Top of this page
Return to
Newsletter Page 1
In February, SCCR for the first time held its annual meeting together with The Association for the Study of Play (TASP). Things worked out so well that we decided to meet again jointly next year in Santa Fé, a traditionally favorite location for SCCR conventions.At the St. Petersburg meeting, SCCR presentations included a rich diet of 11 symposia, a round table discussion, and Invited Address by IACCP President Marshall Segall. Mental health issues and developmental topics were especially well-represented in the program. Although the weather was not always cooperative, the conference was a scientific and social success. People enjoyed themselves while availing themselves of the opportunity to learn from the many excellent SCCR and TASP presentations-what else can one ask of a conference?
Susan Abbott's presidential address focused on SCCR membership trends regarding anthropologists. One of SCCR's special characteristics has always been its interdisciplinary nature but this may be endangered if anthropologists keep dwindling in number while other social scientists are even less visible in our programs. In contrast, the percentage of cross-cultural psychologists in SCCR has been steadily climbing in recent years. Indeed, recent trends in North American anthropology and psychology are strikingly different from each other. Quantitative cross-cultural studies in anthropology have become less popular in the face of the onslaught of postmodern-interpretive approaches, while cross-cultural and multicultural psychology is for the first time beginning to make a real dent in the monocultural armory of North American mainstream psychology. We can take pride in the fact that SCCR members are well placed among the "dent makers," as recent books by Leonore Loeb Adler, Juris Draguns, Harry Gardiner, Marshall Segall, and many others are demonstrating.
One important sign that the American Psychological Association is becoming more aware of cross-cultural and international issues is the recent establishment of APA's 52nd division, the Division of International Psychology. The division is already publishing a newsletter, the International Psychology Reporter. APA members wishing to join the division ($16.00 for APA members) should contact: Division 52-Administrative Office, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. In addition, APA's International Affairs Office has, for a while, been publishing a quarterly newsletter, Psychology International, which will be sent, free of charge, to anyone requesting it. (Contact the International Affairs Office, at the APA address listed above). There is little doubt in my mind that given APA's clout, the new Division of International Psychology is bound to play an important role in the future of cross-cultural psychology both here and abroad.
Recently, I established the Institute for International and Cross-Cultural Psychology here at St. Francis College. The focus of the institute will be on sponsoring research and publications in international and cross-cultural psychology and on helping to internationalize the curriculum at the college. Any suggestions on how to further these goals and any other useful information will be much appreciated!
Gary Chick has been working out the arrangements for the February 3-7, 1999 SCCR conference in Santa Fé. Culturally speaking, the Santa Fé area is one of the most interesting in the country. I am confident that Gary Chick-who incidentally gave an excellent TASP keynote address on "What is Play For?" at the St. Petersburg conference-will be able to put together an outstanding program for next year's conference. I am looking forward to seeing many of you there-it will be well worth it!
When thinking about organizing a symposium, round-table, or other event
for the Santa Fé Conference, please keep in mind that, if at all
possible, it should contain a mixture of representatives of different disciplines
and/or a participant or two who has not attended an SCCR conference before.
If you need brochures to help stimulate interest, contact Lew Hendrix,
Dept. of Sociology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901-4524
(e-mail: lhendrix@siu.edu ;fax: (618) 453-6527).
February 20, 1998, St. Petersburg, Florida
The Business Meeting was held on Friday, February 20th, 1998, at the Marina Beach Resort Hotel, St. Petersburg, Florida. Susan Abbott conducted the meeting. Officers and Members of the Board of Directors present: Susan Abbott, Uwe Gielen, Lew Hendrix, Harry Gardiner, Leonore Adler, Marilyn Aronoff, Leigh Minturn, Doug Rayback, and Herb Barry. The meeting was called to order at 5:27 p.m.
Minutes from the 1997 annual meeting held in San Antonio, Texas were accepted.
Harry Gardiner, Secretary/Treasurer, reported the results of the recent balloting in which Garry Chick was selected as President-Elect and Bill Divale as Anthropology Representative.
Harry Gardiner presented income and expense figures for the 1997 dues year.
As of February 20, 1998, there were 127 paid members (93 regular, 9 students, 14 retired, 5 corresponding, and 6 joint second members). Eight new members joined in 1998. Number of memberships by discipline: 45 Anthropology, 63 Psychology, 6 Sociology, 4 Social Science, 3 Education, 1 Political Science, and 5 other. There are currently 77 non-paying past members in the database. Members of the Board will individually contact about one-third of these to encourage them to continue their membership. Harry Gardiner will attempt to contact the rest.
The financial outlook of the society looks good for the immediate future although increased membership and attendance at annual meetings would greatly improve the society's future efforts.
