1,720,973 research outputs found
“WHY ARE WE FORCED TO TALK ABOUT INCLUSION AND INTERCULTURALITY?” A Critical Research Journey toward Justice and Equity in Early Childhood Education in Italy: A Mixed-Methods Collection of Studies.
No full textThis doctoral dissertation critically examines interculturality and inclusion in public early childhood education (ECE) services (ages 0–6) in the Northwest Italy. While initially framed within mainstream institutional approaches to intercultural competences and educator well-being, the research progressively revealed the limits—and risks—of treating interculturality as a technical, individual, or depoliticized construct. Rather than confirming pre-existing models, the research process itself generated a profound theoretical, methodological, and ethical shift: interculturality emerged as intelligible only when situated within its structural, political, and epistemic conditions.
Developed through an institutional collaboration between the University of Genoa and the Municipality of Genoa and funded by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the thesis includes a mixed-methods design articulated across four interconnected empirical studies. An initial quantitative phase explores the relationship between educators’ intercultural competences, well-being, and burnout. Subsequent qualitative, ethnographic, and narrative studies foreground the everyday experiences of educators and parents with migration backgrounds, tracing how interculturality and inclusion are negotiated within asymmetrical institutional, labor, and policy contexts.
A central contribution of the dissertation lies in its reflexive and critical epistemological stance. Drawing on liberation psychology, feminist and intersectional theories, decolonial thought, and narrative practice, the research interrogates how dominant constructs—such as burnout, intercultural competences, and inclusion—can individualize systemic injustice and obscure relations of power. Auto-reflexivity is treated not as a methodological add-on but as an ethical and political practice that exposes the researcher’s positionality, institutional constraints, and complicity within knowledge production.
Findings demonstrate that interculturality cannot be reduced to skill acquisition, diversity management, or symbolic inclusion. Instead, it is a relational and contested process shaped by structural precarity, labor conditions, governance arrangements, and broader regimes of bordering and exclusion. Educators’ well-being emerges as a matter of social justice rather than individual resilience, while parents with history of migration appear as active epistemic agents and co-constructors of educational spaces.
The dissertation ultimately argues that speaking of interculturality without addressing its systemic and political foundations risks reproducing the very inequalities it claims to challenge. By documenting the passage from critical awareness to concrete transformations in school routines, spaces, and decision-making processes, the study shows how early childhood education can function as a strategic site for epistemic justice and structural change. These transformations demonstrate that inclusion becomes meaningful only when it is enacted through participatory, decolonial, and institutionally accountable practices embedded in everyday educational life
The Uncanny City and the Immanence of Crisis: An Arts-Informed Ethnography
No full textThe Uncanny is a concept famously elaborated by Freud, referring to the experience of unease at suddenly recognising a familiar but unhomely presence in a homely scene, a brief slippage into a more disturbing reality. This paper serves as an art-informed ethnography, exploring the uncanny experience of visiting Florence, a Theme Park City, during a time of international crisis. Drawing on Gale’s concept of ‘affective presencing,’ I develop a series of vignettes accompanied by paintings and sketches, allowing a dialogue to emerge between the city, my co-authors, past residents of Florence, food, songs, film, with a brief counterpoint visit to Berlin. What comes into being is a commentary on horror and beauty, a response that can allow for the recognition of both the dread of what might (be)coming and a resistant commitment to colour, art and belonging
Assessing mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3b within-individual sensitivity - A comparison between the local-global paradigm and two specialized oddball sequences
Full text linkMismatch negativity (MMN) and P3b are well known for their clinical utility. There exists no gold standard, however, for acquiring them as EEG markers of consciousness in clinical settings. This may explain why the within-individual sensitivity of MMN/P3b paradigms is often quite poor and why seemingly identical EEG markers can behave differently across Disorders of consciousness (DoC) studies. Here, we compare two traditional paradigms for MMN or P3b assessment with the recently more popular local-global paradigm that promises to assess MMN and P3b orthogonally within one oddball sequence. All three paradigms were administered to healthy participants (N = 15) with concurrent EEG. A clear MMN and local effect were found for 15/15 participants. The P3b and global effect were found for 14/15 and 13/15 participants, respectively. There were no systematic differences between the global effect and P3b. Indeed, P3b amplitude was highly correlated across paradigms. The local effect differed clearly from the MMN, however. It occurred earlier than MMN and was followed by a much more prominent P3a. The peak latencies and amplitudes were also not correlated across paradigms. Caution should therefore be exercised when comparing the local effect and MMN across studies. We conclude that the within-individual MMN sensitivity is adequate for both the local-global and a dedicated MMN paradigm. The within-individual sensitivity of P3b was lower than expected for both the local-global and a dedicated P3b paradigm, which may explain the often-low sensitivity of P3b paradigms in patients with DoC
