Planned change in the disability community

Planned change with people, who are physically or mentally disabled, as with other special populations, requires a range of skills and knowledge; several specific aspects of the change process are identified and discussed in this article: the characteristics of the change agent, the timing of the change event, and creating a vision for change. These aspects are illustrated through the writer's own experiences as a change agent working a long-range change event to improve access1 to mental health services in the US with and for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.     

Early social exposure and later affiliation processes within an evolving social network

BackgroundWhile short-term experiments have found that exposure to social contacts affects likeability, this study investigates its long-term effects on friendships in an emerging network.MethodsOne hundred psychology freshmen indicated whether they attended an introductory event before the start of the academic year to assess early exposure and reported on the friendships they formed with their peers at the beginning, middle, and end of their first semester.ResultsRSiena network models revealed that students taking part in the introductory event were more likely to form friendships throughout the first semester, but less likely to keep them.DiscussionWhile early exposure to people in an emerging network might provide a head start for forming friendships for at least a semester, these friendships appear less stable than those of students who did not have that exposure.     

Hospitalizations for Students With an Alcohol-Related Sanction: Gender and Pregaming as Risk Factors

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether pregaming (ie, drinking prior to a social event) is a risk factor for hospitalization. Participants: Participants (N = 516) were undergraduate students with an alcohol-related sanction. Methods: Participants completed a survey about alcohol use, as well as behaviors and experiences, prior to and during the referral event. The dependent variable was whether participants received medical attention at an emergency department during the sanction event. Results: Results indicated that older students, females who pregame, students with higher alcohol use screening scores, lighter drinkers, and higher numbers of drinks before the referral event all increased the odds of receiving medical attention. Pregaming alone was not significantly related to receiving medical attention in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Female students who pregame appear to be at risk for requiring hospitalization after drinking when controlling for the number of drinks consumed.     

“Adding Their Flavour to the Mix”: Involving Children and Young People in Care in Research Design

Abstract

Children and young people are often the subjects of research but are not usually thought of as codesigners of research projects contributing to the development of tools and resources so that research about them and their peers is more likely to be appropriate and effective. This paper describes and analyses the involvement of a group of 14 children and young people who have been in out-of-home care. They assisted in the design of a research project that sought their views on what makes a “good” foster carer. The impetus for this study arose from a desire to include children and young people as stakeholders in improving the foster care system and a long-held belief that they could and should be active partners in creating change. The study demonstrated how children and young people could be engaged creatively in individual and group conversations and activities in relation to potential research questions and research methods and tools. The paper concluded that capturing their views will ensure that research will be of benefit to other children and young people and to policy makers and practitioners working in the field.     

Young People Leaving Care: Participatory Research to Improve Child Welfare Practices and the Rights of Children and Young People

Abstract

This paper discusses participatory research with young people who are leaving public care in Finland to begin independent lives. The aim of the research, organised by SOS Children's Villages International, was to bring about change in alternative care arrangements, particularly those involving young people's transition to independence. The project used a participatory research design based on employing care-leaving peers as co-researchers. This paper adheres to the methodological principles of empowerment in analysing the personal experiences of young people leaving alternative care with the goal of informing good practice. The findings suggest that the peer research method can be an effective means of empowering young people to develop research skills and to be involved in knowledge production, as well as serving as a means of promoting improved services for “care-leavers”, those young people who are leaving either foster care or institutional care. The participatory and peer research method challenges the traditional understandings of expertise and knowledge production. Although the hierarchy between adult researchers and young people as co-researchers is still evident, the method provides possibilities for better understanding the social- and health-service systems and their challenges and pitfalls from a user's perspective.     

