Alcohol and Sexual Health Behavior: “What We Know and How We Know It”

Alcohol, despite salutary associations with sexuality, has been implicated in sexual health problems. This review examines the relationship between alcohol and outcomes related to sexual health. Methodological considerations limiting causal assertions permissible with nonexperimental data are discussed, as are advantages of experimental methods. Findings from laboratory experiments are reviewed evaluating causal effects of acute alcohol intoxication on a variety of outcomes, including sexual arousal, sexual desire, orgasm, and sexual risk behaviors related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Several variables exerting mediating and moderating influences are identified. It is concluded that acute alcohol intoxication is capable of exerting a causal impact on multiple constituent components of sexual responding related to sexual health. Both alcohol expectancy and alcohol myopia theories have been supported as explanations for these causal effects. Furthermore, for sexual risk behavior, noteworthy recent developments include research highlighting the importance of women’s sexual victimization history and men’s condom use resistance. Limitations and implications associated with this body of research are also discussed.     

The Phenomenon of Social Enterprises: Are We Keeping Watch on This Cultural Practice?

Social enterprises have reached world levels as an alternative to combat negative effects of the economy such as unemployment, poor distribution of income, and poverty, thus stimulating social entrepreneurship with local actions directed especially to excluded communities. This article corresponds to a study that uses the bibliometric method to analyze the world scientific literature on social enterprises in order to research on the possible existence of investigation projects that may have approached the cultural dimension of said phenomenon. Studies in this field may contribute to the establishment of social enterprises as a cultural practice, for the promotion of a more equitable social and economic development. The analysis of the scientific publications inherent to the topic, suggests, among other results, that the academic production is diverse, but there is still a lack of initiatives in order to explore new perspectives concerning the phenomenon. On the other hand, similarities in the motivation of the studies allow outlining 10 categories that evidence the most interest in the research on social enterprises.     

‘This is just so unfair!’: A qualitative analysis of loss-induced emotions and tilting in on-line poker

Poker is a game of skill and chance, where players often experience significant monetary losses. Detrimental out-of-control poker decision-making due to negative emotions is known as tilting. A qualitative assessment of losing and tilting was conducted by analysing stories about significant monetary losses, written by Finnish on-line poker players (N = 60). Thematic and narrative analyses uncovered five themes and a narrative structure underlying the aetiology and phenomenology of tilting. Tilting, in the narratives, was often instigated by dissociative feelings (‘unreality’, disbelief) following a significant monetary loss. Thereafter, moral indignation was experienced, followed by chasing behaviour, in an attempt to restore a ‘fair balance’ between wins and losses. In the aftermath of tilting, self-focused feelings of disappointment, depression and/or anxiety, and sleeping problems were experienced. It was also observed that experienced players, as compared to inexperienced ones, exhibited in their narratives a more mature disposition towards encountering ‘bad luck’, and losing in general. The results are relevant in better understanding psychological processes related to losing in the multifaceted game of poker, thus contributing also to existing knowledge on detrimental gambling behaviour.     

‘This is real now because it’s a piece of paper’: texts,disability, and LGBTQ parents

What role do texts play in LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) parents’ experiences of disability service systems? In interviews with 15 LGBTQ parents of disabled children in Toronto, Canada, participants selected documents to be used as a focus for discussion. Parents considered how LGBTQ identity and other intersectional identities influenced their experiences of institutional texts including adoption certificates, intake forms, and assessments. Findings suggest that documentation practices can operate as forms of systemic gatekeeping. LGBTQ identity was sometimes very significant in parents’ accounts, and sometimes less central than other aspects of their families' identities and experiences.     

‘We are All in This Together’? The Hidden Costs of Poverty,Recession and Austerity Policies on Britain's Poorest Children

In 2010, in the UK a new Coalition government inherited an ailing economy at a time of economic uncertainty and recession. Their response was to institute a fundamental revision and retrenchment of government spending accompanied by unprecedented cuts in welfare services and social security provision. This article explores the nature and meaning of these changes from a child‐centred perspective, to understand how and in what ways policy change and welfare retrenchment may uniquely impinge on low‐income children's lives. It reveals that recent cuts and welfare changes have threatened to overlook their needs and exacerbate their deepest concerns.     

“Why would we take men? This is an OB/GYN”: Gender,hysterectomy, and the patriarchal dividend

Hysterectomy experiences among transmasculine individuals represent a powerful case to examine gendered dynamics in healthcare, especially given the continued cultural association between the uterus and womanhood. In this paper, I draw on theories from feminist science and technology studies and medical sociology to examine in-depth interviews with 46 trans or nonbinary individuals who have had, want, or are considering an elective premenopausal hysterectomy. I find that trans men and nonbinary patients must negotiate what I call the structural feminization of gynecology which often leads to poor healthcare experiences. This paper also extends theories of a “patriarchal dividend” in medicine by examining reported differences in medical experiences when patients are perceived as cisgender women versus as trans men or nonbinary. I find a double bind inherent in the patriarchal divided in healthcare: masculinity often leads to better care, but the patriarchal dividend is constrained by the stigma introduced by being a trans patient. In the process, I extend social scientific knowledge of a highly common yet understudied procedure while expanding scholarship on medicine, gender, and embodiment.     

Collegiate Recovery Communities Programs: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know?

