constancy (ηp²=0.05 and 0.06, respectively), whereas self-insight predicted all three MT subcomponents (ηp²=0.12 to 0.14). The findings extend prior qualitative research evidence supporting the relevance of self-awareness to the MT of competitive tennis athletes, with self-reflection and insight forming prospective routes through which athletes’ MT may be developed.

scholarly journals Self-reflectivity: a moment of professionalization in psychotherapy training

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarete Finger-Ossinger ◽  
Henriette Löffler-Stastka
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
European Association ◽  
Psychotherapy Training ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Clear Indication ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
The Past ◽  
Essential Prerequisite

The required basic skills of European psychotherapists were published by the European Association of Psychotherapy in 2013. One of these abilities is self-reflection. To mentalize oneself, to reflect on what circumstances and experiences in the past and present have led to the present desires, thoughts and convictions is an essential prerequisite for professional work in the psychosocial field. With the help of the thematic analysis a data set of 41 self-reflection reports of students is analysed at the end of the training. Since the training should be evaluated and if necessary optimized, it should be examined which elements of the online preparation course make the selfreflection ability visible. The analysis of the students’ texts gives a clear indication of existing self-reflection skills. It was surprising that for some students, besides the great importance of self-awareness lessons, affective integration into the blended learning program was an essential impulse for self-reflection.

Enhancing instructional leadership through collaborative coaching: a multi-case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary W. Houchens ◽  
Tom A. Stewart ◽  
Sara Jennings
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Peer Coaching ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Theories Of Practice

Purpose Executive coaching has become increasingly important for enhancing organizational leaders’ professional effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a growing body of research literature that examines how coaching techniques help school principals improve their instructional leadership. Design/methodology/approach Using a protocol based on a theories of practice framework (Argyris and Schön, 1974) to support principals in deepening their self-reflection, this study added the element of a guided peer-coaching component in a group setting. Findings Results confirmed the effectiveness of the coaching protocol for assisting principals in deepening their self-awareness and critical reflection regarding their leadership, including the way principals’ core assumptions about teaching and leadership shaped the outcomes of their problem-solving strategies. Perceptions of the peer-coaching element were mixed, however. While principals reported feeling affirmed by sharing their leadership challenges with others, and indicated that the group coaching experience contributed to their sense of professional community, there were limitations to principals’ willingness to challenge one another’s core assumptions. Originality/value This study builds on literature that cites theories of practice as a mechanism for enhancing professional effectiveness and represents a further iteration of recent research studies applying the concept to the work of school principals. Findings affirm that a coaching protocol based on theories of practice is well received by principals, serves to deepen self-reflection, and can, in limited cases, contribute to sweeping changes of thinking and practice congruent with the concept of double-loop learning.

scholarly journals Valuation of Morality and Mind: Morality as a Metacognitive Byproduct

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Baxter
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Moral Worth ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Inanimate Object ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
High Valuation ◽  
Mental Properties

The organism has evolved to view itself as a sentient being. It is theorised that morality is a byproduct of the high valuation of mental properties (the nature of its theory of mind). Five studies were conducted with 2675 participants. A positive association was confirmed between valuation of explicit morality, neutral (general) mind as measured by sentience, and significance of (specific) mind as measured by integrity (1). The moral worth ratings of a protagonist were affected by manipulating perceived significance of mind as expressed by scope and intensity of thought (2). 50% of participants thought morality applies exclusively to creatures with minds (3). A positive association was found between the self-awareness and moral worth ratings of a variety of creatures and human characters (4). Furthermore, the moral worth ratings of a human being and `philosophical phantom' (sentient inanimate object) were greater than those of a philosophical zombie and rock (5). Like H. Gray et al. [1], this research suggests that morality is based on the belief in mind (1-5). Specifically, the results suggest that valuation of experience (sentience) and agency (significance of mind) are not independent, as assignment of morality appears preconditioned upon the perception of (or assumption of) sentience (5). Furthermore, contrary to dyadic models [2], preliminary analysis supported the prediction of self and other-directed morality (1).

