A Pilot Investigation of Media Multitasking and Trauma Symptoms Among Adolescents

Effective prevention and intervention for trauma symptoms are still needed, particularly for adolescents, in whom high-risk behavior is common. This pilot study examines how media multitasking may be related to trauma symptoms in a sample of adolescent college students (N = 55). Results indicate that higher media multitasking is uniquely and independently associated with higher trauma symptoms. These results hold even after controlling for alcohol intoxication, which is commonly associated with trauma symptoms. Adolescents may be more forthcoming in revealing information about media multitasking than other behaviors commonly associated with trauma symptoms, such as alcohol and drug use. The present study provides the first evidence that media multitasking could be an additional tool for clinicians treating adolescents with trauma symptoms.     

Looking for Joan of Arc: Collaboration in the Rise and Fall of Heroes

This article adapts Actor Network Theory to illustrate the construction of heroes and their abandonment. It focuses more specifically on the rise and fall of an iconic New Zealand private training enterprise, Carich, and its founding entrepreneur Caron Taurima. Drawing on media, web sources and interviews, the study reflects on the uncritical way heroes are constructed and makes comparisons with the story of Joan of Arc. It shows how the notion of ‘Carich‐as‐a‐successful‐business’ was encouraged and developed by human and non‐human actors, how revenues were inflated, and how the business founder’s personal charisma superseded hard financial questions. The article problematizes the roles of various actors, particularly hero‐seeking media, politically‐correct Crown agencies, and those supposedly objective umpires of business acumen who offer national awards to ‘outstanding’ entrepreneurs.     

Methods and Rationale for Derivation of a Reference Dose for Methylmercury by the U.S. EPA

In 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency derived a reference dose (RfD) for methylmercury, which is a daily intake that is likely to be without appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime. This derivation used a series of benchmark dose (BMD) analyses provided by a National Research Council (NRC) panel convened to assess the health effects of methylmercury. Analyses were performed for a number of endpoints from three large longitudinal cohort studies of the neuropsychological consequences of in utero exposure to methylmercury: the Faroe Islands, Seychelles Islands, and New Zealand studies. Adverse effects were identified in the Faroe Islands and New Zealand studies, but not in the Seychelles Islands. The NRC also performed an integrative analysis of all three studies. The EPA applied a total uncertainty factor (UF) of 10 for intrahuman toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic variability and uncertainty. Dose conversion from cord blood mercury concentrations to maternal methylmercury intake was performed using a one-compartment model. Derivation of potential RfDs from a number of endpoints from the Faroe Islands study converged on 0.1 microg/kg/day, as did the integrative analysis of all three studies. EPA identified several areas for which further information or analyses is needed. Perhaps the most immediately relevant is the ratio of cord:maternal blood mercury concentration, as well as the variability around this ratio. EPA assumed in its dose conversion that the ratio was 1.0; however, available data suggest it is perhaps 1.5-2.0. Verification of a deviation from unity presumably would be translated directly into comparable reduction in the RfD. Other areas that EPA identified as significant areas requiring further attention are cardiovascular consequences of methylmercury exposure and delayed neurotoxicity during aging as a result of previous developmental or adult exposure.     

Rebuilding Communities After Natural Disasters: The 2009 Bushfires in Southeastern Australia

ABSTRACT

Through nonrandom purposive sampling, this article examines the ways three Catholic agencies offered bushfire recovery assistance after the 2009 bushfires in the Australian state of Victoria. Participants from Catholic welfare agencies (29), local and state government (8), international recovery agencies (2), and others such as clergy, church, and medical (6) were selected, and senior managers, middle managers, and workers on the ground were interviewed up to 3 times during a 3-year period. The forty-five people were interviewed a total of 74 times. Study results illustrate the importance of adaptability, flexibility, and preplanning as the core of recovery assistance. Linking with local and state government disaster management plans and developing mechanisms to inform other groups as to the services that new agencies could provide were essential for filling gaps in services and establishing cooperative ventures. Recommendations are provided but more research is needed on how other agencies can benefit from the knowledge gained in this study.     

