Gender and intimate caregiving for the elderly in Hong Kong

This paper analyzes the special challenges posed by caregiving provided by adult children to their physically impaired parents and in-laws, particularly as they relate to the issues of gendered eldercare and caregiving stress. Through the use of 16 semi-structured intensive interviews conducted in Hong Kong, we find that the discourses on sexualized and gendered bodies create formidable obstacles to the caregiving process. The sexual taboo in its various manifestations induces discomfit and even repulsion in situations where private parts of the body of the elderly are exposed and touched. Such hindrances create conflicts and stress for caregivers and care receivers alike, especially for women caregivers due to the social expectation that they are “natural” caregivers. Our study suggests that the key to overcoming such obstacles depends on a strong sense of filial gratitude, as well as the successful development of a respectful caregiving relationship between children and parents.     

The influence of caregiving stressors, social support, and caregiving appraisal on marital functioning among African American wife caregivers

Using a stress and coping framework, we examined the influence of caregiving stressors, social support, and caregiving appraisal on the marital functioning of 100 African American wife caregivers. Results of separate multivariate analyses revealed received church support, caregiving burden, and caregiving satisfaction significantly predicted wives' marital functioning, when caregivers' background characteristics (age and education), length of caregiving, whether first marriage, and urban versus rural location were controlled. Receiving church support was associated with increased marital functioning. Lower levels of caregiving burden were associated with increased marital functioning. Higher levels of caregiving satisfaction were associated with increased marital functioning. Findings illuminate wives' caregiving and marital experiences, and have implications for family therapy and future research.     

Restorative home environments for family caregivers

Caregiver stress negatively affects caregiver health and the overall quality of in-home caregiving. While environmental interventions such as home modifications help caregivers manage stressful functional aspects, interventions for managing stressful emotional aspects are unexplored. Frequently, caregiving responsibilities restrict caregivers' spatial and temporal range of restorative activities to their familial residential environment. In a first attempt to explore the restorative potential of a house in which caregiving occurs, this paper reports experiential attributes of restorative environments from environmental psychology and healthcare design research. It discusses the relevance of restorative attributes to the socio–physical residential context of caregiving using three caregiver needs: need for a temporary escape, meaningful social support, and a sense of control. This conceptual exploration of the restorative potential of the residential caregiving environment offers a base for investigating targeted architectural and functional interventions that might complement current advances in home modifications and respite services.     

Pathways from neighborhood to neglect: The mediating effects of social support and parenting stress

Neighborhood social cohesion relates to common bonds and feelings of trust between neighbors. The everyday demands of caregiving can take a toll on parents and increase their levels of stress and in some cases can lead to maltreatment. The current study seeks to understand how the support networks of parents relate to child maltreatment. Specifically, using structural equation modeling path analysis and a sample of 1045 families from Franklin County, Ohio, we examine the direct relationship between neighborhood social cohesion and child neglect as well as the indirect relationship between the two, mediated by social support and parenting stress. We find no significant direct association between neighborhood social cohesion and neglect. However, we find important indirect effects. Specifically, parents who reported higher levels of neighborhood social cohesion had higher levels of social support, lower levels of parenting stress, and consequently, lower levels of neglect.     

Negotiating the Organizational Effectiveness of Social Ventures among Multiple Stakeholders

When planning their social ventures, entrepreneurs generally need to consider multiple stakeholders with conflicting views of organizational effectiveness. We propose a scoring technique that is often used for the analysis of multiple-issue negotiations to analyze and manage the stakeholder conflicts. We show how the quantitative assessment of stakeholders’ preferences results in a one-dimensional subjective measure of organizational effectiveness for each stakeholder. Our approach complements recent research by contributing to a quantitative discussion of organizational effectiveness. Due to typical structural features of the employed scoring template, we are able to derive general principles concerning the conflict structure and the interaction of multiple stakeholders. We find that an increase in the number of stakeholders required for an agreement tends to decrease the perceived organizational effectiveness for the initial negotiators. On the other hand, the multitude of possible agreements is also reduced, thereby sharpening the focus on acceptable proposals to the stakeholders involved.     

Advancing nonprofit organizational effectiveness research and theory: Nine theses

Drawing on the general literature on organizational effectiveness, the specialized literature on nonprofit organizational effectiveness, and recent research in the field, this article advances nine theses, or conclusions, about the effectiveness of public benefit charitable, nonprofit organizations (NPOs). NPO effectiveness is (1) always comparative, (2) multidimensional, (3) related to board effectiveness (but how is not clear), (4) related to the use of correct management practices but not in any simple “best practices” way, and (5) a social construction. Furthermore, (6) it is unlikely that there are any universally applicable best practices that can be prescribed for all NPO boards and management, (7) organizational responsiveness is a useful organizational‐level effectiveness measure, (8) distinguishing among types of NPOs is important and useful, and (9) level of analysis makes a difference in researching and understanding effectiveness. The article concludes by considering implications for organizational practice, boards and governance practices, program evaluation, including program outcomes assessment, and capacity building and capacity builders.     

