Training with o (observing) and T (treatment) teams in live supervision: reflections in the looking glass*

Working with a treatment and observing team at the same time, behind the oneway mirror, offers a variety of ways to: (a) generate multiple realities; (b) work with two different models of family therapy simultaneously; and (c) provide feedback on the teams' own roles, rules and group process. The process that 6 trainees and two supervisors used with T and O teams to examine their own coevolution as a therapeutic system using the Milan model of family therapy and Ericksonian hypnotherapy is described. The article concludes with a discussion of the advantages and pitfalls of this type of dual supervision.     

Socioeconomic, medical care, and public health contexts affecting infant mortality: a study of community-level differentials in Peru

Socioeconomic, medical care, and public health contexts are examined in Peruvian communities for their relationship to infant mortality. A deviant case analysis is used to uncover characteristics important in the social structure of Peruvian communities. Results from fieldwork in two "deviant" communities suggest that economic diversity, income disparity, social class fluidity, and women's autonomy, along with refined measures of medical care and public health resources, are important in understanding differentials in mortality. Attention is drawn to the community context and to the interplay of socioeconomic determinants affecting infant mortality.     

Remittances from labor migration: evaluations,performance and implications

2 evaluative views of worker remittances draw opposite conclusions. The negative one posits that remittances increase dependency, contribute to economic and political stability and development distortion, and lead to economic decline that overshadows a temporary advantage for a fortunate few. The positive view sees remittances as an effective response to market forces, providing a transition to an otherwise unsustainable development. They improve income distribution and quality of life beyond what other available development resources could deliver. The implications are tested for labor supply countries to Europe and the Middle East. The implications of the negative are not supported. Although the dire predictions of the pessimistic view have not materialized, the converse - contributions of remittances to economic performance - should not be overstated due to a lack of data.     

A relation for the covariances of order statistics from n independent and non-identically distributed random variables

We derive a simple relation satisfied by the covariances of order statistics in the i.i.d. case and then generalize it to the case when the variables are independent and non-identically distributed. This relation could be employed successfully either to check the calculations or to reduce the amount of direct computations involved in evaluating the covariances of order statistics from an outlier model.     

The right to life

In this issue is a lengthy, thought-provoking essay on the issues raised by unwanted pregnancy. Written by Robert Wennberg in 1984 for the Christian Scholar's Review (13:4), the article has been edited and condensed for our purposes and is quite relevant, I believe, for the student health population. Any practitioner who cares for students wrestling with these issues should at least acknowledge the moral and philosophical dilemmas presented. As one who has walked both sides of the argument, I find Wennberg's fair-mindedness compelling. In closing his article, the author raises the question of what will happen when it becomes possible to accomplish an "abortion"--or removal of the fetus from the mother--without killing the fetus. Will this procedure be acceptable to the average single college student? The New York Times, in an article on "High Tech Babies" (February 21, 1986), raised ethical questions posed by the technology of frozen embryos. Who decides what is to be done with frozen embryos? To whom do they belong? Do they have rights? The theoretical issues raised by Wennberg are already forcing themselves upon us. Whether we like it or not, the future is now. Regardless of your beliefs on this controversial topic, I urge you to read this article. Dr. Wennberg has also just completed a book on this subject, Life In The Balance.     

The effects of the age and structure of population on family change]

The age structure of a population is one basic factor of population research. It is not only affected by birth, death, immigration, and marriage, but it also reflected in changes of family size. The article analyzed it from two aspects: (1) the age structure of population acts on the size and structure of the family. The younger the age structure, the larger the family size. Otherwise, it is the opposite. According to the 1982 census, 35.4% of the population was 0-14 years in rural areas, and average family size was 4.6; but in urban areas 26.0% of the population was 0-14 years and family size was 3.9. The family was characterized as a nuclear family as industrialization in economic development increased and the population aged. In the 1982 census, 64.7% were nuclear family and 6% were aging population in China. Three- generation families (or more) have decreased dramatically. The change of family size and structure is affected by change of internal family age structure. The younger population (0-14 years) is dependent and 90% live with their parents. The adult population (15-59) years are more affected by marriage, birth and social economic action. Families are established in this age period and give much more effect to fertility. The aging population (over 60) years is facing changes. They appear to be a "Defect" family because the wife or husband has passed away. They change from independent to dependent. 78.3% population over 60 years were dependent on children or social welfare, only 21.7% were independent according to the survey in Beijing Changping County.     

Immigration and the earnings of youth in the U.S.

"This article reports findings that have emerged from an effort made at statistically measuring the effects of immigration on the earnings of U.S.-born youth. The presence of immigrants arriving before 1965 has a positive impact on youth earnings. Recently arrived immigrants impact negatively, however. These results are consistent with recent findings that the skill level of immigrants arriving within the last two decades is lower relative to that of immigrants arriving earlier. The results also show that the negative effects diminish as the youth ages, reflecting skill acquisition and job mobility of the young worker into jobs less vulnerable to competition from immigrant workers."     

The technique of participatory research in community development

The technique of participatory research in community development is based on the involvement of the beneficiaries of the research in the entire research process, including the formulation of the research design, the collection of data, interpretation of information collected, and the analysis of findings. Thus, research teams utilizing this approach are composed of villagers, farmers, unemployed people, local leaders, and educators. The research process thus offers an educational experience that helps to identify community needs and motivate community members to become committed to the solution of their own problems. Moreover, this approach challenges the prevalent notion that only professional researchers can generate knowledge for meaningful social reform. A participatory research technique, based on the concept of citizen enlightenment for community development, was adopted by the Department of Adult Education at the University of Ibadan in a study of rural poverty in Oyo State's Apasan villages. The research team, comprised of local leaders, peasant farmers, teachers, local students, and university students, identified the villages' isolation and food scarcity as major causes of poverty. 2 actions were taken in response to these findings: 1) the construction of a road linking the Apasan communities with the State capital, enabling villagers to travel to the town, sell their goods, and purchase needed items; and 2) formation of a primary cooperative society for multipurpose farming. These actions have solved the food problem, improved the villagers' earning capacity, and resulted in the return of numerous villagers who had migrated to towns to find wage employment. Because the villagers were directly involved in the study of their problems, they were able to become more aware of their social reality and make the changes needed to lift them out of poverty.     

Modern family planning,sexual behavior and marriage status among women in Tanzania

"This article looks into sexual behavior and marriage status among women attending Mother and Child Health Care clinics in Tanzania. It looks into the effects of such behavior on the marriage and suggests some policy implications, especially in relation to modern family planning methods. The data which form the basis of this article were collected [in 1987] among 244 women in two urban centers in Tanzania."     

Mixed model for analyzing geographic variability in mortality rates

"A mixed model is proposed for the analysis of geographic variability in mortality rates. In addition to demographic parameters and random geographic parameters, the model includes additional random-effects parameters to adjust for extra-Poisson variability. The model uses a gamma-Poisson distribution with a random scale parameter having an inverse gamma prior. An empirical Bayes approach is used to estimate relative risks for geographic regions and annual rates for demographic groups within each region. Lung cancer in Missouri is used to motivate and illustrate the procedure."