Resilienz im Arbeitsleben – Eine inhaltliche Differenzierung von Resilienz auf den Ebenen von Individuen,Teams und OrganisationenResilience in the workplace – A conceptual distinction of resilience on different levels: Individuals,teams, and organizations

The ability to recover from adverse events (“resilience”) is crucial in coping with increased demands in the workplace. Resilience facilitates adaptation and development even under demanding conditions and hence ensures psychological well-being. The notion of resilience has not only been used on the level of individuals, but also applies to teams and organizations. Despite its importance for well-being and effective functioning of teams and organizations, the concept of resilience has not yet been sufficiently clarified. In order to deepen the understanding of resilience on different levels, the present article describes and distinguishes individual, team, and organizational resilience. Finally, the article describes guidelines for an organizational resilience management system.     

A Comparison of Affect Ratings Obtained with Ecological Momentary Assessment and the Day Reconstruction Method

Measurement of affective states in everyday life is of fundamental importance in many types of quality of life, health, and psychological research. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is the recognized method of choice, but the respondent burden can be high. The day reconstruction method (DRM) was developed by Kahneman and colleagues (Science, 2004, 306, 1776–1780) to assess affect, activities and time use in everyday life. We sought to validate DRM affect ratings by comparison with contemporaneous EMA ratings in a sample of 94 working women monitored over work and leisure days. Six EMA ratings of happiness, tiredness, stress, and anger/frustration were obtained over each 24 h period, and were compared with DRM ratings for the same hour, recorded retrospectively at the end of the day. Similar profiles of affect intensity were recorded with the two techniques. The between-person correlations adjusted for attenuation ranged from 0.58 (stress, working day) to 0.90 (happiness, leisure day). The strength of associations was not related to age, educational attainment, or depressed mood. We conclude that the DRM provides reasonably reliable estimates both of the intensity of affect and variations in affect over the day, so is a valuable instrument for the measurement of everyday experience in health and social research.     

Die gesellschaftliche Verteilung von Traurigkeit. Eine emotionssoziologische Analyse

Sociology is interested in the social incidence of and the factors that account for sadness as a part of a society’s culture of emotions. At the same time, it opens a range of opportunities for the study of social inequality in experiencing emotions. Based on Swiss Household Panel (SHP) data, relationships are assessed between the frequency of sadness, and the parameters of one’s position in the social structure, the social context, as well as critical life events. The paper confirms that sadness is reported differently along social predictors like gender, income, age, nationality and language region.     

Gambling Revenues as a Public Administration Issue: Electronic Gaming Machines in Victoria

Gambling activities and the revenues derived have been seen as a way to increase economic development in deprived areas. There are also, however, concerns about the effects of gambling in general and electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in particular, on the resources available to the localities in which they are situated. This paper focuses on the factors that determine the extent and spending of community benefit-related EGM-generated resources within Victoria, Australia, focusing in particular on the relationships between EGM activity and socio-economic and social capital indicators, and how this relates to the community benefit resources generated by gaming.     

Integrating Social Work Perspectives and Models with Concepts,Methods and Skills with Other Professions’ Specialized Approaches

In this article, the authors encourage social work practitioners to identify with and adopt distinctive social work perspectives and practice models rather than solely embrace models or approaches developed by and for other professions. We do so because these perspectives are most responsive to our professions’ mission of social justice and social purpose of paying equal attention to people and their environments. For heuristic purposes, we present and illustrate the ecological perspective and life modeled approach. Since no social work model or approach can take into account every type of life stressor, event and condition, we demonstrate how we can borrow and integrate specialized concepts, methods and techniques from other profession’s approaches. The authors identify five characteristics which borrowed content should meet in order to integrate well with social work models. Accordingly, concepts, methods and skills from a few approaches have particular relevance for social work direct practice: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy; Motivational Interviewing; Narrative Therapy and Solution-Focused Practice. Moreover, the authors present and illustrate the process of borrowing and integrating concepts, methods and skills from other professions to deepen social work practice.     

Expanding the Family Economic Stress Model: Insights From a Mixed‐Methods Approach

The current study used a mixed‐methods approach to examine how low‐income mothers managed their household economies, their experiences of economic pressure, and the consequences for family and child functioning. Qualitative analyses (N = 32 families) revealed that experiences of economic pressure were associated with an inability to afford both basic needs and some modest but highly valued “extras.” To meet demands, mothers reported using a variety of strategies, including instrumental support from friends and family members and other financial strategies. Results from the quantitative analyses (N= 516 families; 800 children, ages 6 – 15) were generally consistent with patterns observed in the qualitative analyses and extended the findings to include effects on parenting practices and children’s behavioral functioning.     

Women and immigrants: Strangers in a strange land

This paper draws an analogy between the fate of women in the labor market and immigrants in the host country by examining the social processes that affect both categories. Immigrants, and women in traditionally male occupations, are usually regarded and treated as strangers, reflected in stereotyping, exclusion, segregation, and assimilation. By conceptualizing gender-based occupational segregation in terms of territory, borders, and migration we attempt to understand this phenomenon and its persistence in a new way and within a wider framework of social distinctions and inequality. These processes are specifically illustrated by two examples: women in a traditionally male occupational sphere, i.e., faculty women in academia, and immigrant scientists.     

Dating Vioknce: Young Women in Danger

Abstract

Barrie Levy, Dating Violence: Young Women in Danger Seattle: Seal Press; 1991. Paper. 308 pps, $16.95     

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Senior Centers: Comparing Participant Characteristics in More and Less Multicultural Settings

The 2008 Health Indicators Project surveyed a probability sample (N = 1,870) of New York City senior center participants. Attendees of racially and ethnically diverse and nondiverse senior centers were compared across 5 domains: demographics; health and quality of life; social support networks; neighborhood perceptions and engagement; health service access/utilization. Although homogeneous and diverse center participants demonstrate similar health and quality-of-life outcomes, those from diverse centers demonstrate greater risk of social isolation, receive less family support, and more likely seek medical care from hospitals or community clinics. Implications and future directions for research, practice and policy are discussed.     

Social Protection in a Context of HIV/AIDS: A Closer Look at South Africa

Abstract

South Africa is unusual in that it is experiencing high levels of AIDS morbidity and mortality, but is also able to afford a relatively developed system of social assistance. However, HIV/AIDS is affecting poverty in some unique ways and compounding other challenges such as unemployment. Its nature is such that it demands immediate action, balanced with a focus on long-term development. This is requiring a conceptual shift from ‘social security’ to ‘social protection’, since social assistance is not managing to address all dimensions of poverty and is also creating perverse incentives for people not to maximise their health. In South Africa, household studies comprise the most useful evidence to explore the particular challenges posed by HIV/AIDS. They indicate a need to review policies in all the social sectors and to focus on the issue of human capital.