Queer Youth Space: A Protective Factor for Sexual Minority Youth

Physical, psychological, and social vulnerabilities of sexual minority youth are well documented. Yet factors that protect this population from these risks remain relatively unknown. Previous researchers suggest that (1) a sense of safety, meaningful relationships with others, and positive identity development are protective and (2) social support programs focusing on sexual minority youth (Queer Youth Space) have a positive impact. In this article, Queer Youth Space is explored as a program that may promote protective factors and mediate risks. Theories of attachment, self psychology, and social identity are applied to conceptualize Queer Youth Space and its protective roles. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.     

Promoting Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem for Multiethnic Sexual Minority Youth: An Evidence-Informed Intervention

ABSTRACT

Sexual minority youth face multiple challenges, yet research regarding evidence-informed practice strategies for this population is limited. This study describes the pilot efforts of Strengths First, the first strengths-based intervention created specifically to promote self-esteem and self-efficacy among multiethnic sexual minority youth. A pretest–posttest design was used to gather preliminary data from program participants (n = 162) about the potential effectiveness of the program during a 2-year period that ranged from the inception of the program in June 2008 to September 2010. Significant increases in self-esteem and self-efficacy were found. Implications for social service research and practice are discussed.     

Political Identity: A Perspective from Cultural Identity

Identity is the “sameness” and belonging of identification. In a real sense, cultural identity is often related to ethno-cultural identity, while political identity and national identity are more often inseparable. Cultural identity lays particular stress on the group destiny of a people or ethnic group from which its members cannot withdraw. Political identity, on the other hand, highlights the subjective values and intentions chosen, judged and assessed by the members of society. Since modern times, politics, as the surface of the social structure, has demonstrated increasingly serious conflict and perplexity, and the decline of the political identity has gradually developed into a common social phenomenon. Considering the high complementarity and the mutual stimulation between cultural identity and political identity, we should take cultural identity as the pivot for our entry into the actual practice of community politics, with a view to promoting institutional innovations, making interest adjustments, and intensifying the community members’ sense of belonging. These are exceptionally meaningful for strengthening the political identity of a community.     

Examining the Association Between Resilience and Risk Behaviors Among South Asian Minority Students in Hong Kong: A Quantitative Study

The relationship between risk behaviors and resilience among South Asian minority youth identifying themselves as Pakistani, Indian, Pakistani-Hong Konger, or Indian-Hong Konger (N?=?405) in a Hong Kong school setting was investigated using hierarchical linear regression analysis. Lower neighborhood disorganization, higher neighborhood characteristics, and higher individual resilience predicted lower likelihood of substance use in all ethnic groups. Stronger relationship with caregivers was associated with lower levels of substance use in all ethnic groups except for Pakistani-Hong Kongers (p?>?.05). Stronger multigroup ethnic identity predicted lower likelihood of substance use in Indians (p?=?.021) and Indian-Hong Kongers (p?=?.039). Resilience-based research, practical, and social policy implications are discussed.     

Applying a Positive Youth Development Perspective to Observation of Bereavement Camps for Children and Adolescents

A positive youth development perspective focuses on recognizing psychosocial strengths and providing social environments that contribute to the development of these in children and adolescents. Bereavement camps can provide such an environment as they help children cope with the death of someone close. The purpose of this study was to observe bereavement camps through the lens of positive youth development to determine the applicability of the eight features of positive developmental settings for describing bereavement camps (safety, appropriate structure, supportive relationships, opportunities to belong, positive norms, support for efficacy, skill building opportunities, integration of family and community). Observational notes were recorded by researchers during on-site visits to three different weekend bereavement camps. Results identified how each element of positive developmental settings was exemplified in either typical camp activities or bereavement-focused activities. For example, assigning campers to cabin groups based on age and gender provided opportunities to belong, and giving campers a comfort object and a big buddy provided supportive relationships. Findings were used to create a positive developmental settings observation checklist for use by bereavement camp practitioners to assess the extent to which each camp provides the requisite elements for promoting positive youth development.     

Identity Development and Grieving: The Evolving Processes for Parentally Bereaved Women

This paper is a report of the findings from a qualitative researchstudy that explored how the death of a parent influences femaleadolescents, with particular focus on women’s evolvingidentity development. A sample of eighteen women was recruitedfor the study. Findings highlight that constructing a relationshipto the deceased, shifting family dynamics and the ebb and flowof grieving influenced identity development. The women’sdevelopment allowed them to more fully recognize their parent’ssubjectivity and, in turn, allowed them to see more aspectsof themselves. The active process of ‘re-membering’(Myerhoff, 1982) the deceased through a variety of activitiescontributed to identity development. Implications for socialwork practice will be discussed.     

