Couples Therapy: Unravelling the Strands

Work with couples is one of the more widely practised forms of counselling or psychotherapy, yet seems to have found it difficult to establish its own identity and theoretical base. A theoretical tradition specific to work with the couple relationship has, however, developed over the past 40 years. Recently, this tradition has become more clearly demarcated and has begun to show signs of vigorous growth. It is important for therapists whose primary identification is with individual or family therapy, but who work with couples, to be familiar with this theoretical tradition, and with its practice implications. This paper selects six aspects of theory relating to couples therapy that the author has found useful in practice, and seeks to show how, separately and together, they can illuminate the nature and dynamics of the couple relationship.     

Towards Being Down Without Being Out: Self Help on Skid Row

If the lot of the homeless man in Australian cities is to improve the impetus will have to come largely from within—that is through self help. Amelioration of the skid row life style in Australia will probably come in the form of increased sense of group identity, the establishment of clearly defined home territories, improved communication among those agencies that cater to the needs of homeless persons, and a change in the general public's perception of what constitutes skid row and its inhabitants. Brisbane's 139 Club, a drop in centre for the homeless, is an example of self help approaches to bringing about this amelioration of the skid row life style.     

Critical understandings of child development: the development of a module for a post-qualifying certificate course in child protection studies

This paper explores the dilemmas involved in selecting appropriate theoretical and research material to help social workers in practice. Concentrating on the needs of those working in child care and protection, the paper uses the example of the area of child development knowledge to illustrate a process of presenting theory for practice. Specifically, the focus is on the redevelopment of a child development module for a post-qualifying certificate course in child care and protection that aims to encourage students to make critical use of current research and theory. The paper explains the reasoning behind the choice of attachment theory as the underpinning theoretical framework. It also addresses possible pitfalls in an uncritical use of such theory. The paper finally sets out how the module addresses the need social workers have for a framework to guide intervention in individual cases. The dimensions described are those of individual vulnerability or resilience and factors in the environment that are adverse or protective.     

Social Movement,Action and Change: The Influence of Women's Movements on City Government in Mumbai and London

This article reports on a research investigation into gender and local government in Mumbai in India and London in England. In both these cities female representation at the political level stands at around one third, achieved in London slowly in recent years and in Mumbai more rapidly through the adoption of a quota, or seat reservation system, implemented in 1992. In considering the experience of the women concerned it is argued that their presence and aspirations have been influenced through the networks of their respective women's movements, operating through civil society and the local state. In considering the ways in which they organize and manage the duties of office and their gendered identities, as well as in their focus on the most disadvantaged in their communities and in their dealings with others, the part played by social movements in influencing change is examined.     

A Bivariate Distribution Family with Specified Correlation Coefficient and Given Marginals

For given continuous distribution functions F(x) and G(y) and a Pearson correlation coefficient ρ, an algorithm is provided to construct a sequence of continuous bivariate distributions with marginals equal to F(x) and G(y) and the corresponding correlation coefficient converges to ρ. The algorithm can be easily implemented using S-Plus or R. Applications are given to generate bivariate random variables with marginals including Gamma, Beta, Weibull, and uniform distributions.     

Socioeconomic Status,Gender Inequality and Women's Mental Health: Some Findings from the Canberra Mental Health Survey

Data from the Canberra Mental Health Survey are utilized to answer questions concerning the mental health status of women (especially married women). Using the Langner Scale as the main index it is shown that there is a complex relationship between the socio-economic status of a married woman's occupation, and the status of her husband's job. It is also shown that there is an association between sex, marital status and mental health that runs in the direction of Jessie Bernard's summary ‘marriage is good for men, but not for women’.     

IS MATESHIP A VIRTUE?

This essay seeks to examine the concept of mateship from the perspectives of consequentialist and virtue ethics. It is suggested that mateship is a prominent concept in the way Australians think of themselves. However it is also suggested that mateship is linked to solidarity and commitment in time of war. It is suggested that what we should recognize mateship is one of the factors that facilitates and perpetuates war. It is suggested that mateship is also questionable as a character virtue, given what mateship entails. It is suggested that ultimately we need to examine more closely the consequences of the solidarity that we define as mateship, and we need to query more closely what we regard as virtues.