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Accepted Paper:

Resiliency and culture: an interdisciplinary approach, integrating the psychological, educational, physical, socio-cultural, and spiritual perspectives.  
Naji Abi-Hashem (Non-Resident Scholar, Baylor University)

Paper short abstract:

Resiliency is a fascinating and well studied subject. This paper explores its meaning and nature as a driving force within many human disciplines and endeavors. Resiliency is not only an innate-individual trait but a capital of resources stored in the community. Mainly, it is a function of culture.

Paper long abstract:

In recent years, the topics of psychosocial resiliency and cultural competency have been on the forefronts of many academic disciplines and human-care services. This paper explores the meaning, nature, and function of resiliency and provides an overview of its foundational role and integrative place in the fields of psychology, pedagogy, physiology, psychotherapy, spirituality, and community. All these discussions are presented from a sociocultural and interdisciplinary perspective. Most areas of learning and spheres of knowledge could further be advanced if they continue to incorporate cultural resiliency into their basic training approaches. This article emphasizes that the essence and manifestation of resiliency is rooted, not only in individual traits or abilities, but also in the capital resources already stored in the larger community--in its cultural wealth and generational wisdom. Resiliency is both an innate capacity, with various dispositions that is dormant within people and groups, and is a skill that is gradually learned, intentionally established, and consistently built-up and developed. Then, it will be readily applied as a way-of-life, natural tendency, refined asset, and potential drive for better livelihood, especially in time of adversity, misfortune, and calamity. Resiliency is mainly a function of culture. This article encourages the practice of cross-cultural competence and cross-disciplinary growth. It promotes multi-academic learning and collaboration in order to foster a comprehensive resiliency-training and a dependable approach for survival and coping. Also, this article encourages an enduring social awareness, a continuous emotional empowerment, and a relational respect, all coupled with cultural humility.

Panel P28
Positive anthropology meets positive psychology: thick or thin descriptions?
  Session 1 Saturday 10 April, 2021, -