公民身份认同：一个新研究领域的形成理路

公民身份的认同问题是20世纪90年代以后由公民身份研究与认同研究结合而被推动起来的,是亚民族的地方认同与超民族的区域认同汇合到政治层面得以表达的结果,对西方民族国家建构的现代公民身份及其认同形态都产生很大冲击。公民身份与认同既相矛盾又可部分融合;公民身份认同主要关注个体或群体对政治共同体之成员地位（包括自我安全、归属、团结、包容或排斥）的心理认知和主观感受,在于提升政治共同体之成员的尊严和地位。公民身份认同研究从外部可以划分为宪政爱国主义、多元主义、激进民主主义这三种理论视角与政治主张,从内部可以划分为合法化构建的、拒斥性的、重新规划的公民身份认同三种类型。本文立足于20世纪90年代以来西方社会政治理论的主要文献,旨在厘清公民身份与认同两议题的结合过程,阐释据于公民身份认同的不同理论旨趣,探讨其内在的分形结构。公民身份认同研究正日益受到学术界的高度关注,其内部分形在现实上正挑战着现代公民身份的单一认同结构。
关键词：公民身份认同公民身份认同合法化构建的拒斥性的重新规划的     

Intergroup Contact: Using Storytelling to Increase Awareness of Lesbian and Gay Older Adults in Long-Term Care Settings

ABSTRACT

Due to societally imposed stigmatization, lesbian and gay (LG) older adults fear and prolong accessing long-term care (LTC) even though they need LTC at higher rates. Interventions that decrease negative attitudes toward LG older adults among LTC staff are a first step in addressing this problem. In this study, the influence of intergroup contact (IGC) on LTC staff members’ attitudes toward LG was explored through the use of storytelling as a training mechanism. An embedded mixed-method approach was employed to collect and analyze responses of 60 LTC staff who participated in a storytelling event. Participants completed pretests, posttests, and participated in audio-recorded group discussions. The findings showed that storytelling had a significant (p =0.001) and positive effect (d =0.57) on participants attitudes toward LG. Qualitative analysis revealed 90 codes, 13 process codes, and 4 themes: making meaning of stories, seeking understanding, application to LTC setting, and debating. When guided by IGC theory, storytelling has potential for positively influencing attitudes of LTC staff members toward LG older adults. There is a need for longitudinal work to further test this model.     

National Identity in the Era of Globalization: Crisis and Reconstruction

The era of globalization is posing a variety of challenges to national identity. In order to meet these challenges, it is important to offer theoretical scientific interpretations of them. A scrutiny of national identity as a concept reveals that national identity is actually a “four in one” combination of institutional identity, interest identity, cultural identity and non-national community identity, with formative mechanisms characterized the unity of the primordial state and the constructive, expressive forms characterized by the unity of consciousness and action, content characterized by the unity of politics and culture, and maintenance mechanisms characterized by the unity of emotion and self-interest. In the global age, national identity crisis usually arises in political, economic and cultural levels. The root cause for national identity crisis lies in the ineffectiveness of nation states’ self-governance. In order to promote the construction of national identity in the global age, we need to: (1) promote reform of the political system, explore democratic models of governance, and create the institutional preconditions for national identity; (2) promote economic development, ensure fairness and justice, and guarantee interests in national identity; (3) develop national culture, strengthen value integration and enrich the cultural significance of national identity; and (4) recognize different levels of community development and promote community integration in national identity.     

曹禺:一位青春型作家

称曹禺为青春型作家,是因为代表其创作最主要成就的四大名剧都完成于30岁以前,因而都带有鲜明的青春期特征:青春期的激情形成其创作的情感动力机制,青春期对人生与社会的探索形成其剧作的基本冲突。它们寄寓着作家对社会人生理解的同时也构成一部作家个人的精神成长史。随着青春期的结束、社会化的完成,作家的创作也走向了衰退。     

National Identity in the Context of Globalization: A Structural Perspective

In this era of “liquid modernity,” China faces the dual pressures of external globalization and internal social transformation. Within these dual space-time coordinates, academic research should address the question of what makes national identity possible by moving away from its fixation on macro-narratives and concrete micro-analysis of civic or ethnic identity, etc., to focus on meso-analysis. To do this, it is important to allay individuals’ ontological anxiety so that they return to ontological security; to realize the production and reproduction of a national centripetal force; and to highlight the functional power of national identity. Both theoretical studies and real-world experience show that national identity cannot play a stable and coherent role on its own, but needs the structural support of three fundamental systems: economic incentives, political values, and institutional organization. The functional cohesion of these systems provides an effective path to the realization of national identity.     

