Otto F. Von Feigenblatt - Forgiveness and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue

Cool . . . and the author's name is so European. :) Seriously, though, this is a very interesting article looking at the ways forgiveness varies from one culture to another.

Here is the full citation:
Von Feigenblatt, O.F. (2010, Dec. 15). Forgiveness and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue. Journal of History & Social Sciences, Vol. 1, No. 1; Available at SSRN:http://ssrn.com/abstract=1749687

Forgiveness and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue
Otto F. Von Feigenblatt
Nova Southeastern University; Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences; Millenia Atlantic University

December 15, 2010

Journal of History & Social Sciences, Vol. 1, No. 1, July-December 2010

Abstract:
Forgiveness is a contested concept. Psychologists tend to separate it from the related process of reconciliation and to emphasize the intrapersonal aspects of the phenomenon. On the other hand theologians and philosophers see an important connection between forgiveness and reconciliation due to relational factors. Culture adds further complexity to the study of forgiveness in that it questions the universality of dominant understandings of the concept, developed from a Western perspective, which are based on individualist values by testing those understandings in a collectivist context. This brief essay concludes with a brief representative illustration of forgiveness in traditional Japanese villages.

Here is the Introduction, to whet your appetite.

Introduction:
Forgiveness is one of those concepts that are part of common knowledge but that mean something dissimilar to different people. A Catholic Priest may hold a view of forgiveness that is inherently connected to religion while a psychologist may view forgiveness as an individual process that helps a client improve his or her mental health.

Furthermore, a political scientist involved in post-conflict reconstruction would probably view forgiveness as a necessary prerequisite to rebuild a vibrant civil society [Grodsky, 2009; Minear, 1991] or a philosopher, the act of forgiveness may be of greater importance for the offender than for the victim since it marks a return to the moral community. Those are just some of the many different understandings of forgiveness not including subtypes and nearly infinite cultural variants.

The following sections will compare and contrast some of the well known views of forgiveness such as the traditional psychological view, the theological perspective, and the philosophical approach. A final section will deal with culture and how it influences forgiveness in traditional Japanese villages.

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Tags: Psychology, culture, forgiveness, individualism, collectivism, Otto Von Feigenblatt, Forgiveness and Culture, Interdisciplinary, Dialogue, Journal of History & Social Sciences, Social Science Research Network, SSRN, philosophy, theology