Income characteristics and the use of microfinance services: evidence from economically active persons with disabilities

The purpose of this empirical research from Uganda is to provide initial insight into the ‘black box’ of understanding the economic behaviour of persons with disabilities and about their use of microfinance services. First, we analyse the income levels of persons with disabilities in relation to their sources of income. Second, we study the income sources and income levels for different types of disabilities. Finally, we analyse how income level and income source relate to the use of microfinance services for persons with disabilities. We present evidence that farmers with disabilities and persons with visual impairments have lower income levels than other persons with disabilities. We then document that those with the lowest income levels have the least access to microfinance services, in particular services from formal institutions. Moreover, respondents involved in farming and manufacturing have less access to formal microfinance services than those involved in retail/wholesale or service activities.     

Accessibility to micro-finance services by people with disabilities in Bushenyi District,Uganda

The Poverty Reduction Strategy of the Ugandan Government identified provision of microfinance as one of its interventions. Despite the known connection between poverty and people with disabilities, it remains unclear to what extent this intervention includes or accommodates them. This study seeks to gain a better understanding of how people with physical and sensory disabilities access existing microfinance services in the Bushenyi District of Uganda. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies are used. The findings suggest that people with disabilities are not necessarily denied access to microfinance if they meet the desired requirements. These relate to adequate savings or collateral and perceived trustworthiness. These are seen to be key determinants of success and can be linked to impaired functioning relating to limited mobility, distance, poorer access to information and disabled people’s own negative attitudes. Increasing access and utilization of microfinance services by people with disabilities requires formulation of financial policies that accord them special consideration. At the same time, improvement is needed in the knowledge, attitudes and skills of the people with disabilities themselves and also microfinance providers.     

“The Rule Was the Rule”: new member socialization in rigidly structured totalistic organizations

This study examined member encounter in two organizations with rigid rule structures and great reach into members’ lives: the U.S. military and the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. Interviews conducted with members allowed emergence of the lived experience of organizational entry in the words of participants in thematic categories. Findings challenge current views of encounter as a negotiation between currently held beliefs and organizational role and suggest a more nuanced view of organizational encounter that is tied to the reach of the organization into the member’s life. Findings also suggest that in totalistic organizations, encounter is designed to quickly manufacture enacted organizational identities that maintain and reproduce organizational rule systems.     

The meaning of workplace discrimination for women with disabilities

Studies have found that persons with disabilities who are also members of other minority groups or women encounter dual discrimination. This paper describes how women with disabilities who are in the workplace experience discrimination. In order to determine whether discrimination was a viable issue, theoretical contexts of feminist theory, disability theory, and attribution theory were examined as well as literature examining employment of women with disabilities. For this study, three women with various disabilities were interviewed regarding the effect of their disability on their typical workday, their employment and job seeking history, and employment opportunities. Qualitative data were also provided through mapping by the participants and pictorial data of worksites. Data were grouped into themes of pre-conceived notions of others, attitudes of others, accommodation issues, inclusion issues and exploitation issues. From these themes definitions of discrimination, nondiscrimination in the workplace were developed. Conclusions include the need for more research on workplace experiences of other or more specific populations that experience discrimination as well as the need for ethical reflection on the part of the researcher regarding vulnerable populations.     

Adolescents' trust and reciprocity toward friends,unknown peers,and community members

Using a newly developed version of the Trust Game among 196 adolescents aged 11–20 years, this study examined whether adolescents distinguish between trust and reciprocity to unknown peers, friends, and community members. We also tested for effects of age, gender, and individual differences in attending to others' emotions, emotional support to friends, societal contributions, and institutional and interpersonal trust beliefs. Results indicated that adolescents showed the least trust and reciprocity to unknown peers, more to a community member, and most to friends. Reciprocity increased with age, and individual differences in societal contributions and interpersonal trust were positively related to trust and reciprocity. This study was the first to show that community members are a specific target in adolescents' social world.     

"Who Causes the Blind to See": disability and quality of religious life

Persons with physical or mental disabilities often turn to religious institutions for comfort and belonging. They are not, however, always openly welcomed into religious circles. Many churches and synagogues fail to make the necessary accommodations for parishioners with disabilities and some show covert signs of hostility towards them. Possible reasons for this exclusion are examined, theorising that they stem from the most ancient of beliefs about the nature of disability and its relationship to God. Sources within the Jewish and Christian faiths are examined and it is hypothesised that there are four central views inherent in these religions that act as barriers to those with disabilities. These beliefs must be challenged so that all may find fulfillment and inclusion within their religious faiths. Religious leaders and followers must also acknowledge and redress the fact that such beliefs have contributed to the establishment of disability and an oppressed political minority within Western society.     