Life's predictable unpredictables and the career plans of youth

A review of the status attainment research failed to discover a model that takes into account possible effects of unforeseen, consequential life events on the career plans of youth. The present longitudinal study found that 30.4% of 536 respondents indicated that something major had happened to change their occupational or educational plans in an important way. Race and sex differences were discovered with respect to whether a major happening was perceived to have occurred and with respect to the nature of the event. White women were found to be peculiarly vulnerable to the impact of unforeseen events. About half of all respondents who indicated that a consequential event had occurred cited marriage or having a child as the event. Relatively few in the low‐income sample cited financial problems as unpredictable events. Respondents who reported any consequential event were found to be less satisfied with their jobs and less happy with their marriages. It would be desirable to include measures of unforeseen consequential events in future status attainment research.     

Teaching Characteristics and Student Satisfaction: Impact on Social Work Students’ Interest in Policy

ABSTRACT

Social work educators are charged with the important task of preparing students to carry out the noble mission to focus on the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. Educators, particularly those who teach social policy, understand that to achieve this mission, it is imperative for social workers to be trained to engage in structural and policy change efforts, regardless of interest in clinical or macro practice. This study explored the characteristics, if any, that make policy instructors in social work effective, as well as instructor characteristics that promote interest in policy work in social work professional practice.     

Collaborative Family Work in Youth Justice

ABSTRACT

A number of studies have found that working with family groups can be successful in improving outcomes for young people and their families. This article reports on a study in New South Wales in which juvenile justice staff offered collaborative family work interventions to young people as part of the routine offerings of a juvenile justice service. The primary objective of this study was to examine the extent to which young people who completed the family work had lower recidivism rates compared to three control groups. The methods included a comparison of recidivism rates between young people who completed the intervention, those who failed to complete, those who declined, and a matched sample of young people who were not offered the intervention. The results of the study indicated that many young people and their families were agreeable to be involved in the intervention and the completion rates were high, particularly if the work was undertaken in the family home. The young people who completed the intervention also had lower recidivism rates than young people in each of the control groups.

IMPLICATIONS

• Collaborative family work can be offered successfully by juvenile justice services to young offenders and their families.

• Collaborative family work can reduce recidivism rates for those who complete the intervention.

• It is preferable to conduct the work in the family home where completion rates are likely to be higher.

     

Recruiting young people to sensitive research: turning the ‘wheels within wheels’

Abstract

This article contributes to a growing literature that takes a more nuanced approach to exploring the complexities of relationships and negotiations with gatekeepers. Using our study of young people living with a parent at the end of life as a ‘critical case’ of sensitive qualitative research, we discuss how far from being a smooth, linear process, participant recruitment was experienced as a series of overlapping challenges, characterised here as ‘wheels within wheels’. Each component of this multi-faceted process relied on identifying and engaging with key practitioners who acted as gatekeepers. We discuss how researcher and gatekeeper positionality influenced the outcome of negotiations with gatekeepers, and highlight potential implications for young people in exigent sets of circumstances. If the routes ‘in’ to access young people are difficult, then this also raises questions about routes ‘out’ for young people and their access to support when living through challenging times.     

The Physical Housing Environment and Subjective Well-Being Among Older People Using Long-Term Care Services in Japan

Abstract

For older people using long-term care services, the conditions of their life-space may be critical. The relationships between the physical housing environment and aspects of health were examined among older people in Japan (aged 65+ years, N?=?1,928) by multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Lack of safety, low access to emergency assistance, low or high indoor temperature, poor sanitary conditions, and state of home disrepair were significantly associated with negative aspects of health among people with low activities of daily living (ADL) independence. Home care service providers and policymakers need to consider the importance of appropriate environmental conditions for the most vulnerable groups.     

