A Family Affair: The Labor Market Experience of Immigrant Spouses

Objective . This research examines the role of the family in the immigrant settlement process by assessing the labor supply behavior of immigrant spouses. Methods . We make use of a unique data set—the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA), which provides detailed demographic, human capital, and labor market information for both principal applicants and their spouses. Results . Family circumstances such as the presence of young children, partners' hours of work, and family income are important determinants of labor supply. Similarly, human capital, particularly English language ability, is closely related to hours worked, and there is some evidence that spouses' employment is related to the visa category of their partners. Conclusions . Since immigration is not a solitary undertaking, evaluations of immigration policy and the economic status of immigrants that ignore interactions between family members may be inaccurate in their representation of the financial health and economic contributions of immigrants.     

Family Dynamics and Individual Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics

This study investigates differences in family dynamics and individual characteristics among: (a) adult children of alcoholics receiving professional and self-help recovery services; (b) adult children of alcoholics not receiving such recovery services; and (c) adults from families where there was an absence of substance abuse, domestic violence, incest, and chronic psychiatric or physical problems. Using discriminant analysis, two family variables (family competence and family cohesion) and three individual variables (individuation from parents, control issues expressed through feelings and problems with self-esteem) were identified as best discriminating between the three groups. Classification analysis revealed that although the identitied variables predicted a relatively high percentage of correct classification of the overall sample (69.05%), the most accurate prediction of group membership was at the extreme levels of family and individual functioning (either high or low). Implications for practice with alcoholic families and future research are discussed.     

家庭治疗模式在社区青少年服务中的应用研究

家庭治疗,就是社会工作者通过与全部或部分家庭成员的治疗性会谈以及其他专业技巧,来协助家庭成员改善家庭关系,建立良性的家庭互动模式,从而在根本上解决整个家庭及其个别成员的问题。因此,社工通过家庭治疗模式介入社区青少年服务对将对预防和解决青少年问题就显得十分关键。本文选取上海市社区青少年服务案例,调查了社区青少年的问题和需要及其家庭状况,并深入分析问题的成因,同时对专业的家庭治疗方法在社区青少年服务中应用的必要性与可行性进行了一定的探索和思考。     

家庭治疗模式在社区青少年服务中的应用研究

家庭治疗,就是社会工作者通过与全部或部分家庭成员的治疗性会谈以及其他专业技巧,来协助家庭成员改善家庭关系,建立良性的家庭互动模式,从而在根本上解决整个家庭及其个别成员的问题。因此,社工通过家庭治疗模式介入社区青少年服务对将对预防和解决青少年问题就显得十分关键。本文选取上海市社区青少年服务案例,调查了社区青少年的问题和需要及其家庭状况,并深入分析问题的成因,同时对专业的家庭治疗方法在社区青少年服务中应用的必要性与可行性进行了一定的探索和思考。     

'Everyone Started Shouting': Making Connections between the Process of Family Group Conferences and Family Therapy Practice

This article presents findings from a qualitative study of familygroup conferences (FGCs) in Wales, UK. The study examined theprocess of seventeen FGCs involving twenty-five young people,using semi-structured interviews, analysis of documents andcollection of data on welfare outcomes. Young people were re-interviewedafter six months. The article focuses on the data concerningreported communications between family members during the familymeetings. These data are discussed in relation to similaritiesand differences between FGCs and family therapy sessions. Theauthors conclude that each method of intervention presents potentiallessons and challenges to the other. FGC co-ordinators mightwish to reflect on how to manage and prepare family membersfor the potential for expressions of emotion and disclosuresof confidential information that might arise in a family meeting.Family therapy has a long history of successfully working withsuch processes. Additionally, family therapists may wish toreflect on the successful management of intra-familiar conflictand disclosure by many families acting without a therapist orother professional present in a FGC.     

Tricks of the Trade: Questionable Theory and Practice in Family Therapy

Summary This paper looks at certain over-systematizing trends in familytherapy, and at a group of practices, connected with such systems-thinking,which espouse manipulation and deception. It is argued thatthese theories and methods, couched in a language of scientism,represent a questionable and cynical direction in therapeuticwork. This technocratic approach not only disfigures personaland social being, but erodes social work principles foundedmorally upon a respect for persons. An alternative view is advocatedin which the value of the person is considered as central toan adequate human science. This regards the nature of understandingas based upon the finitude of experience, and therefore offersan appreciation of the person not as an ‘object’fit for technocratic manipulation, but in terms of his subjectiveand historical being.     

Migration and Employment Among the Civilian Spouses of Military Personnel*

Objectives. This article attempts to directly observe the effect of being a tied migrant on the economic status of the civilian husbands and wives of military personnel in order to confirm whether previously observed trailing‐wife effects are consistent with being a tied migrant. Methods. A sample of the civilian husbands of women in the military and the civilian wives of men in the military are drawn from the Public Use Microdata Sample of the 1990 U.S. Census. Ordinal logit models of labor‐market status and tobit models of hours worked are estimated, which include a migrant status variable. Results. Migration is associated with a 10 percent decline in employment among all civilian wives and a four‐hour decline in hours worked per week among civilian wives who remain employed. Migration is associated with a statistically insignificant but very similar 6 percent drop in employment among all civilian men and a five‐hour decline in hours worked per week among civilian men who remain employed. Conclusions. The results provide solid evidence that being a tied migrant, irrespective of gender, is disruptive to both labor‐market status and hours worked. Thus, the assumption that wives are harmed because of their disproportionate status as tied migrants is supported.     

