Legal Worlds and Legal Narratives

More than a simple command of a sovereign, law is a form of moral communication, something that helps constitute the way we conceive of ourselves, our community, and our culture. In this essay, I argue that law is a form of “world projection,” a way for human communities to use law as an aesthetic way to understand themselves. Within this legal world are narratives that present an idealized reflection of our world. Law has two functions, a reflective function, in which it mirrors the actual world and a reflexive function, in which it corrects undesirable aspects of the actual world. It is through these functions that law describes the narratives within legal relationships in order to say something real and important about those corresponding relationships in the actual world.

Introduction

For the purposes of this book, science fiction is defined broadly in the terms advanced by Darko Suvin, with a focus on the genre from the late nineteenth century onwards. Psychology is conceived as the modern Western discipline, running from the origins of experimental psychology in the late nineteenth century to the ascendance of neuroscience as a disciplinary rival in the late twentieth century. Five different functions for psychological discourses in science fiction are proposed. The didactic-futurological function educates the non-specialist through extrapolation of psychological technologies, teaching within the context of futurological forecasting. The utopian function anchors in historical possibility the imagining of a currently non-existent society, whether utopian or dystopian. The cognitive-estranging function defamiliarizes and denaturalizes social reality by extrapolating current social tendencies and/or construct unsettling fictional analogues of the reader’s world. The metafictional function self-consciously thematizes within narrative fiction the psychological origins, nature, and function of science fiction as a genre. The reflexive function addresses the construction of individuals and groups who have reflexively adopted the ‘truth’ of psychological knowledge.

“Superbugs” in the Risk Society: Assessing the Reflexive Function of North American Newspaper Coverage of Antimicrobial Resistance

This article examines how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is covered in four elite North American newspapers and whether the dailies act as sites of reflexive modernization. I draw on risk society theory to situate AMR as a modern risk and news media as key spaces for reflexivity. Through a qualitative content analysis of 89 news stories on AMR, this study shows that this risk is communicated through inaccurate definitions and oversimplified accounts of the causes, populations at risk, and preventive measures. Media representations of health risks affect public perceptions of risk and risk prevention. The dailies, however, seldom expressed reflexive modernization, a key function of “mass media” in the Risk Society, which I argue could be due to the very complexity of “modern risks.” Lack of reflexivity in the media regarding AMR could delay crucial policy and institutional changes necessary to tackle this risk.

L’expérimentation du eportfolio à l’université : questionnements autour de la réflexivité

Le développement des compétences professionnelles oriente les politiques d’établissements universitaires français, plus particulièrement depuis la loi relative aux libertés et aux responsabilités des universités de 2007. Ce terrain est d’autant plus favorable à la mise en place d’eportfolios avec la volonté d’intégrer des technologies numériques. Ces injonctions institutionnelles s’accompagnent rarement d’un discours pédagogique (Houot, Issenmann et Nowakowski, 2013). L’eportfolio montre alors, dans ses fonctions et ses usages, de multiples facettes (Salinas, Marín et Escandell, 2013 ; Siampou & Komis, 2011). Mettant l’accent sur les processus, il sous-entend le développement d’une démarche réflexive (Loisy et Lison, 2013), mais à certaines conditions (Bibeau, 2007 ; Naccache, Samson et Jouquan, 2006). Cet article permet de documenter cette place accordée à la fonction réflexive de l’eportfolio par les parties prenantes à sa mise en place. L’étude a été menée en 2016-2017 auprès de sept établissements de l’enseignement supérieur. Trente-huit enseignants-chercheurs, ingénieurs de formation, formateurs, porteurs de projets et étudiants ont fait part de leur expérience lors d’entretiens semi-directifs. Tout d’abord, des eportfolios mis en place visent le développement de la réflexivité des étudiants sur leurs apprentissages et leurs pratiques. Les modalités d’autorisation d’accès influencent la possibilité d’exercer une réflexivité, surtout lorsqu’il faut peser entre la promotion et la protection de soi. Enfin, la facilité d’usage de l’eporfolio est essentielle. Sans elle, le risque est de freiner la réflexivité ou d’entrer en contradiction avec la démarche : en d’autres termes, mettre en place un eportfolio ne garantit pas une pratique réflexive (Garnier & Marchand, 2012). The development of professional skills has been guiding French university policies, especially since the 2007 Loi relative aux libertés et aux responsabilités des universités (LRU, Law on the Liberties and Responsibilities of Universities). The will to integrate digital technologies makes this area all the more favourable to setting up eportfolios. Institutional injunctions are rarely accompanied by a pedagogical discourse (Houot, Issenmann & Nowakowski, 2013). So, the eportfolio, in the way it works and can be used, is multifaceted (Salinas, Marín & Escandell, 2013; Siampou & Komis, 2011). Emphasizing processes, it implies the development of a reflexive initiative (Loisy & Lison, 2013), but under certain conditions (Bibeau, 2007; Naccache, Samson & Jouquan, 2006). This article documents the place given to the reflexive function of the eportfolio for its implementation by stakeholders. The study was conducted between 2016 and 2017 in seven institutions of higher education. In semi-structured interviews, thirty-eight teacher-researchers, trained engineers, trainers, project holders and students shared their experiences. Firstly, the eportfolios that were set up aim for the development of students’ reflexivity in their learning and practices. The terms and conditions for access influence the possibility of exercising reflexivity, particularly when deciding between self-promotion and self-protection. Finally, the eportfolio’s ease of use is essential. Without it, there is a risk of hampering reflexivity or contradicting the initiative: in other words, establishing an eportfolio does not guarantee a reflexive practice (Garnier & Marchand, 2012).

