Social alienation

Abstract: THE CONCEPT OF THE AVANT-GARDE Prologue Terminological ups-and-downs The two avant-gardes A novel concept, a novel fact THE CONCEPT OF A MOVEMENT Schools and movements The dialectic of movements Activism Antagonism ROMANTICISM AND THE AVANT-GARDE Popularity and unpopularity Romanticism as a precedent Down-with-the-past Anticipations AGONISM AND FUTURISM Nihilism Agonism Futurism Decadence FASHION, TASTE, AND THE PUBLIC Fashion, avant-garde, and stereotype Intelligentsia and elite The intellectual elite The avant-garde and politics THE STATE OF ALIENATION Art and society Psychological and social alienation Econoimic and cultural alienation Stylistic and aesthetic alienation TECHNOLOGY AND THE AVANT-GARDE Experimentalism Scientificism Humorism Nominalistic proof AVANT-GARDE CRITICISM Prerequisites The problem of obscurity Judgment and prejudgment Criticism, right and left AESTHETICS AND POETICS Dehumanization Cerebralism and voluntarism Metaphysics of the metaphor The mystique of purity HISTORY AND THEORY Historical parallels Modernity and modernism The overcoming of the avant-garde Epilogue Bibliography Index

Abstract: This paper addresses a specific aspect of pathological mental functioning in so-called borderline patients. Analytic work with a borderline man is presented to show that an inhibition of, and defences against, the contemplation of one's own and others' mental states may be a hallmark of the resistance encountered in a number of such patients. It is claimed that the analysis of transference and countertransference is a crucial therapeutic factor in tackling this source of resistance. In doing this, the paper draws upon a topical notion from philosophy of mind and recent ideas from child development studies which help to clarify psychoanalytic ideas concerning the nature of the pathology of internal object relations underlying feelings of emptiness and social alienation in borderline functioning.

Abstract: Paranoia is an alienation from others that has gone beyond a sense of disconnection to one of persecution . Very little is known about the relationship of paranoia to sociodemographic variables . However, prior theory and research provide a basis for inference. We argue that social positions characterized by powerlessness and by the threat of victimization and exploitation tend to produce paranoia . Powerlessness leads to the belief that important outcomes in one's life are controlled by external forces and other persons, rather than by one's own choice and effort . This belief in external control interacts with the threat of victimization or exploitation to produce mistrust, which may then develop into paranoia . Using data from a community mental health survey of persons living in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico, we find that belief in external control is directly associated with low socioeconomic status, Mexican heritage, and being female . Belief in external control interacts with low current socioeconomic status to produce mistrust, which in turn is the major factor directly associated with paranoia .

Abstract: THE INFLUENCE OF RACE/ETHNICITY AND GENDER ON THE STRUCTURE AND CONTEXT OF SCHOOLING How schools structure students' opportunities to learn has been shown to influence academic achievement (Epstein & MacIver, 1992; Lee & Bryk, 1988). Educational experiences often serve as antecedents to many of the social and economic ills students face later in life. Thus, inequities in schooling experiences have potentially broad consequences for students' future educational attainment, employment, and family relations. Access to academic experiences through the curriculum, teachers, and other school activities is of particular importance for students such as African American males, who are already marginalized in school settings (Finn & Cox, 1992; Irvine, 1990; Sanders & Reed, 1995). The evidence points to several unique academic and social challenges faced by African American males-namely, their disproportionate numbers of suspensions and expulsions, relatively poor scholastic performance, tendency to avoid academic engagement and competition, and decreasing college attendance rates (Carter & Wilson, 1992; Garibaldi, 1992; Polite, 1993a). One revealing study reports that only 2% of African American males enrolled in the public secondary school system of a large midwestern city achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale, while more than three-fourths of Black males in that system were performing below average (Leake & Leake, 1992). These lags in academic performance are seen by some researchers as a function of Black males' inability or disinterest in fulfilling their roles as conventional learners in school settings (Holland, 1989). Furthermore, many scholars believe that negative school experiences and outcomes for students are often products of school contextual and structural factors that limit learning opportunities, especially for Black males (Ferguson, 1991; Polite, 1993b). In schooling environments, students develop a sense of order, place, and expectations determined in part by the schools' structure and curriculum and by students' interactions with peers, teachers, and parents (Adler, Kless, & Adler, 1992). While most researchers agree that teachers and peers are especially influential in shaping the school-related behaviors of African American males, little attention has been given to explaining their academic performance and social behavior relative to other structural and contextual influences in school settings. Delineating the role of curriculum, teachers, peers, and other school factors would constitute a major effort in addressing the poor academic performance and social alienation of many Black males in schools. Because schooling contexts are often cited as important sources for gendered learning and development, considerable attention has been directed toward understanding gender differences in schooling. Central to this effort has been the investigation of the effects of gender on schooling experiences and achievement (Adler, Kless, & Adler, 1992; Kessler, Ashenden, Connell, & Dowsett, 1985; Thorne, 1986). However, as Delpit (1988), Fordham and Ogbu (1986), and Mickelson (1991) note, school experiences and opportunities are also circumscribed by race and ethnicity, yet the intersection between gender and race in these contexts is often overlooked in the educational research literature. Typically, schools have been conceived as having two primary functions: (1) promoting and structuring the intellectual development of students; and (2) socializing young people for their roles and responsibilities in society. However, current thinking is that schools are falling short of these goals, especially for African American males. One reason commonly mentioned for the alienation and poor academic performance of some Black males is that they perceive most schooling activities as feminine and irrelevant to their masculine identity and development (Holland, 1989). …