University gatekeepers’ use of the rhetoric of citizenship to relegate the status of students with disabilities in Canada

Despite affirmation that students with disabilities should have equal access to education, individuals with disabilities are still not participating to the same degree as individuals without disabilities, particularly within postsecondary institutions. Students in Health and Human Service (HHS) programs experience many unique challenges and disadvantages. In-depth focus groups and interviews were conducted with 14 university stakeholders in HHS programs regarding their perceptions and experiences of working with students with disabilities. We found that the rhetoric of citizenship, specifically notions of rationality, autonomy, and productivity, interacts with beliefs about students with disabilities to allow stakeholders to justify their exclusion or limited participation. Our findings demonstrate how taken-for-granted beliefs can limit the inclusion of students with disabilities in ways that seem natural and unproblematic.     

Sexual abuse in adulthood: Ongoing risks for people with learning disabilities

This paper reports findings of a 3-year research programme into the sexual abuse of adults with learning disabilities conducted at the University of Kent. Inconsistent reporting to and by services can be seen in the results, including lack of agreed practice around consent to sexual activities between service users. Abuse is also perpetrated by staff, volunteers, family members and other known and trusted adults. Thus both definition and detection are important competencies for services to develop. Abuse reported was predominantly perpetrated by men on both women and men with learning disabilities, and the gender issues raised by tackling sexual abuse in unequal staff teams, with their male style of management and a female workforce, are considered. Outcomes of the reporting process are considered and services for adults are urged to take a more proactive stance.     

Understanding views of disability in the Cote d’Ivoire

While there are several international initiatives advocating for rights of individuals with disabilities in their community, many African countries lag behind in taking any actions. This is an ethnographic study conducted in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa, and examines the current programs and services for children with disabilities, and views of disability among the public. It utilizes individual and group interviews, field observations, surveys and examination of governmental documents. There are tremendous needs and shortcomings regarding disability programs. This might be due not only to a lack of resources but to the views of disabilities held by society.     

Locus of illness control: a cross-cultural study

A comparative study of rural Haitian and southern Appalachian health beliefs revealed significant differences both within and between groups regarding perceived control over illness. Data consisted of scores (N = 293) on the Locus of Illness Control Scale, a 15-item forced-choice instrument designed to include two subscales, one focused on illness prevention, the other on cure. Both cultural groups scored more externally on the cure dimension than they did on prevention. Group differences, however, were reversed for the subscales. While Appalachians apparently expect greater success in preventing illness, interestingly, Haitians show greater perceived ability to cure illness. The findings have implications for traditional views of "fatalistic" cultures, for the refinement of concepts related to health locus of control, and for the practical utility of standardized instruments among populations that vary in health problems and therapeutic resources.     

Maximizing competence through professional development: increasing disability knowledge among One-Stop Career Center staff

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (USA) mandates that partners in the One-Stop Career Center system be prepared to serve a diverse customer base. Effective service delivery depends in part on a focus on human resources and professional development. This article presents innovative strategies for One-Stop Career Center staff training related to serving customers with disabilities. Findings from case study research conducted in several One-Stops across the country revealed that staff struggled with both knowledge and attitudes around disability issues. To address these concerns, local leaders developed practices that provided opportunities to gain practical skills and put acquired knowledge to use. These included a formalized curriculum focused on disability issues; informal support and consultation from a disability specialist; and exposure and learning through internships for students with disabilities. Implications are offered to stimulate thinking and creativity in local One-Stops regarding the most effective ways to facilitate staff learning and, in turn, improve services for customers with disabilities.     

Professional Ideology and Learning Disability: an analysis of internal conflict

Normalisation is the guiding principle for professionals who work with people with learning disabilities. However, professionals hold varying degrees of adherence to this prevailing orthodoxy. In addition, some professionals openly dispute its merits and adopt a more paternalistic perspective of people with learning disabilities. Consequently, their views are more similar to the parents of people with learning disabilities than to their professional colleagues. Based on ideological differences, these contradictory views create tension and potential conflict between professionals. This paper explores the ideological differences between professionals who follow the prevailing orthodoxy, identified in the study as 'normalisers', and professionals who adhere to a superseded ideology, identified as 'paternalists'. Similar to the problematic relationship between parents and professionals, a solution to the internal conflict of professionals may also be found in seeking a shared ideology of care.     

Financial Responsibility for the Family: The Case of Southeast Asian Refugees in Canada

Although respondents (n = 647) came from collectivist societies (Vietnam and Laos) where they were expected to provide for the family, they have been living in a setting (Canada) where individualism is emphasized and public sources of assistance are available. The effect of this transition on their beliefs and behaviors regarding financial responsibility for family was assessed. With the exception of new situations (government assistance for the elderly or poor, and money sent to relatives in the home country), respondents endorsed traditional beliefs. Lower English ability and favorable views toward multiculturalism were associated with traditional views. They relied on non-family as well as family for financial assistance. Ethnic differences, reflective of their resettlement experiences, were evident.     

