Conceptual Framework for Marriage Education Programs for Stepfamily Couples with Considerations for Socioeconomic Context

Stepfamily couples face unique challenges that put them at higher risk for dissolution than non-stepfamily couples. Risks for stepfamily couples are magnified in the context of lower economic resources, making low-income stepfamily couples a key target population for intervention and for community education programs. Existing programs and services for couples often do not address the unique situations of stepfamilies. This article builds on previous reviews that have offered information on important research themes and assessment of available curricula for stepfamily couples and presents a more comprehensive conceptual model to guide program design and services for stepfamily couples inclusive of specific objectives, as well as conditions and antecedents affecting content and prioritized needs. The goal is to enhance efforts to strengthen more vulnerable couples in complex families.     

Teaching Personnel System Design: Manpower Utilization

This paper focuses upon how the resources and technology available to an organization can be organized and structured to accomplish program goals. A systems model is offered whereby emphasis upon self-control, communication, and feedback is applied to agency performance rather than effort. A growing use of different kinds of manpower and increasing specialization in social welfare agencies requires consideration of both the individual and the work environment. The way in which work is organized and structured may increasingly determine the kind and quality of services an agency provides to its clients.     

Employee Assistance Programs:

Many people in the employee assistance field view the development and expansion of employee assistance programs (EAPs) as a direct result of occupational alcoholism programs. This paper assesses the early role of occupational social welfare as the precursor of social service programs in the workplace and emphasizes the importance of having a broader historical perspective of EAPs.     

Employee Assistance Programs:

No abstract available for this article.     

Evaluating Employee Assistance Programs:

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are rapidly growing, and with this growth the goals of these programs also have broadened. There is increasing recognition that EAPs should be evaluated for their effectiveness in achieving these goals. The evaluation process poses a number of problems. This paper presents key issues to be considered for such evaluations-including the major obstacles encountered, and possible solutions to overcome them.     

Assessing Employee Assistance Programs:

There is a great need for better understanding of an overall evaluation scheme of EAPs. The author presents four types or phases of EAP evaluation: (a) intervention planning; (b) program monitoring; (c) impact assessment; and (d) economic efficiency. Under this typology, seven common models of evaluation methods are elaborated with some procedural references: (1) need assessment; (2) program development; (3) utilization analysis; (4) outcome evaluation; (5) net effect assessment; (6) cost-benefit analysis; and (7) cost-effectiveness analysis.     

Manpower Planning in Social Welfare

The discipline of history has been much neglected in curriculum planning in schools of social work at every level—undergraduate, MSW and Ph.D. The study of history may recover lost experiments in social service; it may provide the student with methods relevant to social analysis; it may provide models for apprentice social workers; and it may provide insights into social process.     

Manpower export and economic development: evidence from the Philippines

The Philippines has actively pursued a policy of labor export with the expectation that it would relieve unemployment, augment the supply of skills, and relieve pressure on the balance of payments. It was also anticipated that the inflow of overseas workers' remittances would translate into increased investment, the sine qua non for economic development. However, recent evidence casts some doubt on the extent to which these goals have been achieved. Particularly in the areas of skill formation, there appears to be a significant discrepancy between anticipated and actual outcomes. Indeed, it appears that the labor export may reduce the supply of skills available since 1) many skilled and educated workers are taking jobs requiring skill levels lower than they possess, and 2) a large majority of returning workers do not want to take up employment in those occupations reliant on the skills they used abroad. There is conflicting evidence regarding the impact of labor export on Philippine industries. There is some anecdotal evidence that a few industries have suffered because of a loss of key workers. In general, however, it appears that unemployment is still quite significant in those occupations most heavily represented in labor export. Despite this observation, it may still be true that labor emigration is selective of only the best workers, implying a decline in quality of the work force and possibly productivity in certain industries. The export of professional, technical, and managerial workers is another issue. Unless it can be shown that these workers are in excess supply, it is not advisable to expand the number going abroad. Although their salaries may be higher, and hence their remittances greater, their loss can impose costs on indigenous industries well in excess of a any marginal gains. Remittances from overseas workers do constitute a relatively significant source of foreign exchange. However, the translation of remittances into investment has been restrained by the very low propensity of remittance recipients and returnees to undertake productive investment and by the diversion of remittances from formal banking channels into informal channels. Remittances which are being channeled through the formal banking sector constitute a potentially important source of loan funds, as well as providing a potential stimulus to indigenous industry.     

Employee Assistance Programs in Australia:

No abstract available for this article.     

Differential Use of Social Work Manpower

In this paper the authors report on a research, training, and demonstration study that dealt with the interaction of law and social work graduate students in delivering services to the elderly poor. Data suggested more similarities than differences in roles and tasks performed. Attitudinal measures indicated stereotypes toward the disciplines and the elderly. Confusion of roles and stereotypic attitudes accounted for a low referral rate within a project highly skewed toward interdisciplinary practice. Confrontation education is suggested as a means to modify stereotypes, clarify roles, and encourage the integrated service delivery needed by the elderly. Implications for higher education are drawn.     

Psychosocial Correlates of Interpersonal Sensitivity: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis examines how interpersonal sensitivity (IS), defined as accurate judgment or recall of others’ behavior or appearance, is related to psychosocial characteristics of the perceiver, defined as personality traits, social and emotional functioning, life experiences, values, attitudes, and self-concept. For 215 independent studies reported in 96 published sources, higher IS was generally associated with favorable or adaptive psychosocial functioning. Significant mean correlations were found for 27 of the 40 categories of psychosocial variables; these categories covered many different personality traits, indicators of mental health, and social and work-related competencies. Moreover, many additional studies that fell outside these conceptual categories also showed significant positive relations between IS and numerous other psychosocial variables. Taken together, the results support the construct validity of IS tests and demonstrate that IS is associated with many important aspects of personal and social functioning.

Undergraduate Social Work Manpower and Job Opportunities: A Regional Study

This study deals with the deployment, utilization, and potential future employment opportunities for bachelor's-level social workers based on a survey of social service agencies in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Denton, Texas metropolitan area. Findings are presented in relation to social service agency reports concerning budgeted and vacant positions for different types of social service personnel, degree and academic fields specified for the positions, estimates concerning future social service personnel positions, preferences in hiring between undifferentiated bachelor's-level personnel and BSWs, and preferences in hiring between BSW and MSW personnel.     

Sociology and Literature: Theoretical Considerations

The authors' discussion of the theoretical issues implied in interdisciplinary studies of sociology and literature is based on their analyses of selected works of sociology, literary theory, and cultural criticism produced during the past twenty years. Attempts to integrate the areas of sociology and literature have resulted in three general approaches: sociology through literature, the sociology of literature, and the study of sociology and literature based on their common dependence on language. The authors analyze the theoretical issues and assumptions that underlie each of these approaches in order to suggest a way to study sociology and literature which retains the richness and complexity of both disciplines.     

Intergenerational Programs

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to provide an overview of the current state of intergenerational programming in one Canadian city. One-hundred and seven individuals in charge of programming in youth and seniors' organizations completed a telephone survey about intergenerational programs. More than one-third of organizations surveyed reported offering intergenerational programs, and the majority of these perceived their program to be successful. Participants added that there were no current overlaps in services, though a variety of gaps in and barriers to intergenerational programming were identified. There was also significant interest in and ideas for offering a diverse range of programs in the future. It was concluded that while interest in offering intergenerational programs was high, multiple barriers currently exist to offering such programs.