庆祝《城市》杂志创刊20周年痤谈会会议纪要

2008年12月6日,庆祝<城市>杂志创刊20周年座谈会在天津会宾园大酒店举行.老同志毛昌五、白化岭、王德惠、王家瑜、刘玉麟、张旭东出席了座谈会,来自天津市建委、天津市市容委、天津市规划局、天津市委财经办、天津市经济发展研究所、天津社科院、南开大学、天津大学、天津财经大学、天津师范大学、天津城建学院、天津工程师范大学等单位的40余位领导和专家学者到会.     

The meeting of two narratives

The post-modern paradigms, particularly regarding the nature of reality, are fast coloring our ideas regarding our client's truths. We now have an expanded understanding about the flexibility and dynamic nature of truth, and therefore of clients' narratives. Another narrative, however, that must be taken fully into account is the narrative of the therapist. In fact, what we have in a clinical hour is the meeting and blending of two narratives, that of the client and that of the therapist. This paper summarizes some of the recent thinking regarding narrative, and the nature of truth, as well as pointing to implications for clinical practice.     

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.     

Koob addresses RSA meeting with NIAAA update

Last week, the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) held its annual scientific meeting, opened by an address from George F. Koob, Ph.D., director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The researchers and others in attendance heard an update of NIAAA's program efforts. NIAAA funds much of the alcoholism research in the United States, with a budget of $525 million for FY 2019 (the budget for 2020 is still under development). Would‐be grantees are very interested in this funding. Grant awards and start dates are based on the budget process and fund availability, Koob said.     

NAATP annual meeting: Measure what you're doing

Last week's annual leadership meeting of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) focused on the quality assurance guidebook coming out from the organization (see “NAATP releases draft guidebook for residential treatment providers,” ADAW, April 22, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adaw.32334 ). It culminated with a visit to Capitol Hill (see story, p. 3).     

New York senator convenes virtual meeting on opioids

Last week, New York State Sen. Pete Harckham, a Democrat from the Hudson Valley who chairs the Joint Senate Task Force on Opioids, held a virtual conference to discuss the challenges faced by substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs during the pandemic.     

Sudden death in infancy

SUMMARY. Sudden death in infancy is now one of the commonest cause of death in young children in the United Kingdom affecting two to three per 1,000 livebirths. A number of background factors are associated with an increased risk of sudden death and the aetiology is likely to be multifactional. Some of these background factors are reviewed together with possible causes. The relationship with child abuse is discussed. While the aetiology and therefore methods of prevention remain uncertain, it is clear that families who suffer this form of bereavemem need support and counselling. The response of one health authority to the challenge of cot death is described.