YorkSpace
YorkSpace is York University's Institutional Repository. It supports York University's Senate Policy on Open Access by providing York community members with a place to preserve their research online in an institutional context.
Communities in YorkSpace
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- Previously Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES)
- The Global Labour Research Centre (GLRC) engages in the study of work, employment and labour in the context of a constantly changing global economy.
- Lives Outside the Lines: a Symposium in Honour of Marlene Kadar
- Used only for SWORD Deposit by Adminstrator
- Welcome to WILAA, a gathering place for materials related to research projects that explore work-integrated learning and disability-related accessibility and accommodations.
Recent Submissions
Preface to Isaac Newton's Experimental Astronomy
(2024) Hattiangadi, Jagdish
I showed earlier how Francis Bacon gave practical, skeptical recipes for discovering new knowledge. His recipes were based on a solution to Plato's problem of showing how the Socratic elenchus could provide us with an affirmative understanding of general principles. In this Preface, a summary of the new "experimental" method is given. I summarize in this Preface how Isaac Newton's experimental philosophy led him to his System of the World, a central theme of the chapters to follow. However, this method could not be stated explicitly later, though many successfully applied it. His model was widely emulated, engendering many successful models. Together, they gave rise to a neglected phenomenon I call "the growing density of scientific knowledge." The mystery of why the method of science could no longer be explicitly stated has its gist set out in the Preface.
State Interests and the Global Response to Forced Displacement: How Can We Move Forward?
(Routledge, 2024) Gorlick, Brian
This chapter is a reflection on the state of the world with a focus on how the global political economy, conflict, violations of human rights, and climate change continue to challenge the international community in how we respond to people forced to flee. While a brief chapter cannot address all the factors that have gotten us to where we currently are, it is a modest attempt to identify key elements that can help us move towards a more equitable, just and predictable system to support the forcibly displaced. In addition to reviewing global political realities and challenges that impact UN institution and state behaviour, the paper provides several pathways, including expanding the application of human rights standards; the urgent need for UN Security Council reform; diversifying UN leadership and staffing; consolidating refugee participation and representation; and developing the law, policy and practice on reparations and accountability.
Trauma, PTSD, anxiety and coping strategies among Palestinian adolescents exposed to war in Gaza
(Arab Journal of Psychiatry, 2014-05) thabet, abdelaziz; EL-Buhaisi, Omar; Vostanis, Panos
Aim: The present study investigated types of traumatic events experienced by Palestinian adolescents exposed to war in Gaza in relation to PTSD, anxiety and coping strategies.
Methods: The sample comprised 358 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years; 158 boys (44.1%) and 200 girls (55.9%). Self-administrated questionnaires included Gaza Traumatic Events Checklist, Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder according to DSM-IV scale, and the Adolescent-Coping Orientation for Problem experiences Scale.
Results: The mean number of traumatic events reported by adolescents was 13.34 with 90.8% witnessing mutilated bodies on TV, 88.5% exposed to heavy artillery shelling, 86.6% seeing evidence of shelling, and 86.0% hearing sonic sounds from jetfighters. The mean total anxiety was 41.18, obsessive compulsive subscale was 8.90, generalized anxiety subscale was 4.46, social phobia was 6.99, separation anxiety was 6.16, physical injury fears was 5.48, and panic/Agoraphobia was 5.4. Girls reported more anxiety problems than boys; 11.8% of all participants reported no PTSD while 24.2% reported fewer than two symptom clusters. Criterion for partial PTSD was met by 34.31% while 29.8% reported symptoms meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for full PTSD. Girls also reported more PTSD symptoms than boys. Participants reported coping by developing social support, investing in close friends, and/or engaging in demanding activities. Those reporting traumatic experiences developed less social support and requested more professional support while participants with PTSD coped by ventilating feelings, developing social support, avoiding problems. Participants with fewer PTSD symptoms tended towards solving their family problems while those with anxiety reported ventilating feelings, developing social support, and engaging in demanding activities. Participants with less anxiety sought more spiritual support.
Social Support of Palestinian Adults with Disabilities in the Gaza Strip
(Arab Journal of Psychiatry, 2018-11) thabet, abdelaziz; Vostanis, Panos; Qama, Kamal Abu
Aim: The present study aimed to determine the social support levels perceived by Palestinian adults with disabilities and to compare the data with socio-demographic variables.
Method: N=416 participants (n=263 men, n=53 women); ages ranged from 19-70 years (M= 33.56 years) were selected randomly from the databases of two NGOs for people with disabilities.
Instruments: Demographic data were collected via questionnaire for gender, age, class, and place of residence and attitudes and perceptions about social adaptation, life status, social role, self-esteem and self-concept were via the Social Support Scale.
Results: The most commonly reported items in the Social Support Scale included feeling the need for security (69.6%), not feeling satisfied about quality of life (39%), understanding the demands of a new life (53.3%), feeling the need for love and social recognition (69.4%), and being aware of personal potential and ability
(69.4%). Men with disabilities reported higher self-esteem than women with disabilities. Those who had no income had less social adaptation, less life status, less social role, and less self-concept.
Conclusion and clinical implications: The importance of focus for improving the social support, self-esteem, and well-being of disabled Palestinian adults and families. Self-esteem enhancement interventions offered in this context might well have an increased effect when combined with the other services available through independent living. Culturally sensitive interventions need to be developed to further enable people in all strata of the social hierarchy to understand their own worth and bring about changes in their lives and communities. Psychosocial interventions can play a useful role in supporting awareness and the development of accurate and positive appraisals of the self, alongside the process of adjusting to life of disabled people.
Resilience and Psychological Problems among Palestinians Victims of Community Violence
(Arab Journal of Psychiatry, 2013-11) Anwar, Abadsa; thabet, abdelaziz
Aim: The present study examined the relationship between psychological problems in families' of victims of community violence and resilience in the Gaza Strip.
Method: 255 participants were selected; 120 were males (47.1%) and 135 were females (52.9%). Participants were interviewed using a socio-demographic scale and Arabic versions of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised and the Resilience Attitude Scale.
Results: Participants’ mean psychological symptoms were 121.48. Females reported more somatization, obsessive compulsive, anxiety and phobic anxiety symptoms than males. Hostility was greater in low income families, paranoia was greater in people from moderate income families, psychosis was greater in those from low income families. While mean resilience was 60.84, males had more resilience than females, were more committed, more able to control, and more challenging than females. People living in north Gaza were less resilient and less challenging than people living in Gaza or Khan Younis. Psychological problems, obsessive compulsive, depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis were correlated negatively with resilience. Also, total psychological problems, sensitivity, and phobic anxiety were correlated negatively with commitment. Sensitivity, anxiety and phobic anxiety were negatively correlated with control. With total psychological problems, obsessive compulsive, sensitivity, depression, anxiety, paranoia and psychosis were correlated negatively with challenge.
Conclusion: Palestinians in the Gaza Strip reported more psychological problems due to long-standing stress and trauma arising from community violence. Resilience was an outcome of experiences of stress and trauma and coping strategies; social support was affected by the presence of psychological problems among Palestinians whereby people with more psychological problems showed less resilience. This study highlights the need for community reconciliation between the factions and increased effort in social reconciliation. More psychoeducational programs may help increase coping and resilience. Also, families affected directly by such community violence should be targeted with their children by programs including psychological intervention, social and community support group, stress management, and parenting training.