Narrative coherence and the trauma experience: an exploratory mixed-method analysis

The current study examines trauma narratives from 28 survivors of interpersonal violence. A mixed-method approach assessed coherence and explored narrative characteristics among differentially exposed groups. The quantitative analysis revealed: (1) exposure to repetitive interpersonal violence was described with greater perception of severity and emotional tone than single interpersonal violence episodes, and (2) exposure to interpersonal violence in childhood was described with greater emotional tone than exposure to interpersonal violence in adulthood. The qualitative analysis revealed: (1) traumatic events were connected to proceeding adverse experiences, (2) attempted avoidance of memories of the violence, (3) an altered view of the self, and (4) lacked recognition that the violence was abnormal. The study supports the "dose-response relationship" of trauma exposure, and the life-altering, transformative nature of trauma exposure.     

Quantitative models for optimal rest period scheduling

Mathematical and simulation models studying work-rest schedules in a production process are developed to arrive at an optimal rest policy to maximize work output per unit time. A CSMP simulation study is used to test the sensitivity of the results for different specific cases.     

Atomic pioneers and environmental legacy at the Hanford Site

Les déchets nucléaires légués par la Guerre froide constituent un problème d'envergure mondiale, qui se concrétise toutefois dans des contextes locaux. Cette communication aborde le problème sous Tangle des identités sociales des personnes qui ont participé aux activités de production nucléaire pendant les dix premières années au Hanford Site (de 1943 à 1953) et qui ont continuéà vivre dans les environs par la suite. L'auteur dégage les enjeux des déchets nucléaires en puisant dans les histoires personnelles de certains des participants, et en examinant plus particulièrement l'effritement de la culture du secret qui s'était instauré dans la région en raison des difficultés et des possibilités que ce processus présente pour Interpretation du passé et du présent. L'auteur aflirme que cette transition est spécialement importante pour les personnes qui ont participéà la construction du Hanford Site. Son analyse fait apparaître la relation entre l'individu et la collectivité locale comme étroitement liée à la perception que le Hanford Site a contribué au maintien de la paix depuis la 2e Guerre mondial. L'identification des gens avec la localité et leur sentiment d'appartenance sont remis en question maintenant que les fondements de cette identité subissent le regard critique de l'étranger et que les habitants eux-mêmes se mettent à s'interroger sur leur histoire et leur façon de se voir. En étayant ce point de vue, l'auteur souligne la nécessité de faire de la recherche qualitative en sociologie environnementale pour mettre en lumière les liens tangibles entre les processus sociaux à grande échelle et les petites collectivités où ces processus se vivent par le biais de la culture. The legacy of nuclear waste from the Cold War is a global problem emerging in local contexts. This paper examines this problem from the perspective of the social identities of those who participated in the first ten years of production activities at the Hanford Site (1943–1953) and stayed to live in the locality. The issue of nuclear waste, specifically the transition to nuclear waste cleanup, is explored by means of life-histories. In particular, the paper explores the decline of the ‘culture of secrecy’ in the locality in terms of the problems and opportunities it represents in the interpretation of the past and the present. The paper argues that this transition is particularly significant for those who participated in the construction of the Hanford Site. The analysis presented in the paper suggests that the relationship between self and locality is tightly connected to the perceived role of the Hanford Site as a peacekeeper since World War II. This sense of identity and belonging to the locality is undergoing a challenge as the basis of the identity is exposed to ‘outsider’ scrutiny and the local community reflects upon its history and self-identity. The paper argues this position by identifying the need for qualitative research in environmental sociology which explores the tangible linkages between large-scale social processes and the localities within which such processes are lived out through culture. The sociologist has come to realize that many human situations and problems have histories; they have not always been construed and recognized as they are today or will be in the future (Gusfield, 1981: 4).