The Limits of Self-Management: Community and Health Care System Barriers Among Latinos With Diabetes

Although numerous studies examine diabetes self-care, few regard ecological framework correlates such as community and institutional level factors as fundamental for understanding diabetes management for Latinos. This article addresses the dearth of research that exists regarding social contextual forces and diabetes management for Latinos. Given the scarcity of research on this topic, studies of non-Latino groups were reviewed to illustrate the importance of community and institutional influences on diabetes care. Consideration of fundamental correlates within the ecological framework may better discern the underlying rationale for inadequate diabetes self-management for individuals who live in impoverished communities.     

Developing an empirical profile for elder abuse research in Canada

The aging population of Canada and the associated caregiving demands highlight the need for elder abuse research. The objectives of this article are to provide a review of literature while identifying recommendations and directions for future research. Significant gaps in the knowledge base are identified that preclude the development of effective programming and policies. Future research directions include prevalence studies in community and institutional settings; studies on correlates, risk, and protective factors; research to clarify definitional issues and to develop psychometrically sound measurements; qualitative studies; and the need to support elder abuse research through capacity building and appropriate resource strategies.     

Residential landscapes as social-ecological systems: a synthesis of multi-scalar interactions between people and their home environment

Residential landscapes are a common setting of human-environment interactions. These ubiquitous ecosystems provide social and ecological services, and yard maintenance leads to intended and unintended ecological outcomes. The ecological characteristics of residential landscapes and the human drivers of landscape management have been the focus of disciplinary studies, often at a single scale of analysis. However, an interdisciplinary examination of residential landscapes is needed to understand the feedbacks and tradeoffs of these complex adaptive social-ecological systems as a whole. Our aim is to synthesize the diversity of perspectives, scales of analysis, and findings from the literature in order to 1) contribute to an interdisciplinary understanding of residential landscapes and 2) identify research needs while providing a robust conceptual approach for future studies. We synthesize 256 studies from the literature and develop an interdisciplinary, multi-scalar framework on residential landscape dynamics. Complex human drivers (attitudinal, structural, and institutional factors) at multiple scales influence management practices and the feedbacks with biophysical characteristics of residential landscapes. However, gaps exist in our interdisciplinary understanding of residential landscapes within four key but understudied areas: 1) the link between social drivers and ecological outcomes of management decisions, 2) the ecosystem services provided by these landscapes to residents, 3) the interactions of social drivers and ecological characteristics across scales, and 4) generalizations of patterns and processes across cities. Our systems perspective will help to guide future interdisciplinary collaborations to integrate theories and research methods across geographic locations and spatial scales.     

Correlates of Interpersonal Ethnoracial Discrimination Among Latino Adults with Diabetes: Findings from the REACH Detroit Study

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to identify the social and economic correlates of reported experiences of interpersonal ethnoracial discrimination among Latino adults in Detroit. We examine whether the correlates of interpersonal ethnoracial discrimination vary according to the domain of discrimination and compare findings for individual domains of discrimination to a composite measure of experiences of discrimination. This study suggests that the frequency of reported discrimination is moderately high, and relatively common among Latinos with diabetes who live in Detroit. The findings demonstrate that immigration and ethnicity-related factors, such as greater comfort speaking Spanish and being born in the United States, were persistent correlates of more frequent encounters of interpersonal ethnoracial discrimination. Implications for social work research and practice are presented.     

Actional Legitimation: No Crisis Necessary

This article articulates the fundamental nature of "legitimacy" to public relations research and sets forth actional legitimation as a productive new area for public relations studies. After tracing the development of the idea of "corporate legitimacy," this research distinguishes between institutional and actional legitimacy. Although institutional legitimacy has formed a basis for studies of crisis communication, image, values advocacy, and issue management, actional legitimacy studies allow for the study of more day-to-day public relations activities in which publics have a more immediate impact on corporate policy. The article concludes that actively studying strategies of legitimation for specific corporate policies would produce useful scholarship that builds on extant legitimacy literature.     

