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This dissertation presents an interdisciplinary work aimed at investigate the discursive construction of otherness in mental health domain in the Western culture, and in detail the role of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the APA, in this process. Critical psychology perspective oriented the research and the data collection. The analysis is conducted through a multi-method approach (Critical Discourse Analysis, Semiotic Analysis and Lacanian Discourse Analysis), which integrates several traditions with a particular concern about the ways in which power and ideology are discursively enacted, produced and resisted by text and talk and shape the concept of mental disorders. The study (1) examines how legitimisation and hegemony have been discursively constructed, legitimised and consolidated over time. The study (2) aims to investigate the scientific debate around the deletion of NPD in order to reconstruct and deconstruct the decisional process through which the boundaries between normality and pathology are constructed. The study (3) aims to investigate how the discourse of DSM was contested by discourse of other social actors involved in the mental-health domain in order to analyze the effect on shaping subjectivity of patients and mental-health professionals.

Anti-immigrant political arguments have long been at the centre of the campaigning of the Lega Nord, the Italian extreme-right secessionist party. The paper analyses posters from political campaigns between 2001 and 2008 in order to detect similarities and differences emerging over time, and to show how continuity and change intertwine in the Lega Nord’s anti-immigrant discourse. The analysis is presented across two axes: first, the visual dimensions of the texts are examined, concentrating predominantly on the use of images; second, we analyse the linguistic content of the leaflets, paying particular attention to referential strategies and argumentative structure. The sampled posters demonstrate that although the Lega Nord’s immigration policies are driven by an enduring and base antipathy to foreigners, in the 2008 campaign the strategy shifts to one that foregrounds arguments reminiscent of the Nouvelle Droite’s ethnopluralism. Accordingly, in the interests of respecting cultural diversity, the Lega Nord argue that different national communities need to be kept separate, thereby inverting liberal values for the purpose of countering multiculturalism.

This introductory essay aims at offering an overview of the historical, demographic and economic dimensions of migration in Italy - as well as of Italian politics and migration-related legislation. Based on statistics, analysis and reports, and drawing on existing Italian and international literature on immigration-related issues, the paper highlights the profile of Italy’s migrant groups as well as the role they have been playing in the country’s labour market over time. The paper analyses key migration-related legislation showing that Italian immigration policies have been basically focused on ex post regularizations, control of new legal entries and repression of irregular ones. The increasing criminalization and securitization of immigration supported by right-wing parties are highlighted. Finally, the most relevant features of public debate on immigration in Italy are highlighted.

In 2007, the two most important Italian left-wing parties merged into a single political entity.This study intends to analyze the merging process. Specifically, and in line with the ingroup projection hypothesis (Mummendey & Wenzel, 1999), we have explored whether the identification and the favouritism toward the upcoming common group was affected by the perceivers’ projection of specific and common stereotypical traits from the subordinate groups to the superordinate one. Political militants’ (N =132) levels of ingroup identification, their representations of the previous ingroup, outgroup and of the new party, their attitudes towards the common group were assessed. Results confirmed that the cognitive representation of the merged party was shaped much more on the basis of the typical traits of the ingroup than of the outgroup. Moreover, Structural Equation Analyses showed that the identification with the superordinate category and the consequent favouritism toward the merger were related to the projection of ingroup attributes. The findings also suggested that the ingroup projection may be particularly crucial when the intergroup bias is high. Finally, political implications are discussed in terms of obstacles and resources inherent to the merging process.

Cet article a pour but d’analyser les façons dont le conflit « interethnique » est construit dans le discours anti-immigration de la droite extrémiste. Notre hypothèse est que le discours sur l’identité nationale et sur l’insécurité sont fonctionnels pour l’ethnicisation et la racialisation du conflit social, ce qui pourrait impliquer non seulement un sentiment de menace et le construit social de peur, mais aussi un glissement vers la légitimation de la violence et de la haine ethnique. Ce glissement dans la représentation de l’autre (qui passe d’« étranger » à « ennemi ») se réalise sur le plan discursif à travers une inversion des rôles dans la relation entre ceux qui font partie du groupe (in-group) et ceux qui en sont exclus (out-group), en particulier pour ce qui est de la dimension dominant-dominé sur laquelle se fonde l’idéologie raciste suprématiste.