Queering Data Collection: Using the Life History Calendar Method With Sexual-Minority Youth

ABSTRACT

A challenge for research with sexual-minority youth is to capture their unique stories in a way that heightens understanding of lived experience and promotes the development of culturally relevant programs and policies tailored for this population. One data collection approach that may be particularly useful for research with sexual-minority youth is the life history calendar (LHC) method. The LHC provides a visual, calendar-based assessment of life events and behaviors anchored by contextual cues to enhance retrospective recall. The purpose of this article is to examine the utility of the LHC method with sexual-minority youth and its potential to address three methodological and conceptual challenges: developmental complexity, shifting and evolving identities, and timing. The LHC method is illustrated using three studies conducted by the author as case examples. Findings suggest that the LHC offers several potential benefits for research with sexual-minority youth including its adaptable and flexible structure, capacity to assess event timing and sequence, mixed-methods capability, and its ability to engage and empower youth to co-create the interview process. Strengths and limitations of the LHC method and implications for research and practice with sexual-minority youth in a range of social service settings are discussed.     

Identity Development in Emancipated Young Adults Following Foster Care

This qualitative study explored the experiences of 12 youth who were emancipated from state‐sponsored foster care at age 18 and attempted to establish themselves independently. The findings were analyzed through the lens of two developmental theories: separation/individuation and relational/cultural. Interview data revealed that the often‐difficult experiences of emancipating from foster care influenced an evolving sense of self. Participants identified strongly with self‐sufficiency and help‐avoidance and reported an inaccessibility of peer support. Although much of the current literature focuses on critiques of public foster care programs, this study provides insights into how youth have been personally affected by emancipation. It also contains implications for social work practice with emancipated and soon to be emancipating youth.     

Sexual Health Services for Homeless Youth: A Qualitative Analysis of their Experiences

The sexual health problems experienced by homeless youth bring into question their use of available sexual health services. Using a qualitative typological analysis, this study aims to identify sexual health services utilization profiles for homeless youth, and to understand the role of the homeless experience on the utilization of sexual health services. Individual interviews were conducted with 33 homeless youth (17 men, 16 women) between 18 and 25?years of age. Typological analysis identified four profiles: (1) a targeted use of sexual health services to determine one’s serological status following a relational change during the homeless experience; (2) a limited use of sexual health services to manage sexual emergencies that arise during the homeless experience; (3) a regular use of sexual health services to avoid the risks associated with the homeless experience; (4) a frequent use of sexual health services to obtain support when engaging in prostitution during the homeless experience. This study shows that the precarious and unstable conditions within the homeless experience incite youth to utilize sexual health services in different ways. These findings point to the importance of rethinking sexual health services to better adapt them to the different utilization profiles of homeless youth.     

The Aftercare Support Program: An Emerging Group Intervention for Transition-Aged Youth

The unique challenges faced by transition-aged youth have received considerable attention in the literature, but few developments for aftercare support interventions have followed. The Aftercare Support Program (ASP) is a group-based intervention designed for such youth. ASP was developed as a zero budget, low-intensity intervention delivered by volunteers from a local college/university and youth-serving agencies to encourage transition-aged youth to pursue postsecondary education and vocational training by utilizing existing community resources and services. The underlying theoretical concepts are derived from solution-focused brief therapy and a strengths-perspective in social work. Case vignettes, including feedback from participants and lessons learned are offered, along with implications for the ASP model and other aftercare support models for transition-aged youth at a time when public and private funds for such programs are limited.     

