In the Spotlight
Please read about these inspiring people
and their contributions in the area of self-esteem!
Jack
Canfield
Chris
Mruk, PhD
Ranjit
Singh Malhi
This section is devoted to highlighting some of
the most influential movers and shakers in the area of self-esteem. Different individuals or organizations will be
selected from time to time to appear in this section. We ask them to share
information with us about current topics of interest and their unique
experiences related to self-esteem.
If you would be interested in appearing "In
the Spotlight" or know an individual or organization who you would like to
refer, please contact Sharon Fountain, NASE President: Sharon@SharonFountain.com.
Chris Mruk, PhD
Self-Esteem: Research, Theory, and
Practice (Second Edition)
by Chris Mruk, Ph.D.,
Springer Publishing
Company, New York, 1999.
Introduction:
It was a pleasant surprise to be invited to write
a short piece describing some of my work on self-esteem for the National
Association for Self-Esteem. Before doing that, however, I must say that the
World Congress on Self-Esteem, which was held in San Francisco in the Summer of
2000, is a wonderful event to attend and I recommend it highly. For example, the
workshops and presentations seemed exciting, the hosts (especially Bob Reasoner
and J. D. Hawkins) were warm and gracious, and the sense of comradery was a
breath of fresh air.
There are two areas of my work that may be of
interest to the association, one of which was presented at the conference. That
one concerns the second edition of a scholarly and clinically oriented book on
self-esteem that seemed to be well received at the conference. It is now printed
in the US, England, and Spain and is described below. The other item concerns an
academically and clinically oriented Web site on self-esteem that I developed
for scholars and clinicians. It consists of several pages concerning various
self-esteem books, articles, tests, and issues. The site can be reached at http://www.firelands.bgsu.edu/nss/cmruk/index.htm
and I am always willing to consider adding more information to it if you
want to send some to me.
Description of the book:
In a certain sense, the book is a phenomenology
of self-esteem: which means that we look at self-esteem from its research,
through its theory, to its practice today. The following pages, then, can be
likened to a natural scientist's laboratory notebook in that they present one
scientist-practitioner's attempt at a comprehensive search through the human
landscape called self-esteem. The chapters are carefully arranged in a logically
progressive fashion. That is, the phenomenon is first researched and defined in
terms of its general structure (chapter 1). Then, the major issues and
methodological issues associated with researching self-esteem are examined
(chapter 2), which, in turn, enables us to identify more credible research
findings (chapter 3). Next, the leading theories of what self-esteem is and how
it works are identified and considered (chapter 4). Following that, the research
findings and theoretical points of view that result from the work we have done
so far are integrated into a phenomenological theory of self-esteem (chapter 5).
We finish by examining how a self-esteem enhancement program based on the theory
stands up to pre- and posttesting with nonclinical and clinical populations
(chapter 6). While this "scholarly" approach builds a better argument
because it addresses the research and theoretical issues associated with
self-esteem before turning to the practical possibilities, it can seem somewhat
laborious for busy clinicians who may want to get right to the point as quickly
as possible. Although I do not recommend doing so, it is possible to modify the
reading order by moving from chapter 1 directly to chapters 5 and 6, providing
the others are picked up when more time is available.
Author’s Comment on the book:
Given the vast amount of professional and popular
literature on the topic, it would seem that the field of self-esteem should
abound with second editions. As this writing, however, the number of
professionally oriented books advancing to this stage can still be counted on
one hand. My primary motivation for a second edition comes from wanting to
update the book in a way that may keep it contemporary for some time. Thus,
there are two kinds of revisions to be found in this new edition.
The first goal concerns an attempt to refine the
book. I have had time to think about what I said as well as how I said it in the
first edition, and I have made an attempt to clarify some things and modify
others. Second, there have been some important developments in the field during
the past few years that require attention. One of them concerns what might be
called an "anti-self-esteem movement" or a "self-esteem
backlash." By this phrasing I am referring to the fact that today there is
a body of material that criticizes enhancing self-esteem, especially in
educational settings, and even the very concept of self-esteem as a desirable
human characteristic. This trend seems to have emerged in response to the
popularization of self-esteem that occurred in the last decade or so. As you
would see, I do think there is a way to deal with these developments, but this
new body of literature is sure to become significant in the history of the
field, as is other work linking self-esteem and aggression. Other material
completely new to the second edition includes published research supporting the
self-esteem enhancement program offered at the end of the book. Those who are
familiar with the first edition will find that the second has been revised
rather extensively.
