Multi‐type maltreatment and the long‐term adjustment of adults

Multi‐type maltreatment refers to the experience of more than one form of child maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, neglect and witnessing family violence). Researchers have largely ignored the presence of other types of child abuse and neglect when examining the adjustment problems associated with a particular form of maltreatment. The association between ‘multi‐type maltreatment’ and adjustment was explored in the current study. Retrospective data were obtained on (a) the degree to which maltreatment types co‐occurred, (b) childhood family characteristics and (c) adjustment problems in adulthood in an Australian self‐selected community sample (N=175). As hypothesized, a large degree of overlap was reported in the experience of the five types of maltreatment. Family characteristics—particularly family cohesion and adaptability—discriminated between respondents reporting single‐type and multi‐type maltreatment. Greater adjustment problems were associated with reports of a larger number of different maltreatment types. Multi‐type maltreatment should be recognized as a crucial aspect of the nature and impact of child maltreatment and considered in the development of programmes for the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Designing with users to meet people needs: a teaching model

Being in a context of great transformations of the whole system company-product-market, design becomes interpreter of the society and strategic key-point for production realities. Design must assume an ergonomic approach and a methodology oriented to product innovation where people are the main focus of the system. Today it is visible the need for a methodological approach able to include the context of use employing user's "creative skills". In this scenario, a design educational model based only on knowledge doesn't seem to be fulfilling; the traditional "deductive" method doesn't meet the needs of new productive assets, here the urgency to experiment within the "inductive" method for the development of a method where to know and to know how, theory and practice, act synergistically. The aim is to teach a method able to help a young designer to understand people's needs and desires considering both the concrete/cognitive level and the emotional level. The paper presents, through some case studies, an educational model developed combining theoretical/conceptual and practical/applicatory aspects with user experiential aspects. The proposed approach to design enables the students to investigate users' needs and desires and helps them proposing innovative ideas and projects better fitting today's market realities.     

Women and philanthropy in Germany

In terms of finances, the state and non-profit organisations in Germany are closely interrelated; philanthropy has until recently played only a minor role. However, with the financial crisis of the German welfare state, philanthropy and fundraising have started to play more important and more visible roles since the early 1990s. Yet most women's organisations so far have neglected to tap or to develop private funding resources to a larger extent. While traditional women's associatiations still predominantly rely upon volunteerism, autonomous women's projects are heavily dependent upon government money. There is a huge untapped potential for philanthropy in Germany in general, and for women's causes in particular, and several examples show that many women are prepared to support women's causes when they are asked to do so. To foster philanthropy by and for women in the future will mean a strengthening of civil society in Germany.     

Relationship functioning and sexuality among people with multiple sclerosis

This study was concerned with how the sexuality and relationships of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are different from those of people from the general population. Three-hundred eighty-one respondents (144 males, 237 females) with MS and 291 respondents (101 males, 190 females) from the general population participated in the study. Sexual satisfaction, sexual dysfunction, relationship satisfaction, and coping style were assessed among all respondents. Information was also obtained from people with MS regarding age of onset and diagnosis of symptoms, as well as severity of symptoms. Overall, males with MS experienced a higher frequency of sexual dysfunction than males from the general population, while females with MS only differed from females from the general population in their levels of masturbation and numbness of the genital area. Coping strategies and levels of cognitive functioning were important predictors of sexual satisfaction, sexual dysfunction, and relationship satisfaction for women with MS, but there were fewer coping or health-related factors that predicted these variables among men with MS. The results of this study are discussed in terms of factors related to sexual satisfaction and positive interpersonal relationships. There is a need to conduct further research in this area so that professionals working with people with MS are informed on strategies to improve the sexuality and relationships of their clients lives.     

Social origin,field of study and graduates’ career progression: does social inequality vary across fields?

Research on stratification and mobility has consistently shown that in the UK there is a direct impact of social origin on occupational destination net of educational attainment even for degree‐holders. However, only a few studies applied a longitudinal and dynamic perspective on how intergenerational mobility shapes graduates’ working careers. Using multilevel growth curve modelling and data from the 1970 British cohort study (BCS70), we contribute to this research by looking at the emergence of social inequalities during the first ten years since labour market entry. We further distinguish between graduates of different fields of study as we expect social disparities to develop differently due to differences in initial occupational placement and upward mobility processes. We find that parental class does not affect occupational prestige over and above prior achievement. Separate analyses by the field of study show that initial differences in occupational prestige and career progression do not differ between graduates from different classes of origin in STEM fields, and arts and humanities. It is only in the social sciences that working‐class graduates start with lower occupational prestige but soon catch up with their peers from higher classes. Overall, our results indicate no direct effect of social origin on occupational attainment for degree‐holders once we broaden our focus to a dynamic life course perspective.     

The glass ceiling – where is it? Women's and men's career prospects in the private vs. the public sector in Sweden 1979–2000

Previous research suggests that women have more limited career opportunities than men. Using Swedish longitudinal data, covering the period between 1979 and 2000, more light is shed on the association between hierarchical levels and differences between men's and women's career opportunities in terms of occupational transitions. The analyses indicate that women face the greatest hinderance to advancement at lower hierarchical levels and that these disadvantages attenuate with higher hierarchical levels. These results contradict the common idea of a glass ceiling, ie that problems for women accrue with increasing hierarchical levels. The findings point to the need for focusing more on gender inequalities at low hierarchical positions although the glass ceiling hypothesis cannot be dismissed altogether. Moreover, the results do not support the view that the gender penalty in careers is larger in the private sector as compared to the public sector.     

Fertilitätsentscheidungen im Partnerschaftskontext

A review of existing sociological literature on fertility decisions reveals that most empirical studies focus on characteristics of the female spouse as explanatory factors, while the role of the partner is neglected for the most part. However, most children are fathered and born into an existing relationship and the influence of the partner has to be regarded as an important determining factor for childbirth. We propose starting from a bargaining perspective and model family-formation as a collective decision mutually agreed upon by both spouses, especially scrutinizing on the interrelation of both partners' educational level. In this paper, we examine in how far certain educational constellations have an impact on family formation. Classical theories of family economics suggest that educational asymmetries between partners may encourage parenthood. Our analysis is based on German Mikrozensus data collected between 1996 and 2004. The large sample allows us to analyze in detail the effects of educational levels as well as uncommon educational constellations. In a first step, we investigate separate effects of general and vocational education of each partner, followed by a quasi-cohort design, with women born in the mid 1960th and mid 1970th, to study the timing of the first birth. We conclude that traditional hypergamy may foster parenthood. But also educational homogamy leads to a higher amount of parents as compared to hypogamous couples, in which the wife's educational qualification exceeds the husband's educational degree.