Habitat structure: A fundamental concept and framework for urban soil ecology

Habitat structure is defined as the composition and arrangement of physical matter at a location. Although habitat structure is the physical template underlying ecological patterns and processes, the concept is relatively unappreciated and underdeveloped in ecology. However, it provides a fundamental concept for urban ecology because human activities in urban ecosystems are often targeted toward management of habitat structure. In addition, the concept emphasizes the fine-scale, on-the-ground perspective needed in the study of urban soil ecology. To illustrate this, urban soil ecology research is summarized from the perspective of habitat structure effects. Among the key conclusions emerging from the literature review are: (1) habitat structure provides a unifying theme for multivariate research about urban soil ecology; (2) heterogeneous urban habitat structures influence soil ecological variables in different ways; (3) more research is needed to understand relationships among sociological variables, habitat structure patterns and urban soil ecology. To stimulate urban soil ecology research, a conceptual framework is presented to show the direct and indirect relationships among habitat structure and ecological variables. Because habitat structure serves as a physical link between sociocultural and ecological systems, it can be used as a focus for interdisciplinary and applied research (e.g., pest management) about the multiple, interactive effects of urbanization on the ecology of soils.     

A Strategic Engagement Framework for Nonprofits

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of research data collected over three years at a nonprofit public higher education institution and its community, along with a review of relevant literature, revealed the need for a new framework to guide economic and social value creation by utilizing the social capital held by nonprofit institutions. The study integrated research outcomes from the areas of social capital and institutional–stakeholder engagement to generate the new concept of strategic engagement management and a proposed Strategic Engagement Framework. This framework should help nonprofit organizations deploy their social capital for institutional and societal benefit by facilitating institutional–stakeholder collaboration. The study also tested the utility of implementing one component of the proposed framework: a structure for mapping, maintaining, and evaluating a portfolio of institutional engagement activities.     

LEVERAGING THE POWER OF THE ETHNIC ENCLAVE: RESIDENTIAL INSTABILITY AND VIOLENCE IN LATINO COMMUNITIES

Early Chicago school thinkers linked crime to the disorganizing influx of Eastern European immigrants and black migrants from the South. Extending this to contemporary concerns, we use Census and Vital Statistics data to examine whether migration to ethnic enclaves among Latinos and blacks raises violence. It appears that when Latinos settle in their ethnic enclaves, violence in their communities declines. Contrary to Chicago school assertions, this improves economic conditions and strengthens group ties as the community mobilizes to receive newcomers. In contrast, such migration does not dampen violence in black communities. We discuss the implications of this for ecological theorizing.     

Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes: An Ecological Perspective

Population trends suggest that the next 20 years will witness a dramatic increase in the adult population aged 65 and older. Projected increases in the elderly population are expected to significantly increase the stress on family and professional caretakers. Stress, in the context of caregiving relationships, is a risk factor associated with increased prevalence of elder abuse in familial and institutional settings. As increasing numbers of older adults are moved from family caregiving to nursing home care settings, it becomes important to identify the pattern of elder abuse risk factors in nursing home facilities. An ecological model is proposed for better understanding the risk factors associated with elder abuse in nursing homes and the complex interaction of individual/person characteristics and contextual factors in institutional elder abuse. An ecological perspective to institutional elder abuse provides a framework for guiding and informing future research on the risk factors of nursing home abuse and, in turn, for the development of effective interventions and relevant social policies.     

School and Family Correlates of Positive Affect in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Adolescents

Research on psychological wellbeing has received far less attention than mental illness and has created a gap in our understanding of positive mental health. This research is even more sparse among adolescents. The present study examined the correlates of one measure of psychological wellbeing, positive affect, in the adolescent population. Two dimensions of school support (teacher–student relationship and student engagement) and family support (family communication and family closeness) were examined. Because previous studies suggest these correlates may be affected by race and gender, analysis was conducted in the total sample and in disaggregated subpopulations. A nationally representative sample of US adolescents (n?=?10,148) from the National Comorbidity Survey—Adolescent Supplement was analyzed in this study. Structural equation models were used for analysis. Latinos reported significantly lower positive affect than Whites. Males reported higher levels of positive affect than females. Blacks and Latinos reported lower perceptions of family communication than Whites and higher school emotional support than Whites. Females reported lower family communication, lower family closeness, and higher school support than males. Analysis revealed that among the total sample, all dimensions of school and family support measured were correlates of positive affect. When the total sample was divided by gender and race there were marked differences in the relationship between school and family support across subpopulations. Males and Whites most closely resembled the total sample while the relationship between dimensions of school and family support were distinct for females and racial ethnic minorities. This study provides an examination of how psychosocial mechanisms operate similarly and differently across adolescent subgroups. In line with other studies, findings provide evidence of differences by race and gender. This study is relevant to social workers because the findings have implications for both assessment and intervention.     

