Conceptualising and Measuring Social Cohesion in Africa: Towards a Perceptions-Based Index

Social cohesion is a key concept in development studies. Weak social cohesion is often related to slow economic growth and (violent) conflict. So far few attempts have been made to measure this complex concept in a systematic manner. This paper introduces an innovative method to measure national-level social cohesion based on survey data from 19 African countries. We distinguish three dimensions of social cohesion; i.e. the extent of perceived inequalities, the level of societal trust, and the strength of people’s adherence to their national identity. Importantly, our Social Cohesion Index (SCI) is based on individuals’ perceptions vis-à-vis these three different dimensions of social cohesion rather than certain macro-level ‘objective’ indicators such as GDP/capita or Gini-coefficients. We develop two social cohesion indices: a national average SCI and a Social Cohesion Index Variance-Adjusted (SCIVA); the latter one takes into account the level of variation across different ethnic groups within countries. The SCI and SCIVA are computed for and compared across nineteen African countries for the period 2005–2012 on the basis of Afrobarometer survey rounds 3, 4 and 5. We also investigate quantitatively the relationship between countries’ levels of social cohesion and the occurrence of a range of conflict events. As expected, we find that countries with low levels of social cohesion in a particular year according to our SCI are more likely to experience a range of different violent conflict events in the subsequent year.     

Are Hearing Voices Networks Compatible with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis?

The most extensively evaluated intervention for auditory hallucinations is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp), which is usually delivered in statutory settings by experienced clinicians. In contrast, peer support networks, such as the Hearing Voices Network (HVN), operate informally using peers to normalise and manage voices. This article compares these two approaches to identify points of synergy and difference. Its analysis suggests the two approaches share many features, but also deviate in important ways that could compensate for each other. Instead of competing with each other as might first be thought, they may actually be complementary. Further, HVN may align comfortably with the values and principles of social work. Social workers seeking to engage with voice hearers may be advised to study the underlying principles of each approach to guide the way in which they can capitalise on intervention opportunities to better assist voice hearers.     

The Gender Revolution: A Framework for Understanding Changing Family and Demographic Behavior

This article argues that the trends normally linked with the second demographic transition (SDT) may be reversed as the gender revolution enters its second half by including men more centrally in the family. We develop a theoretical argument about the emerging consequences of this stage of the gender revolution and review research results that bear on it. The argument compares the determinants and consequences of recent family trends in industrialized societies provided by two narratives: the SDT and the gender revolution in the public and private spheres. Our argument examines differences in theoretical foundations and positive vs. negative implications for the future. We focus primarily on the growing evidence for turnarounds in the relationships between measures of women's human capital and union formation, fertility, and union dissolution, and consider evidence that men's home involvement increases union formation and fertility and decreases union instability. Although the family trends underlying the SDT and the gender revolution narratives are ongoing and a convincing view of the phenomenon has not yet emerged, the wide range of recent research results documenting changing, even reversing relationships suggests that the gender approach is increasingly the more fruitful one.     

The Impact of Flexible Working Arrangements on Work–life Conflict and Work Pressure in Ireland

Recent rapid economic growth in Ireland has been accompanied by a strong surge in the number of women in employment, and this has led to a significant increase in the proportion of dual‐earner families. These changes have brought the issue of reconciliation between work and care commitments to the fore. Flexible working arrangements in firms have been identified as one important means of balancing work and other commitments. In this article we investigate the relationship between four flexible working arrangements; flexitime, part‐time hours, working from home and job sharing, and two key employee outcomes; work pressure and work–life conflict, using data from the first national survey of employees in Ireland in 2003. Our results show that while part‐time work and flexitime tend to reduce work pressure and work–life conflict, working from home is associated with greater levels of both work pressure and work–life conflict. We conclude that it is important to distinguish between flexible working arrangements to discover their potential for reducing work pressure and work–life conflict.     

Figures of Motion: Integrating Movement Theories in Clinical Practice

In this paper the author summarizes and illustrates with case examples her theory of the clinical significance of nonverbal interaction and the usefulness of her integration of aspects of movement theory to facilitate its recognition and analysis. In this discussion, she reviews the concepts of kinetic transference and countertransference, the kinetic temperament, embodied history, kinetic therapeutic action and the kinetic text. Case examples illustrate the clinical importance of recognizing various aspects of movement, namely, the qualities of tension change, preferred movement dimensions, and body attitude, which come meaningfully into patient-analyst interaction.