Patterns of a lost generation: Adaptations of Ph.D.’s to restricted academic opportunities

Policies designed to address the crisis of the Ph.D. undersupply should take the diversity of the lost generation into account. To document this diversity, this paper identifies eight general adaptations to the restricted opportunities for Ph.D.’s and then groups these types according to their ease of usefulness for resolving the crisis of undersupply. To facilitate the re-entry of lost generation sociologists, this paper clarifies how institutional barriers foster a “Matthew Effect” that works against re-entry. The paper then concludes by recommending that universities replace the retiring cohorts by rigorously selecting and training a limited number of new Ph.D.’s while employing full-time competent researchers and teachers from the lost generation. Robert B. Smith is currently a senior program evaluator of managed medical care at Aetna Health Plans. He has written articles on war and public opinion, research methodology, and computer simulations of urban and political processes. He has editedA Handbook of Social Science Methods.     

To risk or derisk the soul of the university? The peril in educational globalization

Educational globalization is taking place amid the competing narratives of hyperglobalization and deglobalization. This article shows that these narratives fail to capture what is really happening. Aggregate empirical data for the period since the 2008 financial crisis evidence neither an appreciable rise nor a substantial decline in the overall level of globalization. Against this backdrop, a grid of risks that market-based university reforms pose to the soul of the university can be garnered from five scholars’ comments on the author of this article’s book Implausible Dream: The World-Class University and Repurposing Higher Education. The risk factors are bracketed under the following headings: control mechanisms and diminishing reflexivity, misrule, numerical governance, the ethos of competitiveness, and the conventional organization of knowledge. This calculus of risks has important implications for crafting strategies for derisking the core purposes of higher education institutions. They revolve around a central motif: strengthening the democratic tradition at universities.     

Public relations education in Thailand

Public relation education in Thailand, offered at undergraduate and graduate levels at 21 universities, has become one of the most popular and competitive programs chosen by Thai students. This article discusses the development of public relations education in Thailand, the structure of current programs' curricula and course content at eight universities (three public, five private), graduate programs, instruction, and faculty.The in-depth interviews with public relations faculty revealed that while public university professors believed their students were well-prepared academically, most at private universities did not think the current curriculum sufficiently prepared students to be competitive in the work force in the future. The faculty uniformly agreed, however, that courses in interpersonal communication, intercultural/international communication, marketing communication, and new media technology should be added to the curriculum to help better prepare future practitioners to work in the global communication era.     

Teaching Note—Asserting Social Work’s Role in Developing an Interprofessional Education Project

ABSTRACT

Interprofessional (IP) education is an essential component of today’s health care education. IP education has been recognized and supported for its potential to educate workforce-ready health care clinicians with the knowledge and skills, necessary to collaboratively deliver high-quality, client-centered care. While social work’s reflective, patient-centered, and holistic approach to care is invaluable in addressing healthcare challenges at all levels, social work’s lack of involvement in IP health care team practice is evident in the development of IP education curriculum with other health care disciplines. This article describes how one School of Social Work at a regional public university became part of a longitudinal IP education project in collaboration with a large R-1 research university, creating an IP opportunity for Master’s in Social Work (MSW) students. It also discusses the process taken for social work inclusion in the IP project, an experiential elective course designed to supplement the project, as well as Transformative Learning Theory, the conceptual framework used.     

Social Work Education: Issues and Problems in Light of Recent Developments

This paper examines several aspects of the crisis in social work education, which has been aggravated by changes in American society and developments in higher education. Under “Crisis in Higher Education,” four developments are reviewed: the straining toward equality between student and teacher, the integration of subjective experience with formal content, the increased importance of continuing education, and the renewed attention needed for the place of values in teaching. The expanded definition of practice and the creation of new categories of professional personnel have triggered and exacerbated problems of quality, content, and goal. The paper concludes with suggestions for remedying the crisis.     

