Research Projects

Compassion and the Care Economy Project

Imagine what it would feel like to live in a world where you knew without a shadow of a doubt that if you were ever sick or incapacitated or elderly, people would take care of you with love and dignity, not as an object of pity but because they could not be well unless you were well.

Care work can be one of the most powerful ways in which we can strengthen our social bonds with each other. Receiving and providing care when we need it the most is the essence of building a more compassionate world. When we are cared for and are able to care for others it not only enhances our wellbeing, but it also increases our ability to function more effectively.

Today the question is not whether we should care but if our world is to survive, can we afford not to care? We are all dependent on each other and require care from each other to survive. None of us could have survived to adulthood if someone hadn’t taken care of us, fed us and sheltered us. And as adults there will be times in our lives when we will be sick, when we might be incapacitated, when we will most likely age to the point of needing more intensive care. Those are the times in our lives when we are at our most vulnerable and need care and compassion from each other. Most of that care globally is being provided by women within a paid or unpaid context which exacerbates gender inequalities in all domains. With increasing numbers of people aging and entering into that phase of their lives when they will depend on others for care we are also facing a global care crisis. This pandemic has exacerbated the care crisis and has taught us that care work must be a shared responsibility of all human beings.

Come join us to share your stories and ideas and learn more about the care economy. Sign up for one of our two-hour care economy sessions where we will incorporate mindfulness practices to help us work together to create a more just and compassionate world that will not only provide the infrastructure necessary for all human life to flourish but will also help decrease inequalities in health, education and income and make us more resilient and prepared for the climate crisis.

Schedule of Care Economy Sessions

Most sessions will be held on campus. You will be notified of the exact location after you register.

Session Date	Session Time
April 10th	4pm to 6pm
April 12th	5:30pm to 7:30pm
April 14th	4pm to 6pm
April 14th	9am to 11am
April 15th	1pm to 3pm
April 17th	4pm to 6pm
April 19th	5:30pm to 7:30pm
April 21st	4pm to 6pm
April 22nd	1pm to 3pm
April 26th	5:30pm to 7:30pm
April 28th	9am to 11am

Please register for one of these sessions at this link.

Please contact Ranjeeta Basu at rbasu@csusm.edu if you have questions or would like to know more about this project.

With our Contemplative Care project, you can help address the care crisis and be a part of the solution: Contemplative Care Project

Publications by Faculty on the Advisory Board

(* Denotes advisor mentoring role with undergraduate or graduate supervised writing or research)

Basu R., Ahlers J., Thomas J., Thomas M., Weigt J. (2019) Working toward beloved community: Contemplative practice and social justice in one public university, Journal of Contemplative Inquiry, 6(1), published by Center for Contemplative Mind in Society.

Berry, D. R., ^*Hoerr, J. P., ^*Cesko, S., ^*Alayoubi, A., ^*Carpio, K., ^*Zirzow, H., ^*Walters, W., ^*Scram, G., ^*Rodriguez, K., & ^*Beaver, V. (2020) Does mindfulness training without explicit ethics-based instruction promote prosocial behaviors? A meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(8), 1247-1269.

Berry, D. R., Cairo, A. H., Goodman, R. J., Quaglia, J. T., Green, J. D., & Brown, K. W. (2018). Mindfulness increases prosocial responses toward ostracized strangers through empathic concern. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(1), 93-112. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000392

Randerson A. & Pillai R. (2020) Management Education in Turbulent Times: Mindfulness in the Classroom, in The Routledge Companion to Mindfulness at Work, edited by Satinder K. Dhiman.

Stuhr, P. T., Ahlers, J. C., Jeffries, J., & Thomas, J. T. (2018). Mindfulness from A to Z: Concepts, practices, resources, and tips for health and physical educators. California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance e-Journal, 4(2), 25-37.

Stuhr, P. T., & Thomas, M. D. (2017). Conceptualizing mindfulness for health and physical educators. California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance e-Journal, 3(3), 13-21.

Stuhr, P.T., & Sutherland (2018). An exploration of mindfulness in adventure-based learning. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 89: sup 1, A-156 & 157. DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2018.1450043

*Vicente, S., & Stuhr, P. T. (in press). Mindful yoga: Strategies for implementing yoga and mindfulness in physical education. Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators, xx(x), x-x.

Presentations by Faculty on the Advisory Board

Basu, R., Bufferd S., Pillai R., Thomas, J. (October 2016) Achieving Student Success through Contemplative Pedagogical Practices: A Multidisciplinary Project presented at the CSU Teaching and Learning conference, San Jose, CA.

Basu, R., Bufferd S., Pillai R., Thomas, J. (November 2016) Achieving Student Success through Contemplative Pedagogical Practices: A Multidisciplinary Project. Peer-reviewed poster presentation at the International Symposium for Contemplative Studies (ISCS) conference by the Mind & Life Institute, San Diego, CA.

Basu, R. & Imara, M. (2015, October) Bridging the Divide: Labor markets, cultural work, and contemplative pedagogy. presented at the 7^th Annual Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education conference in Washington DC.

Berry, D. R., (Chair), & Kiken, L. (Co-Chair) (2018, May). Mindfulness and its training promote positive interpersonal outcomes. Symposium presented at the 30^th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Redela, P. & Basu, R. (2021, August) Bringing Contemplative Pedagogy to Campus through the Faculty Learning Community. Workshop led for Center for Contemplative Mind in Society.

Stoddard Holmes, M. & McMullin, J. (2019, October) Practicing Self-Care: A Workshop in Mindful Drawing, Reading, and Writing. Workshop led at the CSU Institute for Palliative Care National Symposium for Academic Palliative Care Education and Research.

Stoddard Holmes, M. Thomas, J., Thomas, M. (2017, September) Cultivating Compassion in Palliative Care. Workshop led at the CSU Institute for Palliative Care National Symposium for Academic Palliative Care Education and Research.

Stoddard Holmes, M. (2016, October) This Breath, This Word, This Patient, This Moment: Mindful Reflection In Health Humanities Practice. Presented at Signs and Symptoms Medical Narratives Conference, University of California, Riverside.

Stuhr, P. T. & Sutherland, S. (2018, March) An exploration of mindfulness in adventure-based learning. Peer-reviewed research consortium poster presented at the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America) Convention, Nashville, TN.

Thomas, J., Ahlers, J., Basu, R., Randerson, A., Stuhr, P. T., & Thomas, M. (2017, October). Building a sustainable contemplative community: A multi-disciplinary approach. Peer-reviewed conference poster presentation at The Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education Conference, Scotts Valley, CA.

Registration

If you would like to register with us or have inquiries: CCP Interest Form