The Role of Death in Life: Existential Aspects of Human Motivation

2012 ◽  
pp. 42-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pelin Kesebir ◽  
Tom Pyszczynski
Keyword(s):  
Self Regulation ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Existential Anxiety ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Human Motivation ◽  
And Behavior

The capacity for self-reflection, which plays an important role in human self-regulation, also leads people to become aware of the limitations of their existence. Awareness of the conflict between one's desires (e.g., to live) and the limitations of existence (e.g., the inevitability of death) creates the potential for existential anxiety. In this chapter, we review how this anxiety affects human motivation and behavior in a variety of life domains. Terror management theory and research suggest that transcending death and protecting oneself against existential anxiety are potent needs. This protection is provided by an anxiety-buffering system, which imbues people with a sense of meaning and value that function to shield them against these concerns. We review evidence of how the buffering system protects against existential anxiety in four dimensions of existence: the physical, personal, social, and spiritual domains. Because self-awareness is a prerequisite for existential anxiety, escaping self-awareness can also be an effective way to obviate the problem of existence. After elaborating on how existential anxiety can motivate escape from self-awareness, we conclude the chapter with a discussion of remaining issues and directions for future research and theory development.

A pilot study to explore if reading fictional works of medical writers can be used as a formative assessment tool in the learning of Humanism and Bioethics: A narrative report

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-188
Author(s):  
Sivalingam Nalliah ◽  
Chandramani Thuraisingham ◽  
Su Ping Ong
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Ethical Reasoning ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Medical Program ◽  
Medical University ◽  
Narrative Report ◽  
Medical Writers

In a pilot study conducted to explore if reading fictional works of medical writers could be used as a tool to formatively assess learning of Humanism and Bioethics, a medical student in her elective rotation at International Medical University (IMU) was assigned to read a story-book relating to daily life and suffering authored by a medical-writer, and subsequently write a reflective narrative report which was assessed with guided reflection by her mentor. It was perceived that reading of fictional works of medical writers during medical students’ leisure time may prove to be a worthwhile and enjoyable way for students to learn higher levels of clinical competence, in the realm of humanism and bioethics. From the student’s report in this pilot study it was evident that she had gained experiential learning in three areas, namely, self-reflection and self-awareness, empathy, and ethical reasoning skills. Although Bioethics and Professionalism delivered through formal face to face teaching in classrooms and the clinical setting is taught in all ten semesters of the medical program, reading fiction of medical writers as an innovative tool to formatively assess the learning of Humanism and Bioethics could be explored further from the observations noted in this pilot study.

Vying voices of the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-118
Author(s):  
Caroline Adewole
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Interpersonal Dynamics ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
The Past ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Event Tracking ◽  
Human Psyche

This article documents and explores the painful impact of a gruesome racial attack during the first lockdown in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It occurred less than a fortnight before the brutal murder of George Floyd in America. It is a reflection on the issue of racism and the marginalisation of less dominant groups in and outside the borders of Great Britain. It is the recognition and exploration in myself of an internalised colony of voices emerging as a response to the traumatic event. Tracking the intra-psychic and interpersonal dynamics involved in the racism and the subsequent attempt at an anti-racist answer leads to self-reflection on my part and the confrontation of my own bias. Eventually, I can feel my underlying vulnerability and the resulting shift. The sense of self-awareness and agency evolves into the mobilisation of an extensive mentalizing process. The article attempts to capture the subtle, insidious nature of othering and the fear behind the defences we use to keep this in place; the centrality of our capacity to courageously embrace our vulnerability as crucial to our ability to embrace and treat with dignity people who are different from us. The article touches on hopefulness that one day this socially constructed monster, racism, would be a thing of the past, not just on paper but in the human psyche also.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document