Pedagogy of international social work: a comparative study in the USA,UK, and Georgia

The social work profession worldwide has been increasingly influenced by globalization and its effects on social issues that require social workers to be responsive and knowledgeable in addressing them. In recent years there has been an increased emphasis on the internationalization of the social work profession and education. With limited examples of international social-work-teaching methods discussed in the literature, there is also a lack of information obtained directly from students on methods of instruction that they most prefer and find beneficial. This collaborative, comparative project examined students' perceptions of methods that make teaching international social work successful at three universities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Georgia. While there were different preferences for content- and process-driven approaches in teaching, students' common interest was in gaining practice examples and exposure to real-life practice of international social work in their own and other countries. The findings suggest that international social work education needs to be more experiential and practice-based.     

Results of the European thematic network ageing and disability: improving the quality of life of elderly persons through more physical activity

Experts in Adapted Physical Activity (APA) for elderly persons from 66 higher education institutions of 29 European countries worked during 3 years together (2004–2007) in producing education materials to promote an active lifestyle, the content of an APA programme for the elderly at master and bachelor level, a motivational DVD (Never too old to be Active: The Joy of Movement and practical active ageing activity cards and a brochure with a European survey and recommendations. During the dissemination year (2009–2010) these materials were translated from English into 15 European languages and disseminated in all countries in institutions of Higher Education (physical education, physiotherapy, sport science), nursing homes for elderly persons and caregivers). In each country, as many as possible elderly persons were approached as well as the concerned ministries, sports organizations and the press. A consortium was created between the universities of Amiens (France), Groningen (The Netherlands) and Verona (Italy), to start up the European Masters programme in APA for the elderly and the motivating products disseminated the urgent message of the Thematic Network for all elderly persons with and without disabilities in Europe “Save yourself by more physical activity” This same approach applied in all European countries at the same time during these 4 years, gave a boost to the better education of students in this matter: stimulating the responsibility and motivation of elderly persons for bringing more physical activity in their daily schedule, during at least 30 min each day. The established cooperation between the actors of the network should however be continued through the European Master in APA for the elderly and further dissemination of the products through the website     

Why sociology does not need to be saved: Analytic reflections on public sociologies

After reviewing the debate about public sociologies in the American Sociological Association over the past few years, we offer a response to calls for “saving sociology” from the Burawoy approach as well as an analytic critique of the former ASA president's “For Public Sociology” address. While being sympathetic to the basic idea of public sociologies, we argue that the “reflexive” and “critical” categories of sociology, as Burawoy has conceptualized them, are too ambiguous and value-laden to allow for empirical investigation of the different major orientations of sociological research and the ways the discipline can address non-academic audiences. Debates about the future of sociology should be undertaken with empirical evidence, and we need a theoretical approach that can allow us to compare both disciplines and nations as well as taking into account the institutional context of the universities in which we operate. Research into the conditions under which professional, critical, policy, and public sociologies could work together for the larger disciplinary and societal good is called for instead of overheated rhetoric both for and against public sociologies.     

Teaching crisis management in Arab universities: A critical assessment

This research looks at the teaching of crisis management at the colleges and departments of communication and public relations in the Arab world. Major findings of the study suggest that out of 24 colleges and departments of communication and public relations surveyed by this research, only two universities teach the course crisis management in their curriculum. The latest developments in the Arab world dictate new mechanisms in managing information and news and dealing with publics and the mass media locally and internationally. The new trends of teaching crisis management focus on the multidisciplinary approach which consists of a good knowledge of news management, dealing with the media, dealing with people, business administration, information technology, social and anthropological context. All these fields of knowledge are indispensable for understanding the general background of the issues and for choosing and selecting the best communication and persuasion techniques and tactics to manage crises effectively and successfully.     

Sensation-Seeking,Risk-Taking,and Problematic Financial Behaviors of College Students

College students are at especially high risk for serious financial problems due to easy availability of credit cards, rising tuition, and a declining economy. Arnett (Am Psychol 55:469–480, 2000) proposed 18–25 year olds may be considered emerging adults and are characterized by less stable financial situations than those who perceive themselves to be adults. A survey was given to 450 students at two Mississippi universities. The results showed student financial behaviors were related to age, gender, public assistance, adult status, sensation-seeking, and potential for problem gambling. This study is unique in that it investigated the relationship of emerging adult/adult status and other individual and socio-demographic variables to financial behaviors among college students, a conceptualization that has not been explored in the past.     