Creating SPOTs for Successful Aging: Strengthening the Case for Developing University-Based Retirement Communities Using Social-Physical Place Over Time Theory

Five elements are cited as being critical for a university-based retirement communities’ (UBRCs’) success: proximity to the university, two-directional programming, continuing care, a financial link to the university, and a minimum 10% resident connection to the university. We illustrate these criteria using examples from existing UBRCs. The comparisons are then contextualized in the broader framework of Social-Physical Place Over Time (SPOT) theory. SPOT theory focuses on the interactions between social and physical places among older adults. By analyzing the intersections between SPOT theory and UBRC criteria, we identify additional criteria to improve the definition of a UBRC: transportation support and facilitating activity. UBRCs offer value because they provide the social and physical place where older adults can live when they retire, thereby improving changes in individual agency and belongingness needs, which are key tenets of SPOT theory. The integration of the UBRC criteria and the SPOT theory framework builds on this relatively new meta-theory in environmental gerontology. SPOT theory effectively highlights how UBRCs benefit older adults and the community; UBRCs provide significant benefits not only to older adult residents, but also to the university communities that house them.     

Book Review

This article is concerned with current understandings of the relevance of urban community studies within sociology. It starts by revisiting some of the major critiques made of community studies in the 1960s and 1970s, and briefly reviews whether network analysis, and in particular a focus on ‘personal communities’, provided a satisfactory alternative approach. The main part of the article argues that despite the criticisms there have been there is still much to be gained from a focus on people's attachments to locality, including the networks to which they are linked. Taking processes of globalization and migration as its major themes, the article explores how research has demonstrated the continuing relevance of ‘locality’ and ‘community’ for understanding the ways that contemporary social and economic transformations shape people's experiences. As well as considering different aspects of social exclusion, the article reviews how recent studies have explored the increasingly complex interplay of locality and identity.     

“You're not getting married for the moon and the stars”: The uncertainties of older British widowers about the idea of new romantic relationships

Older widowers are more likely to remarry than older widowed women. However, relatively little is known about the attitudes of older widowers to new romantic relationships and remarriage or repartnering. In this study of 60 widowers, more than half spontaneously discussed their attitudes toward, and experiences of, these relationships. However, none of the widowers had remarried and of those who described themselves as repartnered only one was cohabiting. We examine these data in the light of Lopata's concept of ‘husband sanctification’ (1981). We identify four themes. First, some widowers do sanctify their late wives. Second, we argue that wife sanctification contributes to widowers' uncertainties about repartnering. Third, when widowers make decisions to repartner, wife sanctification does not appear to make an important contribution. Finally, there is evidence to suggest that wife sanctification influences how men refer to their new women friends. Thus, we conclude by arguing that wife sanctification influences widowers' decisions surrounding remarriage/repartnering.     

Environmental Evaluations and Modifications to Support Aging at Home With a Developmental Disability

ABSTRACT

Increasing numbers of people with developmental disabilities are living into old age and are now residing in community-based housing, largely due to the deinstitutionalization movement. The overlay of age-related impairments onto pre-existing, lifelong disabilities puts this population at a magnified risk for premature behavioral limitations and loss of independence. This article describes a demonstration project designed to enable people with developmental disabilities to age in place. Interviews and observational assessments with 45 older adults with developmental disabilities were conducted in their community-based homes to identify potential barriers to aging in place. An Individualized Environmental Intervention Plan was developed for each study participant, recommending ways to solve problems and eliminate potential barriers. Individualized Environmental Intervention Plans were implemented to the extent possible through home modifications and assistive technology. Pre- and post-modification task performance and self-report revealed the positive impact that home modifications and assistive technology can have. The study demonstrates the need for ongoing evaluation and assessment sensitive to the needs of people with developmental disabilities and the unique characteristics of supported living settings.     

Public Perceptions of Florida Red Tide Risks

This research integrates theoretical frameworks of risk perception, social amplification of risk, and the role of place-specific contexts in order to explore the various perceptions surrounding Florida red tides. Florida red tides are naturally occurring events that are increasing in frequency, duration, and severity. This has implications for public health, the local economy, and ecosystem health. While many of the negative impacts of Florida red tides are not easily controlled, some of the secondary impacts may be mitigated through individuals' responses. However, public perception and consequent reactions to Florida red tides have not been investigated. This research uses questionnaire surveys, and semi-structured interviews, to explore the various perceptions of the risk surrounding red tides. Surveys and interviews were conducted along two Florida west coast beaches. The results indicate that the underlying foundations of the social amplification of the risk framework are applicable to understanding how individuals form perceptions of risk relative to red tide events. There are key differences between the spatial locations of individuals and corresponding perceptions, indicating that place-specific contexts are essential to understanding how individuals receive and interpret risk information. The results also suggest that individuals may be lacking efficient and up-to-date information about Florida red tides and their impacts because of inconsistent public outreach. Overall, social and spatial factors appear to be influential as to whether individuals amplify or attenuate the risks associated with Florida red tides.