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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

“It’S My Metier”: The Failed Hero In Chinatown, Ann C. Hall Aug 2020

“It’S My Metier”: The Failed Hero In Chinatown, Ann C. Hall

Heroism Science

Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974) presents one of film’s most memorable failed heroes, Jake Giddes. Because of its grim ending, critics tend to conclude that it is an existential noir or a reflection on Polanski’s life and times, his escape from the Holocaust as a child, the death of his wife Sharon Tate, or political events such as Watergate and Vietnam. By examining the film as through the genre of tragedy, Giddes becomes a tragic, not failed, hero, a character who can show us how to suffer nobly.


Monomyth Or Monogamyth? Polyamory’S Conceptual Challenges To The Hero’S Journey, James K. Beggan Jul 2020

Monomyth Or Monogamyth? Polyamory’S Conceptual Challenges To The Hero’S Journey, James K. Beggan

Heroism Science

In the context of polyamorous relationships, a unicorn can be defined as a single, bisexual woman interested in forming a relationship with a heterosexual couple. Heroism scholars have suggested that the hero’s journey (or monomyth) can be used as a framework for understanding everyone’s life. By extension, it would be possible to frame the search for a receptive unicorn as a hero’s quest. Unicorn hunters are stigmatized by the general public for challenging the monogamyth, i.e., the monogamy norm. They are also criticized by the polyamorous community for privileging their own interests ahead of those of the women they are …


Self-Directed Universalists: Social Heroes And Value-Oriented Challenges To Authority, Michael Condren Mar 2020

Self-Directed Universalists: Social Heroes And Value-Oriented Challenges To Authority, Michael Condren

Heroism Science

This study investigates the role of values in the actions of social heroes, which previous research has suggested may play a role in motivating principled challenges to authority. Kelman and Hamilton’s (1989) orientation to authority framework was used to identify when value-oriented challenges to authority – suggestive of later social heroism – first emerged in their lives, and the values associated with those behaviors. Analyses of archival interviews with 15 leaders of a social activist group found that all participants acted on a value orientation to authority, and they considered these actions to be important experiences in their development as …


Zeroing In On Heroes: Adolescents’ Perceptions Of Hero Features And Functions, Elaine L. Kinsella, Alison English, Jennifer Mcmahon Feb 2020

Zeroing In On Heroes: Adolescents’ Perceptions Of Hero Features And Functions, Elaine L. Kinsella, Alison English, Jennifer Mcmahon

Heroism Science

Recent research has revealed that having a personal hero can offer psychological resources to adults, particularly during challenging times. Yet we know little about the role that heroes play in the lives of adolescents – a period of human development when challenges are plentiful, and adolescents are increasingly open to the influence of others outside the family unit. In the present study, adolescent perspectives were sought on types and characteristics of heroes, and the psychological and social functions provided by heroes for young people. Four focus groups were conducted with adolescents (N = 22) aged 15 to 17 years at …


Ethical Concerns Of Heroism Training, Brian R. Riches, Matt Langdon, Ari Kohen Feb 2020

Ethical Concerns Of Heroism Training, Brian R. Riches, Matt Langdon, Ari Kohen

Heroism Science

Heroism training programs originated in the mid-2000s with the goal to “Train everyday heroes” (Heroic Imagination Project, 2017). Most participants of these programs are students between the ages of 10 and 20. Anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that these programs may create more courageous and prosocial people (Heiner, 2018; Kohen & Sólo, 2019), however there is very little discussion in the emerging academic field of heroism science about the potential ethical concerns of training minors to be heroes (Beggan, 2019; Franco & Zimbardo, 2016; Franco et al., 2017). Heroic action is inherently risky, and while training programs currently discuss mortality …


The Integration Of Transformation: Extending Campbell’S Monomyth, Susan L. Ross Feb 2020

The Integration Of Transformation: Extending Campbell’S Monomyth, Susan L. Ross

Heroism Science

Referring to Campbell’s lectures and the outcomes of one study about the integration of transformation, this paper argues that the hero’s journey (and transformation) is not accomplished unless the life-changing experience is psychospiritually integrated into daily life. Accordingly, Campbell contradicts his theory by suggesting that the monomyth finishes when (and if) the initiate, who has returned home, integrates by successfully finding a way to share the boon. The research clarifies that integrating involves nine phases and in combination, the hero-making process of transformation and integration follow a figure-8 pattern; an upper transformative and masculine-dominated hero’s journey and lower integrative feminine-dominated …