Effects of crisis efficacy on intentions to follow directives during crisis

Self-efficacy has consistently been a useful predictor of behavioral intentions as a construct in many theories; yet, its role in audience adherence to instructing information during crisis is relatively unexplored. A national survey (N = 454) examines self-efficacy in public response to crisis directives and develops the concept of crisis efficacy as an important area for future research. In three crisis contexts (food-borne illness, weather emergency, and public health disease threat), crisis efficacy, along with several demographics, significantly predicted public response to instructing information. Crisis efficacy emerges as a construct with great potential to inform message design in crisis communication.     

The public intellectual trope in the United States

This article takes the “public intellectual” trope as a theoretical case study, and traces how it has been used in the elite public sphere of the contemporary United States since its coining in 1987. The analysis challenges the notion that the “public intellectual” is primarily about broad democratic publics. It documents instead how the trope is used to frame meaning and practice within specific intellectual publics, namely science, higher education, and journalism. By focusing on the play of tropes around the “public intellectual” and examining the authoritative cultural members who use the trope, the trope analysis identifies principles and strategies under contest in the journalistic, academic, and political fields of the contemporary United States.     

Working Across the Disciplines/Shifting Perspectives: Student Experiences with an Online Course Focused on Interdisciplinary Practice with Children and Families

SUMMARY

As more universities and other places of higher learning respond to the changing needs of the community-bound learner, new technologies are being harnessed to shift the delivery of historically “classroom-bound” programs to alternate and more universally accessible formats. This article describes how an online course uses interactive exercises to engage students in mutual exploration of cross and/or interdisciplinary work. The course serves students from various professional schools, including social work, child and youth care, nursing, and education. Through the use of online discussion and case-study role-plays, it facilitates an experiential learning environment that is reflective of the student's own practice in a learning setting.     

All glamour, no substance? How public relations majors and potential majors in an exemplar program view the industry and function

Studies in public relations often conclude that the field is misunderstood [Kopenhaver, L. L. (1985). Aligning values of practitioners and journalists. Public Relations Review, 11(1), 34–42; Stacks, D. W., Botan, C., & Turk, J. V. (1999). Perceptions of pubic relations education. Public Relations Review, 25, 9–29] and misrepresented in media [Spicer, C. (2000). Public relations in a democratic society: Value and values. Journal of Public Relations Research, 12(1), 115–130]. Public relations professionals themselves often do not know what is involved in or support public relations education [Wright, D. K., & Turk, J. V. (2007). Public relations knowledge and professionalism: Challenges to educators and practitioners. In E.L. Toth (Ed.), The future of excellence in public relations and communication management: Challenges for the next generation (pp. 571–588). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum]. Both the special issue (Public Relations Review, 1999) on public relations education and a following study published in this journal [Bowen, S. A. (2003). I thought it would be more glamorous: Preconceptions and misconceptions of public relations among students in the principles course. Public Relations Review, 29, 199–214] argued that public relations majors often do not realize what is involved in the academic discipline or the professional field. This research builds on the findings of those studies to ask: are public relations educators doing any better in communicating the core competencies, responsibilities, knowledge requirements, skills, and abilities of the discipline and the public relations major? Through the use of 10 focus groups across majors at a top research university, we can see that little is known about public relations among non-majors, but public relations majors can articulate the requirements and functions of the field. Several primary areas of confusion emerged about public relations related to: marketing or promotion, spinning the truth, image, and public relations as a career choice. These ideas show a critical lack of transparency in public relations. Credibility of the public relations function is hampered by this failure to communicate about the functions and core competencies of the field. Implications for both the public relations practice and for public relations education are discussed.     

Exploring public relations challenges in compounding crises: The pariah effect of toxic trailers

This study examined the distinct exigency of a compounding crisis, a crisis that occurs in close succession to another (potentially unrelated) crisis before an organization has had the opportunity to rebuild legitimacy. Specifically, we identified the public relations challenges faced by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency during the formaldehyde travel trailer crisis and examined how the Hurricane Katrina crisis encumbered the agency’s response efforts. We offer a theoretical frame for understanding the public relations challenges inherent in compounding crises and propose that, in a compounding crisis, organizational legitimacy and social capital decrease while stakeholder risk perceptions and attribution of crisis responsibility increase. A new phenomenon termed the pariah effect is offered to explain when an organization experiencing a compounding crisis is ostracized by other organizations that could assist with the crisis response to avoid negative spillover effects that could result from associating with the offending organization. This study also demonstrates how attribution of responsibility in a compounding crisis can create an exigency in which an organization must take actions beyond the scope and original mission of the organization.     