Unpacking refugees’ psychological functioning: How subjective well-being bridges quality of life and life satisfaction among UNHCR camp residents in Niger
No full textBackground: Refugees often face profound psychosocial challenges that adversely affect their quality of life (QoL), subjective well-being (SWB), and life satisfaction (LS). Grounded in positive psychology—particularly Seligman’s PERMA model—and Skewington’s social-psychological framework, this study examines how QoL and SWB contribute to LS among refugees residing in a UNHCR camp in Niger. Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationships among QoL, SWB, and LS, and to assess whether SWB mediates the relationship between QoL and LS. Materials and Methods: A total of 199 participants (57.3% men, 25.1% women, 10.1% non-binary; 7.5% undisclosed), aged 12 to 66 years (M = 28.98, SD = 9.6), were recruited through purposive convenience sampling in collaboration with UNHCR-Niger. All participants were enrolled in the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) program and awaiting resettlement. Standardized instruments were administered, including the WHOQoL-BREF, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and the PERMA Profiler. Pearson correlations and mediation analyses were conducted. Results: SWB was strongly and positively correlated with LS (r =.68, p <.01), and QoL showed a moderate positive correlation with LS (r =.52, p <.05). Mediation analysis revealed that SWB significantly mediated the relationship between QoL and LS (indirect effect = 0.42, p <.05). Conclusion: Findings underscore the mediating role of SWB in the relationship between QoL and LS, even in contexts of displacement and adversity. Interventions aimed at enhancing SWB, social support, and personal growth may improve overall life satisfaction and resilience among refugee populations. These results have important implications for mental health professionals, humanitarian workers, and policymakers designing evidence-based support programs
Well-being and quality of life in migrants involved in the emergency transit mechanism in Niger: a mixed-method pilot research
No full textPurposeSub-Saharan forced migration in recent decades has reached alarming levels, significantly increasing the risk to develop mental health vulnerabilities due to traumatic events and postmigration stressors. Research gaps persist within this population, necessitating culturally sensitive studies within a socioecological framework. This pilot exploratory mixed-method study aims to investigate the quality of life and subjective well-being among African displaced individuals in Niger.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 119 African displaced adults (M = 26; SD = +/- 7.8) were administered WHOQOL-BREF to assess the quality of life (objective well-being) and Perma profiler and SWLS to assess subjective well-being, and 20 (M = 30.8; SD = +/- 7.4) of the previously assessed participants were in-depth interviewed to record their life stories, and transcripts were analyzed throughout thematic content analysis.FindingsQuantitative results showed that all domains of quality of life, subjective well-being and life satisfaction scored below the African normative population levels. Particularly, environment, positive emotions and accomplishments in life were consistently below the normative mean score. The most affected dimension was life satisfaction. Qualitative findings revealed three main themes: potentially stressful or traumatic events that occurred to migrants and refugees, well-being as a continuum and the multiple meanings of forced migration, explaining the multiple burdens and resources that displaced people, affecting their subjective and objective well-being.Originality/valueThis study contributes to addressing mental health gaps among sub-Saharan forced migrants through a unique combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, offering insights into their experiences within the context of forced migration and resettlement
Subjective well-being, sense of coherence, trauma and psychopathological symptoms predict mental health of Sub Saharan forced migrants. A quantitative exploratory study
No full textConsidering the urgent need to tackle mental health challenges related to forced migration, our exploratory quantitative study aimed to investigate the relationship between subjective well-being (SWB), sense of coherence (SOC), trauma and psychopathological symptoms on the mental health of African forced migrants in Niger. We also explored the association of gender, age, ethnicity, and displacement status with SWB, SOC, psychological symptoms, and psychological distress in this population. The study included 410 African forcibly displaced adults (M = 38.10, SD = ± 14.56). Participants were assessed using the WHO-5 for subjective well-being, GHQ-12 for psychological distress, SOC_3 for the sense of coherence, and IES and SCL-27 for traumatic and psychopathological symptomatology, respectively. Our findings indicated significant gender differences in GHQ-12 scores, with females scoring higher and exhibiting higher levels of anxiety, somatization, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. MANOVA revealed significant differences in age, status, and ethnicity. Younger individuals showed higher total symptomatology, while refugees had higher levels of subjective well-being and sense of coherence, but also higher levels of depression and paranoia. Different ethnicities exhibited diverse symptom profiles. Furthermore, the multiple regression analysis highlighted that subjective well-being and sense of coherence had a negative effect on mental health, whereas trauma and psychopathology had a positive effect. Additionally, anxiety and trauma were positively correlated with mental distress. Overall, our study emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing the mental health needs of displaced populations. Targeted interventions and further research are essential to address the complex issues surrounding mental health among forced migrants. Moreover, a comprehensive approach to studying and intervening on mental health issues in this vulnerable population is strongly emphasized
