Developing an Indigenous Positive Psychology in the United Arab Emirates (original) (raw)
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Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology, 2015
An indigenous positive psychology that addresses the human development needs of Emirati and expatriate residents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is proposed. A positive psychology approach leverages inherent, yet often neglected, social, cultural, and religious strengths to mobilize growth. Yet, psychology practitioners and researchers frequently focus on ill-being and weakness. Further, many psychology practitioners are non-Emiratis who tend to employ traditional psychological models from the West, which are perhaps incongruous to the UAE context; hence our call for an indigenous positive psychology. Psychological models rooted in Western notions of secular individualism run contrary to the UAE’s collectivistic and non-secular orientations. Moreover, focusing on the negatives, avoiding religion, and endorsing Western ideals of normality (disguised though they may be), can harm the psychological fabric of the UAE population. Although the field of psychology is expanding, a vision for practice and research is imperative; thus, the introduction of a framework for the development of an indigenous positive psychology that supports culturally appropriate strengths is relevant and timely. To do so, the tenets of positive psychology are reviewed, and steps necessary for the development of an indigenous version are proposed with the aim of facilitating the growth of the nation. https://middleeastjournalofpositivepsychology.org/index.php/mejpp/article/view/24
Effects of positive psychology interventions in Arab countries: a protocol for a systematic review
BMJ Open, 2021
IntroductionDespite the growing volume of published studies on the effects of positive psychology interventions (PPIs), little is known about their effectiveness outside of Western countries, particularly in Arab countries. As the effectiveness of PPIs in this region remains unclear, a systematic review focusing on this area of research can offer a valuable contribution. Here, we present a protocol for the first systematic review that aims to examine the effects of PPIs on increasing well-being, quality of life and resilience and decreasing depression, anxiety and stress for both health and clinical, child and adult populations in Arab countries.Methods and analysisThis protocol is carried out in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols guidelines. A systematic literature search for studies up to 30 April 2021 will be conducted in the following electronic databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Dar Al Mandumah and Al Man...
Contemporary psychologists in the Arabic-speaking world remain deeply concerned with many of the same foundational issues that have impeded the development of sustainable research traditions since at least the 1950s. As a means of assessing historical and current trends in regional research practices, the project reported in this article employs a content analysis method to assess the cultural sensitivity of peerreviewed English-language empirical studies conducted on peoples of the Arabic-speaking world. Results suggest that cultural sensitivity is quite low on many of the dimensions assessed, including whether/how findings are applied to everyday settings, validity of methodological procedures employed, the way cultural contributions to psychological processes are discussed, the local relevance of conclusions drawn from empirical findings, and how theories and concepts are transferred from mainstream (Western) psychology. The current findings are used to suggest some strategic and potentially controversial connections between culturally sensitive research and developing an appropriate psychology.
Positive psychology from Islamic perspective
2016
Introduction: The aim of the current study was to investigate positive thinking in Islamic spirituality and to develop a theoretical model based on Islamic view. Methods: The research method in this study was based on qualitative approach. The study used a content analysis design with a hermeneutic approach to collect and analyze the data. In order to do so, sacred texts especially holy texts (i.e. Quran and Ahl al-Bayt's performance and oral tradition) were reviewed through hermeneutic understanding. Results: Findings demonstrated that positive psychology in Islamic spirituality mostly centers on the following topics: Islamic positive view of human, believing in Divine benevolence, gratitude, Tawakkul, and universal man. Also, based on the attachment theory, positive thinking was interpreted and its applications were explained for individual's thinking about past events, interpretations of present events, and future expectations. Positive thinking in this paradigm was discu...
The State of Positive Education in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research Policy Paper Series, 2022
As part of Vision 2021 and the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 (Emirates News Agency, 2019), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has begun the journey of implementing positive education (PE). As a facet of positive psychology, PE focuses on school-based interventions and programs that target student well-being to ensure that youth are developing skills that contribute to their happiness and support their well-being (White et al., 2017). However, this approach is relatively new in the UAE, and much still remains to be learned about the most successful way to implement and evaluate it. The course of PE implementation in the UAE is similar to the implementation of other approaches targeting student well-being across the globe, namely social-emotional learning (SEL). Much like PE, SEL is viewed as an umbrella construct that focuses on developing specific competencies related to emotional intelligence in children and adults that impact their well-being (Elias et al., 1997). Based on decades of research on SEL implementation in schools in the United States, this paper offers researchbased suggestions for strengthening PE implementation in the UAE. This study conducts a qualitative investigation of teacher, student, and educational leader perspectives on current PE implementation, with the aim of better understanding the pedagogical approach and offering recommendations for future implementation plans, with an eye toward long-term sustainability. This study's results point to two major recommendations: (1) PE may be most successful if implemented from a systems-lens that ensures schools are hospitable and supportive of PE; and (2) PE curricula must be relevant to the local community, which highly values moral education centered on Islamic values. The implementation of PE is more important now than ever as Emiratis move forward from a global pandemic and look to furthering their well-being.