Adoptive family life and adoption support: policy ambivalence and the development of effective services

Adoption policy and practice in England is being ‘modernized’ in order to increase the number of permanent placements for children in public care. Success depends on improving adoption services as well as reforming the adoption process itself. To this end the Adoption and Children Act 2002 places new duties on local authorities to ensure greater consistency and quality of service in adoption support as well as in care planning. Questions now arise locally about what priority and focus to give to adoption support. Yet service development is inhibited by the ambivalence of New Labour about exactly what it is that adoption support is supposed to be supporting and how. Funds are limited and service re‐organization is always difficult to achieve. However, mixed policy messages result largely from the ambiguous social role and expectations of adoptive family life and kinship. In law adoption replicates the autonomous normative birth family whilst in policy it provides reparative parenting for particularly vulnerable children. A lack of clarity about the claims for support of those affected by adoption results. This paper argues a fresh case for the distinctive claims of adoptive family life for support. It suggests how new thinking about adoptive family life and kinship might stimulate local service collaboration and effective adoption support.     

A Conceptual Model of Family Surrogate End-of-Life Decision-Making Process in the Nursing Home Setting: Goals of Care as Guiding Stars

An increasing proportion of dying is occurring in America's nursing homes (NH). Family members are involved in (and affected by) medical decision-making on behalf of NH residents approaching the end of life, especially when the resident is cognitively impaired. This article proposes an empirically derived conceptual model of the key factors NH family surrogate decision-makers consider when establishing or changing goals of care and the iterative process as applied to the NH setting. This model also establishes the importance of family social role expectations toward their loved one as well as the concept, “stance toward dying,” as key in establishing or changing the main goal of care. NH staff and physicians can use the model as a framework for providing information and support to family members. Research is needed to better understand how to prepare staff and settings to support family surrogate decision-makers, in particular around setting goals of care. The model can be generalized beyond nursing homes.     

Work, family and intentions to withdraw from the workplace

In this article, municipal workers' experience of the relationship between family and work in Finland is analysed. The relationship between the reconciliation of family life and work, and intentions to change jobs or industry or to withdraw from work, are also investigated. Results show that the negative effect of work on family life is more common than the spillover effect of family life on work. Demanding jobs, job insecurity, working as a supervisor, having children, being a single parent, and having informal care responsibilities were found to be risk factors for the challenge of reconciling work and family. Difficulties in reconciling work and family were found to be connected to plans to change jobs or industry and intentions to withdraw from work. It can be concluded that the work−family relationship is an important determinant of the supply of labour.     

家庭背景、教育期望与大学教育获得：基于上海市调查数据的实证研究

家庭背景通过子女教育实现优势地位的代际传递,以往国内研究认为,这种代际传递主要通过教育分流和文化资本、社会资本机制得以实现。本文根据威斯康星教育获得模型的研究成果,引入大学教育期望作为家庭背景影响子女大学教育获得的中间机制。研究采用2010年“上海居民家庭生活状况调查”数据。分析发现,在少年时具有大学教育期望的人,最终获得大学教育的机会明显增加,而个人大学教育期望的产生又主要同家庭背景和父母期望有关。具有优势地位的父母（尤其是接受过高等教育的父母）对子女上大学的期望较高,并激发了子女上大学的期望。同时,具有优势地位的父母能更多地参与到子女的教育过程中,为子女创造更多的支持条件,这些都有助于子女维持和实现自己的教育期望。因而,整个代际传递的逻辑可以表述为：家庭社会经济地位越高的子女,其上大学的期望也越高,这种期望最终会转化为大学教育获得的优势。     

Filial Obligation in Contemporary China: Evolution of the Culture‐System

Family obligation, which has an exceptionally high salience in traditional Chinese society, continues to be significant in contemporary China. In family relations in particular sentiments and practices morphologically similar to those associated with xiao (filial piety) remains intact in so far as an enduring set of expectations concerning age‐based obligation continues to structure behavior toward others. Researchers pursuing the theme of “individualization” in Chinese society, on the other hand, argue that family obligations and filial sentiments have substantially weakened. The present paper will show that under conditions of cultural and social change in China filial behavior through family obligation continues to play an important role even though the conventions associated with the relevant expectations, attitudes and emotions have undergone significant change. The paper argues that the culture‐system develops not merely through an internal dynamic and that family obligation must be understood in terms of the social and material context in which it operates and the nature of the motivations and imagery of the people that practice it.     

"Healthy dying": a paradoxical quest continues

Until recently the health care professions gave little systematic attention to psychosocial needs of the dying person and his or her family. There seemed to be no place for death in the prevention and cure-oriented outlook of our health care systems. This situation is now undergoing rapid change. Analysis of our society's death system indicates that "comfort care" has started to take its place along with the more dominant death system functions of curing and killing. Particular attention is given to the emergence of the hospice movement. Improved care of the terminally ill person may not be enough, however, to meet rising expectations for a higher quality of life, in general, and in the dying situation in particular. It is suggested that our society will not be content with a terminal phase of life in which physical distress is well controlled and individual dignity maintained. Rather, we seem to be questing for a form of dying that is "healthier" than ordinary life and that actualizes values whose attainment had previously been frustrated. Pleasurable dying and glorious death may be major "consumer demands" in the future.     

