Asian American Elderly:

Many existing public assumptions held by social workers about Asian American elderly are misleading. These socially and economically disadvantaged pebple are systefitically excluded from having access to the professional social service, both culturally and structurally. This article studies their negative historical experiences, structural difficulties and cultural barriers in acquiring the necessary social services.     

American Indian/Alaska Native Elderly

This article describes informarion received from a survey of agencies seving American Indian/Alaska Native elderly. Also identified within the article are some of the traditional values of older American Indian/Alaska Natives, as well as concerns regarding their mental health needs and current life situations. Recommendations for training social workers and programming suggestions are also included.     

Hate Speech: Asian American Students' Justice Judgments and Psychological Responses

Two experiments using Asian American university student participants examined the distinctive characteristics of responses to racist hate speech relative to responses to other forms of offense. The studies varied the target of insulting speech (Asian, African, and Overweight person) or the nature of offence (petty theft vs. insulting speech). Participant variables included collective self-esteem and social identification. Results indicate that hate speech directed at ethnic targets deserves more severe punishment than other forms of offensive speech and petty theft. Hate speech also results in more extreme emotional responses and, in the case of an Asian target, has a depressing influence on collective self-esteem. Ethnic identification moderated punishment responses in study 1 only. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.     

Labor force participation among Asian immigrant women: Findings from the 2007 American Community Survey

Using a nationally representative sample of Asian immigrant women in the USA (N = 33,032), we examined ethnic variations in labor force participation and different predictors of labor force participation among six Asian ethnic subgroups, including Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese. Our findings indicated that having a higher level of education, fewer children under age 5, US citizenship, a longer length of residence in the USA, and a better English proficiency were significantly related to higher rates of labor force participation among certain ethnic subgroups. The different predictors of labor force participation by ethnic subgroups were further analyzed in cultural contexts.     

Latino and Asian American Mobilization in the 2006 Immigration Protests*

Objective. Through a comparative analysis of Latino and Asian American participation in the 2006 immigration rallies, this article presents a new framework for understanding differential protest outcomes. Methods. To understand the relative lack of Asian American participation in contrast to their Latino counterparts, I conducted in‐depth interviews with community organization leaders and assessed the text of HR 4437, U.S. ethnic media, and organizational resources. Results. I find that structural disadvantages diminished prospects for Asian American activists to effectively mobilize the Asian American community. Conclusion. By conducting a systematic and multidimensional approach to understanding differential protest participation, I conclude that structural conditions significantly advantage the mobilization of certain groups over others.     

Institutionalized Elderly:

Couples who have experienced institutionalization reveal unique problems while attempting to cope with drastic life changes. This paper describes an effort to help such couples through a group process.     

Utilization of Community-Based Social and Health Services Among Foreign Born Hispanic American Elderly

ABSTRACT

This study examined factors associated with the utilization of community-based social and health services among foreign born elderly Hispanic Americans. The data came from a nationwide probability sample of Hispanic Americans age 65 and older including 296 Mexico-born Mexican Americans, 571 Cuba-born Cuban Americans, and 247 respondents from other Hispanic countries. Being a Cuba-born Cuban American, living alone, having poorer self-rated health and living below poverty level were positively related with the utilization of community-based social services. Cuban Americans with more limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) used more community-based health services. Among Mexico-born Mexican Americans, those who lived alone used more social as well as health services while those who were married used more social services. Those with greater limitations in ADL used more health services. Among other foreign born Hispanic Americans, going to church, living alone and living below poverty status, were positively correlated with the utilization of social services. Respondents with better English language ability were less likely to use community based health services. Elderly men and people who rated their health as poorer or had more ADL limitations were more likely to use these services. Implications of these findings for health and social services are discussed.     

The Elderly Blind:

This paper discusses some of the problems faced by the elderly blind in society. It is pointed out that the definition of blindness as well as the development of blind services mainly for the young and employable adults have contributed to public misunderstanding of blindness and the magnitude of visual problems among the elderly. It is also noted that with coordinated efforts between blind service agencies and social service agencies future problems among this group could be minimized.     

