The New Face of America:

Psychology Takes on the Immigration Debate

Table of Contents May/June 2008

SPECIAL FEATURE

The New Social Mind by Michael Ventura
In our globalized, multicultural world, the individual and the family can no longer be understood solely as separate, discrete entities. Psychology must undertake an immense intellectual task if it's to remain relevant and applicable: to understand how the intersection of personal and social identity has changed and is continuing to evolve.

The Immigrant's Odyssey by Priska Imberti
Immigration is often a trauma that leaves indelible marks on those who've left behind family, customs, cultural values, and status. Perhaps more than any other client population, immigrants need a therapeutic breathing space to understand the inner transformation their continuing journey requires.

Living Up to the American Dream by Tazuko Shibusawa
The experience of Asian immigrants is often characterized as a classic rags-to-riches tale. Yet for all the stories of success and assimilation, there's another, less publicized, Asian immigrant story--one remote from the image of the idealized "model minority."

OTHER FEATURE

Divorcing Well by Ashley Prend
While the death of a marriage is undoubtedly painful, it doesn't have to be pathological. Buddhism can offer the concrete guidance to help even the most intransigently hostile spouses cultivate a spirit of generosity and compassion toward their ex-partners.

DEPARTMENTS

Clinician's Digest By Garry Cooper
-- Assessing grad school training -- Support groups and cancer survival -- Is homosexuality a biological trait? -- Therapists' intuition -- Children and divorce mediation -- Placebos and antidepressants

Symposium Watch By Richard Handler
Like any good conference, this year's Networker Symposium proved to be publicly theatrical and emotionally intimate.

In Consultation By Michael Graziano
Contrary to popular opinion, resilience isn't so much an innate quality as a feature of human connectedness.

Bookmarks Reviewed by Richard Handler
Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions and Hurtful Acts
Far from being a relic from Psych 101, the theory of cognitive dissonance may have even more relevance in understanding today's world than ever.

Case Studies By Aureen Pinto Wagner
Therapists helping children confront OCD face a formidable obstacle--helping their young clients get beyond their immediate terror in the hope of reaping long-term benefits.

Commentary By Martha Straus

Screening Room by Frank Pittman
Some popular light comedies about unwed motherhood reveal deeper truths about what distinguishes those subjects we can laugh about from those we can't.

Family Matters By Marian Sandmaier
Life in the empty nest can be humbling, exhilarating, and, occasionally, just plain weird.

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