Contested milieux: Small firms,unionization, and the provision of protective structures

Three trends in the workplace point to the importance of considering work relations as well as governance structures for the development of protective benefits such as pensions. The increasing concentration of employment growth in smaller firms, the general decline of unionization, and the changing composition of the work force constitute the new exigencies of worker-employer contracts. The 1983 Current Population Survey Pension Supplement is used in conjunction with certification data from the National Labor Relations Board to examine the interaction between firm size and the influence, as opposed to the prevalence, of unionization in the provision of pensions. Unionization is found to be more influential in the provision of pensions for workers in small firms despite the established prevalence of unionization in larger firms. The implications of these trends for labor market theory are discussed.This is a revised version of papers that were presented at the annual meetings of the Gerontological Society of America, November 1988, and the American Sociological Association, August 1989.     

Children's perceptions of playfighting, playchasing and real fighting: a cross-national interview study

Playfighting and chasing can he distinguished from real fighting, hut their significance in children's development remains uncertain. This study examines playfighting and chasing from the child's, rather than the observer's, perspective, using a questionnaire given to 8 and 11 year olds in England and South Italy and 5 year olds in England. Findings were generally similar for English and Italian children. Most hoys and girls reported both liking, and taking part in, playchasing; liking and participation in playfighting was more divided, though more so for boys, with many children disliking the perceived risk of injury in playfighting. About half the children (more boys than girls) reported having been in a serious fight, often provoked by verbal abuse or accidental injury. Most children reported that they could tell playfighting from a serious fight; at 5 years, liking and taking part in playfights was a predictor of this ability, which approached ceiling by 8 and 10 years. A wide variety of cues were given which could distinguish playful and serious fighting. Findings were consistent with the practice hypothesis for playfighting. However, most children also thought that playfighting could lead to a serious fight, especially as a result of accidental injury; escalation of this kind was also thought to be more likely if the play partner was not a best friend. Both ‘honest mistakes’ and ‘cheating’ seem to be possible explanations for playfighting leading to serious fighting. Assertion or maintenance of dominance may be a function for cheating in playfighting.     

Protecting persons in family therapy research: an overview of ethical and regulatory standards

Family therapists are expected to engage in ethical and responsible research, while maintaining rigorous ethical standards and adhering to federal regulations that require protection for research participants. We present a short historical overview of the significant events and ethical controversies leading to the formulation of current regulations in human subject research and review. Federal regulations and guidelines, including issues of informed consent, special populations, and conflict of interest are reviewed. A short list of recommendations to assist family therapists in staying abreast of contemporary research protocol is provided.     

Violence against women with physical disabilities

This study explored risk factors for violence among a sample of adult women with physical disabilities. Fifty-six percent (100) of the 177 women participating in the study indicated a positive history of abuse. Of the women who reported abuse, most reported multiple abuse situations and abusers who were typically their male partners. In addition, only a small proportion of women sought and received adequate help. Women who indicated that they did not seek help were asked why this was the case. Their responses included: feeling that they could handle it themselves, having other sources of support available, being unaware of where to go, feeling embarrassed, feeling guilty about being a burden or that it was their fault, fear that abuser would come after them, fear of not being believed, and, to a lesser extent, concern that the shelter would lack appropriate accommodations. These findings highlight the importance of intervention strategies including advocacy activities for women with disabilities, activities with schools, activities to deter and prevent partner and caregiver violence, community awareness activities, and dissemination activities.     

Experiences of disclosure of childhood sexual abuse and psychopathology

Reported child sexual abuse is associated with the development of anorexia and bulimia nervosa overall, but the mediating factors that determine whether such abuse is relevant in individual cases are not adequately understood. This study considers the importance of the experience of initial disclosure as a mediator in a case series of eating-disordered women. The extent of psychopathology (particularly the frequency of vomiting and the presence of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder) was associated with the nature of the perceived response to an attempted disclosure. A perceived lack of response or a negative, hostile response was associated with specific patterns of symptomatology. Further research is suggested to extend these conclusions, and the clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

The Quality of Life of People 12 Years after Resettlement from Long Stay Hospitals: users' views on their living environment, daily activities and future aspirations

We report service users' views on three important domains of their quality of life in the community 12 years after resettlement for long-stay hospitals. These concerned their living environments, daily activities and future aspirations. We asked a series of open questions as part of a structured interview with service users with learning disabilities (n = 196) and mental health problems (n = 102). The study is the longest reported follow-up of deinstitutionalisation in the UK and one of the longest anywhere in the world. The most frequently self-reported positive aspects of users' quality of life were the living environment, the social milieu and independence. The most frequently mentioned problems occurred within the social milieu and included bullying, the social regime, the physical aspects of the accommodation, and the personal feelings of loneliness and boredom. The most preferred activities were outings, education and work, relaxation and leisure. The most disliked activities were household chores and having nothing to do. About half those interviewed did not or could not answer a question about their future; those who did mentioned a wish for greater independence, more outings and personal and sexual relationships. We remark on some implications for services and for staff training.