Introduction. Studies regarding health care professionals' representations of pain indicate that doctors and nurses tend to concentrate on the organic origin of pain, and to view pain as subordinate to diagnosis and treatment of the disease; they also tend to underestimate the psychological and psychosocial components of pain, which means that they generally view the patient's subjective experience as secondary. This leads to an underestimation of pain. Objective. The objective of this study was to analyze the representations of pain held by doctors, head nurses, and nurses in two Italian hospitals, focusing on how these representations are shaped according to the local culture in which they are constructed and negotiated. Methods. Our study is based on a socio-constructionist approach, drawing on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 26 health care professionals. Results. The results show similarities and differences in how health care professionals construct their representations of pain. Three main issues emerged. First, the contents of these representations are strictly related to participants' job position and professional training; second, the representation of pain is significantly influenced by the values and meanings associated with the different professions; and third, there are two conflicting representations of pain, focusing on the objectivity vs the subjectivity of pain, respectively. Conclusions. To promote significant change regarding pain management within hospital organizations, it is essential to construct shared representations of the problem and its implications, particularly as regards relations with the patient. This change should take place at the educational as well as the socio-organizational level, and it should take into account ideas and proposals from the subjects involved. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This study investigates the sense of community and interethnic relations in two different metropolitan areas that vary in ethnic heterogeneity. The study was conducted in Milan, Italy using a sample of 318 participants living in different city districts that vary in ethnic heterogeneity (low vs. high). The participants completed a questionnaire that assessed their psychological sense of community, blatant and subtle prejudice, host community acculturation strategies, and some measures of contact (quality, quantity, and type). The results indicate that high ethnic heterogeneity is related to a lower sense of community, higher blatant prejudice, and exclusionism. Residents living in lower ethnic heterogeneity neighborhoods reported closer contact opportunities and lower levels of prejudice. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Questo contributo nasce da una suggestione indotta dalla constatazione di come siano numerose e ricorrenti nei testi che si occupano di ricerca-azione (R-A d ora in poi) le metafore visive, i riferimenti allo sguardo, al vedere. Si è allora voluto sviluppare una riflessione sul significato di questi numerosi richiami visivi , che paiono una peculiarità dei lavori che documentano attività di R-A e sembrano invece assai meno presenti nei resoconti relativi a interventi, anch essi orientati a cambiare le condotte delle persone, ma ispirati da altre posizioni teoriche e realizzati attraverso altri approcci. Per fare un esempio, tra i molti possibili, si possono citare i programmi di behaviour change che caratterizzano l ambito della promozione della salute. Anch essi, com è il caso della R-A, hanno un intento trasformativo ma, a differenza di questa, sembrano far leva, per raggiungere i loro obiettivi, più sulla prescrizione di azioni, sulla persuasione ad adottare certe condotte, sull impiego di tecnologie a supporto , che sull invito a cambiare il modo di vedere le cose .

In diesem Beitrag soll ein Überblick über traditionelle lineare vs. dialogisch-diskursive Modelle in der Medienkommunikationsforschung gegeben werden. Die Beschäftigung mit Prozessen von Medienkommunikation hat sich mit der Evolution neuer theoretischer Modelle in der Psychologie und den Sozialwissenschaften verändert. Die Hauptprobleme traditioneller Modelle, die zunächst in der Medienforschung entwickelt worden waren, resultierten einerseits aus der rigiden Gegenüberstellung von "Sender" und "Empfänger" und andererseits aus der fehlenden Integration sozialer Variablen für eine angemessene Konzeptualisierung des Kommunikationsprozesses. Es wird gezeigt, wie die wachsende Beachtung des interaktiven Charakters von Kommunikation zu einer Ablösung der traditionellen linearen Modelle durch komplexere Modelle führte, verbunden mit einer Re-Definition des Kommunikationskonzepts wie z.B. in dialogischen Modellen und im Rahmen diskursiver Ansätze. Aus dieser Perspektive kommt den Medien eine zentrale Rolle für Prozesse der Wirklichkeitskonstruktion und -rekonstruktion zu; die Entwicklung angemessener qualitativer Verfahren ist in diesem Zusammenhang unabdingbar., This paper aims to provide an overview on traditional linear models vs. dialogical and discursive approaches to the study of mass media communication processes. The ways of conceiving the process of media-communication have changed along with the evolution of the theoretical paradigms of psychology and the social sciences. The main limits of these models which were first developed in the area of media studies derive, on the one hand, from the rigid alternating between source and receivers, and, on the other hand, from the lack of integration of the social variables in the conceptualization of the communication process. This paper will show how an increased focus on the interactive aspects of communication leads to the replacement of traditional linear models with more complex models implying a redefining of the concept of communication, as, for example, the dialogical models and the discursive approach. It is in this perspective that the media is seen to have a fundamental role in the processes of constructing/reconstructing reality, and the development of qualitative methodologies is especially needed., Este artículo intenta proporcionar una visión general sobre la oposición entre los modelos lineales tradicionales y los enfoques discursivos en el estudio de los procesos de los medios de comunicación de masas. Las maneras de concebir tales procesos han cambiado con la evolución de los paradigmas teóricos de la psicología y de las ciencias sociales. Las principales limitaciones de éstos modelos, que fueron primero desarrollados en el área de los estudios de los medios, provienen, por un lado, de la rígida alternancia entre fuente y receptores, y, por el otro, de la falta de integración de las variables sociales en la conceptualización de los procesos de comunicación. Este artículo muestra cómo un creciente interés en los aspectos interactivos de la comunicación, conduce a la sustitución de los modelos lineales tradicionales por modelos más complejos implicando una redefinición del concepto de comunicación; como por ejemplo, en los modelos dialógicos y el enfoque discursivo. Es en esta perspectiva que se ve el papel fundamental de los medios en los procesos de construcción y reconstrucción de la realidad, para lo cual es especialmente necesario el desarrollo de metodología cualitativas.