University Civic Engagement with Community-Based Organizations

Abstract

This article compares and contrasts two case studies of large research universities involved in civic engagement projects with urban nonprofit community-based organizations and neighborhood associations. The article uses a community building framework in which organizational, interorganizational, and community-level features are examined. The study found that each university used a different approach through which to achieve a university-community partnership. A dispersed model favored an entrepreneurial approach for individual faculty and student involvement, while the coordinated model requested faculty and students from different departments to work together toward a community-driven goal. The extent to which these different models of civic engagement delivered what community organizations wanted was based on five factors: (1) the university's geographic proximity to a tar get low-income neighborhood, (2) leadership for institutional social commitment, (3) use of community-based research, (4) funding as a social strategy, and (5) a flexible curriculum. Challenges faced by faculty, students, and practitioners are addressed, and directions for future research are suggested.     

Elder abuse in nursing homes: an ecological perspective

Population trends suggest that the next 20 years will witness a dramatic increase in the adult population aged 65 and older. Projected increases in the elderly population are expected to significantly increase the stress on family and professional caretakers. Stress, in the context of caregiving relationships, is a risk factor associated with increased prevalence of elder abuse in familial and institutional settings. As increasing numbers of older adults are moved from family caregiving to nursing home care settings, it becomes important to identify the pattern of elder abuse risk factors in nursing home facilities. An ecological model is proposed for better understanding the risk factors associated with elder abuse in nursing homes and the complex interaction of individual/person characteristics and contextual factors in institutional elder abuse. An ecological perspective to institutional elder abuse provides a framework for guiding and informing future research on the risk factors of nursing home abuse and, in turn, for the development of effective interventions and relevant social policies.     

Pickup Basketball in the Production of Black Community

Recent studies on basketball employ Elijah Anderson’s decent-street dichotomy. In these works, institutional basketball is “decent” and unifying, whereas pickup basketball is “street” and atomizing. Based on ethnographic research in New York City’s pickup basketball scene, this article argues that such an approach obscures many of the ways in which pickup basketball actually strengthens Black community. The article shows that through practice, contests, competitions, and its embeddedness in everyday life pickup basketball directly produces Black community by bringing together diverse people. Pickup basketball also indirectly produces community by: 1) articulating, enacting, and disseminating essential communal values; and 2) serving as a collective depot for information and support. In rejecting the institutional basketball-pickup basketball as decent-street binary, the article attempts to reorient the very understanding of pickup basketball and its place in the urban Black community.     

Toward Culturally Sensitive Financial Education Interventions with Latinos

ABSTACT

To expand the financial capability of Latinos, culturally sensitive interventions are needed. A literature search was conducted to examine how financial education interventions have been used to improve financial outcomes for Latinos. Just 7 peer-reviewed intervention studies were identified, suggesting a substantial gap in knowledge in this area. Although conclusions about the effectiveness of financial education interventions with Latinos are limited, each study finds positive changes in financial attitudes or behaviors. Using Resnicow’s (1999) cultural sensitivity framework, surface and deep structure methods of tailoring financial education were identified. Implications for designing and testing culturally sensitive financial education interventions are discussed.     

Rethinking Families and Community: The Color,Class, and Centrality of Extended Kin Ties1

Although a focus on marriage and the nuclear family characterizes much sociological research and social commentary, this article suggests that this focus ignores the familial experiences of many Americans, particularly those on the lower end of the economic spectrum for whom extended kin are central. African Americans and Latinos/as are more involved with kin than whites, but class trumps race in this regard: African Americans, Latinos/as, and whites with fewer economic resources rely more on extended kin than do those more affluent. The emphasis on marriage and the nuclear family may actually promulgate a vision of family life that dismisses the very social resources and community ties that are critical to the survival strategies of those in need. In contrast to those who have argued that marriage is the foundation of the community or even, in that overused phrase, the “basic unit of society,” this article suggests that marriage actually detracts from social ties to broader communities just as an emphasis on marriage and the nuclear family, to the exclusion of the extended family, distorts and reduces the power and reach of social policy.     

