Social inequality and art institutions

Our objective is to examine how several aspects of the class structure influence the prevalence of artistic institutions. The analysis is based on quantitative comparisons of the 125 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Most of the literature on the history of art concludes that artistic developments depend on the patronage of an elite—as noble patrons, as rich donors, or even as affluent bourgeois donors and audiences. Whereas these conclusions imply that class inequalities further the growth of the arts, our empirical findings indicate the opposite. Both lesser inequality and reductions of inequality in a metropolis increase a variety of artistic institutions, and these influences persist when other influences on these institutions are controlled.     

A Review of Adult Attachment Measures: Implications for Theory and Research

There has been increasing interest in adult attachment from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Because the test of a theory is based on our ability to assess theoretical constructs, the review is organized around assessment techniques. Delineating the content, focus, assumptions, and correlates of different attachment measures highlights central issues and problems in conducting research in adult attachment. In this review, we present theoretical issues related to adult attachment, in particular, individual differences, working models, and the role of attachment in adult life. A summary of the measures commonly used in the study of adult attachment follows. The literature review is organized by measure, examining topics such as relations between childhood experiences and adult attachment status, and adult attachment and adult personality and functioning, parenting and partnership behavior. Studies which explore relations between measures are discussed before concluding with thoughts about future directions.     

Nonverbal decoding skill and attention to nonverbal cues: A research note

A measure of differential preference for attending to three channels of nonverbal communication was developed, with which scores for differential attention to face, body, and voice tone were generated for 17 college subjects. These scores were correlated with subjects' nonverbal decoding accuracy in the same three channels as measured by a standard test of decoding nonverbal cues. Significant positive relationships between channel preference and accuracy were found for the two video channels; no relationship was found for the audio channel.This research was conducted while both authors held National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships at Harvard University. They wish to thank Robert Rosenthal for advice, Peter L. Rogers for technical assistance and Myron Wish for valuable criticisms of an earlier draft.     

The work prospects of older employees: An international comparison

The labour markets in the European Community countries are faced with a massive change in the structural composition of employee age groups. This article examines the employment prospects for older persons in selected European countries. The first, introductory section gives a quantitative comparison of existing levels of employment of older persons. This group is defined on the basis of the Eurostat labour force statistics; it comprises those aged over 50 but under 65. The second section aims to give an overall picture of the different types of early pension and the different methods by which older employees were taken off the labour market in the past. In the 1970s and 1980s the countries of Europe took numerous measures to bring about early cessation of work and early pensions for older persons, in order to reduce the labour surplus at a time when unemployment was increasing. In future, however, employee age structures will develop on opposite lines (third section): demographic change will affect pensions policy financially (extending working life rather than pensioning workers off). The change in company employee age structures will begin in the 1990s. This new impending trend calls for longer-term adjustments in employment policies: these will be considered in the fourth, concluding section of the article.     

Self-psychology as a theoretical base for understanding the impact of learning disabilities

Many features of learning disability, including confusion in perceiving and processing information, an unpredictable course of development, and difficulties with social cueing, create chronic stressors for the disabled child and his family. Self-psychology is explored as a psychodynamic model with unique pertinence for understanding the potential intrapsychic effects of learning disability. Comparisons to drive and ego psychology models are made, and implications for intervention are suggested.     

Violence in the nursing profession: Occupational and lifestyle risk factors in Swedish nurses

In a national study of the work environment, physical, and mental well-being of more than 2600 Swedish nurses, 30% reported having experienced violence at work. Possible association between violence and a range of occupational, demographic, and lifestyle characteristics were studied. Stepwise multiple linear and logistic regressions were used to further examine risk factors for violence. Occupational factors with significant correlations to workplace violence were nursing discipline (type of ward or facility), years of work experience, supervisory responsibilities, night work, work dissatisfaction, work-related musculoskeletal injury, and frequency of patient handling. Demographic/lifestyle factors related to violence were age, gender, smoking, coffee consumption at work, and use of alcohol to relax after work. The best fit linear regression model explained 17% of the variance in violence, 13%, of the variance in threat of violence. The logistic regression model confirmed an increased risk of violence and threats in psychiatric and geriatric settings. However, much remains unexplained about the aetiology of violencc in health carc settings. This report provides the basis for a pilot intervention study currently in progress.