Learning by doing: an experiential approach to program evaluation

Despite the increased importance of producing social workers who are prepared to evaluate practice, there is a paucity of literature addressing the pedagogical challenges of program evaluation courses. The present study evaluates the structure and pedagogical approach of a newly implemented program evaluation course. The course took a team-based, experiential learning approach to designing a program evaluation plan for students’ field placement agencies. Five student-led focus groups (N = 44) were conducted at the conclusion of the course to address two aims: to assess student perceptions of the content, structure, and delivery of the course; and to assess student attitudes toward applied research. Data were collected between November and December 2014 in a public university’s graduate social work program in the northeastern United States. The steps of grounded theory data analysis were implemented to elicit major themes from student feedback. Results suggest that perceptions of applicability play a central role in shaping student attitudes toward program evaluation. Experiential and team-based pedagogical approaches appear to increase accessibility of course content for students. Suggestions for enhancing student learning in program evaluation courses are discussed.     

Media orientation of German university decision makers and the executive influence of public relations

This study investigated the executive influence of public relations managers in the German higher education system. The study is based on a whole-population survey of German university decision makers (N = 1619). It provides evidence that the mediatization of German higher education offers an important opportunity for the empowerment of university PR departments. They can benefit from the New Public Management reforms in recent years as power shifts to management-oriented administrators and the public image of universities turns into a competitive asset. Nevertheless, an indispensable precondition for PR departments’ organizational advancement resides in professionalization. PR workers need to claim a status of expert boundary spanners between their universities and the public stakeholders.     

Public Scholarship and Community Engagement in Building Community Food Security: The Case of the University of Kentucky

The current call for public scholarship and community engagement by universities and disciplinary organizations has created opportunities to develop innovative ways to integrate research, instruction, and outreach. This article discusses a collaboration among scholars at the University of Kentucky and alternative agrifood movement organizations that has evolved as they pursue an alternative agrifood system in Kentucky. This collaboration made instructional programs in sociology and the honors world food issues track places in which both students and instructors can examine “problems” of the conventional agrifood system, conduct research, and develop collaborative relationships with community activists. We draw on Burawoy's discussion of public sociology and its interface with professional, critical, and policy sociologies. Supplementing our discussion with literature from social movements and science studies, we demonstrate how this integrated approach can render sociological knowledge and skills useful as critical support of alternative agrifood movements. We argue that the “experiential classroom” is an excellent site for the critical examination within the agrifood movements of oppositional culture. This, in turn, makes possible students' recognition of injustice in the existing agrifood system.     

Graduate education at berkeley

The Berkeley Department of Sociology has a distinctive training program that encourages the student to pursue an independent course of inquiry. While clearly still within the U.S. orbit, when arrayed along a continuum, the program leans more toward the European than the American tradition of postgraduate education. The Berkeley doctoral student substantially creates his or her own mix and is also most likely the principal architect of the research design and the sole collector of primary data for the dissertation. This article briefly explains the history and describes the current program. Troy Duster is professor and chair of the Department of Sociology and director of the Institute for the Study of Social Change at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of “American Dilemmas and Black Responses: Purpose and Bias,” which appears in the January–February 1987 issue ofSociety.     

Measuring student outcomes: An assessment of service-learning in the public relations campaigns course

This study assesses the effectiveness of service-learning in the public relations capstone course by measuring perceived student learning outcomes. An assessment instrument is proposed and tested via a longitudinal survey of students (n = 210) enrolled in the public relations capstone course at a large southeastern university. Results support a general service-learning assessment instrument for public relations education that includes measures of practical skills, interpersonal skills, personal responsibility, and citizenship, as well as discipline-specific functional, creative, and research skills.