Discharge procedures for mentally ill people: The perspective of former psychiatric patients on their primary social network, quality of life and future life expectations

This article on literature about social networks and social support in order to integrate a number of key concepts and findings that must be considered in research about the social conditions of mentally ill people. Interviews with 53 former psychiatric patients were carried out to get their perspective on their social network, quality of life and future life expectations. The duration of and stigma attached to mental illness, being without work and gender seemed to have the most influence on the primary network. The same issues, except for gender, together with place of residence, financial difficulties and inability to exert influence over one's own situation influenced the respondents' quality of life and their expectations of the future. These findings are analysed and discussed from a social psychological perspective.     

Change and Adaptation in Families with Young Carers

Using grounded theory methodology, members of nine families with 'young carers' were interviewed to explore their experiences of caring. A dynamic theory of change and adaptation emerged in relation to changes in who cares within families, in external support and in the attitudes of young carers towards caring. Adaptations included becoming used to the way life is, knowing how to care, balancing and trading off, rewarding care, and anticipating future adaptations. A model has been developed to offer an explanation of factors which influence young caring in families. These include family expectations about caring; who is available to care; the willingness and capability of young carers to help; and the degree of choice or obligation they experience. Formal and informal support services from outside the family, and environmental adaptations, can reduce the amount of family caregiving required, increase choice and contribute to balancing life for carers.     

Educational Expectations of Parents and Children: Findings from a Case of China

To examine educational expectations and the factors that influence them, this paper presents a study of elementary school‐aged children in China, with a particular interest in migrant children. This study revealed the significance of family socioeconomic status (SES), parental involvement, and children's school experiences to children's educational expectations. The findings of this study showed no significantly different patterns of factors influencing children's educational expectations between the migrant and the non‐migrant children in public schools. The implication of this finding is that it is not simply migrant status which affects a child's educational expectation; rather it is a set of family SES and school experiences. Future research considering diverse migrant child population is suggested.     

The Importance of Including the Family in the Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment of the Nursing Home Bound Person

Inclusion of the family in the comprehensive psychiatric assessment of the nursing-home bound person is essential for a more complete understanding of the patient's symptoms and for lessening the stress of the family members. Collaboration with family members can lead to their improved adaptation to developmental issues of later life. The crisis of hospitalization and consideration of long-term care needs can be the catalyst for the family's coming to terms with unresolved early life issues and the renewal or creation of an emotionally supportive intergenerational system.     

Caring while living apart

In recent years, researchers have paid increasing attention to the issue of care in the new types of family and partner relationships. The aim of this study is to examine expectations and attitudes concerning care among elderly people in LAT (Living Apart Together)- relationships in Sweden, that is, people who have a long-term intimate relationship, but who do not share a common home. Questionnaires were completed by 116 elderly people in LAT-relationships. Partners are ranked as the main providers of care, especially by men, but there is considerable variation in the answers. This seems to be principally related to the degree of flexibility in this type of relationship. Some individuals see a LAT-relationship as a marriage-like relationship, while others see it primarily as a type of relationship that guarantees them the possibility of maintaining their own independent way of life.     

‘Making It’ Versus Satisfaction: How Women Raising Young Children in Poverty Assess How Well They Are Doing

ABSTRACT

Using in-depth interviews with 17 women raising young children in urban poverty, two separate standards were examined—“making it” and satisfaction. “Making it” referred to one's perceived ability to meet the basic physical needs of her children. In contrast, satisfaction referred to how closely one's current life circumstances align with her personal notions of success. Results indicated that self-expectations greatly influenced which standard individuals prioritized, such that those with higher expectations valued satisfaction while those with lower expectations prioritized “making it.” Self-expectations aligned largely with one's poverty status, and women with the fewest economic resources typically expected the least for their lives. Findings from this study suggest that efforts to support women raising young children in poverty must address both standards if they are to be relevant, effective, and sustainable. Similarly, if individuals are to succeed in such interventions, they must be supported in developing higher expectations for their lives, given the role that expectations play in catalyzing one's sense of a life beyond survival. Future research and implications for theory and practice are outlined.     

Young care leavers' expectations of their future: A question of time horizon

This paper investigates young care leavers' expectations of their future after discharge from care. The results are based on qualitative longitudinal data where 16‐ to 21‐year‐old care leavers (n = 15) were interviewed twice, first when still in care but planning for their discharge (T1) and the second time 6–9 months later (T2). The analysis using a general inductive approach showed that their expectations were dependent on the time horizon and that there was an obvious difference between the young informants' short‐ and long‐term expectations. Their short‐term expectations consisted of worries connected to their approaching discharge (at T1) and how to cope with challenges of everyday life after discharge from care (at T2). These results seem to echo negative outcomes shown in previous quantitative research. However, the informants' long‐term expectations provide a different picture, being mainly positive in both interviews (T1 and T2). The results are discussed from a life course perspective, where the informants' visions of their future are framed and understood in terms of the different stages of their transition process.     

