Walking on the Edge: Towards a Sociography of Discrimination against the Buraku: Lectures on Discrimination in Letter Format

This article demonstrates a new methodological approach to recognize, analyze and write about discrimination against the buraku, which is one form of social discrimination in contemporary Japan. The structural discrimination proposed in this study is based on the concept of relational discrimination, which is derived from fundamental criticisms of the conventional concepts of material and psychological discrimination. Relational discrimination occurs when we are placed in a certain type of relationship and may become accomplices to discrimination or cause it, regardless of whether or not there is any individual prejudice or discriminatory consciousness at work. From this perspective, this article tries to fundamentally re-examine the binary thinking assumed in conventional sociology that there are minorities (those who are discriminated against) and majorities (those who discriminate against the minority). I focus on the complex ways of being human, and in particular on the transformations that accompany changes in particular relations such as from a person who does not discriminate to one who discriminates against others; from a person who is discriminated against to one who discriminates against others and from a person who is not discriminated against to one who is discriminated against. By focusing on the meaning of the deep suffering of a man who made discriminatory remarks to people living in a buraku community, and of a woman who married into a family living in a buraku community, I try to understand life ethics for people who discriminate and who at the same time are discriminated against.     

The Effect of Severe Child Sexual Abuse and Disclosure on Mental Health during Adulthood

This study examined the relationship among severe child sexual abuse, disclosure, and mental health symptoms during adulthood. The sample consisted of 172 adults who were sexually abused in childhood. The multivariate model showed that respondents in their 30s and 40s who were abused by more than one abuser, who were injured by their abusers, who were abused by a biological relative, who told someone about the abuse when it occurred, and who did not discuss their abuse in depth within one year of the abuse had a greater number of mental health symptoms. Abuse severity and disclosure history should be assessed by professionals to identify clients who are at higher risk of mental health symptoms and to focus therapy.     

Socio-economic factors and family size as determinants of marital dissolution in Italy

This is an analysis of marital dissolution in Italy, with a focus on the life events and socioeconomic factors that put individuals at high risk of a marital breakup. The author notes that Italian society still largely conforms to traditional conjugal models and attitudes toward cohabitation and divorce. "Women most exposed to the risk of marital disruption seem to be those who married very young, who have had no more than one child, who are better educated, who have full-time jobs and who reside in large towns in the north-west of Italy. In addition, a woman who cohabits with her partner before marrying him is more likely to separate than a woman entering marriage directly."     

Shelter Service Utilization of Domestic Violence Victims

This study examines service utilization among 283 adult victims of domestic violence identified by crisis responders as being in need of crisis services. The purpose of this study is to explore the differences between the domestic violence victims who choose to utilize shelter services and those who do not. Findings suggest that domestic violence victims who were more likely to utilize shelter services included those who had children at the time of the incident, victims who called for assistance from a location other than their home, victims who did not have a current order of protection in place, and victims who were injured during the domestic violence incident. Implications suggest more specific services to be provided by shelters.     

Psychosocial Profile of Children Having Participated in an Intervention Program for Their Sexual Behavior Problems: The Predictor Role of Maltreatment

This study sought to verify if a history of maltreatment may predict the psychosocial profile of children who participated in an intervention program aiming at reducing sexual behavior problems. Data were collected at both the beginning and the end of the intervention program using a clinical protocol and standardized tests selected on the basis of the intervention targets. In general, the results indicate that children who had experienced maltreatment display a psychosocial profile that is similar to that of children who had not experienced maltreatment. However, children who had experienced psychological abuse or neglect may display greater externalized or sexualized behaviors, whereas children who have a parent who had been a victim of sexual abuse may display fewer sexualized behaviors.     

Workers' compensation for psychological injury: personal and environmental correlates

The aim of this study was to determine the personal and environmental factors that contribute to the lodging of a workers' compensation claim for psychological injury. Four groups were compared: individuals who had lodged a workers' compensation claim, people who had sought psychological assistance for the management of work-related stress reactions but who had not lodged a workers' compensation claim; people who had experienced stress symptoms but who had not lodged a claim or sought help; and people who experienced stressful work events but who had not developed symptoms. Examination was made of cognitive distortion, irrational beliefs and coping resources as individual factors, and stressful life events, daily hassles and work environment factors as environmental variables. The Compensation group was distinguished from other groups only on the basis of work environmental factors. The implications of these results in the understanding of the decision to lodge a workers' compensation claim are considered.     

