Danilo Silva Guimarães

Amerindian anthropology and cultural psychology: Crossing boundaries and meeting otherness’ worlds

Addressing integrative possibilities between psychology and anthropology, this paper aims to design conceptual linkages between semiotic-cultural constructivist psychology and the anthropological theory of Amerindian perspectivism. From the psychological view, it is the interdependence between the structural and processual dimensions of the personal culture that makes parallels with Amerindian perspectivism fruitful. This anthropological frame proposes an experiment with native conceptions, which I argue similar to what Baldwin (1906) called sembling. Hence, it can be considered an active imitation of otherness’ viewpoint in order to approach indigenous worlds. It is supposed that this procedure leads to the emergence of new symbolic elements configuring the cultural action field of each agency in interaction. It is proposed that ‘‘making-believe’’ the Amerindian is convergent with the dialogic-hermeneutic approach of semiotic-cultural constructivism. As a result of the present integrative effort, is designed a meta-model that multiplies the genetic process of concrete symbolic objects.Addressing integrative possibilities between psychology and anthropology, this paper aims to design conceptual linkages between semiotic-cultural constructivist psychology and the anthropological theory of Amerindian perspectivism. From the psychological view, it is the interdependence between the structural and processual dimensions of the personal culture that makes parallels with Amerindian perspectivism fruitful. This anthropological frame proposes an experiment with native conceptions, which I argue similar to what Baldwin (1906) called sembling. Hence, it can be considered an active imitation of otherness’ viewpoint in order to approach indigenous worlds. It is supposed that this procedure leads to the emergence of new symbolic elements configuring the cultural action field of each agency in interaction. It is proposed that ‘‘making-believe’’ the Amerindian is convergent with the dialogic-hermeneutic approach of semiotic-cultural constructivism. As a result of the present integrative effort, is desi...

Scientific concepts and public policies: Semiotic-cultural obstacles concerning intergroup and intercultural relationships

I attempt to articulate Jahoda’s (2012) critical reflections regarding definitions of culture in recent cross-cultural studies and Moghaddam’s (2012) claims of an omnicultural imperative to guide the elaboration of public policies for managing relationships among human groups from different cultural origins. For this, I will approach some aspects of the socio-historical and ontogenetic roots of the notion of culture. The notion of culture and the consequent public policies involving intercultural managing are being transformed as our global society develops. It has been proposed that some ways of dealing with the culture of the other are crucial to achieve awareness in respect of one’s own cultural positioning when making science and attempting social interventions. Finally, the experience of Brazilian psychologists working on challenges faced by Amerindians dealing with the national society they live in will be presented as a pioneering work aiming to interfere in the development of public policies ethically concerned with the assurance of cultural integrity of currently marginalized social groups.

A negociação intersubjetiva de significados em Jogos de Interpretação de Papéis

This article focuses on the intersubjective process of meaning negotiation, through microgenetic analysis of Role-Playing Game sessions. We departed from the supposition that the analysis of I-other interactions, during that game, could put in evidence relevant aspects for the comprehension of the relation between intersubjectivity and otherness in interpersonal contexts. The results of the microgenetic analysis of the dialogues among the players showed the participation of important psychological processes in human development. In those processes, moments of tension and disquiet - typical of otherness relationships - were alternated with moments of convergence and sharing about the topics of the dialogue, as well as about the relational positions of the interlocutors.

Symbolic Objects as Sediments of the Intersubjective Stream of Feelings

Taking into account that feeling is “the critical mediating process of the person-world relationships” (Josephs, Theory & Psychology 10(6):815, 2000), this article focuses on the artistic symbolic object as constraints that direct someone’s feelings. Johansen (2010) states that the literary discourse “is designed to arousing and forming the feelings of listeners and readers” (p. 185). Distancing from strict literary production, I’ve used the testimony of the Brazilian songwriter, composer and performer, Tom Zé (2003), in order to discuss the intersubjective aspect of feelings articulation in his artistic work. Is proposed that the creative process of a symbolic object, which can be considered art, is a circumstance of a most general intersubjective-cultural process in which novel objects are built. If the specificity of art is to give a symbolic shape to human feeling (cf. Langer 1953), I argue that it is a sort of mediation which allows otherness to elaborate their affections through its objective guidance. In contrast with the scientific method of objective creation that is an effort for silencing contradictions (cf. Stengers 2002), the object of art remains open to multiple interpretations, stimulating the other to recursively speak and feel through it.

