Behaviorism, Functionalism, and Mass Communications Policy

This article compares the functionalist and behaviorist approachesto mass communications research and examines their respectivepolicy-making implications and limitations.     

Book Review: Mass Media,Politics and Democracy,by John Street. Basingstoke,Palgrave, 2001

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations -     

Mass Poverty,Slow Economic Growth and Redistribution

Abstract

Policy-makers in South Africa prefer to tackle poverty indirectly through promoting growth, and allowing benefits to trickle down to the poor, rather than reducing poverty directly through redistributing income. In the long run, economic growth is the only way to reduce poverty. But the benefits of growth take a long time to mitigate poverty, especially in conditions of high inequality or high unemployment – both of which characterise South Africa. The poor benefit more through a more directly redistributive strategy even if overall growth is lower than it would otherwise be. Modelling the effects of different rates of growth, public works programmes and different redistributive strategies (including a basic income grant and expanded child support grants) shows that the poor benefit most from a directly redistributive basic income grant.     

The Response of Social Work to the Depression,by Jacob Fisher. Schenkman Publishing Co., Cambridge,Mass., and G. K. Hall and Co., Boston, 1980. $23.95.266 Pp.

Abstract

This article presents an innovative refinement in the use of group process records for educational purposes, reviews the history of Rothman's Committee for the Preparation of Teaching Materials, and discusses the Committee's development of a comprehensive framework for teaching records. The teaching record fosters student attentiveness to practice context and complexities, regard for ongoing self-evaluation, and interest in cooperative learning. Teaching records also provide a structure for integrative learning through the identification, elucidation, linkage, and illustration of practice concepts and principles. The five key parts of the teaching record—major teaching themes, overview of group characteristics, group process record, teaching points, and teaching strategies—are described, and excerpts from an illustrative teaching record of a session with nursing home residents are presented.