Resilience and Resistance Among Mental Health Practitioners in Niger: A Decolonial Narrative Inquiry
No full textThis study explores the relational and narrative dimensions of resilience among mental health practitioners operating in Niger, a context marked by political instability, economic precarity, and under-resourced health systems. Using a decolonial and narrative methodology, the Tree of Life approach facilitated a process of identity re-authoring, enabling participants to articulate personal and collective sources of strength. Rather than viewing these practitioners through a lens of deficit or pathology, our inquiry foregrounded their agentive capacities as cultural knowledge holders, spiritual actors, and relational caregivers. Findings revealed five interconnected thematic domains: the centrality of family and community, social relations as resistance, professional identity as ethical and spiritual vocation, spirituality as an ontological foundation, and the role of joy, hobbies, and social aspirations in sustaining well-being. These narratives challenge Western models that isolate care work and professional development from broader socio-cultural and moral frameworks. Resilience emerged not as an individual trait, but as a collective, ecologically grounded phenomenon rooted in relationality, spirituality, and ancestral wisdom. The Tree of Life offered a culturally resonant structure for practitioners to resist invisibility, reconnect with their histories, and reclaim meaning amid structural violence. This process constituted both a psychological intervention and an act of epistemic resistance against colonial paradigms of care. The study advocates for narrative, relational, and decolonial approaches to supervision and capacity-building, positioning mental health workers not as passive recipients of global health interventions, but as coauthors of local, context-sensitive healing practices. Their stories illuminate a liberatory praxis of care rooted in Ubuntu (I am because you are), memory, and hope
The development and validation of a Colonial Trauma Scale within the Palestinian context
No full textObjective: Palestinian people have been facing humanitarian disaster and colonial trauma since 1948. This community urgently requires intensive mental health interventions to help individuals effectively cope with ongoing traumatic events. Developing and validating new measures to assess colonial traumatic symptoms in the Palestinian context will help mental health professionals provide therapeutic and supportive services to those who are continually at risk of developing trauma and other psychological disorders. The present study developed and validated a colonial trauma scale within the Palestinian context. Method: Our research involved 912 Palestinian adults: 276 men and 636 women. The majority (88.4%) resided in rural and urban areas, while 11.6% were from internally displaced camps. Results: Findings of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a stable construct of a seven-factor structure of the Palestinian Colonial Trauma Scale: (1) sadness related to colonial trauma, (2) psychological pain related to colonial trauma, (3) unfair treatment, (4) reexperiencing memory, (5) overarousal, (6) avoidance, and (7) powerlessness due to colonial occupation. Convergent validity for the Palestinian Colonial Trauma Scale was conducted by testing the association between the scale and two existing measures: the Palestinian Context-Specific Trauma Scale and the Impact of Event Scale–Revised. Conclusions: Developing and validating new decolonized instruments, which include considerations of historical violence and its lasting effects, are particularly crucial. These tools can enhance the design of both assessments and interventions, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of colonial trauma
Ethics, power, and responsibility in qualitative psychology: a duo-ethnographic inquiry
No full textThis paper emerges from a collaborative duo-ethnographic inquiry into the lived and contested dimensions of ethics in qualitative psychological research. Grounded in our diverse positionalities as researchers situated across disciplinary, institutional, and geopolitical contexts we reflect on the persistent dissonance between institutionalized procedural ethics and the ethical complexities encountered in practice. Through reflexive and collaborative analysis, we identify four interwoven tensions that structure our inquiry: the mismatch between institutional ethics and ethical responsibility; informed consent as a point of ethical and political tension; the challenges of navigating the tensions and paradoxes within ethical practice; and the entanglement of ethics with political structures and power dynamics. Rather than offering prescriptive solutions, we dwell within these tensions–inhabiting the discomfort, contradiction, and uncertainty that define ethical research as an ongoing, situated struggle
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