As the broad construct of recovery increasingly guides addiction services and policy, federal agencies have called for the expansion of peer-driven recovery support services. The high prevalence of substance use and abuse in colleges and universities in the United States constitutes a significant obstacle to pursuing an education for the unknown number of youths who have attained remission from substance use dependence. Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) are an innovative and growing model of peer-driven recovery support delivered on college campuses. Although no systematic research has examined CRPs, available site-level records suggest encouraging outcomes: low relapse rates and above-average academic achievement. The number of CRPs nationwide is growing, but there is a noticeable lack of data on the model, its students, and their outcomes. We review the literature supporting the need for the expansion of CRPs, present information on the diversity of CRP services, and outline key areas where research is needed.     

Her Career Begins Like This

THE summer of 1990 was almost the end of the world for Huang Kaijun, whose dearly beloved husband was found to have been carrying on with some other woman behind her back and even had a one-year-old son while she was completely in the dark and still dreaming a sweet dream of life. What on earth had happened to their 12 years of marriage? The unexpected heavy     

This Modern Bugaboo — Propaganda

This content analysis explored how Civics and Government textbooks and the Virginia Standards of Learning for Civics and Government courses reflect citizenship outcomes, specifically deconstructing the unique needs of marginalized students. The coding frame was constructed by using themes and categories from previous literature, specifically highlighting Kahne and Westheimer's (2003) three Cs (Commitment, Connection, Capacity) framework. The findings support previous literature, which suggest that civics textbooks and state standards emphasize individual rights and a philosophy of liberalism, but deemphasize civic ideals of collectivism and a classical republicanism philosophy based on deliberation and community action. Furthermore, the findings illuminate the lack of content that provides authentic examples for marginalized students in the narrative of American democracy.     

When is an HIV infection prevented and when is it merely delayed?

HIV prevention programs are typically evaluated using behavioral outcomes. Mathematical models of HIV transmission can be used to translate these behavioral outcomes into estimates of the number of HIV infections averted. Usually, intervention effectiveness is evaluated over a brief assessment period and an infection is considered to be prevented if it does not occur during this period. This approach may overestimate intervention effectiveness if participants continue to engage in risk behaviors. Conversely, this strategy underestimates the true impact of interventions by assuming that behavioral changes persist only until the end of the intervention assessment period. In this article, the authors (a) suggest a simple framework for distinguishing between HIV infections that are truly prevented and those that are merely delayed, (b) illustrate how these outcomes can be estimated, (c) discuss strategies for extrapolating intervention effects beyond the assessment period, and (d) highlight the implications of these findings for HIV prevention decision making.     

“This is How we Debate”: Engineers’ Use of Stories to Reason through Disaster Causation

Qualitative Sociology - This article contributes to inquiry on storytelling practice through analysis of the strategies that engineers adopt when reasoning through a disaster scenario. In hazardous...     

Who Is Responsible for This?

ABSTRACT

In the context of providing health and human services for older individuals, modern American culture often depends on formally asserting and battling over a clashing array of rights among respective combatants as a first resort at problem-solving. A substantial impediment exists in our cultural environment that discourages families and professionals, and the agencies that employ them, from recognizing and respecting the rights of older persons in a less adversarial and more subtle, sensitive, and flexible manner. This article discusses this barrier, illustrating it in several aging-related settings, and suggests a paradigm for addressing the situation. Then, several current challenges to the rethinking of rights and responsibilities in geriatric and gerontological practice are acknowledged.     

Make This Column a Success!

"Editorial Mailbox" is a small but indispensable column in our magazine—Women of China. It offers our readers a forum in which to contribute their own ideas and views and letters from readers connect us to our friends all over the world. But the success of this column depends on the participation of our readers!     

Do Parents Have This Right?

IN April of 1998, Li Cheng was taken to court. The month before, Li had tried to end the life of his own child, who was only three days old. The doctor's attempts to stop him managed to prolong the child's life for only two days. Consequently, Li must be punished by law for killing his own child. However, response to this case has varied. Li Cheng's work unit posted bail for him. "We will respect the opinion of the court, no matter what the verdict," said the representative from his work unit. "However, if our application is refused, we do not intend to cease paying his salary." In the petition for bail, they maintained that Li Cheng was a talented, hard-working staff member. His act must have been commit-     

Professional Socialization and Social Work Values: Who Are We Teaching?

Despite the centrality of values to professional socialization, the social work literature lacks an extensive exploration of the readiness of students to be socialized into the profession and taught the theoretical framework and skills for ethical decision making. This study explored the relationship between age, academic class standing, and identity development. Results indicated that the Identity Achievement status occurs later than traditional university years and correlates with age but not with academic class standing. Important implications for teaching social work values, ethical decision making, and the significance of a liberal arts foundation are discussed.     

Social Work and Social Justice: What Are We Fighting For?

Abstract

A cardinal value of social work practice is social justice. Social justice ranks as the second of five values that underpin the Code of Ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW. However, although social work's commitment to promoting social justice is laudable and, indeed, may even be a distinguishing feature of the profession, precisely what kind of social justice does social work espouse? The answer to this question remains unclear. Views about the nature and scope of social justice stem from broader conceptions of justice that not only differ from, but may also conflict with, each other. Therefore, it is important not only for social work to be clear about the type of social justice that it currently advocates, but also to ensure that it is one that the profession seeks to defend and maximise. It is argued that the choice must be as egalitarian as possible. Indeed, it must be radically so. Otherwise, what is social work fighting for?