Aspects of information technology; constructing time and needs as universals

Postmodernist writers question the applicability of universal narratives to contemporary societies. Through an investigation of the introduction/construction of information technology (IT) in the NHS, it is possible to discern processes of universalisation. The phenomena of money, needs, and time all provide universal media which orientate developments in IT. This orientation is possible in so far as these media facilitate universal communication whilst also allowing for an increase in differentiation. Needs and time provide the possibility of investigating bow universalisation proceeds as, unlike money, they are not already universal within a market economy. Needs require detaching from their traditional framework in order to facilitate universal communication, whereas time must be constructed so that objectivity and rationality are seen to prevail. Through the construction of temporal relations, money and needs can provide indeterminate futures which bold out the promise of universalised communication. It is argued that, as a consequence, investigations of the relevance of IT in health care provision must forgo the orientation towards ‘funding problems’.     

The Life Rope: a transactional approach to exploring worker and life role development

The Model of Human Occupation offers a framework for analyzing occupational roles including that of worker; however, it does not describe the dynamics of role change after a traumatic injury. This paper reports a qualitative study of sixteen individuals who experienced a traumatic spinal cord injury in the midst of their occupational career development. The study examined their role change processes involved in redeveloping the worker role. Data were collected across 24 months of the participant's lives and triangulated via participant observations, guided interviews, mapping, and archival document review. Results showed that individuals formed multiple strands within their role repertoires at any point in time. After a traumatic injury, the worker role became an optional, elective role strand, one that often unraveled first as they encountered breakdowns in more basic survival roles, such as home manager, assistive technology user and attendant care employer. The metaphor of a Life Rope emerged as a useful conceptual framework for explaining life role development, including that of worker.     

最初·印象

1872年,一个名叫克劳德·莫奈的法国画家在勒阿弗尔港创作了一幅写生画,描绘的是港口的日出景象.因为日出的美丽转瞬即逝,莫奈为了追上太阳的脚步,只能大略描绘,因此作品显得粗糙与潦草.这种风格遭到了很多评论人士的鄙夷,一名新闻记者甚至讽刺这幅画是“对美与真实的否定,只能给人一种印象”.这幅画本来没有名字,正是因为有了这样一种评论的声音,莫奈干脆将画作命名为《日出·印象》.谁也没有料到,这幅画引申出了“印象派”这一新的艺术流派,并成了印象派的开山之作.     

Full-service community schools: a strategy--not a program

The concept that drives the emerging full-service community school movement is this: Schools cannot address all the problems and needs of disadvantaged children, youth, and families. Community schools are operated jointly by school systems and community agencies, are open extended hours, and may provide the site for after-school programs, primary-care health services, mental health counseling, parent education and involvement, and community development. No two community schools are alike. They grow out of a planning process that involves all stakeholders, school personnel, community-based organizations, city and county government, parents, and students. The Quitman Street Community School in Newark, New Jersey, exemplifies this approach.     

Data integration in the evaluation of juvenile justice education

This article discusses the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program's evaluation of juvenile justice education through the integration of multiple data sources. Validation of best practices and the corresponding effect of these practices on community reintegration require the development of a comprehensive database of program-level and individual-level indicators from several sources. These sources include the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Department of Corrections, and the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program's own educational quality assurance and pre-/posttest data. This article examines the methodological, political, and bureaucratic obstacles encountered in this effort. Evaluation research analyses are also explored with an emphasis on the meaning of outcome measures relative to causal issues of time order, the modeling of events, and analytic strategy. The article provides a framework for future juvenile justice educational evaluation and a critical examination of problems encountered in integrating data sources for the purpose of outcome evaluation.     

Gambling decisions: an early intervention program for problem gamblers

An implementation and one-year follow-up of the Gambling Decisions program attempted to answer several important questions. First, is controlled gambling a viable treatment option for some gamblers? Can earlier stage problem gamblers be separated for treatment from those with more severe problems? Finally, would problem gamblers utilize a community health agency for treatment of their excessive gambling? A pretest/posttest design was chosen where the efficacy of the program was assessed using repeated measures ANOVA analysis. Results showed that an average loss of $608 over a 4-week period was reduced to $113 immediately after the 6-week program and to a loss of $73 at 12 months. The average number of hours spent gambling per 4 weeks was significantly reduced from 23.5 at pretest to 6.5 at the 12 month posttest. Significant decreases were also observed in the number of days per week that clients gambled, and clients reported significant reductions in everyday life problems related to gambling after completing the program.     

Small sample properties of isotonic estimators — bias and mean squared error of linear combinations under normality

Bias and mean squared error for linear combinations of the isotonic regression estimators are computed. The case of sampling three distinct populations and the case of sampling seven or fewer populations having common mean are studied in detail. Numerical results are given, and comparisons between isotonic and unbiased estimation procedures are made.     

Housing characteristics and adequacy of the physical care of children: an exploratory analysis

This study explored the relationship between housing conditions and the adequacy of the physical care of children. The sample included 106 caregivers who were participating in a neglect prevention demonstration project in a low-income, inner-city neighborhood. Children who lived with caregivers who had unsafe housing conditions were less likely to receive adequate physical care. Findings confirm the importance of addressing concrete housing conditions as part of an ecological approach to preventing child neglect.