Church, place, and crime: Latinos and homicide in new destinations

Latinos are moving beyond traditional areas and settling in new, potentially disorganized destinations. Without an established immigrant community, new destinations appear to rely more on the local religious ecology to regulate community life and to keep crime low. We examine the link between religious ecology and Latino homicide victimization for traditional and new destination counties. We observe four findings. (1) A Catholic presence has no effect on Latino violence in the old and well-organized traditional settlement areas. But in new Latino settlement areas, a Catholic presence substantially lowers violence against Latinos. In contrast, mainline Protestantism is linked to high levels of violence against Latinos in new destinations. (2) Previous claims that Latino communities are safe do not apply to new destinations, where Latinos are murdered at a high rate. (3) Previous claims that areas with high Latino immigration are safe for Latinos are not true for new destinations. (4) New Latino destinations offer little insulation from the effects of economic deprivation on violence. We discuss the implications of the findings.     

Another Kind of Rainbow Politics

Abstract

Race has been a particularly troublesome concept in the United States. It is especially problematic as it is applied to Latinos. While several perspectives are presented to examine race, race relations, and racial dynamics regarding Latinos in the U.S., this essay primarily relies on Omi and Winant's racial formation theory as a means for understanding the position of Latinos in the racial hierarchy of the United States. The authors argue that the experience of Latinos in the U.S. has taken place within a “racial” context, and as a result, have been involved in a racialization process throughout their history in this country. More specifically, the authors identify several contradictory racial projects that have shaped our current views of Latinos as a “racial group”: Latinos as a panethnic group, a rainbow race and a race towards whiteness. These Latino racial projects are discussed within a racial formation framework. Furthermore, the role that the state plays in shaping the contours of race relations regarding Latinos is examined.     

Long over short term

Abstract

Managers and organizations are learning that dealing with ecological issues seriously is part of their responsibility. In this article, the inherent rationality of an ecologically oriented approach to management is highlighted. For this purpose, a conceptual framework for a comprehensive fitness of organizations is presented. Based on this framework and on case studies in small businesses a simulation model has been developed. The structure of this model is outlined. Then, on the basis of simulation experiments, several aspects of ecological management are discussed. The focus is on the role of pre-control, which substantiates the primacy of the long-term perspective. In this context, the trade-offs between short- and longer-term decisions, as well as the vulnerability of one-sided strategies are discussed.     

Individualised Support and Funding: building blocks for capacity building and inclusion

The paradigm in disability supports is shifting away from institutional services and professional control towards self-determination and community involvement of people with disabilities. The assumption that the best way to provide disability supports is for government to give money to agencies or services, rather than directly to people with disabilities and their support networks, is being challenged. This article reports on findings and themes from a Canadian study that investigated individualised funding projects from different parts of the world. Ten of fifteen of the most 'promising initiatives' were selected for more detailed study and analysis. Projects analysed were from Canada, the US, and Australia. Themes emerging from the study included the fact that values and principles mattered, a policy framework provided coherence and equity, infrastructure supports for individuals were separate from service system, the facilitator-broker role differed from case management, allocation of individualised funds was designed to be equitable and account able to the funder and person, and a 'learn as you go' philosophy maximised positive outcomes. This research project demonstrates that individualised support and funding, when embedded in the new paradigm of disability and community, builds capacity of individuals, families, and communities.     

Why do nations matter? The struggle for belonging and security in an uncertain world

This paper explores the reasons why national forms of identification and organization (might) matter in the contemporary era. In contrast to the majority of macro‐sociological work dealing with this topic, I develop an analytical framework that draws together recent research on everyday nationalism with micro‐sociological and psychological studies pointing to the importance of routine practices, institutional arrangements and symbolic systems in contributing to a relatively settled sense of identity, place and community. The second part of the paper focuses on the hierarchies of belonging that operate within a given national setting. Of particular interest is the largely taken‐for‐granted status of the ethnic majority and the degree to which it underpins claims to belonging and entitlement that are used to secure key allocative and authoritative resources.