A CROSS-CULTURAL INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS

This article investigates contextual and individual factors influencing environmental behaviors for the 26 countries included in the 2000 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). Individuals in countries with better environmental quality tend to have slightly more environmental involvement, but this relationship is mediated by economic circumstances, which have a greater independent impact on environmental actions. Respondents living in wealthier countries, no matter the environmental quality, more frequently join environmental groups, sign petitions concerning the environment, and give money for environmental causes.     

USING GENDER: THE PERSONAL,INTERPERSONAL, AND EMOTIONAL STRATEGIES OF DOMESTIC LABOR

Traditional research on domestic labor has conceptualized work done in support of the home as one of the quintessential ways of “doing” gender. New directions in gender and ritual theory raise the possibility that domestic labor may also be about strategy, usefulness and intentions. Through interviews with 24 married couples, I explore the subjective experiences of men and women as they “do” their domestic labor. I find that while husbands and wives are continuing to do gender as a response to interactional accountability demands, they also “use” domestic labor as a vehicle through which they (1) reciprocally craft their gender identity, (2) symbolically communicate with their spouse, and (3) garner emotional energy. Furthermore, the men and women strategically mobilized specific tasks that are most useful in achieving these goals inside their unique dyadic schemas. Through these narratives, I explore the possibility that men and women not only do gender but they can use gender as well.     

Understanding factors related to nonsmoking intention among college students

Abstract

Objective: While cigarette smoking in the United States has declined, the age range of smoking initiation has risen to include young adults. This study investigated the relationship of Theory of Planned Behavior constructs (TPB; attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control [PBC]) to nonsmoking intention among college students. Participants: Participants were 619 students at a Southeastern US university (69.8% female, 70.8% ≤ age 21, and 73.5% white). Methods: Students were recruited by email in March 2013 to participate in an online TPB-based questionnaire. Results: Future-oriented attitudes and PBC predicted higher nonsmoking intention; subjective norms did not. Moderator analyses indicated injunctive norms were more influential for occasional smokers and PBC was less influential. Conclusions: Findings suggest TPB is useful in predicting nonsmoking intention, but differentially for nonsmokers and occasional smokers. Future work should consider the health-related utility of future-oriented attitudes toward nonhealth domains and the differing beliefs of occasional smokers.     

Baccalaureate Social Work Education Consortia: Problems and Possibilities

Abstract

In just one decade, the number of consortia and schools in collaborative programs has declined. Moreover, several consortia, including those with as many as five schools 10 years ago, no longer exist, and some of these schools have ceased offering accredited social work programs. However, some new consortia are emerging. To determine the significance of these trends, the investigator interviewed by telephone social work administrators and faculty of the 21 colleges and universities currently involved in the nine undergraduate consortia. In addition, the investigator reviewed institutional catalogs and compiled information about the origin and development of the collaborative programs, their structure and nature, and their advantages and disadvantages as perceived by the respondents. Benefits of collaborative programs are that they enrich programs and provide density. Although cooperative arrangements present problems, the problems can be overcome if the institutions involved communicate successfully and cooperate. Study findings revealed that consortia that use, rather than rival, the experiences of other schools will tend to be more successful.     

Evaluating Training to Promote Critical Thinking Skills for Determining Children’s Safety

This study examined changes in training participants’ satisfaction with the instruction, knowledge gain, transfer of new skills, and beliefs about family involvement and engagement in working with families to help ensure children have safety. One hundred and forty-five practitioners participated in the training. Findings revealed shifts in knowledge and use of certain kinds of safety and risk assessment. Qualitative training feedback revealed that caseworkers and supervisors are now talking more about their practice and how they are trying new strategies to help children and families rather than how they complete a list of procedural tasks. The combination of workshop-based training followed by agency-based coaching appears to be a promising approach to professional learning in this practice area of child welfare.     

Counseling outside the lines: Creative arts intervention for children and adolescents,individual, small group and classroom applications by Vernon,A., and Barry,K. L.

No abstract available for this article.     

Homelessness Among Out-of-Treatment Drug Users in Long Beach,CA*

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to determine the reliability of measures of homelessness (Study 1), and to use these measures to predict homelessness from data collected over a 1O-year period (Study 2). For Study 1, to determine test-retest reliability, the Risk Behavior Assessment (REA; National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1991) was administered twice within a 48-hour period. Cohen’s kappa was calculated at .86 for the two REA measures of homelessness. For Study 2, to predict homelessness from data collected over a 10-year period, a logistic regression model was built. Earlier homelessness and illegal income were identified as risk factors; number of times tested for HIV and Black ethnicity were identified as protective against homelessness. Predictive accuracy was assessed with a reduced bias method approximating jackknifing techniques. These findings point to the need to provide enhanced services-including HIV testing opportunities andjob training- to the homeless.     

Sibling Family Practices: Guidelines for Healthy Boundaries

A questionnaire was given to 500 mental health and child welfare professionals asking for maximum acceptable ages for siblings to engage jointly in certain family practices related to hygiene, affection, and privacy. A large proportion of respondents felt it was never acceptable for siblings to take showers together (40%), kiss on the mouth (37%), or toilet together (32%). Some significant differences occurred based on the gender of the older sibling within sets of same gender or mixed gender pairs, with older brothers being acceptable up to lower ages than older sisters. The effects of child abuse, age, race, and the amount of education on the respondents' answers are investigated. The limitations of the age guidelines are discussed.     

Using Concept Mapping to Promote Community Building: The African American Initiative at Roseland

ABSTRACT

While many organizations recognize the value of community building, they often encounter difficulty in actualizing projects and developing tangible results. This article presents how a planning and evaluation method known as concept mapping was used to drive a community building effort by a large not-for-profit organization in Chicago around the issue of at-risk African American male youth. This work grew out of a grant related to the needs of African American families, called the African American Initiative, which was funded by the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. The article describes the first phase of the African American Initiative at Roseland, and lessons learned. Primarily, this study was able to generate a conceptual framework of problems facing African American male youth, which was used to revise previously defined outcomes and also create new ones. In addition, use of concept mapping to drive community building generated reflection on intended and unintended benefits. At the same time, challenges around this approach demonstrate the need for continued research.