Contradictions and Confounds in Coverage of Obesity: Psychology Journals, Textbooks, and the Media

Although obesity is not listed as a psychiatric condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, psychologists focus on obesity in their research, clinical practice, and teaching. This article reviews the methods and outcomes of the weight loss research in psychology journal articles, and discusses some of the confounds. These studies focus on comparisons among treatment conditions rather than on the low amounts of weight lost, and do not use clinical criteria for evaluating outcome. Although improvement in physical health is viewed as the reason for weight loss programs, few studies assess physical health. There has been little concern about how weight loss participants feel when they regain weight. Furthermore, the journal peer review process does not encourage paradigm shifts. The article also discusses how the results of the weight loss research studies are covered in undergraduate psychology textbooks and how they are (mis)interpreted by the media. Recommendations for a paradigm shift in the peer review process, coverage in textbooks and the media, are offered.     

A resilience enhancing trauma-informed program for children and mothers in domestic violence shelters: A qualitative study

In domestic violence (DV) shelters, offering psychosocial support services to mothers and children is vital. The program ‘Time for Tony the Turtle’ has been developed for mothers and children residing in DV shelters in the Netherlands. It aims to foster attachment and regulation skills, which can also prepare for trauma treatment if sought after later on. This qualitative study explores the experiences of mothers, children and professionals with the program and its perceived impact and what components function as facilitators and barriers in the implementation of such a program in DV crisis shelters in the Netherlands. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 mothers, 11 children and 18 professionals from three organizations offering DV shelters. We used thematic analysis to identify patterns of meaning in the interviews. Mothers, children and professionals valued that the program provided a calm moment for reflection in hectic times and that the playfulness in which the program addressed trauma-related topics. However, mothers find it difficult to attend the program in the beginning of their shelter stay, therefore hampering the applicability of the program. Our findings suggest that integrating the topic of discussing father in a program in crisis shelters is complex and deserves more attention.     

(Un)Intentional Community: Power and Expert Knowledge in a Sustainable Lifestyle Community*

This ethnography of a cohousing organization examines power and expert knowledge in a sustainable intentional community. Intentional communities are forming at a growing rate both internationally and in the United States. Cohousing communities are part of this growing trend of alternative communities that utilize participatory democracy as both their central decision‐making process and a core component of their alternative identity. This article analyzes the tensions that evolve as cohousers build a communal housing development in one of the fastest‐growing cities in the United States. I identify mechanisms through which the constraints of operating in the highly professionalized field of housing development transform participatory decision making. When group members try to minimize loss of time and capital while competing with experienced for‐profit developers, they establish leaders and cede power to those with greater technical expertise. Yet, they continue to model their commitment to consensus decision making despite emerging hierarchies among members. I describe how the use of expert knowledge restructures the conditions governing group interaction and explore what the group's oligarchic organizational practices mean for the study of contemporary collective community organizing.     

Whistle-blowing regulation in different corporate governance systems: an analysis of the regulation approaches from the view of path dependence theory

The research question of this paper is, if and why countries need different legal approaches to whistle-blowing regulation. The paper specifically explores whether regulation approaches from other countries are suitable to regulate whistle-blowing in the German corporate governance system. First, it is clarified which factors influence the choice of the desired action—that is, “internal whistle-blowing”—and it is demonstrated that the underlying corporate governance system has a potential influence on these factors. Next, it is shown that the consistency of systems is responsible for the lack of success of some legal approaches of the whistle-blowing regulation in special corporate governance systems, whereas in other systems they can be very successful. Finally, the paper presents the requirements for whistle-blowing regulation that does not damage the consistency of the underlying corporate governance system. The findings support path dependence theory, which claims that legal approaches of one country cannot be transferred to other countries. Moreover, whistle-blowing literature is expanded by the fact that the underlying corporate governance system of a country influences the power and loyalty of the employee. It suggests new avenues for whistle-blowing research as well as for the potential convergence of corporate governance regulation. The findings offer insights for policy makers interested in the development of legal proposals for whistle-blowing regulation in their countries. Moreover, it provides a new perspective to enable managers of multinational firms to design whistle-blowing systems within different corporate governance systems.