The Effectiveness of an Out-Patient After-care Group with Previously Hospitalized Alcoholics

Summary The importance of after-care for alcoholics has been emphasizedby the Alcoholic Sub-Committee of the World Health Organization.¹Many writers have stressed this view and some have even attributedrelapses to the lack of vigorous after-care (Vallance, ² Rathod³).This paper reports an appraisal for a fortnightly group after-careservice for alcoholics which was established as an adjunct tothe ongoing treatment programme of an alcoholic unit. Data werecollected to provide some evaluation of the new service.     

Multiple Family Group Therapy for Families with Children Placed in Out-Of-Home Care in a Chinese Context

Since the 1980s, the family-centered approach has been widely adopted in the west (e.g., the United States) as an approach to serving children living in an out-of-home care context. In comparison, in Hong Kong, out-of-home care services tend to be child-centered and child-protection oriented. This article (1) examines the child welfare service, specifically out-of-home care services, in Hong Kong and (2) makes the case for integrating family-centered out-of-home care services for children. Three vignettes are presented that demonstrate the use of Multiple Family Group Therapy (MFGT) to promote family-centered practice. The article concludes with a discussion of challenges and recommendations related to a shift to family-centered practice.     

A Support Group for Spouses of Nursing Home Residents

This article describes a closed group for spouses of nursing home residents, in which group composition was carefully considered through a process of staff referral and pre-group interviews of potential members identified as persons who might be especially helped through group participation. The group provided opportunities for needed support and sharing and also empowered its members to influence agency policy.     

Core Themes in a Support Group for Spouses of Breast Cancer Patients

Spouses of breast cancer patients suffer from various symptoms related to coping with their partner's illness. They are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety than are spouses of healthy women. The benefits of support groups for spouses of breast cancer patients are significant for spouses, patients, and their families. This article describes two support groups for spouses of cancer patients, the first of their kind in Israel, and discusses various patterns that emerged in the couples' relationships and the manner in which they were dealt with in the group.     

Play Therapy with Rosy

Summary Rosy is typical of many problematic children in residentialsettings as well as natural homes. What is perhaps not so typicalin social work practice is play therapy, an intervention thathas been acknowledged as having contributed to a significantimprovement in Rosy's behaviour and emotional stability. Certainconditions are necessary—a suitable playroom; assuranceof regular sessions; a play therapist who is, at least to someextent, freed from her own unconscious preoccupations so thatshe can work effectively on the child's needs without interjectingher own. The aim of this paper is to present a synopsis of thetheoretical background, to outline some practical considerations,and to quote from my work with Rosy as a living example of playtherapy in the hope that others will be stimulated to considerplay work as a viable method of intervention with some children.Rosy's play sessions lasted a little over a year, many othercases require less time.     

共财与家法——宋代饶阳李氏家族探析

宋代饶阳李氏家族以共财和家法而为时人称道,在北宋前期即被视为能够保守门阀的代表性宰相家族。本文从这两个方面对李氏家族进行了一些剖析。在宋代社会条件下,官僚家族的共财被认为是世所难及的事情。共财之难在于管理,李氏家族在财产管理方面颇有自己的特点。数代同居的李氏家族,设有专门的仓库。财产入库之后,各种消费则有详细的规矩,并形成成文的财产管理法规。在李氏家法和家风的作用下,李氏家族在较好地处理内部关系的同时,也十分重视时外部关系的处理。两方面社会关系的处理,对李氏家族的门阀维持和家族发展,均起着重要的作用。宋代官僚家族大都重视同族之间的共财,并借助其财产关系进行家法和家风的建设。这种努力的成功与否,直接影响着官僚家族门阀的维持。     

A Conceptual Framework for Differential Use of Mediation and Family Therapy Interventions With Older Adults and Their Families

The purpose of this article is to present a family-centered approach to working with older adults. This framework utilizes a differential use of family therapy and therapeutic mediation theoretical concepts and skills. This provides an effective approach to conceptualizing and intervening with these often complex situations regarding the decision-making processes related to care of older members. Family-centered mediators/clinicians must be skilled in both models to understand and intervene in the challenging issues presented by families. A case example is included in the article to illustrate the framework.     

Family Caregivers of the Elderly

Two groups of primary family caregivers were interviewed; one whose older relatives received assistance from an inhome chore services program, the other whose relatives had been terminated from service due to budget reductions. Both groups of caregivers were found to be actively involved in providing care to their older relatives. The assistance that caregivers provided was similar whether or not their relative received chore services. No significant differences were found in the type of tasks they provided nor in the amount or length of time they have provided care. The data suggest that there may be limits to the assistance that these caregivers can provide and that care of the elderly beyond such limitations needs to be supplied by other sources. Caregiving may be influenced both by the particular circumstances of the caregiver and the individual needs of the older relative. These findings support the notion that there is a need for shared responsibility between the family and government, based on an understanding of the tasks that family caregivers are best able to provide.     

The Development of a Screening Tool for the Adult Children of Alcoholics Traits (STACAT)

In order to develop a valid tool for screening the traits of adult children of alcoholics (ACOA), this study focused on finding common characteristics among ACOA and developing a tool based on those characteristics. An item pool was generated targeting three distinct characteristics discussed in the alcohol literature related to ACOA, and the items were reviewed by a panel of experts. Using data from the sample, a confirmatory factor analysis, t -test and correlation analysis were conducted to gather various validity evidences for the screening tool. Cronbach's coefficient alpha test was used to check the internal consistency of the tool. The evidence of the reliability and validity for the ACOA traits screening tool provide the social work practice with an empirically validated method of measuring these traits in the children of alcoholics.     

非线性科学影响下的俄罗斯家庭关系心理学

非线性科学是以否定简单线性因果关系和决定论为特征的,强调随机概率性。在其影响下,俄罗斯家庭关系心理学对复杂多变的家庭心理关系作出了不同于以往的解释。其研究视角、理论主张和研究方式都深深烙上了非线性科学的特征。