Opinion Leaders: Is Anyone Following?

This paper describes an attempt to identify respondents whoseopinions change earlier than others. The Katz/Lazarsfeld opinionleadership questions were adapted for use in quarterly surveysconducted by telephone with national samples of adults. Between1975 and 1978, changes were detected in public attitudes towardsix government activities. Recent advisors (opinion leaders)changed from 3 to 14 quarters earlier than nonadvisors. Further,recent advisors within each of several demographic groups changedearlier than others in their group. In at least one case, recentadvisors among those with a high school education or less changedearlier than college-educated respondents.     

Regression Parameter Estimation from Panel Counts

This paper considers a study where each subject may experience multiple occurrences of an event and the rate of the event occurrences is of primary interest. Specifically, we are concerned with the situations where, for each subject, there are only records of the accumulated counts for the event occurrences at a finite number of time points over the study period. Sets of observation times may vary from subject to subject and differ between groups. We model the mean of the event occurrence number over time semiparametrically, and estimate the regression parameter. The proposed estimation procedures are illustrated with data from a bladder cancer study ( Byar, 1980 ). Both asymptotics and simulation studies on the estimators are presented.     

The Use of Autobiography in Social Work Education

Summary The article describes an experiment in writing autobiography,first with an extra mural group of trainee counsellors and thenwith social work students doing an elective in literature andsocial work. The value of such an exercise for developing self-awarenessis discussed and reference made to its use with clients.     

From Casework to Community Care: 'The End is Where We Start From' (T. S. Eliot)

Joan Cooper, 2A Gallows Bank, Abinger Place, Lewes, Sussex BN7 ZQA. Summary This paper traces some of the influences which have shaped socialwork in Britain between the 1960s and the 1980s, with particularreference to the casework inheritance and the community dimension.The latter is illustrated by reference to the Home Office CommunityDevelopment Projects of the late sixties and by moves throughoutthe period towards a community care policy in the mental healthfield. It is suggested that community care revives an oldertradition and that the nineteenth century asylum policy wasa diversion.     

An Interactionist View of the Social Work Interview

Summary The paper considers the relevance of the five sub-branches ofthe interactionist perspective to the social work interviewand suggests a model incorporating all five. Such a model illustrateshow conflict between the social worker and the client may ariseand the author tentatively suggests how such conflict may beresolved     

The Mosaic of Personal Social Services: Public, Voluntary and Private

Correspondence to Joan Cooper, 2A Gallows Bank, Abinger Place, Lewes. Sussex Summary The main characteristics of each sector are outlined. A fluidsituation which lacks a planned strategy reflects inadequatephilosophical and professional debate. Social workers have acontribution to make to such a debate on the advantages andproblems arising from a mix of service provision, on their ownemployment, and on client perspective and participation. Thepaper argues that the direction of social policy is weakenedin the pluralist model, and the inequitable distribution ofservices is increased but that entrepreneurialism is greater.Laisser-faire is seen as effectively a policy decision.     

A.I.D. and Adoption: Some Comparisons

Summary This paper is an attempt to put forward for discussion someof the similarities and differences between adoption and artificialinsemination by donor, as attempts to solve the problem of childlessness.The legal position and the view of the Church are briefly summarized.It is suggested that work already done in adoption, particularlywith reference to telling the child, has relevance for A.I.D.,and that there are implications for social workers.     

Parental Reactions to Stillbirth

Summary The reactions of both parents to the experience of a stillbirthin hospital are studied during three social work visits madeduring a period of six months after discharge from hospital.Social and emotional responses are discussed and also the implicationsfor social work in hospital and the community.