QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AND THE LEGITIMIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE

Reservatinos about qualitative research often center around contentions that, since qualitative methods are so subjective and uncontrolled, the results of qualitative research are not valid and reliable. While many qualitative researchers in education have attempted to improve the trustworthiness of their results by making their methods more systematic, we argue that qualitative researchers cannot establish the trustworhiness of their findings, regardles of the methods they use. Rather, the legitimization of knwoledge requires the judgement of an entire community of stakeholders. In the absence of certainty, knowledge is an ethical matter, one in which the judgement of each stakeholder must count.     

THE CONSEQUENCES OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS FOR SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY:

This article demonstrates how mesodomain analysis and multilevel longitudinal qualitative research contribute to theorizing about major issues, (e.g., macro/micro dichotomy). Mesodomain analysis examines the consequential, dialectical, and contingent intersections of history, structure, and social action. Results from a processual study of state educational policy show its transformations in movement from the national level through state levels down to local district and teacher practices. The results are analyzed in terms of the emergence of social organization from interaction, the extension of networks across space and time, and the linkage of levels into a larger framework.     

THE VOICES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MFT STUDENTS: SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

This study examined the issue of African-American participation in MFT academic programs. Data for the study came from surveys completed by 25 of the 29 program directors of AAMFT accredited MFT programs and from 90-minute telephone interviews with 15 of the 20 African-American students identified by the participating directors. Results indicate that African-American students and faculty are glaringly underrepresented in MFT master's and doctoral degree programs. For example, although African-Americans constitute 12.2% of the United States population and 5% of all master's degree recipients in the United States, less than 1% of all MFT master's degree recipients are African-American. Specific suggestions are offered by students and faculty for improving recruitment and retention of African-American students and improving program sensitivity to cultural and racial issues which may impede the full integration of the African-American student into the academic program and the profession.     

ON BALANCE AND SYNERGY: FAMILY THERAPY AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REVISITED

Our respondents have provided though-provoking counterpoints to our original paper (Moon, Dillon, & Sprenkle, 1990). Our response is one of synthesis. First, we describe a continuum of social science inquiry paradigms as a framework for exploring the assumptions underlying our respective positions. Second, we address the key issues raised by our respondents. Third, we encourage balance in our research efforts and continuing dialogue. Finally we restate our basic thesis-that qualitative research methodology has the potential to advance the science and practice of family therapy.     

A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF IMMIGRATION POLICY AND PRACTICE DILEMMAS FOR SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS

Effective social work education that promotes social justice requires expanded curricular models and creative pedagogical approaches. This article presents a curricular case study demonstrating the use of current events to enhance both implicit and explicit curricula. How the cultural crisis of Hurricane Katrina was used to engender transformative learning for both students and teachers is described. Practical tools and resources that can be adapted by educators to incorporate other current events into their teaching-learning are provided. A critique of the process and suggestions for future implementation are discussed. Student perspectives illustrate the effectiveness of this pedagogical approach to provide transformative learning that promotes social justice.     

WELFARE AND PUBLIC POLICY: THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONALIZED PRODUCTION

I incorporate internationalized production, whereby firms hire domestic and foreign production factors, into the model of Corsetti and Pesenti (2001). In contrast to their conclusion, I find that an expansionary monetary shock can be beggar-thy-neighbor and a fiscal shock can improve national welfare. The transmission mechanism of public policy here is different from theirs. In particular, a fiscal shock can affect the short-run exchange rate and generate long-run welfare effects even if it is temporary. Results in this article offer another rationale for international retaliation and coordination. (JEL F30, F40 )     

REWARDS AND FRUSTRATIONS OF BEING A SOCIAL WORKER: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

This paper deals with aspects of actual professional experience of social workers, in order to grasp a framework for professional rewards and frustrations. A qualitative research tool was chosen, life histories, and ten social workers were interviewed. The subjects were women who graduated between the 1950s and the 1990s from schools of social work in Brazil, and whose practice, present or past, involves direct contact with clients. The reasons explaining satisfying professional situations are rooted in professional experiences which were translated into personal development, the establishment of personal ties and the acquisition of skills. Perceptions of having contributed towards solving a difficult situation and recognition from their clients were positively appraised. These are rewarding situations from which social workers derive the feeling of having created something which is positive for the clients and for themselves. Unpleasant situations were described as unfair situations experienced by clients, poor working conditions and difficulties concerning inter‐professional relationships. Inferences on the feminine role as influencing social workers' rewards and frustrations with the profession, as well as inferences on possible unconscious configurations underlying some of the data were drawn in the conclusions.     

THE GROWTH OF THE FEDERAL DEFICIT AND THE ROLE OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES

How can the recent explosion in the fiscal deficit of the UnitedStates be reconciled with the well-known support of the Americanpublic for fiscal conservatism? It is first shown that the reputationfor fiscal conservatism is fully supported by public opinionpolls dating back over a period of four decades. Solid majoritieshave consistently opposed tax reductions that might producean unbalanced budget. Recently, however, the public has alsoshown strong opposition to increases in taxes to close the fiscalgap, which might appear to imply a new acquiescence to the deficit.But this opposition, too, is shown to have persisted for a longtime and to be not logically inconsistent with rejecting taxcuts resulting in deficit. Another fashionable explanation forthe deficit holds that the budget process in a democratic societyis biased toward deficit because the cost of higher taxes isimmediate while the cost of deficit is delayed. But it is inconsistentwith the fiscal history of the United States over the last 100years, which reveals no systematic bias toward deficits, atleast until recent years. The major explanation that emergesis that the administration succeeded in misleading the public(and perhaps even itself) into believing that the tax cut wouldnot result in deficit thanks to "supply" and "Laffer curve"effects.     

