Grandmothers Offering Regular Auxiliary Care for Their Grandchildren: An Expression of Generativity in Later Life?

The study explores the meaning that grandmothers who offer regular childcare attach to that experience and the extent to which the notion of generativity might explain the meaning of the experience of caring for a grandchild. Twenty-four Spanish grandmothers aged 60 and over who provided at least 12 hours a week of childcare were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and qualitatively analyzed. The results suggest that grandmothers regard their childcare input as being part of their parental duty of helping in times of need. A range of consequences of caregiving were mentioned, generally positive and satisfactory. Our participants apparently began their caregiving task as an expression of parental generativity, although rewards associated with childcare are linked to grandparental generativity.     

Critical Feminist Gerontology: In the Back Room of Research

The article takes a feminist approach to gerontology. It examines the stereotypes of ageism that derive from the relationship between culture and old age. It establishes the requirements for a type of research that reflects women's own experience of growing older, as well as the social construction of values related to women's old age. It focuses on the sociocultural features of this population, which faces old age with certain limitations, but also with unparalleled assets.     

Fall-related injuries in Amsterdam: Frail older women at risk

ABSTRACT

Unintentional falls are a common cause of injury, especially among older persons. This study evaluates risk factors such as gender and age on morbidity and mortality after unintentional falls. Data were collected retrospectively for patients with a unintentional fall who were presented to the emergency department in 2013. A total of 3,217 patients were included; the majority were female. Patients over 65 years of age had a significant higher mortality and a longer length of hospital stay. Older women are at risk for sustaining a fall-related injury. Female gender is furthermore associated with increased length of stay in the hospital. Prevention should focus especially on these frail patients.     

A comparison of three physical activity programs for health and fitness tested with older women: Benefits of aerobic activity,aqua fitness,and strength training

ABSTRACT

Inactivity has been associated with decreased quality of life of older people, and many physical activity programs are encouraged. However, the heterogeneity of the different exercise programs available is well recognized. The objective was to compare three physical activity programs (strength training, aqua fitness, and aerobic exercise) to discern the differences in the benefits achieved by each of them in older women over a period of 6 months. For that, a double-blind randomized trial sorted 347 women over 50 years old into three groups of exercise programs; they completed three sessions of evaluation that included the measurement of weight and body mass index and used the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) and SF-12 questionnaire. A t-test for related samples compared the evolution of each group, and ANOVA statistic was used to compare the effect of the different exercise programs. The results showed that women should consider performing aerobic activity up to age 60. After that age, aerobic activity or strength training can provide greater benefits.     

Is more health always better for society? Exploring public preferences that violate monotonicity

There has recently been some literature on the properties of a Health-Related Social Welfare Function (HRSWF). The aim of this article is to contribute to the analysis of the different properties of a HRSWF, paying particular attention to the monotonicity principle. For monotonicity to be fulfilled, any increase in individual health—other things equal—should result in an increase in social welfare. We elicit public preferences concerning trade-offs between the total level of health (concern for efficiency) and its distribution (concern for equality), under different hypothetical scenarios through face-to-face interviews. Of key interests are: the distinction between non-monotonic preferences and Rawlsian preferences; symmetry of HRSWF; and the extent of inequality neutral preferences. The results indicate strong support for non-monotonic preferences, over Rawlsian preferences. Furthermore, the majority of those surveyed had preferences that were consistent with a symmetric and inequality averse HRSWF.     

Professional Perceptions of Intervention with Families in a Crisis Context

The family institution is a key aspect of the welfare regimes of southern Europe, a crisis-affected situation in which social workers play an important role. This paper analyzes the statements of social workers regarding professional intervention and the families with whom they work within the Spanish context, which involves a strong economic crisis and the reduction of public policies. A relational and qualitative study was conducted of 15 professional perceptions of cutbacks, family demands, the profiles of the user families, and the privatization of social services. In addition, proposals for improvement and challenges are analyzed. The main results involve the relationships among dwindling resources, increasing family demands and family dependence on the system, the disadvantages of privatization, excessive bureaucratization, and adverse labor conditions. The main conclusions include the inadequacy of public policies to meet the needs of at-risk families in a crisis context. About future, the research on professional decision making and professional intervention models will be studied in greater depth.     

Emotional Intelligence as a Protective Factor Against Psychological Maltreatment in Dating Couples According to Age

Abstract

Psychological violence during dating is a current phenomenon of universal proportions. Initiatives are urgently required to deal with this reality, initiatives focused on anticipating the potentially violent dynamics. Various works of research have confirmed that emotional intelligence can be a protecting factor against violence in relationships. This paper analyses the relation between the capacity to exercise behavior patterns of psychological maltreatment within dating couples and the subjects’ emotional competences, as well as its relation to the subjects’ age. 1080 students of the University of Extremadura (Spain) participated in the study, aged between 17 and 23?years or more. The results show the presence of all the behavior patterns of psychological maltreatment analyzed, especially among the students aged 17–18?years. Similarly, the existence of significant correlations between all the manifestations of psychological violence and the emotional competences studied are confirmed, with a great variability in the results depending on the subjects’ age. Future studies are suggested focusing on training in emotional self-management skills as a protective agent against psychological violence in dating couples and as a healthy marital mechanism with no age limit.     

Good Intercultural Practices in Social Services Projects

ABSTRACT

This article reflects part of the results obtained from a wider research project aimed at the elaboration of a “Map of Good Intercultural Practices” in several areas of social intervention in Andalusia, Spain. It also reports the results obtained from the analysis portion related to the participating projects within the social services. Intercultural assessment was conducted at the level of institutional intervention through a 32-item questionnaire that was sent to 139 intercultural project-leading institutions measuring intercultural sensitivity. A definition of the fundamental concepts of “interculturality” and “good practice” is given to support the foundations of “good intercultural practice” (GIP). Such definitions help in the design and validation of a GIP Scale that was used in the analysis of 60 social services projects with an intercultural component. The results obtained underline the relevance of aspects such as intercultural empathy and show significant differences between the social services and other intervention sectors. Future research is proposed that studies GIP scale in other intervention sectors such as the private and public sector. Also, the transferability of the instruments and methodology used makes it possible that the research presented in this article is conducted in other geographical areas.     

When Knowledge Is Not Enough: Elements to Strengthen Intercultural Sensitivity Among Professionals of Social Services in Andalusia (Spain)

ABSTRACT.

This study examines social services delivery in Andalusia, Spain, to determine the degree of cultural adaptation of its workers, given the important migratory flows taking place in the region during recent years. This study investigates the main characteristics of those workers with a high level of intercultural sensitivity (IS) and their cultural competences. The survey included 298 professionals with a validated IS scale along with questions related to the degree of intercultural contact and competence. A series of scales for the IS levels was created, and correlation analyses were carried out depending on the variables used. Results revealed high levels of self-attributed cultural competence and training as well as low levels of awareness and motivation for intercultural encounters. Theoretical knowledge appeared to be the only aspect in correlation with all dimensions of IS. Important deficits have been also observed when examining the type and intensity of contact among professionals and people of foreign origin. This highlights the need to transform knowledge in culturally adapted responses. Future research is necessary to deepen knowledge on how these aspects affect professional interventions.     

Weighted amplifiers and inapproximability results for Travelling Salesman problem

Journal of Combinatorial Optimization - The expander graph constructions and their variants are the main tool used in gap preserving reductions to prove approximation lower bounds of combinatorial...