Caregiving for relatives with Alzheimer's disease: feelings of Chinese-Canadian women

Chinese-Canadian female caregivers were asked about their feelings of providing care for relatives with Alzheimer's disease. Using an adapted version of the conceptual model of Alzheimer's caregivers' stress by Pearlin et al. [Gerontologist 30 (1990) 583] to guide data collection, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted in Cantonese. Qualitative analysis was inductive and done manually. Despite anticipating and accepting their caregiving role as a cultural obligation, they, like most caregivers, felt overwhelmed, anxious, and fearful of the future. Against their stated cultural and personal values, all caregivers had made applications to nursing homes, and six were ready to institutionalize their relatives when a place became available. While coping mechanisms and social support appeared to mediate their stress, participants' concerns about the influence of western culture on traditional values and in particular, intergenerational issues regarding caregiving provided an added burden. Findings are particularly relevant given the rapid growth of the Chinese population in North America.     

Friendsourcing Peer Support for Alzheimer’s Caregivers Using Facebook Social Media

ABSTRACT

This research piloted an e-health intervention that used social media to friendsource peer support for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) caregivers. Friendsourcing is a variant of crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing recruits online participants who share a characteristic that makes their volunteerism meaningful when they join to achieve an outcome. Friendsourcing recruits online participants who share membership in a social network that makes their volunteerism meaningful when they join to achieve an outcome. This article introduces our friendsourcing intervention research and examines the effects on the psychological well-being of AD caregivers. After a 6-week intervention, caregivers were found to have significantly decreased burden (Z?=??2.01, p?<?.05) and perceived stress (Z?=??2.95, p?<?.01). Emotional and informational support scores were significantly increased (Z?=??2.32, p?<?.05). Qualitative data analysis of the intervention identified positive effects in new caregiving knowledge acquisition and application and reduced stress in the acceptance of the caregiving role. Joining social networks in support groups through friendsourcing was feasible for AD caregivers who were familiar with social media, and can provide another means of guiding the development of their personal support networks.     

Levels of stress and anxiety in child and family social work: Workers' perceptions of organizational structure,professional support and workplace opportunities in Children's Services in the UK

Child and family social workers are consistently found to have high levels of stress, and this has often been linked to burnout and retention problems in the profession. Local authorities in the UK have recently been under pressure to reform services, and one focus has been exploring how different organizational structures might reduce stress and increase well-being of workers. This paper presents data on 193 social workers from five local authorities in England. We examine the effects of different ways of organizing Children's Services on workers' well-being, with particular focus on the underlying relationship between organizational elements, workplace opportunities, and practitioners' work satisfaction. The primary outcome measure is the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12, Goldberg, 1978), a widely validated measure of stress. This data is presented alongside information exploring aspects of organizational structure and functioning. Results indicated significantly different levels of reported stress and general well-being in practitioners working in different local authorities. Implications for how local authorities might support staff to work productively in the stressful and challenging environment of child and family social work are discussed.     

Linking Disaster Preparedness and Organizational Response Effectiveness

An analytical model is developed to specify the relationship between organizational disaster preparedness and effective disaster response. Specifying this relationship clarifies the theoretical significance of the concept of preparedeness. The model shows how the concept of disaster preparedness. The model shows how the concept of disaster preparedenss applies to a broad range of social services when circumstances overwhelm the usual means of responding to problems. The relationship between organizational preparedness and effectiveness has been widely and ambiguously assumed but never actually tested. The viability of the model is illustrated with data from a Key Resource Chapter of the American Red Cross. The paradoxical nature of organizational effectiveness suggests the need for many empirical studies to further sharpen the analytical connection between preparedness and effectiveness.     

Social Distress and the Police

Police work is generally assumed to be inherently stressful. However, research suggests that much of the stress associated with police work may be related to the organizational and administrative setting in which the work is conducted.

This is consistent with the concept of social distress which proposes that stress is generated by the social system in which the individual functions. The implication of understanding police stress within this framework for the implementation of police stress management programs is discussed.     

Social Support and the Mental Health of Family Caregivers: Sons and Daughters Caring for Aging Parents in Japan

The prevalence of depressive symptoms among family caregivers has been documented as a serious social problem that could threaten the lives of the elderly and their family caregivers. Social support is considered to be a promising remedy for this problem, although a comprehensive examination of the availability and effectiveness of social support that includes both formal and informal support across multiple dimensions remains limited. In addition, little research has been conducted in Japan on gender differences in stress processes. This study tried to fill those gaps by analyzing recent survey data on sons and daughters who are caring for their elderly parents. The results indicate that sons and daughters have similar levels of formal and informal support for daily care and advice, while there are some gender differences in regard to the availability of other types of social support. It was also found that many types of informal support were significantly associated with a lower caregiver burden for daughters, although this was not necessarily the case for formal support. General instrumental support from formal sources was even associated with higher levels of distress. For sons acting as caregivers, daily caregiving support was the only formal support that was significantly associated with their lower level of distress. Issues of formal support are discussed, in order to reduce the psychological burdens borne by sons and daughters who care for their parents at home.     