Youth Experiences Survey (YES): Exploring the Scope and Complexity of Sex Trafficking in a Sample of Youth Experiencing Homelessness

ABSTRACT

In the United States, sex trafficking victims have been identified at ages across the lifespan but young persons (under age 25) have been found to have unique vulnerabilities. At-risk youth, such as those who run away from home or those experiencing homelessness, are also at an increased risk of sexual exploitation. To better understand the scope and complexity of sex trafficking among these at-risk youth, a convenience sample of 131 homeless youth aged 12 to 25 years old experiencing homelessness recruited from Kentuckiana youth service providers completed an enhanced version of the Youth Experiences Survey (YES). Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted. Results indicated that 41.2% of the homeless youth were victims of sex trafficking. The sex trafficked youth were more likely to report previous self-harm behaviors, suicide attempts, and substance use. This study not only provides support for improved service delivery, but also provides essential statistics that should inform internal policy and procedures for youth serving agencies in Kentucky and Indiana. Findings highlight a need for trauma-informed interventions designed to treat not only females but also males and LGBTQ youth. Additionally, service providers should consider partnering with victim providers and clinicians to offer therapeutic groups, individual therapy, and supportive services that increase prevention, education, and wraparound care for clients. In regards to future research, findings point towards a need to better understand the role that trauma and adverse childhood experiences may play in making young people vulnerable to sex trafficking, and encourage the need for testing prevention and early intervention practices among vulnerable youth.     

从日常生活言谈及科学理论言谈看同一性的本体论问题

文章介绍了分析哲学中关于同一性的本体论问题的一些解答,特别解释了奎因是怎样从日常生活言谈及科学理论言谈的角度出发得出一种相对同一性的观点的。奎因的工作展示了像同一性这样相对抽象的哲学理论概念如何能够在具体的日常生活及科学实践的语境中得到澄清。在讨论了奎因的非实在论方法在分析的形而上学中的广泛应用之后,作者介绍了麦克道尔对道德投射主义的批判,然后论证麦克道尔的工作可以被用来挑战上述的非实在主义的形而上学理论。     

National Identity,Citizenship and Immigration: Putting Identity in Context

In this paper we suggest that there is a need to examine what is meant by “context” in Social Psychology and present an example of how to place identity in its social and institutional context. Taking the case of British naturalisation, the process whereby migrants become citizens, we show that the identity of naturalised citizens is defined by common‐sense ideas about Britishness and by immigration policies. An analysis of policy documents on “earned citizenship” and interviews with naturalised citizens shows that the distinction between “elite” and “non‐elite” migrants is evident in both the “reified” sphere of policy and the “common sense” sphere of everyday identity construction. While social representations embedded in lay experience construct ethno‐cultural similarity and difference, immigration policies engage in an institutionalised positioning process by determining migrants' rights of mobility. These spheres of knowledge and practice are not disconnected as these two levels of “managing otherness” overlap—it is the poorer, less skilled migrants, originating outside the West who epitomise difference (within a consensual sphere) and have less freedom of mobility (within a reified sphere). We show that the context of identity should be understood as simultaneously psychological and political.     

Advocacy for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities: Understandings and Expectations

Recent policy has promoted ‘advocacy’ as a meansof promoting social justice for many disadvantaged groups. Yet‘advocacy’ is a contested concept, and the understandingsthat members of disadvantaged groups themselves have of advocacyhave rarely been explored. Previous research indicates thatunderstandings may vary considerably. Using empirical evidencefrom research conducted in Glasgow, Scotland, this paper examinesthe understandings and expectations of ‘advocacy’held by black and minority ethnic (BME) service providers andpotential service users. The BME service providers believedthat they were offering advocacy, and did so in the contextof a marginalized position for their services. The BME communitymembers supported the development of advocacy services, buttheir own marginalization was in many ways reinforced by servicesthey were already using. They had clear ideas about appropriateadvocacy services for their situation. These ideas were groundedin their current situation, and did not necessarily conformto dominant ideas about advocacy. In conclusion, the prospectsfor successful advocacy are assessed.     

Cocreating a Social Work Apprenticeship with Disadvantaged African American Youth: A Best-Practices After-School Curriculum

Cocreating an after-school program with disadvantaged African American youth (2006–2011) resulted in a social work apprenticeship. In a participatory action, youth-led evaluation process, youth (N = 203) prioritized positively impacting their communities, especially mentoring community children and promoting alternatives to community violence. Starting from the strengths perspective and self-determination theory, topics youth valued included human rights, peace-building, trauma and stress management, and mentoring. Knowledge about human development and interviewing helped youth experience the fulfillment of being mentors. A subsample (n = 133) described what they learned about social work, and 43% of those reported an interest in pursuing a social work career.