Barrios and burbs: residential context and health-risk behaviors among Angeleno adolescents

The increasing size of the Latino immigrant population in the United States underscores the need for a more complete understanding of the role that social context plays in influencing the health of immigrants and their children. This analysis explores the possibility that residential location influences the health-risk behaviors of Latino youth in Los Angeles County, California. The data come from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey. We apply multivariate, multilevel Rasch models to two scales of adolescent health-risk behaviors (substance use and delinquency). The findings suggest that residence in Census tracts characterized by above-county-average levels of Latinos and above-county-average levels of poverty is associated with increased odds of health-risk behaviors for Latino adolescents, particularly for those born in the United States. The findings lend support to the contention, put forth in the segmented assimilation literature, that disadvantaged urban contexts increase the risk that U.S.-born children of immigrants will experience downward assimilation.     

Complexities in attracting and retaining direct support professionals

Recruiting and retaining direct support professionals (DSPs) remains essential to the full inclusion for persons with disabilities. Using a mixed-evaluation model, we measured DSPs' views versus those of their supervisors. DSPs expressed lower perceptions concerning their supervisors, satisfaction with their work situation, and environmental and safety factors. Focus groups provided insights into resolving issues related to compensation, work environment, and recruiting and retaining future DSPs. Motivating factors included wanting to be part of a helping community where all are valued. To improve their performance, DSPs stated their desire to understand the roles of managers and of the consumer. DSPs indicated that having career paths that provided advancement opportunities and direct contact with persons with disabilities were primary motivators.     

Four criteria to evaluate providers' service-delivery response to new contraceptive introduction

This article presents an evaluation framework developed to assess the first-level effects of introducing the Standard Days Method (SDM) in Peru Ministry of Health clinics. Four questions are asked: 1) To what extent do providers routinely achieve SDM service delivery standards? 2) Is the time invested in SDM delivery consistent with program norms? 3) How does SDM delivery compare with delivery of established methods? and 4) How does SDM introduction affect delivery of established methods? A study at 62 clinics demonstrated the framework's usefulness. The Standard Days Method introduction had positive overall effects on the quality of care but provider training needed adjustments.     

Factors associated with 'feeling suicidal': the role of sexual identity

This paper examines factors associated with feeling suicidal in a large sample of urban men in Sydney and Melbourne, aged 18-50, including heterosexual, gay and bisexual men, HIV antibody positive and HIV antibody negative. As in previous research, sexuality (being homosexual or bisexual) was found to be a major predictor of suicidality. The research went some way towards explaining the close relationship between feeling suicidal and sexual orientation. Sexuality interacts with feeling bad in that, once men feel moderately bad/depressed, they are more likely to feel suicidal if they are homosexual or bisexual than if they are heterosexual. In addition, the research found that experience of verbal abuse and physical assault (harassment) increased feeling suicidal for both heterosexual and gay/bisexual men, not just for homosexual men as suggested by previous research, and that social isolation in the form of living alone is a further risk factor. Seeking counseling help and taking sexual risks were also independently associated with feeling suicidal. These actions may result from feeling suicidal rather than the reverse, and their association with feeling suicidal warrants further research. Many of the 46 independent variables examined in the research, including HIV antibody status and closeness to the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, were related to feeling suicidal only through their association with being gay/bisexual. Celibacy and general risk taking were not related to feeling suicidal in this study.     

瑞典的知识环境为未来做好准备了吗?

瑞典的知识环境为未来做好准备了吗?瑞典的大学如何与其他国家的大学竞争?未来的大学应该如何管理?这是目前瑞典教学与研究研究院(The Swedish Institute for Studies in Education and Research,SISTER)战略研究所的项目"明日的知识环境"(Uni-Know)正在研究的课题.该项研究已进行了一年有余.     

社会整合与人口位移:社会科学的贡献

关于社会整合的理论往往先作出假定,认为它与发展相联系,而发展“愈多”则导致的社会整合程度便愈高,愈能减少社会冲突。但从实际情况看,发展的影响是多向性的,其中包括整合、解体和重新整合等过程。本文致力分析那种由于发展而在世界范围引起的、通常称为“非自愿的人口位移和重新安置”的一类过程,并探讨如何才能通过由社会科学加以丰富的政策和方案,使解体作用得以缓解和抵消。几十年来社会学家和人类学家在现场进行的实证性研究,就被迫的人口位移问题产生了大量的概念和研究成果,但却长期“束之高阁”,没有应用于有关的政策和方案。唯有在被社会科学家转化为一个大规模组织——世界银行——规范性的政策之后,这一大宗知识才对实际生活产生影响。反过来,由于吸收了这宗长时期被忽视的知识,该组织及其政策也才得以更为有效。 本文讨论了如何因各国政府和捐赠机构对有关的研究成果认识不一而破坏了知识供求两方的正常关系,也通过分析指出一个大型科层组织的文化及其对待知识的或加以吸收或不予理睬的态度因何变化。本文并论述了关于如何把理论和研究成果化为政策方案、从而提出实施程序这个方面的方法论和认识论上的关键问题。新近有一项研究,以世界银行为39个国家提供资金而进行的1992年发展规划的抽     

美国的科学政策

《美国的科学政策——1939到现在》一书(修订版),1972年由美国麻省理工学院出版,编者是四位历史学家.全书共分六个部分:一、导言:历史的概述,二、准备和战争,三、战后科学的规划(1945-1950),四、本世纪中叶(1950-1957),五、反应的年代(1957-1965),六、衰退中的体系(1965-1970).编者依据大量材料(其中包括许多美国官方文件),对美国自1939到1970年的科学体制和政策作了历史的论述.对我们研究美国的科学政策和体制的演变有一定参考价值.下面是本书主要内容的简要介绍.     

美国妇女研究的发展

妇女问题研究在60年代末成了美国教育和研究计划的一部分,不过,学者们涉猎这一领域的问题要早得多。妇女问题的历史学和社会学研究早在19世纪便进行了,20世纪初也曾开设过有关