All posts by: Minoo Razavi

  Aside from possible universal aspects of the human psyche, what else is there to make each unique? This post explains one possible answer to this question by presenting a recent theory in social psychology: Positioning Theory (Positioning theory is … Continue reading →

“There can be no statement that does not reactualize others.”  Norman Fairclough (1992), a linguistic, quotes Foucault in his book Discourse and Social Change.  In other words, nothing we say is completely new.  When we communicate, we are constantly recycling … Continue reading →

American society today functions through a fundamental cultural schema Bradd Shore identifies in his book “Culture in Mind” (1996) as the “modularity schema.” This mode of thought is pervasive in post-modern Western, particularly American, culture. It shapes the way we … Continue reading →

This essay shamelessly attempts one of the most common fads of our time: that is, taking the Internet and stuffing it into one singular box with one singular framework and thus one singular effect.  Most probably, that one singular “The … Continue reading →

“Capturing” describes the process of selecting information by any machine.  It describes how a machine chooses, and in what form it receives, its information input.  How a camera “sees” and, subsequently, how it takes what it sees (aka information) and … Continue reading →

In his book “Discourse and Social Change” (1992) Norman Fairclough writes, “Discourse practices contribute to reproducing society as it is—explaining what is going on as well as transforming it.” He repeatedly emphasizes that as a foundational thought in sociolinguistics,  language, … Continue reading →

Nowadays it is almost common to see young children, even infants, with some sort of gadget in their hands. Additionally, they are exposed to media that is not physically in their hands: television, music, billboards … etc. With the ubiquity … Continue reading →

Intergroup Relations and Multiplayer Online Games Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) merit bona fide research. After listening to Dr. Garrison LeMasters’ leceture and reading “The Mangle of Play” by Constance Steinkuehler I found more confidence in ideas of using MMOGs … Continue reading →

Political participation, and its general decrease in our society today, is what motivates many to think about policies that can enforce activism. In a recent lecture I attended, Dr. Diana Owen said she strongly supports plans for, and studies on, … Continue reading →

For this entry, I was greatly educated and inspired by the book “Multiculturalism & Intergroup Relations: Psychological implications for democracy in a global context” by Fathali M. Moghaddam. American Psychological Association: Washington D.C., 2008 Multiculturalism is a valuable asset for … Continue reading →