At last year's meeting, it was noted that the five year contract (1993-1997) with Sage for publication of the Cross-Cultural Research journal was coming to an end and needed to be renegotiated. Under the agreement, we were contracted for 200 copies of CCR and, due to declining membership, had increasing numbers of unused copies of each issue. In discussions with Sage, the Treasurer (Harry Gardiner) renegotiated a new contract which set the number of copies at 150 with an open arrangement to change this number if membership increased or decreased in the future.
Mel Ember was reappointed as editor of CCR and reported that over 800 copies of the journal are currently being distributed worldwide with increasing numbers going to libraries at foreign universities.
Leigh Minturn reported that after publication of 4 issues of the newsletter, $468 remains in the newsletter account. Costs have been substantially reduced with e-mail distribution to members (about 30 receive the newsletter by snail mail). With the establishment of a SCCR listserv at the University of Colorado, members must register with the listserv themselves, providing their e-mail addresses in order to receive the newsletter and other information. By using the listserv, members can make use of our "chat room" and call for papers and circulate ideas for future meetings.
Uwe Gielen reported there were 57 SCCR registrants, 2 keynote addresses, 10 symposia, 55 presentations, and 1 round-table. Our first joint meeting with The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) has been a success and provided both groups with financial advantages in keeping down costs. As a result, we are expected to have a significant profit from this meeting.
As agreed upon previously, we will be returning to Santa Fe for the 1999 meeting. Garry Chick, program chair for that meeting, reported that the Hilton Hotel (site of our previous meeting) was booked and so we will be meeting at La Fonda from February 17-21, 1999. Room rates will be approximately $128 with less expensive accommodation available for students in the hotel or at a nearby YMCA. He announced we will be meeting jointly once again with TASP.
Much discussion was held regarding the Year 2000 meeting site. Alice Schlegel reported on Charleston commenting that since there were few large hotels and most were quite costly, it did not seem like a viable possibility. Bill Divale and Marilyn Aronoff made a presentation on two hotels in New Orleans: (1) Bienville Hotel (58 rooms at $165 plus 11% tax, good meeting rooms, continental breakfast) and (2) Hampton Inn (200 rooms at $110 plus 11% tax, good meeting rooms, continental breakfast).
The members voted to meet in New Orleans in the year 2000.
It was suggested that the Board meet (via e-mail) to produce a list of 4-6 cities that could be used for future meetings on a rotation basis and report back to the members.
Harry Gardiner reported that his office is filled with (literally hundreds of copies of) back issues of CCR that are gathering dust and making it difficult for him to find his desk. He suggested, since these are already paid for, he could make up sets of previous volumes and donate them (on behalf of SCCR) to libraries or departments located at foreign universities or at minority colleges and schools in this country. Members approved this plan. He asked members to send him names of schools and contact persons. He can be reached by e-mail at harry_gardiner@uwlax.edu.
Members were reminded that the society has a website, designed and maintained by Bill Gabrenya, at Florida Institute of Technology, which can be accessed at (http://www.fit.edu/CampusLife/clubs-org/sccr/index.html).
Susan Abbott turned the "virtual gavel" of the Presidency over to Uwe Gielen who presented plaques of appreciation to Susan for her contributions as President during the past year and to Bill Divale for his many efforts in organizing the 1998 St. Petersburg's meeting.
Leigh Minturn, Editor
We are nearing the end of the Great Cyberspace Chase, and none too soon. Harry and I agree that we will never do this again. A new list of current SCCR members, with correct e-mail addresses has been entered into our computer system, replacing the old list that was rife with errors. Despite months of screening, 14 members, with bad addresses remained on the new list. These members are being notified that they must subscribe to the e-mail listing.
The list is now accessible to all persons on it. We have our very own bulletin board. If you have ideas for paper sessions or symposia, urge you to to put out your own call for papers. If enough interest is generated from such notices, I could summarize the information in a summer newsletter.
You may also use the bulletin board to send messages that may be of interest to all members. All messages sent to the bulletin board will be archived, so please do not clutter it.
In the next few weeks I intend to archive out constitution, and list of past officers.
To send a message to members, send email to: sccr@psych.colorado.edu
To subscribe to the list: send this one line message to listproc@psych.colorado.edu
subscribe SCCR your full name
e.g. subscribe SCCR Jane Doe
To obtain a copy of the list, send this one line message to: listproc@psych.colorado.edu
review SCCR
For a listing of other commands you may use with the list, send this one line message to listproc@psych.colorado.edu
HELP
You may also access the list on the internet using a web browser at: http://psych.colorado.edu:8000/
Note: you must "Register for a full account" using
the same email address as your entry on the SCCR mailing list in order to
have full access to the list using the web.
Top of this page
Return to
Newsletter Page 1