Rimbaud ing Worlds: Creation of Deranging Senses

In this chapter, Leao and Guimaraes focus on the poetic, visionary and wanderer perspective of Arthur Rimbaud (1854–1891), found in his “Letters of the Seer” (1871), aiming to highlight the potential of poetry to provoke a creative derangement in the living experiences of making senses about the I-Other-(chaotic) World relations, reason-unreason dualism and futurity as unknown. The authors make connections between poetry, psychology and philosophy under the perspective of semiotic-cultural constructivism in psychology (Simao, 2010), bringing Rimbaud into a dialogue with theoreticians such as Mikhail Bakhtin, William James and Jaan Valsiner.

Commentary: The complex construction of psychological identities in Palestine: Integrating narratives and life experiences

Palestinian youth is challenged by multiple discourses in the process of constitution of its identity. This discursive multiplicity, characteristic of contemporary global societies, is confronted with personal life experiences, giving meaning to primarily nebulous affective impacts in the social environment. Starting from a semiotic—cultural perspective in cultural psychology one can establish a link between the notion of master narrative used by Hammack (2010) and the notion of myth—using the conception of ideology as a bridge that articulates both. Antinomies in the self-biographic narratives presented and discussed by Hammack (2010) support the master narrative of Palestinian identity and enter into interactions with other psychological identities of the interviewed youngsters, such as their religious tradition and secular education. Symbolic elements that are brought to the identity-making process by the diverse narratives are to be seen as resources for the comprehension of life experiences, demandin...Palestinian youth is challenged by multiple discourses in the process of constitution of its identity. This discursive multiplicity, characteristic of contemporary global societies, is confronted with personal life experiences, giving meaning to primarily nebulous affective impacts in the social environment. Starting from a semiotic—cultural perspective in cultural psychology one can establish a link between the notion of master narrative used by Hammack (2010) and the notion of myth—using the conception of ideology as a bridge that articulates both. Antinomies in the self-biographic narratives presented and discussed by Hammack (2010) support the master narrative of Palestinian identity and enter into interactions with other psychological identities of the interviewed youngsters, such as their religious tradition and secular education. Symbolic elements that are brought to the identity-making process by the diverse narratives are to be seen as resources for the comprehension of life experiences, demanding an integrative effort in the face of what is known and unknown in relation to alterity.

Obscuring Cannibalism in Civilization: Amerindian Psychology in Reading Today’s Sociocultural Phenomena

In this chapter, multiple notions of cannibalism are presented based on the scenic arts tetralogy Jaguar Cibernetico. A dialogue between aesthetics and psychology is promoted under the perspective of semiotic–cultural constructivism in psychology, articulating the radically different cosmological conceptions exposed on each of the theatrical texts to demonstrate how art can help the understanding of Amerindian constructions of subjectivities, corporalities, realities, practices, meanings, and concepts.

Review Essay: Rituals and Knowledge Construction: Ethical Dilemmas on Creating Oppositions

What is knowledge construction for? Mesopotamian rituals were practiced in order to grasp the future and guide war strategies. Nowadays, scientific rules are developed to avoid mysticism—constructing more accurate laws to explain the reality. Both rituals and science were, and usually are, grounded in a conception that to know is to decipher the correct meaning behind the expressive relief of the world. Contemporary studies on anthropology have shown that the opposition between nature and culture is the basis of a number of problems in human sciences aiming to comprehend the intricate relation between body and violence and overcome ethical dilemmas.What is knowledge construction for? Mesopotamian rituals were practiced in order to grasp the future and guide war strategies. Nowadays, scientific rules are developed to avoid mysticism—constructing more accurate laws to explain the reality. Both rituals and science were, and usually are, grounded in a conception that to know is to decipher the correct meaning behind the expressive relief of the world. Contemporary studies on anthropology have shown that the opposition between nature and culture is the basis of a number of problems in human sciences aiming to comprehend the intricate relation between body and violence and overcome ethical dilemmas.