About the Author:
I was asked to give readers some information
about my background in the field, so let me briefly describe what amounts to
several decades of clinical and academic experience. My "real world"
experience includes working as a crisis intervention specialist for St. Lawrence
Hospital of Lansing, Michigan, providing comprehensive psychological and testing
services in several community mental health settings, directing a college
counseling center at St. Francis College in Pennsylvania, and serving as a
consulting psychologist to Firelands Regional Health System, Sandusky, Ohio. My
academic history consists of undergraduate training in traditional psychological
methods at Michigan State University and graduate work in phenomenological
psychology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA.
Since then, I have published several chapters and
a number of articles on self-esteem, phenomenology, and the psychology of
computerization. Now I teach full time as a professor of psychology at Firelands
College of Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where I’ve been since 1984.
Upon occasion, I also offer seminars and continuing education programs for
mental health professionals. For instance, I am interested in offering a
1-credit university course on self-esteem completely online in the Summer of
2001. Such courses often counts for a large number of CEU credits for
psychology, social work, counseling, nursing, and teacher education, which you
would need to verify through your state licensing board. You can see the nature
of online courses I have offered in the past by visiting my Web site (which is
identified above) and clicking on the link named "classes" or you can
email me at cmruk@bgnet.bgsu.edu and I will
respond as quickly as I can.
Ranjit Singh Malhi
Ranjit Singh Malhi is an internationally
renowned consultant, sought-after trainer, prolific author and a popular
Malaysian columnist. In June 2001 he organized the first international
self-esteem conference ever held in Asia. This highly successful conference was
attended by some 200 people. Ranjit was also instrumental in establishing MASEPP,
the Malaysian Association for Self-Esteem and Peak Performance.
Ranjit holds a B.A. Hons. from the
University of Malaya and an MPA from Syracuse University, U.S.A. Currently, he
is the CEO of Self-Esteem Seminars Sdn. Bhd. and TQM Consultants
Sdn. Bhd.
To date, Ranjit has conducted more than
500 training programs on management, personal development and peak performance
in Asia, the Middle East and USA. His areas of expertise include Total Quality
Management, Management Development, Leadership, Self-Esteem and Peak
Performance. He is regarded as the "father of the Malaysian Self-Esteem
Movement".
Ranjit was recently elected as the
President of the newly-formed Malaysian Association for Self-Esteem and Peak
Performance. He is listed in the International WHO'S WHO of Professionals.
Ranjit has published more than 100
articles on management and personal development. Besides being a columnist for
three Malaysian newspapers, Ranjit has appeared regularly on Malaysia's national
television network.
Ranjit is the author of Enhancing
Managerial Performance: Empowering Yourself to Become a High Performance Manager
and co-author (together with Robert W. Reasoner) of Enhancing Self-Esteem:
Reengineering Yourself for Success in the New Millennium and Enhancing
Personal Quality: Empowering Yourself to Attain Peak Performance at Work.
In the area of Self-Esteem, Ranjit has
contributed significantly through his writings and workshops. His major articles
focus on "Self-Esteem and Peak Performance at Work", which show how
self-esteem contributes to peak performance at work.
Ranjit has developed the "Empowering
Cycle of High Self-Esteem" and "Vicious Cycle of Low Self-Esteem"
models, based upon literature review and research pertaining to self-esteem and
peak performance. He has also developed "Self-Esteem and Academic
Achievement" , which highlights how self-esteem contributes to academic
achievement; and "Fostering Self-Esteem and Peak Performance in the
Workplace".
The last of these discusses the five main
building blocks of self-esteem in the workplace and the corresponding managerial
action for enhancing the self-esteem of employees.
Information provided by Ken Fraser
You can also find more information on his
website: www.tqm.com.my
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