Men's recognition of violence against women and spousal abuse: comparison of three groups of men

Our goal was to assess whether men in the following three groups differ in their ability to recognize and judge the severity of diverse forms of aggressive behavior: (a) men who reported being physically aggressive toward their spouses and who were entering treatment for domestic violence; (b) men who, after participating in a treatment program, were no longer physically violent; and (c) men who reported never having been physically violent towards their spouses (NPV group-non-physically violent). All 81 men in the study reported being verbally aggressive toward their spouses. Men who had been in treatment for spousal abuse and who had not been physically violent toward their spouses since finishing the program were better able than the other two groups to recognize emotionally abusive behaviors.     

Should It Be Easy? Divorce Process Attitudes Among Those Who Have Split Up in Midlife

This grounded theory analysis examines the gray divorced population’s attitudes about the divorce process, that is, whether those who have experienced a divorce at age 50 or older believe divorce should be easier or harder to obtain in U.S. society. Among the 40 men and 40 women interviewed in this analysis, there were divorce delayers, who wanted to make divorce laws stricter; divorce facilitators, who championed more flexible divorce laws; divorce ambivalents, who held mixed views; and marriage gatekeepers, who advocated on behalf of status quo divorce laws but tougher relationship-strengthening requirements before marriage. The diversity of these participants’ views reflects those voices in the general population who continue to see divorce as a complex decision for most couples.     

Relationship between construction workers' musculoskeletal disorders and occupational health service activities

Construction work consists of numerous factors that influence workers' occupational health and that load the musculoskeletal system in particular. Musculoskeletal disorders are responsible for over a third of all sick leaves lasting over nine days in the construction industry. Occupational health services (OHS) were organized for 85% of the construction workers in our study. The proportion of construction workers who had suffered from chronic or repetitive neck and shoulder, shoulder or arm, or low-back disorders was 55.6%, 44.8% and 42.1%, respectively. Those who felt that they had received enough information, advice or guidance from OHS concerning work posture, work performance or work tools were more often those who had not suffered from shoulder or arm disorders (60.9% vs. 39.1%, p=.024, respectively) or low-back disorders (63.6% vs. 36.4%, p=.034, respectively) during the last month than those who had. Those who had received enough support from OHS concerning maintenance of work ability were more often workers who had not suffered from low-back disorders during the last month than those who had (63.3% vs. 36.7%, p=.004, respectively). OHS should focus more on workers who would really benefit from their activities at a particular time and in a particular situation (primary, secondary or tertiary prevention) and who are themselves devoted to improving their health.     

Does fairness matter in tax reporting behavior?

Experimental results show that taxpayers who receive no public transfer generally perceive their exchange equity with the government to be less equitable than taxpayers who receive a public transfer. Furthermore, the effect of the public transfer on reported income depends on the extent to which the taxpayers use the perception of equity in their tax reporting decisions. Subjects who perceive equity to be important in their tax reporting decisions report more income when they receive a public transfer, but report less income when they receive no public transfer, as predicted by equity theory. In contrast, subjects who perceive equity to be less important in their tax reporting decisions act directionally consistent with the economic effect. That is, taxpayers who receive no public transfer tend to report more income than those who receive a public transfer.     

The impact of marriage on fertility intentions and related values

Entry into and occupancy of major adult roles are of longstanding theoretical interest, but few studies have designs adequate to examine the consequences of associated changes in orientation. This study is based on a longitudinal project in which changes in fertility intentions and the importance of marriage and the family are examined among four subgroups--females who remained single, females who married, males who remained single, and males who married over a five-year period. Females, regardless of marital status, became less inclined to have children, males remaining single became more inclined and males who married over the interval changed little. When a control for value of marriage and the family was introduced, gender-based differences in fertility desires disappeared. There were substantial changes in the value domain according to sex and marital status--those who married over the five-year period displayed significant increases in the importance of the value of marriage and family. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Child Advocacy Center Based Group Treatment for Child Sexual Abuse

The present study examines initial symptom presentation among participants, outcomes, and social validity for a group treatment for child sexual abuse delivered at a child advocacy center. Participants were 97 children and their nonoffending caregivers who were referred to Project SAFE (Sexual Abuse Family Education), a standardized, 12-week cognitive-behavioral group treatment for families who have experienced child sexual abuse. Sixty-four percent of children presented with clinically significant symptoms on at least one measure with established clinical cutoffs. Caregivers of children who presented with clinically significant symptoms reported more distress about their competence as caregivers. Children who presented as subclinical were more likely to have experienced intrafamilial sexual abuse. Posttreatment results indicated significant improvements in functioning for all children who participated in treatment, with greater improvements reported for children who initially presented with clinically significant symptoms. Overall, the program was rated favorably on the posttreatment evaluation of social validity.     