TIPOLOGÍAS DE FAMILIAS ADOPTIVAS Y SEGURIDAD EN LAS CONDUCTAS DE APEGO INFANTIL

TYPOLOGIES OF ADOPTIVE FAMILIES AND SECURITY IN CHILD APPRENTICATION BEHAVIORSIn order to analyze the family characteristics that favor the positive development of adopted children, relationships between different family dimensions (adult attachment, reflexive function, stress and interactions) have been studied, trying to identify family typologies based on these characteristics Family members. Delving into all these issues in the “natural” context of adoption allows for a unique environment to address the effect of environmental variables before and after adoption. From this perspective, adoption is presented as a very valuable research context to analyze the relationship between the characteristics of families and child psychological adjustment. In this direction the objective of the present investigation is to develop a predictive model for the security in the attachment behaviors of the minors from different typologies of families and sociodemographic variables. The sample was formed by 98 Spanish families, 40 adoptive families and 58 non-adoptive families. The results showed that a positive view of the affective experience of the child was strongly related to a greater safety in the attachment behaviors of the children and that high levels of stress in the raising of the children was negatively associated with the security in the children. Attachment behaviors of minors. Conglomerate analysis showed that when fathers and mothers belonged to the second family typology, safety in children’s attachment behaviors increased. Future lines of research should continue to deepen the relationships established between parental reflexive function, parental stress and child attachment (behavioral and representational level).Key words: Attachment, reflexive function, parental stress, family typologies and international adoption.Resumen.Con la finalidad de analizar las características familiares que favorecen el desarrollo positivo de los niños adoptados, se han estudiado las relaciones entre distintas dimensiones familiares (apego adulto, función reflexiva, estrés e interacciones), tratando de identificar tipologías de familias a partir de dichas características familiares. Profundizar en todas estas cuestiones en el contexto “natural” de la adopción permite contar con un entorno único para abordar el efecto de las variables ambientales antes y después de la adopción. Desde esta perspectiva, la adopción se presenta como un contexto de investigación muy valioso para analizar la relación entre las características de las familias y el ajuste psicológico infantil. En esta dirección se encuentra el objetivo de la presente investigación, que consiste en desarrollar un modelo predictivo para la seguridad en las conductas de apego de los menores a partir de distintas tipologías de familias y de variables sociodemográficas. La muestra estuvo formada por 98 familias españolas, 40 familias adoptivas y 58 familias no adoptivas. El análisis de conglomerados mostró que cuando los padres y madres pertenecían a la segunda tipología de familia, la seguridad en las conductas de apego de los niños aumentaba. Futuras líneas de investigación deberían seguir profundizando en las relaciones que se establecen entre la función reflexiva parental, el estrés parental y el apego infantil (plano conductual y representacional).Palabras clave: Apego, función reflexiva, estrés parental, tipologías familiares y adopción internacional.

Cognitive Analytic Therapy and Mentalizing Function

IntroductionCognitive-Analytic Therapy (CAT) has settled as an integrative approach from Ryle and Kerr's model in the 70's widely accepted in England and Australia, although increasingly European countries have decided to include this model in their public mental health services. Even though its formulation allows the treatment of almost any pathology ensuring good results, it has been traditionally applied to the treatment of personality and eating disorders. Some authors seem to link this efficacy with training in mental states and reciprocal role procedures identification, justifying the improvement through the increase of the reflexive function.Aim and objectivesThe aim of this study is to determine the effect of CAT in mentalizing ability and social functioning in patients attending consultation.MethodsFor this purpose a CAT intervention was performed in 6 adults, administering the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-64) and the Mindful Awareness Assessment Scale (MAAS) before and after treatment.ResultsThe results show a statistically significant reduction in interpersonal problems, as well as a non-significant increase in the mentalizing ability.ConclusionsCognitive Analytic Therapy has shown being effective in increasing social functioning, however we have not been able to demonstrate significantly its efficacy in the reflexive function.DiscussionImplications in the clinical setting are discussed.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Reflexive permissives and the middle voice

The article deals with the ‘permissive middle’, a permissive construction characterized by the coincidence of the permittor and the embedded clause patient (as in They allowed themselves to be cheated) and belonging to the middle voice in the sense that its formal markers, though originating as reflexive pronouns, have lost their original reflexive function. Such permissive middles can be clearly set apart from permissive reflexives in those languages which have a formal differentiation of reflexive pronouns proper and originally reflexive markers that have shifted to middle or mediopassive function. The data of the Baltic languages are used in the article to illustrate the formal properties of permissive middles (a characteristic feature is the oscillation between reflexive marking on the matrix verb and on the embedded verb) and the tendencies in their development. Permissive middles are also shown to be attested outside Baltic, e.g. in East Slavonic. The second part of the article is devoted to a discussion of the place of the permissive middle on the semantic map of the middle voice, and in particular to its relationship to the ‘curative’ middle (the ‘causative-reflexive’).

Reflexing Interfaces

Since the first production of tools at the beginning of human presence on earth, evolutionary jumps mark human development. Sometimes, these punctuations were triggered by inventions of new tools, combined with new environmental adaptations. Affordances, as specialized forms of symbiotic embodiment with tools and environments, represent one of the main factors for human evolutionary processes. The cognitive neuroscience of the reflexive function can be one of the main keys to understand how the emergence of new interfaces yields new ways of projecting the human presence and consciousness in the world.

Reflexing Interfaces

Since the first production of tools at the beginning of human presence on Earth, evolutionary jumps mark human development. Sometimes these punctuations were triggered by inventions of new tools, combined with new environmental adaptations. Affordances, as specialized forms of symbiotic embodiment with tools and environments, represent one of the main factors for human evolutionary processes. The cognitive neuroscience of the reflexive function can be one of the main keys to understand how the emergence of new interfaces yields new ways of projecting the human presence and consciousness in the world.