The Attributes of Effective NGOs and the Leadership Values Associated with a Reputation for Organizational Effectiveness

Building on prior research characterizing organizational effectiveness as a social construction, this article identifies the perceived attributes of effective transnational nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the leadership values associated with higher reputations for organizational effectiveness. Results are based on an in‐depth, mixed‐method interview study of 152 NGO leaders located in the United States and representing all major sectors of organizational activity. Among the twenty‐nine attributes that leaders identified in peer organizations that they regarded as particularly effective, leaders stressed instantiation of sound principles or strategy, a grassroots approach, large organizational size and resources, being collaborative, singleness of focus, campaigning abilities, funding and fundraising prowess, global scope, and quality people. Furthermore, statistical analysis reveals that NGOs with leaders who value similarities with peer organizations, grassroots approaches, diversity of strategies, dedication, professionalism, and distributed organizational structures have significantly higher reputations for effectiveness.     

The Contextual Experiences of Rural Custodial Grandparents and Opportunities for Social Work

Rural custodial grandparents have been understudied. As the grandparent caregiving population increases, more attention is needed to understand custodial grandparents in rural settings. This article explores the state of knowledge of the experiences of rural grandparents. A systematic review of the caregiving literature is conducted to understand the issues affecting this caregiving population. The results suggest that rural grandparents often are minority grandmothers with limited resources who provide care to older grandchildren in isolated environments. Attention is given to the social ecological framework as one model that can help to inform how social workers intervene with this population. Recommendations are offered for social work research, practice, and policy.     

Maternal Caregiving Moderates the Relation Between Temperamental Fear and Social Behavior with Peers

Temperament works in combination with a child’s environment to influence early socioemotional development. We examined whether maternal caregiving behavior at infant age 9 months moderated the relation between infant temperamental fear (9 months) and observations of children’s social behavior with an unfamiliar peer at age 2 in a typically developing sample of 155 children. When infants received lower quality maternal caregiving, temperamental fear was inversely related to observed social engagement and aggression. These relations were nonsignificant when infants received higher quality maternal caregiving. Findings indicate that variations in temperamental fear may predict individual differences in future peer interactions, but sensitive, nonintrusive caregiving behaviors can attenuate these associations.     

Chapter 3: Social Services and Bereavement in the Lesbian and Gay Community

Social service programs to address multiple loss in the gay and lesbian community must incorporate an understanding of the relationship between bereavement and the gay and lesbian experience including issues of stigma, homophobia, and the cumulative effects of stress. To address the collective experience of multiple loss, individual, family, and group interventions should be conducted in conjunction with social supports, community rituals, and political activity. Agencies need to prepare by instituting staff education and specific organizational policies to address HIV and bereavement, and provide organizational support to social service staff to facilitate the effective delivery of bereavement services.     

Whistleblowing and the Control of Organizational Misconduct*

The current study reviews the literature on whistleblowing and examines its role in detecting and controlling organizational misconduct. We begin with a definition of this concept, show how micro-level theories of “deviance” explain whistleblowing, summarize evidence on its prevalence and correlates, and examine the legal protection of whistleblowers against organizational retaliation. The effectiveness of whistleblowing legislation in encouraging the reporting of organizational misconduct is also discussed. The article concludes with a discussion of the relative costs and benefits of whistleblowing as a method of social control of organizational misconduct.     

Social policies regarding caregiving to elders: Canadian contradictions

In Canada, disparate social policies--to do with health, family, income security, housing, and so forth--influence caregiving to elders. They are contradictory policies because of their different objectives, histories, and jurisdictions. The wider context of societal and socio-demographic changes highlight additional contradictions in the principles on which social policies regarding caregiving rest. Some of these contradictions are discussed in terms of policies, their consequences, whether intended or not, and what the future might hold for Canadian policies and programs with implications for caregiving to elders.     

Social distress and the police

Police work is generally assumed to be inherently stressful. However, research suggests that much of the stress associated with police work may be related to the organizational and administrative setting in which the work is conducted. This is consistent with the concept of social distress which proposes that stress is generated by the social system in which the individual functions. The implication of understanding police stress within this framework for the implementation of police stress management programs is discussed.Based on a paper presented to the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association, Chicago, IL, October 1989.     

Informal caregivers' leisure time and stress

This article explores the disruption informal caregiving creates in the caregiver's family life and the relationship between leisure and stress caused by caregiving. The study finds that the caregiving setting, caregiver's sociodemographic characteristics, and economic variables (i.e., wage rate, nonwage income, and Medicaid coverage) significantly affect the caregiver's leisure. Additionally, reducing leisure leads to emotional and physical stress and less satisfaction with life overall. The article concludes with implications for public policy. Her research interests include long-term health care and medical service utilization for minority populations. She holds a doctorate from Northwestern University. He has published extensively in the areas of health services research and nonprofit organizations. His doctorate is from the University of Virginia.