Unemployment,Youth Homelessness and the Allocation of Family Responsibility

The following discussion concerns two issues relating to what is usually called youth homelessness. The first concerns the accommodation expectations for 15 to 17 year olds to reside at their parent's home, which is encouraged by the existing government's policies, and the non-indexation of the unemployment benefit for single 16 and 17 year olds. Assumptions about family responsibility are also discussed and linked with assumptions about family dependency. The second concerns the establishing of a minimum data base from which the quantification of the number of homeless youth can begin. Additional data available, however, suggests that the numbers of young people who might be expected to experience difficulty finding accommodation is much higher than first thought.     

A simulation model of infant feeding and family economics in developing countries

Malnutrition is one of the major problems in the Third World. Rooted in mass poverty. It has implications that seriously hamper the ability of poor countries to reach higher standards of living Malnutrition affects the biological development of human beings, which limits intellectual growth and therefore hampers social and economic betterment. At the same time the cultural fabric in many countries has been badly torn, with an increasingly large share of population moving into grossly underemployed and gravely underpriviledged communities within urban areas. This change has altered most traditional life styles: one of its major consequences has been the marked decline in the breast-feeding of infants. The nutrition and welfare of the family affected by new infant feeding practices, not only interact with the household economy, but affect and are affected by social forces and external conditions.This paper presents a model to address these issues and measure the extent by which the above mentioned interaction threatens economic growth and standards of living encouraging a vicious circle of worsening quality of life and declining economic potential. The model is applied to the economy of Malaysia on the basis of statistical information generated by random sampling techniques. The model is designed to provide a simulation mechanism which although bared on expectations and known input conditions takes into consideration random determination events within predetermined probable patterns. The basis of the procedure is a profile of areas occuring within a single family over a span of 10 years.     

Professionals' perceptions of the rocky routes to successful outcomes for young people in a children's residential school

Poor outcomes for young people in and leaving care have been well documented and research has indicated that the expectations of professionals working with children and young people looked after is a significant influence, particularly in relation to education. An evaluation of an independent children's residential school in Scotland provided a rare opportunity to analyse and compare the views of different kinds of staff about desirable outcomes and how successful outcomes could be achieved. Care workers, teachers and specialist support staff shared some views, but also held contrasting expectations, which appeared to be linked to differing emphases in their models for working with young people. This paper offers tentative explanations for such differences and concludes with suggestions on how to help align service staffs' expectations of young people leaving their care.     

制度与信任形成的微观机制——兼评房莉杰《制度信任的形成过程》

本文试图从博弈论的视角为信任的发生机制提供微观行为基础,并重新解释新型农村合作医疗制度中的信任问题。信任是对交易关系中利益相关方可能采取的对各方都有利的合作性策略行为的一种概括化的、稳定性的期望,也是人们理性选择的结果。信任形成的关键是需要一系列触发机制不断地强化而形成稳定的预期。〖JP2〗在对新型农村合作医疗制度及其涉及的农民信任问题解释时发现,大量的触发机制发挥了积极的反馈强化作用,如说服与政治动员、加大资助特殊群体、引入家庭账户、提高补偿程度、信息公开等。正是这些触发机制的正反馈作用,农民逐渐相信农村合作医疗管理机构及其他的医疗保险服务机构等,他们所采取合作性的策略行为承诺是可信任和期待的。     

Life expectancy as a constructed belief: Evidence of a live-to or die-by framing effect

Life expectations are essential inputs for many important personal decisions. We propose that longevity beliefs are responses constructed at the time of judgment, subject to irrelevant task and context factors, and leading to predictable biases. Specifically, we examine whether life expectancy is affected by the framing of expectations questions as either live-to or die-by, as well as by factors that actually affect longevity such as age, gender, and self-reported health. We find that individuals in a live-to frame report significantly higher chances of being alive at ages 55 through 95 than people in a corresponding die-by frame. Estimated mean life expectancies across three studies and 2300 respondents were 7.38 to 9.17 years longer when solicited in a live-to frame. We are additionally able to show how this framing works on a process level and how it affects preference for life annuities. Implications for models of financial decision making are discussed.     

芝加哥舞女、中国洗衣工与北平囚犯:都市中的陌生人

本文指出，受齐美尔“陌生人”命题启发的“边缘人”概念，体现了形式社会学与美国实用主义在芝加哥学派理论中的交融，并催生了以考察个体生命史为核心的研究方法。通过比较二十世纪初芝加哥学派的学者运用生命史的视角对三类都市陌生人（芝加哥舞女、中国洗衣工与北平囚犯）的研究，本文考察不同人群的新旧历程及其进入都市新生活的不同状态。研究发现，无论是身处异国的中国洗衣工，还是背井离乡进入城市生活并沦为罪犯的中国农民，都不能以“边缘人”抛弃乡土与家族的个体化方式进入都市生活。文章最后尝试以帕克对“文明”的讨论来解释现代个体进入都市生活时呈现的不同状态。