Laowai as a discourse of Othering: unnoticed stereotyping of American expatriates in Mainland China

ABSTRACT

Homogeneous ethnic labels, deriving from migrants’ phenotypic and cultural distinctness, are frequently utilised to single them out as the Other during intercultural encounters. Nonetheless, the Othering enacted by ethnic labelling has not attracted enough attention from host-nationals who use these labels. In-depth interviews with 35 American expatriates revealed that laowai was perceived as a discourse of Othering, which first categorised Westerners under this label as the Other in mainland China for their noticeable non-Chinese physical appearance, and then exposed them to its Chinese users’ diversely motivated stereotyping in such forms as exclusion, alienation and discrimination. However, Chinese people had not noticed laowai’s nature of being a stereotype-laden discourse of Othering and conversely considered this label as a neutral and even friendly expression. Ultimately, these Americans experienced Chinese people’s habitual use of laowai as a way to separate them as permanent outsiders who were subject to Occidentalism in mainland China.     

Restoring and Sustaining Home: The Impact of Home Modifications on the Meaning of Home for Older People

ABSTRACT

The importance of a supportive home environment to successful aging has been well-established in the literature, with home modifications increasingly acknowledged as ways of removing barriers to function and increasing independence for older people. Home modification literature and practice primarily focus on the home environment as a physical space in which to perform tasks and on the impact of modification on competencies and function. Home, however, is much more than a physical environment. Within a transactive framework, people and places are seen as engaged in a dynamic, reciprocal relationship through which home becomes a place of significant personal meaning. Through a qualitative framework, this study examines the experience of older people living in the community who are recipients of a home modification service. It explores the impact modifying the physical environment has on their experience of home as a place of meaning and provides insight into how home modifications can strengthen the home as a place of personal and social meaning as well as improve safety and comfort for the older person at home.     

THe Use of Hormone Therapy in the Male-to-Female Transgender Population: Issues for Consideration in Thailand

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Prejudice against transgender people is evident around the world with discrimination in many aspects of life, including access to health care. Even in Thailand, where male-to-female (MTF) transgender people are particularly visible and society is reputedly accepting, barriers to attaining appropriate health care still exist. The vast majority of MTF transgender people in Thailand are reported to be taking hormone therapy; however, most do not seek medical advice regarding these regimens, with the initiation and tailoring of medication often being guided by sympathetic peers instead. The objectives of this review are to consider hormone therapy in the context of the Thai population and provide recommendations regarding ways to improve practice and reduce health risks. Methods: The data analysis in this article represents a comprehensive literature review regarding hormone therapy for MTF transgender people including the guidelines for initiation, prescribing, and monitoring of hormone therapy, risks for serious adverse events and reported hormone use by the MTF transgender population in Thailand. Results: There is a notable lack of published research regarding hormone therapy in the transgender population. Guidelines, whilst relying considerably on expert opinion, do provide clear recommendations on the initiation, maintenance and monitoring of hormone therapy. Comparison of endocrine guidelines with reported practice in Thailand reveals significant opportunities for improvement in MTF transgender hormone therapy. Conclusions: The incautious use of hormone therapy may represent a considerable health risk behavior undoubtedly contributing to the morbidity and mortality in MTF transgender people. Although there is currently considerable focus on sexually transmitted infections in the MTF transgender population, a more comprehensive approach to health care is required, including education for transgender people and the health professionals who attend to them regarding appropriate hormone therapy.     

The Role of Perceived Racial Discrimination in the Marriage Gap Between Black and White People

Abstract

Many explanations offered for the gap in marriage rates between Black and White people are economic and cultural. Less often considered are how racial social psychological factors influence marriage rates. In this study, we use critical race theory and the life course perspective to investigate how perceived racial discrimination impacts the likelihood of marriage for Black and White people. Data for the study are taken from the Portraits of American Life Study (N?=?678). The results of logistic regression analyses show that among people who report perceived racial discrimination, White people generally have a higher probability of being married compared to Black people. Analyses by age demonstrate that among younger adults, Black people who perceive racial discrimination are equally likely to be married as White people and have a higher probability of being married than Black people who do not report perceptions of racial discrimination. A negative influence on the odds of marriage related to perceived racial discrimination for Black people becomes clearer as respondents age. The findings highlight the importance of considering perceptions of racial discrimination to better understand the marriage gap between Black and White people across the life course.     

