The “Peculiar Eclipsing” of Women in Sociological Theory: Moving from Nearly Total to Partial

This paper revisits the observation made by Ward and Grant (Current Perspective in Social Theory 11:117–140, 1991) that there had been a “peculiar eclipsing” of women in sociological theory. It provides longitudinal studies of women’s participation and recognition in three conventional outlets for sociological theorizing: the theory section of the American Sociological Association (ASA); sociological theory textbooks; and sociological theory journals. It finds that the percentage of ASA Theory Section members who were women increased from 12% in 1982 to 31% in 2008, but is not nearly as high as the 53% in all ASA sections taken together; that women’s recognition in sociological theory textbooks grew, more between the 1980s and the 2000s than between the 1960s and the 1980s, undoubtedly reflecting the increasing respectability of feminist theory within the profession; and that women’s relative participation as authors in sociology theory journals increased from the 1980s to the 2000s by about 33%, but nowhere near as much as their participation as authors in the American Sociological Review, where their relative participation in the 2000s was more than three times what it had been in the 1980s. We speculate that, given women’s increasing leadership roles in both the Theory section and the theory journals, women may be using less conventional outlets for their theorizing than is offered by either the section or the journals.     

Home and away: Chinese migrant workers between two worlds

The Chinese communist party dissolved powerful local clans into modular individuals loyal to the central state and easily mobilized for government projects. Now migrants must redefine home and family for an era where government safety nets are no longer reliable and mobility yields economic returns. We discuss female migrant factory worker's attitudes towards home and traditional and modern values and implications for themselves and family who remain behind. Methods: We surveyed 1,017 rural female migrants in Guangdong factories. Measures included the General Health Questionnaire 20 and the Chinese Individual Traditional and Modern Values Scale, as well as other relevant attitudes. Results: Participants supported filial piety but rejected other aspects of traditional society, instead emphasizing values such as personal ability that contribute to success in modern society. These value judgments did not vary with duration of residence in the city. Participants did not sever ties with home or assimilate into urban culture. A case study illustrates contradictions involved in combining mobility, individualism and devotion to distant family. Conclusion: Rural migrants unable to change their legal place of residence maintain psychological and economic ties with their former homes even if they plan not to return.     

Integrating people with disabilities: their right – our responsibility

A full understanding of disability recognizes that it has a powerful human rights dimension and is often associated with social exclusion, and increased exposure and vulnerability to poverty. Disability is a human rights issue. The World Bank (1999) report points out that one in five of the world’s poorest are disabled, for whom access to basic rights is a daily struggle. Though arising from physical or intellectual impairment, disability has social implications as well as health ones. In most countries, government services for disabled people are still small‐scale rehabilitation projects separated from the rest of the community. People with disabilities are amongst the poorest of the poor. Barriers built by disability and poverty can only be removed by the concerted and integrated effort of the government, NGOs, corporates, movie mughals and educational institutions. It is the duty of the rest of society to acknowledge the rights of the poor and the disabled. This can no longer be treated as philanthropy but is a responsibility.     

Homeless families on the border: A demographic profile

The southwestern borderland region of the United States is characterized by a large immigrant population, high levels of poverty, high unemployment rates, and a growing number of homeless families. In order to assist these families it is necessary to gain information about the demographics and service needs of this population. The aim of this study is to determine the characteristics of homeless families in El Paso using the “point in time” technique. Face to face interviews were conducted with 95 homeless families. The data was compared to information on homeless families presented in Ten Cities, 1997-1998: A Snapshot of Family Homelessness Across America as well as to demographic characteristics of domiciled families in El Paso. What emerges is the unique profile of the homeless family in this southwestern city.     

Peers’ emotionality and children's academic achievement in second grade: Testing the moderating role of children's behavioral self-regulation

Although there is interest in the role of peers in children's schooling experiences, few researchers have examined associations and related underlying processes between peers’ emotionality, an aspect of temperament, and children's academic achievement. This study evaluated whether target children's (N = 260) own self-regulation, assessed with two behavioral measures, served a moderating function for associations between peers’ emotionality and children's own academic achievement in second grade. There was a positive association between peers’ positive emotionality and reading scores for children with higher self-regulation. Peers’ negative emotionality was negatively related to target children's reading scores, particularly for children with higher self-regulation levels, but was unrelated to math scores. Peers’ positive and negative emotionality did not predict math scores, and there was no strong evidence for the moderating role of target children's self-regulation in this association. This study highlights the potential role of children's self-regulation in modulating peer effects on academic achievement, particularly reading.     

Realizing the potential of a strengths-based approach in family support with young people and their parents

This paper on a strengths-based approach (SBA) to practice is based on empirical research with stakeholders involved in an intensive support programme for young people at risk and their parents in Ireland. The Youth Advocate Programme (YAP) model provides wraparound support to respond to their needs by focusing on their competencies and their coping skills and building networks of community-based supports. The model includes parents or carers in the suite of support offered by advocates. An SBA to practice has been discussed for some time in academic literature and practice guidance. However, it tends to be considered primarily in relation to social work practice, and there is ongoing ambiguity as to what it actually involves in day-to-day engagement with individual family members. Insightful, rich accounts of SBAs as part of routine practice provided by young people, parents and practitioners form the basis to this paper and detail how these approaches support the development of hope-inspiring relationships and promote positive change. Relevant literature and research situates the debate on the experience of using SBA, the wider challenges faced by families, the impact of SBA in practice on those receiving the support service and its potential for use in the wider continuum of children and family services.     