In diesem Beitrag soll gezeigt werden, dass Erzählungen in unterschiedlichen Phasen des Forschungsprozesses reflexiv genutzt werden können, um zu verstehen, wie Handelnde ihre Sicht von Ereignissen konstruieren und ihrem eigenen Handeln Sinn verleihen. In der Handlungsforschung kommt der Intersubjektivität eine besondere Bedeutung zu, da in der Interaktion zwischen den Beteiligten (hierzu gehören auch die Forschenden) Versionen von Wissen produziert werden. In diesem Sinne kann Handlungsforschung als ein Prozess verstanden werden, in dessen Verlauf verschiedene Erzählungen generiert werden, die verschiedene Interpretationen eröffnen, die wiederum aktiv von den Beteiligten (re-) konstruiert werden (müssen). Anhand einer Fallgeschichte wird zusammenfassend gezeigt, wie zum einen Reflexivität genutzt wird, um (durch die Identifikation von Konzepten und Kategorien, die die Teilnehmenden zur Sinnzuschreibung heranziehen) die Konstruktion von Erzählungen zu erforschen, und um zum anderen nachvollziehbar zu machen, wie unterschiedliche Arten von Wissen durch die Teilnehmenden ko-konstruiert werden. Reflexivität wird hierbei in ihrem Bezug zu Handeln und zu Sinngebungsprozessen für Handeln verstanden, in die Forschungsteilnehmer(innen) und Forschende involviert sind. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auch thematisiert, welche Rolle Macht in der Beziehung zwischen Beforschten und Forschenden spielt., The paper offers an analysis of how narratives may be reflexively used at different stages of the research process as a tool to access the interpretative frameworks that actors use to construct their accounts of events and to make sense of their action. Inter-subjectivity is a determinant of the action research process as it is in the interactions between participants (professional researchers included) that certain versions of knowledge are produced. Action research can be seen as an ongoing process in which different narratives are co-produced allowing different interpretations to be actively constructed by participants. A case study is briefly presented where reflexivity is used both to clarify how accounts (narratives) are constructed (identifying concepts and categories used by participants to make sense of their action) and to allow different forms of knowledge to be developed by participants. Reflexivity is intended here as being inherently connected to action and as a part of the sense-making process in which both participants and the researcher are engaged. The problem of power relations between professional researchers and participants is discussed., El artículo ofrece un análisis de como las narrativas pueden ser reflexivamente utilizadas en diferentes niveles del proceso de investigación como una herramienta para acceder a los marcos interpretativos que los autores utilizan para construir sus evaluaciones de los eventos y para dar sentido a su acción. La inter-subjetividad es un determinante en el proceso de investigación acción ya que se da en las interacciones entre los participantes (inclusive en investigadores profesionales) en las que ciertos tipos de conocimientos son producidos. La investigación acción puede ser considerada como un proceso continuo en el cual diferentes narrativas son co-producidas permitiendo que diferentes interpretaciones sean activamente construidas por los participantes. Se presenta brevemente un estudio de caso en el que se usa la reflexividad, tanto para esclarecer como las evaluaciones (narrativas) son construidas (identificando conceptos y categorías usadas por los participantes para dar sentido a su acción) así como para permitir que diferentes formas de conocimiento sean desarrolladas por los participantes. Se propone aquí a la reflexividad como inherentemente conectada a la acción y como parte del proceso de dar sentido en el que los participantes y los investigadores están involucrados. Se discute el problema de las relaciones de poder entre los investigadores profesionales y los participantes.

Il capitolo si concentra sulle metafore visive frequentemente utilizzate e diffuse nella ricerca-azione (R-A). Vengono illustrate le ragioni teoriche che giustificano il ricorso a dispositivi figurativi (le immagini) e linguistici (le parole) nell'attuazione di una R-A, così come le principali forme ricorrenti del loro impiego.