EXCHANGE RATE VOLATILITY: THE ROLE OF REAL SHOCKS AND THE VELOCITY OF MONEY

The effects of stochastic output shocks on the behavior of ex-change rates and nominal price levels is studied within the context of a two-country, cash-in-advance model. The analysis of this model, in contrast to the existing cash-in-advance literature, demonstrates that exchange rates can be more volatile than price levels even though agents' elasticity of substitution between foreign and domestic goods is greater than one-half. This possibility arises when output shocks are autocorrelated and are due to revisions in expectations that affect the terms of trade and/or the velocity of money.     

EMOTIONAL ABUSE AND CONTROLLING BEHAVIORS IN HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS: THE ROLE OF EMPLOYMENT AND ALCOHOL USE FOR WOMEN AND THEIR PARTNERS

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of economic resources, status compatibility, and alcohol consumption on forms of nonphysical abuse, such as controlling and emotional abuse. Specifically, we focus on the connections between women's employment, the employment of their partners, alcohol use, and women's risk of abuse in intimate relationships. We hypothesize that women in intimate relationships with men will experience more emotional abuse to the extent that they are economically vulnerable. Moreover, abuse should increase if their employment status, in relation to that of their partner, challenges the man's marital power. Moreover, alcohol use by women and/or their partners is also predicted to be associated with emotional abuse. We find some support for assertions that socioeconomic deprivation, as well as challenges to men's masculinity, is associated with emotionally abusive male partners. However, the prevalence and amount of alcohol use by the male partner stands out as the most consistent predictor of emotional abuse in heterosexual relationships.     

THE PROCESS OF CHANGE IN COUPLES THERAPY: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION

Open-ended interviews with 24 couples therapy clients regarding their experience of the process of change revealed shifts in clusters of affect, communication, and cognition. Six additional contextual preconditions for change were also identified. The change process within couples was uniformly reported to be gradual.     

A BLUEPRINT FOR INCREASING THE RELEVANCE OF FAMILY THERAPY RESEARCH

Family therapy research and psychotherapy research in general have been criticized for their lack of relevance to clinical practice. This paper presents a fivestage model that family therapy researchers can follow to increase the relevance of their work for clinicians and other consumers of family therapy research. Using lessons derived from private industry, the research model is based on a marketing and developmental perspective.     

THE EFFECTS OF FINANCIAL AND RECOGNITION INCENTIVES ACROSS WORK CONTEXTS: THE ROLE OF MEANING

We manipulate workers' perceived meaning of a job in a field experiment and interact meaning of work with both financial and recognition incentives. Results show that workers exert more effort when meaning is high. Money has a positive effect on performance that is independent of meaning. In contrast, meaning and recognition interact negatively. Our results provide new insights into the stability of incentive effects across important work contexts. They also suggest that meaning and worker recognition may operate via the same motivational channel. (JEL C93, J33, M12, M52)     

DILEMMAS IN RESEARCH: ISSUES OF VULNERABILITY AND DISEMPOWERMENT FOR THE SOCIAL WORKER/RESEARCHER

Qualitative research ethics discussions have established a sound knowledge and practice base which advises on the protection and rights of the research informants. This paper, although supporting the primacy of informant safety, will highlight less visible research debates. The potential for vulnerability and harm of the social work researcher will be explored. The value of achieving heightened empathy and emotional resonance with research participants is considered as a process which the author suggests is likely to increase the richness of the research data, but also may accentuate researcher vulnerability or distress. The author's experience of doing personal research with vulnerable informants, and of being a social work research supervisor, will be used to reflect on processes and practices which she claims may make social work researchers particularly vulnerable to conflict and distress. Data from her recent research which explored the experiences of social work researchers will be used to illustrate these issues.     

MONITORING OF WORKERS AND PRODUCT MARKET COMPETITION: THE ROLE OF WORKS COUNCILS

Often the consent of worker representations, such as works councils, is required before firms are allowed to install technologies that monitor workers' behavior. Absent monitoring, workers produce low output, while at the same time receiving an information rent. To gain the works council's consent to the installation of a monitoring technology, firms need to compensate workers for the lost information rent. Hence, by making it more costly to produce high output, works councils can serve firms as an instrument to commit to low output levels. This provides a rationale for why works council rights are not opposed more strongly by employers. (JEL D43, D86, J83, L13)     

DEVELOPMENTAL LESSONS OF SEASONED MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPISTS: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION

Little has been published regarding the development of therapists during their professional careers. This qualitative research study explored the development of seasoned marriage and family therapists (MFTs) in order to identify important events and themes in their personal and professional lives. The main developmental theme that emerged was the integration of their personal and professional selves. Information gained from this study might be useful in understanding the self of the therapist within training and supervision and might partially provide a map of the possible transitions facing MFTs along their developmental journey.