Museums, friends, and lovers in the New South: Laura's Web, 1909-1931

Laura Bragg, a member of the first graduating class at Simmons College, journeyed to Charleston as a New Woman in 1909. As the first woman director of a major scientific museum in the United States, Bragg transformed the Charleston Museum into a public education institution and became an innovative leader in museum education. This article documents Bragg's contributions within the context of antebellum culture where the Southern Belle was placed on a Victorian pedestal and Boston marriages were an unknown phenomenon. Using extensive and hitherto unpublished correspondence, the authors detail Bragg's lesbian relationships and describe her network within the homosexual male community during the era of the Charleston Renaissance.     

Importance of job analysis with functional capacity matching in medical case management: A physician's perspective

Medical case management of musculoskeletal injuries can be facilitated when objective testing of the physical demands of the job can be compared to the functional capabilities of the individual. When the job analysis is appropriately sectioned into the separate physical demands, the physician can use information about specific job demands to maximize the likelihood of a safe return to regular duties. The response in the physical abilities in the worker can then be again functionally evaluated, leading to increased confidence in the process.     

Preparation,support, and satisfaction of adoptive families in agency and independent adoptions

Information gathered from over 1000 adoptions in the fourth year of a prospective study of adoptions finds satisfaction levels to be quite high, with those families adopting through private agencies to feel best prepared and satisfied. Differences by adoption auspice are detailed and discussed.The senior authors are Co-Principal Investigators of the California Long-range Adoption Study. This research was supported by the Child Welfare Research Center, Family Welfare Research Group, University of California at Berkeley, through a grant from the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services. The authors wish to thank the families for their participation. Please address correspondence to Mary Berry at the Center for Child Welfare, UTA School of Social Work, P.O. Box 19129, Arlington, Texas 76019.     

Black process in clinically depressed women: A conceptual framework for practice

Summary Emphasis throughout this paper has been placed on the importance of viewing black patients in their current social context. The positive impact of the Black Power movement has been observed in black patients who are involved in issues of black separatism and activism. Bennett's four stages of black process provide a means of identifying the position of individual blacks in terms of racial identity. Since relationships with whites are highly determined by the black patient's stage of black process, use of this conceptual frame work will assist the therapist in determining the indirect way in which black patients express racial issues.The author's experience has confirmed the existence and importance of two problem areas: the longer time needed to establish a therapeutic alliance in interracial work and the lack of knowledge of the black experience and culture in the white professional. The knowledge that additional time must be expended by both therapy partners must raise questions about the ethics of interracial practice and the need for more black mental health professionals. The second area of concern, the white professional's lack of knowledge, could be remedied. The fact that whites have not attempted to learn more about the black culture suggests the problem is a philosophical one. Liberal professionals are generally committed to the ideal of a truly integrated society where there are no differences among people. Black people appear to be telling us that they are different from whites here and now, and they like the difference.Supported by U.S.P.H.S. Grant # MH 15650 and MH 17728 from the National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare     

Evaluations of Women and Men Among Black and White College Students1

Rainwater's assertion that blacks have low self-evaluations because they receive more negative evaluations from other blacks than whites receive from other whites is challenged here by reference to Heiss and Owens evidence that negative self evaluation among blacks is limited to work-related traits. Substantial support was found for our major hypotheses that, compared to whites, (1) blacks would report more negative evaluation of “most men” but not of “most women” (since the provider role is traditionally ascribed primarily to men), and (2) the more negative evaluation of “most men” by blacks would be limited to work-related traits.     

The effect of 6 months training on leg power, balance, and functional mobility of independently living adults over 70 years old

Where strength training has been used in conjunction with functional-task training in older people, not only have there been improvements in leg strength but also improved function has been measured (e.g., Skelton & McLaughlin, 1996). Many studies use participants from care homes rather than community dwellers. We investigated changes in leg power, balance, and functional mobility in community-dwelling sedentary men and women over 70 years of age (n = 6 for training group [TR]; n = 10 for control group [CN]). Progressive training took place over 24 weeks using seated and nonseated exercise. For TR, leg power increased 40%, from 108 +/- 40 to 141 +/- 53 W (p < .01); dynamic balance increased 48%, from 22.3 +/- 7.9 to 33.1 +/- 6.1 cm (p < .01; functional reach); and functional mobility increased 12%, from 7.46 +/- 1.32 to 6.54 +/- 1.41 s (p < .05; timed walk). CN showed no significant change. In conclusion, a community-based exercise program led to large improvements in leg-extensor power, dynamic balance, and functional mobility.     

Getting down to business: defining competencies for entry-level youth workers

In January 2004, the National Collaboration for Youth approved a list of core competencies needed by entry-level youth development workers for effective youth development practice. This chapter provides an overview of these competencies, explaining why and how the list was created, outcomes, and recommendations for next steps.     

Dying in jail: The phenomenon of adolescent suicide in correctional facilities

Adolescent suicide is increasing in the United States and the incidence of suicide gestures and attempts in juvenile correctional facilities is high. The attitudes of correctional staff toward adolescents and toward suicidal behavior may contribute to the increase. Suicide is often the outcome of a progression of problems that have isolated the adolescent from meaningful social relationships. Correctional staff must be aware of the phenomenon of adolescent suicide and be given training to deal with it effectively within the institution. Institutional staff have commonly seen suicide gestures or attempts as acting out behavior rather than a symptom of low self-esteem or inability to cope with institutional placement. This discussion examines the phenomenon of adolescent suicide and the impact the juvenile justice system has on its occurrence. It will also include an examination of interdisciplinary interventive strategies which can be used in an institutional setting.