Origins of ‘the gap’: perspectives on the historical demography of aboriginal victorians

Journal of Population Research - Australia enjoys ninth place out of 190 countries on the United Nations Life Expectancy Index. Aboriginal Australians—as a fourth-world people within a...     

Are our Frontline Clinicians Equipped with the Ability and Confidence to Address Child Abuse and Neglect?

Previous studies have suggested that child abuse and neglect (CAN) is under recognised and under reported. Our aims were to examine and compare child protection (CP) knowledge, confidence and practice of frontline clinicians in general practice and hospital settings in South Western Sydney (SWS). We surveyed doctors and nurses in general practice and in the emergency department (ED) in a district in SWS using a validated questionnaire. Of the 113 responses, 62 were general practitioners (GPs), 9 practice nurses, 26 ED nurses and 16 ED doctors. The confidence level with identifying CAN was moderate, with a significant difference between groups. The majority (59%) had made previous CP reports, few suspected but decided not to report; reporting rates differed significantly. A majority (80%) reported some CP training; of the 22 with no training, 21 were GPs and practice nurses. Of those reporting some training, more than 70 per cent of ED nurses, GPs and practice nurses felt their training was inadequate, compared with 19 per cent of ED doctors. There are significant differences in confidence and practice between frontline clinicians in primary care and ED. Targeted CP training should be provided for all frontline clinicians with particular emphasis on primary care GPs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘We surveyed doctors and nurses in general practice and in the emergency department’

‘There are significant differences in confidence and practice between front‐line clinicians in primary care and ED’

Citing Literature

Number of times cited: 12

• Lauren E. Lines, Alison E. Hutton and Julian Grant , Integrative review: nurses' roles and experiences in keeping children safe , Journal of Advanced Nursing , 73 , 2 , (302-322) , (2016) . Wiley Online Library
• Emma Barrett, Suzanne Denieffe, Michael Bergin and Martina Gooney , An exploration of paediatric nurses’ views of caring for infants who have suffered nonaccidental injury , Journal of Clinical Nursing , 26 , 15-16 , (2274-2285) , (2017) . Wiley Online Library
• Louise Everitt, Caroline Homer and Jennifer Fenwick , Working with Vulnerable Pregnant Women Who Are At Risk of Having their Babies Removed by the Child Protection Agency in New South Wales, Australia , Child Abuse Review , 26 , 5 , (351-363) , (2016) . Wiley Online Library
• Stephanie Zielinski, Heather A. Paradis, Pamela Herendeen and Paula Barbel , The Identification of Psychosocial Risk Factors Associated With Child Neglect Using the WE-CARE Screening Tool in a High-Risk Population , Journal of Pediatric Health Care , 31 , 4 , (470) , (2017) . Crossref
• Rick Hood, Jayne Price, Daniele Sartori, Daryl Maisey, Jessica Johnson and Zoe Clark , Collaborating across the threshold: The development of interprofessional expertise in child safeguarding , Journal of Interprofessional Care , 31 , 6 , (705) , (2017) . Crossref
• Tara Flemington, Cathrine Fowler, Quang Nhat Tran and Jennifer Fraser , Clinician Response to Child Abuse Presentations in the Vietnamese Hospital Emergency Setting , Journal of Interpersonal Violence , (088626051771322) , (2017) . Crossref
• Simeon J.A. Visscher and Henk F. van Stel , Variation in prevention of child maltreatment by Dutch child healthcare professionals , Child Abuse & Neglect , 70 , (264) , (2017) . Crossref
• Tara Flemington and Jennifer Fraser , Building workforce capacity to detect and respond to child abuse and neglect cases: A training intervention for staff working in emergency settings in Vietnam , International Emergency Nursing , 34 , (29) , (2017) . Crossref
• Annerley Bates , The Impact of Limited Organisational and Community Resources on Novice Child Protection Workers: A Queensland Example , Child Abuse Review , 24 , 6 , (452-462) , (2013) . Wiley Online Library
• Shanti Raman, Michelle Maiese, Katrina Hurley and David Greenfield , Addressing the Clinical Burden of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect in a Large Metropolitan Region: Improving the Evidence-Base , Social Sciences , 3 , 4 , (771) , (2014) . Crossref
• Peter Sidebotham , Culpability, Vulnerability, Agency and Potential: Exploring our Attitudes to Victims and Perpetrators of Abuse , Child Abuse Review , 22 , 3 , (151-154) , (2013) . Wiley Online Library
• , Perspectives of Neglect , Child Abuse Review , 21 , 2 , (77-80) , (2012) . Wiley Online Library

Volume 21 , Issue 2 March/April 2012

Pages 114-130