Older Drivers Retiring From the Road: An Application of the Selection,Optimization, and Compensation Model

Purpose: This study uses the selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) model to compare older adults who have given up driving, those who still drive, and those who drive less to identify differences in the three groups. Design and Methods: This cross-sectional study of 281 older adults is part of the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Demonstration Project. Study participants completed interviews that included questions on demographics, health and functioning, mental health, social support, and current levels of engagement in activities including current driving status. Results: Data suggest that driving retirement is a process and that a substantial number of people are in the transitional stage, where they are less functional than those who still drive and more similar to those who have retired from the road. Implications: Given the similarity of those who drive less to those who have given up driving, front-line professionals and policy makers must work together to ease the transition to driving retirement for those without adequate ability to effectively compensate for their inability to continue to drive safely.     

School enrolment following multisystemic treatment: A register-based examination among youth with severe behavioural problems

This article addresses the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of multisystemic treatment (MST) by examining school enrolment at age 18 among youths who have received MST. The analyses are restricted to youths who engage in antisocial behaviour and/or substance abuse. We used propensity score matching to compare school enrolment between youths who had received MST and a control group who had not received MST. The analyses of population data showed a somewhat lower school enrolment in the MST group compared with youths receiving treatment as usual.     

Dreams meeting reality? A gendered perspective on the relationship between occupational preferences in early adolescence and actual occupation in adulthood

On the basis of longitudinal data from Sweden (n = 15,211), the article offers a gendered perspective on the relationship between occupational preferences during early adolescence and actual occupations in adulthood. Theoretically the study is based on socialisation theory and devaluation theory. The analyses show that preferences for one’s future occupation were stronger among those who came to make gender-typical choices, than among those who chose a gender-atypical occupation. However, a gender difference was also found in that girls who came to choose a male dominated occupation showed a stronger preference for their future occupation in adolescence, than boys who came to choose a female dominated occupation. Results also showed that at a general level, the occupations in adulthood were even more gender segregated than the preferences in adolescence. This was particularly true for girls, who in adolescence expressed a stronger preference to work in a male dominated occupations, than they would later actually do.     

Stalking victimization in the context of intimate partner violence

This article is one of the first to extensively compare characteristics of women who do and do not report stalking by a violent partner or ex-partner using a large sample of women with civil protective orders. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine similarities and differences in relationship and victimization history characteristics, mental health symptoms, help-seeking, and protective order violations for women who report being stalked in the past year (n = 345) by the partner they received a protective order against compared to women who received a protective order against a violent partner but who report no stalking by that partner ever in the relationship (n = 412). Results indicate that women who report partner stalking have more severe partner violence victimization, histories, increased distress, greater fear, and more protective order violations, suggesting that partner stalking victimization warrants more research and practice attention.     

Transition,Connection, Disconnection,and Social Media: Examining the Digital Lived Experiences of Transgender Individuals

In light of persistent discrimination, many individuals who are transgender lack a safe space to connect with others. Social media has become a platform for establishing social ties, receiving education, and sharing of resources that may not otherwise be available to individuals on the margins of society. Yet little is understood about the role of social media in the lives of individuals who are transgender. In this qualitative study, the researchers examined the experiences of adults who are transgender (N = 5) who use social media. The current study also explored possible benefits and hindrances of social media for individuals who are transgender. Two main themes emerged: social media as a resource and a path to self and authenticity. The researchers encourage counselors to become familiar with various social networking sites and their privacy settings, and propose using a theoretical framework to guide counseling work with individuals who are transgender to reflect on social media connections and disconnections.     

The Relationship Context: Its Effects on Low-Income Women's Desire for a Baby

Little is known about the influence of relationship characteristics on a woman's desire for a baby with her partner. This study addresses that gap, using data from a study of 1,114 low-income women in the southeast who were in a relationship. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, women who were in more established relationships, who had not had a previous child with their partner, or who had higher expectations of their partner were generally more likely to want a baby with him. In investigating women's childbearing desires, it is important to consider not only individual characteristics but also women's relationship characteristics.     

The Lived Experience of Family Members of Persons Who Compulsively Hoard: A Qualitative Study

The current study took an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach to investigate the lived experiences of 12 family members of persons who hoard to better understand family members’ cognitions, emotions, perceptions, experiences, and responses in their interactions with their loved ones who hoard. Five overarching themes for the participants’ experiences of having a person who hoards in the family emerged: negative feelings toward the persons who hoard; lack of understanding of hoarding behavior; experiences of loss; internal barriers to seeking support; and internal conflicts. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed, including a proposed application of an ambiguous loss framework for understanding and working with the experiences of family members of persons who hoard.