The Reciprocal Relationship Between Religious Beliefs and Acceptance of One’s Gay or Lesbian Family Member

Research suggests that the coming out process can be stressful not only for individuals disclosing their sexual orientation, but also for the family members who receive the news. While research demonstrates that family acceptance of such disclosures is related to one’s religious beliefs, less is known about how religion influences the process of acceptance. There are theoretical reasons to expect that individuals’ religious beliefs interact with their attitudes regarding acceptance in reciprocal ways. Utilizing data from 14 semistructured interviews with family members of lesbian and gay individuals, we offer a preliminary examination of how the process of acceptance is both influenced by and influences a person’s own religious beliefs. Results suggest that the acceptance process involves a complex interaction between an individual’s general proclivity toward acceptance, the degree to which religion promotes or opposes the acceptance of same-sex relationships, and the level of investment one has in their church.     

Research Note: Religious Affiliation and Poverty Explanations: Individual,Structural, and Divine Causes

Abstract

Prior studies of people's explanations for poverty have relied upon individual, structural, and fatalistic explanations. This paper explores an additional explanation for poverty, divine intervention. Using a sample of 360 college students, I show that divine intervention is a distinct explanation for poverty. I then examine if or how six religious groups—conservative, African American, and mainline Protestants, Catholics, the nonaffiliated, and those with “other” beliefs—differ in their views of individual, structural, and divine explanations for poverty. Results show that members of conservative Protestant denominations are more individualistic than Catholics and the nonaffiliated. African American Protestants were significantly more structuralist than conservative Protestants. African American Protestants are more likely than conservative Protestants, and both are more likely than Catholics, the nonaffiliated, and those with “other” beliefs, to believe that divine intervention is an important explanation for poverty.     

A parent's place: Parents', mentors' and program staff members' expectations for and experiences of parental involvement in community-based youth mentoring relationships

Youth mentoring has been conceptualized largely as a dyadic relationship between a mentor and mentee, with less attention paid to the role of parents. This study contributes to an emerging body of research on parent involvement by examining expectations for parents' roles in the mentoring process held by program staff, mentors, and parents themselves. In-depth interviews with mentoring program staff (n = 12), mentors (n = 30), and a parent or guardian of the youth being mentored (n = 30) were analyzed to identify these participants' views on the role of parents. Findings indicate that mentors and program staff were more aligned in their views and tended to be more focused on the ways that parents could potentially interfere with or otherwise disrupt the mentor–youth relationship. Parents' views were more varied and rooted in differences in both their individual values and beliefs about the role of a mentor in their child's life, their parenting styles and ways they expected adults outside of the family who were interacting with their child to engage with them. Implications for future research on parent involvement and for mentoring program practices are discussed.     

Reflections on International Certified Nursing Assistants

The author, a former university faculty member who taught English to speakers of other languages and now a nursing home resident, shares her observations about how English language proficiency, culture, and religious differences affect her care. She provides examples of communication challenges that can be annoying or cause harm, her coping strategies, and reasons many certified nursing assistants might never be fully fluent in English. She explains how international certified nursing assistants can benefit residents because of skills developed by family-centered care in their countries of origin. She also discusses related issues—the importance of being culturally competent about U.S. culture. She points out how religiousness not only affects residents but is a buffer for staff against the stress of physically and emotionally demanding low-wage work. Overall, the author likes receiving care from individuals from other countries, finding reward in comparing how her personal struggle with illness and paralysis resonates with the trauma of migration and how learning firsthand about varying beliefs and attitudes clarifies her identity and place in world history.     

The microfinance promise—can it be kept? A macro perspective

After five decades of rapid expansion of microfinance worldwide, little is known about its aggregate effects and whether the “microfinance promise” of poverty reduction holds at the macro level. Challenging questions have arisen. Here we explore the dynamic response of microfinance on economic growth, financial deepening and income inequality. Countries are grouped into three broad clusters (stable, moderate and poor) based on macro‐institutional variables. Our results show that microfinance has a significant long‐term ability to affect the broader economy. However, the impact and dynamics of microfinance differ substantially across macro‐institutional environments. It grows in weaker environments, reaches its peak in developing economies, and then gradually “dies out” in more stable economies. While there is evidence of a positive impact of microfinance at the aggregate level, the response is different depending on whether countries are poor, moderately developed or economically stable. Once countries climb up the macro‐institutional “ladder,” microfinance can take a different shape and its relationship with other macroeconomic fundamentals can change. Our results indicate that microfinance has the strongest effect when the external environment is supportive and proactive; in weak environments, microfinance cannot grow sufficiently. Therefore, more attention should be given to supporting the socioeconomic dimensions of economies.     

Religious Recruitment and the Management of Dissonance: A Sociological Perspective*

While religious organizations are not concerned with cognitive dissonance, per se, their concerns with acquiring new members maintaining member beliefs, obtaining member commitments and deterring members from leaving. are all affected by their abilities to manage (avoid, tolerate and exploit) dissonance experienced by those persons. Conceptualizing dissonance as a socially negotiable phenomenon, a sociological version of dissonance is examined in the context of religious recruitment.