Age Segregation and the Quality of Life of the Elderly People in Studio Apartments

ABSTRACT

The paper attempts to ascertain the impact of age-segregation on the quality of life of elderly people who are living in studio apartments in Singapore. After a review of the relevant literature and statistical analysis of a survey data for 390 elderly respondents in studio apartments, it was found that age-segregation have a deleterious impact on the quality of life of the elderly people. Furthermore, it was found that the perception of the elderly in relation to factors that are most significant to their quality of life is at variance with that of the policy makers. This implies that there is a need for policy makers and service providers to review their existing policies, products and services so as to be more effective in providing housing options for the rapidly aging population of Singapore.     

The race dimension in child protection: Some prompts for practice

Abstract

This paper attempts to collect some experience and some research concerning racial dimensions in current social work practice. It also grapples with the problem of fear. It is written from the perspective of social services workers, who distinguish themselves from other professional colleagues concerned with child abuse in two important respects. Firstly, they carry specific statutory responsiblity for the welfare of children, and therefore have extensive powers over the lives of family members. Secondly, as part of local government, Social Services Departments are at the forefront of conveying societal and political as well as professional attitudes and values into their work with some of the most disadvantaged people in the communities they serve. In urban areas these communitities contain many people with little or no clout, or people who do not realize that they could have a say in how services are delivered.     

Brief online surveys to monitor and evaluate facilitated peer support groups for caregivers of children with special needs

BackgroundThere have been few systematic evaluations of experiences of participating in peer support groups for parents and other caregivers of children with special needs. In Australia, facilitated groups are available to caregivers in community settings, through a nationally funded program, MyTime. Mechanisms for ongoing monitoring and evaluation have not yet been instituted.AimTo establish whether brief, online surveys can be used for monitoring and evaluating peer support groups for caregivers of children with special needs.MethodsTwo brief, online surveys, with both fixed-choice and open-ended questions, were developed. All caregivers who attended any MyTime group during a 1-month period were invited to participate.ResultsOf 89 caregivers who expressed interest in participating, 54 and 31 respondents completed respectively. Respondents represented a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. Responses revealed both positive and negative aspects of group participation. Linked data on expectations and experiences provided important feedback for the program.ConclusionBrief, online surveys are a suitable mechanism for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of peer support group programs for caregivers.     

A Profile of The National Policy Summit on Elder Abuse: Perspective and Advice on Replication

ABSTRACT

Social change results from concerted and informed action by people who care about solving problems. However, the interest of concerned individuals must be focused on priority issues, and the experts, those who know the impact of the problem, those who can envision a preferred future, must be involved in defining the solutions. This article briefly describes The National Policy Summit on Elder Abuse where experts and visionaries came together in Washington, DC, in December 2001 to develop the first-ever national elder abuse action agenda. The article contains suggestions and advice for those interested to utilize the elder abuse summit approach for influencing policy change at the state and local levels.     

Mind the Gap: Built Infrastructures,Sustainable Caring Relations,and Resilient Communities in Extreme Weather Events

Abstract

Climate change debates seldom link the insights derived from the physical sciences to the concerns of social scientists. Understanding how failures in built infrastructures increase the caring burden on women is one of these instances. This article draws on a pilot study on climate change and older people to demonstrate that women who provide informal care services are called upon to fill the gap between declining levels of formal care provisions and care needs when the infrastructures serving a community fail. This research challenges policymakers, emergency planners, and practitioners to think about the increased care burdens that women are expected to undertake during disasters involving extreme weather events like heat waves, cold snaps, and flooding, and reconsider policies that pass this responsibility down to the level of community without the necessary support services and built infrastructures being in place. This issue acquires additional urgency in the context of declining levels of care being publicly funded through the age of austerity as public expenditure cuts begin to bite.