Religion and parenting: ignored relationship?

Even though the social work profession has been increasingly sensitized to the spiritual needs of those that they are working with, recent history has demonstrated that professionals lack the knowledge and skills needed for understanding those who are subscribing to strong religious beliefs. The research reported in this paper draws on a qualitative study that examined the perceived caregiving practice of parents from the Seventh‐day Adventist faith community associated with the conservative Protestant sub‐culture. Twenty‐five participants aged 20–50 were invited to recall their experiences of being reared by practicing Adventist parents in the UK. An integrative phenomenological analysis yielded a number of themes that shed light on the relationship between religion and parenting. This paper will focus on the three key ideas that emerged: parenting was influenced by beliefs that parents held; a combination of warm and strict parenting was found with some evidence of stricter upbringing amongst black respondents; responses to parenting reported varied between acceptance and discomfort. The study gave valuable insight into individuals' experiences of a religious upbringing received within a secular environment.     

Listening to children imagining gender: observing the inflation of an idea

Using three of the clinical articles in this special issue of the Journal of Homosexuality as examples, the author attempts to show how their views of gender may influence clinicians' conceptualizations and treatment choices in response to children diagnosed with gender identity disorder (GID), or gender dysphoria. In particular the author argues that the belief that gender is a psychophysiological entity that is organismic and transhistorical, that is, the view known lately as essentialism, promotes more invasive interventions (e.g., endocrinological and surgical) and mistakenly deemphasizes psychological therapies as a clinical response to the suffering of trans children. He tries to show that the drawbacks of essentialism and its correlated treatment approaches are twofold, that a) they promote treatments with insufficient attention to our limited knowledge regarding their safety and efficacy, and b) they advance a reified differentiation of the genders that is politically problematic. The author suggests that a better response to trans children would be one that emphasizes the child's broadly subjective role in his or her construction of transgressive, gender-related psychological and interpersonal phenomena (both painful and not), thus, offering a deeper validation for trans children's challenges to our gender system.     

Commentary on the treatment of gender variant and gender dysphoric children and adolescents: common themes and ethical reflections

This commentary offers preliminary ethical reflections on the range of treatments for gender variant and gender dysphoric children, adolescents, and young adults described in the preceding five clinical articles. After clarifying the terminology used to discuss these issues, this commentary reviews several common themes of the clinical articles. Focusing on ethical values of informed consent, full disclosure, the minimization or avoidance of harm, and the maximization of life options, the commentary expresses concerns about various treatment options endorsed by some of the articles. In particular, this commentary focuses on how these practices problematically reproduce social prejudices and stereotypes and how they fail to acknowledge and embrace the multiple pathways for expressing one's gender. It also compares and contrasts the ethical issues related to gender variant and gender dysphoric youths and youths who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer.     

Gender dysphoric/gender variant (GD/GV) children and adolescents: summarizing what we know and what we have yet to learn

The optimal approach to treating minors with gender dysphoria/gender variance (GD/GV) is much more controversial than treating these phenomena in adults. This is because children have limited capacity to participate in decision making regarding their own treatment, and even adolescents have no legal ability to provide informed consent. Minors must, therefore, depend on parents or other caregivers to make treatment decisions on their behalf, including those that will influence the course of their lives in the long term. Presently, the highest level of evidence available for selecting among the various approaches to treatment is best characterized as "expert opinion." Yet, opinions vary widely among experts and are influenced by theoretical orientation and assumptions and beliefs regarding the origins of gender identity, as well as its perceived malleability at particular stages of development. This article outlines some of the more salient points raised by the clinicians who treat GD/GV and their discussants. This article summarizes what the editors believe is known and what has yet to be learned about minors with GD/GV, their families, their treatment, and their surrounding cultures.     

A comprehensive program for children with gender variant behaviors and gender identity disorders

This article describes a clinical program designed to address broadly defined mental health needs of children who experience stress related to not fitting into normative gender types and argues for the need for integrated services that address the spectrum of gender variance. An array of services useful to children and their families is proposed. The article describes the clinical population served, common clinical and social problems, and a rationale for the interventions provided.     

在回忆中唤醒未泯的人性——论汪曾祺新时期小说的审美取向

汪曾祺新时期的小说,多是以童年为视角,对旧时生活的回忆。促其转变审美角度的因素是多方面的:一是温馨的童年生活所沉淀的情感底色决定了他的审美取向;二是自觉地通过回忆方式净化有悖于审美取向的浮躁情感;三是人性的善与美之主题表达与童年视角的契合。     

浅析废名小说中的童年表现

在废名的小说中,有很多对儿童与童年的书写与表现。本文以废名小说中儿童形象的塑造作为切入点,借以分析小说中的儿童形象、童年回忆主题、儿童视角的运用,从而探讨作家儿童观的诗意表达。通过分析废名小说中的童年书写,探究废名小说与散文中的互文现象,及诸多小说篇目中引人关注的"十年"意象。     

EMDR、适应性信息加工与个案概念化(下)

EMDR是一个整合性的、以咨客为中心的心理治疗方法。该方法用于治疗那些不是由器质性损伤为病理学基础的心理问题,它的治疗重点是处理大脑的信息加工系统中的痛苦记忆。EMDR既能处理那些引起困扰的经历和体验,也能帮助咨客获得达到更健康的心理状态所需要的经历和体验。综览EMDR的历史、发展和研究,它是一个主要以经验为支持的治疗方法。本文在阐述适应性信息加工模型之后,用一个延续的个案实例,来说明EMDR的个案概念化和8个阶段的治疗。EMDR技术主要是加工那些有病理学基础的早期记忆和引发不良功能的当前情境,并为未来适应性的行为提供模板,包括克服技能不足和(或)发展性的不足所需的知识与行为。整合的EMDR与家庭系统观点的好处是可以提供最综合的治疗效果。     

创伤后应激障碍记忆机制研究述评

创伤后应激障碍的典型症状之一是侵扰性记忆,且重复体验。文章首先阐释创伤后应激障碍记忆的主要特点,然后介绍关于其形成机制的压力反应理论、联想网络系统理论、双向呈现理论、情绪加工理论等,并从研究内容、实验方法等角度进行讨论。这些理论立足于个体信念、创伤理解意义、认知评价,创伤信息的新旧信息加工等,从单一维度到多个维度,逐步深入探究。其中压力反应理论源于心理动力学,双向呈现理论源于多重记忆系统,情绪加工理论源于认知的整合模型。近年来,一些神经生物学模型结合心理认知成分与大脑加工机制,探索脑部相关区域的激活与抑制,更好地诠释了PTSD的记忆形成机制。多数理论认为存在不同记忆的功能变化是PTSD记忆的形成原因。总之,这些理论都需要进一步的研究验证。     

The same and the other: male childcare workers managing identity dissonance

As childcare workers, men are in a contested position. On the one hand, they are in danger of being depicted as the pedophile; on the other hand, they are expected to bring something new and innovative to the thus-far female-dominated field. These men are experiencing ‘identity dissonance’ and have to find ways to manage and facilitate legitimate subject positions as both childcare workers and as men. Applying a perspective of discursive positioning, this article discusses men's positioning practices in nine qualitative interviews conducted with male childcare workers in German-speaking Switzerland. We identified a total of six discursive practices that men engage in to manage identity dissonance and construct a legitimate subject position. We found that men are engaging in a greater variety of practices than have been discussed so far. Unlike findings from other studies of men in female-dominated occupations, ours do not point to a clear-cut typology with regards to hegemonic and alternative masculinities; instead they show a variety of practices that are mobilized throughout all interviews.