Alcohol and the Elderly:

This paper provides an overview of what is currently known about elderly alcohol use and abuse. It identifies areas of social work practice that need to be improved to meet the needs of elderly problem drinkers, and makes recommendations regarding identification, treatment, and coordination of services for this population.     

Homecare for the Frail Elderly:

Based upon the findings of a monitoring study of elderly, publicly funded homecare recipients, this paper seeks to define homecare as an interactional system in which all members of the relationship affect the viability of the homecare plan. Out of this monitoring experience, sources of stress in the homecare relationship deriving from the functioning of the homecare bureaucracy, and the personality structures and role perceptions of the prime actors, are identified.     

Exporting managed care: Asian experiments

Abstract   Following managed care saturation in the US market, and because of limited prospects in Europe, managed care made some headway in Latin America and Southeast Asia. The following paper compares a general concept, "managed care", across countries, and shows that it has gained acceptance in certain territories (e.g. Hong Kong, the Philippines), but not in others. Managed care is defined as processes or techniques used by any entity that delivers, administers and/or assumes risk for health services in order to control or influence the quality, accessibility, utilization, costs and prices, or outcomes of such services provided to a defined population ( American Medical Association, 1999 ). The first part of the paper reviews specific experiences (Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore), and is followed by a summary of difficulties that Managed Care encountered in Asia. Among these are rising public defiance and physician opposition.     

Access to Services by the Elderly:

Abstract

This analysis evaluated the hypothesis that comorbidity, as a measure of physical health status, would negatively impact the stress management capability of caregivers. To examine this relationship, data from 3,112 caregivers participating in the Uniform Caregiver Assessment through California's Caregiver Resource Center System in 2000 were used. Results indicated that comorbidity was not a significant predictor of caregiver inability to manage stress; however, high depression scores, disruptive behavior by the care receiver, and reduced social support from family and friends were significantly associated. Implications for social workers in these areas are discussed.     

Service Arrangements Preferred by Minority Elderly:

Better programs for minority elderly and higher utilization of them will be achieved if decision-makers avoid providing services that run counter to the cultural preferences of the recipients. This study begins to explore the common patterns among minority elderly relative to whom they prefer to seek out for assistance in selected times of need.     

Service Delivery for the Community Elderly:

Effective service delivery should be based on the interpretation of social research theory into an operational plan. This paper reports on the demonstration and study of an innovative service model which integrates the theories of social roles, life space, and organizational participarion. Through the development of informal support systems on a neighborhood basis, linkages between the elderly person and his environmenr have been effectively strengthened or re-established. It is suggesred that the model be replaced in more rural and urban areas.     

“亚洲式民主”:功能及其限度

“亚洲式民主”在东亚国家实现经济现代化的过程中发挥了双重功能 ,即 :既维持了政治稳定 ,又促进了经济发展。“亚洲式民主”也日益暴露出局限。不过 ,“亚洲式民主”可能是通向自由民主的一种过渡形态。     

Incentives to Families Caring for Disabled Elderly:

This paper is a preliminary report from the Community Service Society Natural Supports research and demonstration project. The programmatic goal of the project is to provide services to families in order to strengthen their capacity to care for their aged member(s). The program itself is described, and a picture of selected characteristics of the 90-plus families is presented. Central service and policy issues are identified.     

Group Work: A Lifeline for Isolated Elderly

This paper describes the transformation of a group for isolated elderly from psychoeducational to socialization to therapy. The international steps taken by the authors as well as crucial serendipitous contributions are identified. The authors candidly describe their own ageist stereotypes and biases that at first limited their expectations until challenged by the group members.     

促进低碳发展的亚洲视角

作为亚洲和世界的能源消费和碳排放大国,中国的低碳发展对亚洲和世界的低碳转型意义重大。在分析和总结亚洲推进低碳转型面临的有利和不利条件基础上,尝试性地提出了亚洲推进低碳发展的基本原则、战略框架和战略对策,以便为包括中国在内的亚洲发展中国家向低碳转型提供参考。