Olive Oil,Chocolates and a Bright Blue Sweater: Power Relations and the Implications of Gifts in the Field

This article seeks to examine and elucidate researcher-participant gift exchanges in the field, a topic given little attention in the relevant literature. The effects and implications of gift exchange on social research are analyzed. In one case, gift-giving in the field is perceived as a violation of the interviewer–interviewee context, while in the other, it is found to reflect asymmetry and mutual dependence between researchers and participants. The article addresses issues and concerns evolving from gift exchanges in the field, including attempts at balancing reciprocal relations, the implication of gift-giving on the establishment of research context, and on researcher-participant relations in the field.     

The effects of correctional education on juvenile delinquents and the factors for their overall changes: Focusing on academic performance and family‐type environment

This study aimed to explore the effects of correctional education on juvenile delinquents at a children's self‐reliance support facility in Japan, which provides delinquents with familial environments and multidimensional, comprehensive education. The purpose of this study was to compare the youth's academic performance and resilience from the time of admission to discharge and to identify which interventions improved participants' academic performance and resilience. We examined juvenile database records and “juvenile diaries” of 283 male youth. Participants were categorized into either an Improvement Group (IG) or a No‐Improvement Group (No‐IG) based on their outcome at discharge. The results showed that their academic performance and resilient characteristics were significantly higher at discharge than at admission. Employing single logistic regression, we found that the length of stay, academic performance, and the number of visits by family and social workers were characteristics associated with membership in the IG. These findings can guide future clinical practices and measures implemented for juvenile delinquents.     

Bringing men in from the margins: Father‐inclusive practices for the delivery of parenting interventions

Although there is a growing body of international work on barriers to engaging fathers in child and family services, there is limited research on factors that promote father engagement. In this article, we draw on case study data from the Australian Baby Makes 3 (BM3) programme to explore factors that promote father engagement in parenting support programmes. Our analysis shows single‐gender group work supported father engagement. BM3's father group work provided a safe space in the parenting support context where men could form intimate connections with other fathers and talk openly about their parenting experiences without fear of criticism from partners. These findings suggest that men often feel silenced and marginalized in the parenting sphere.     

The Rise and Fall of the UK's First Tax Credit: The Working Families Tax Credit 1998–2000

The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), introduced in 1998/9, was regarded as the most important and easily the most redistributive measure introduced by the New Labour administration elected in 1997. WFTC is, however, scheduled to end, and to be replaced by another tax credit in 2003. This paper reviews the birth, brief life and "death" of WFTC in the period 1998–2000 and examines the structure of eligibility for WFTC in one UK region.     

Women for Ending Israeli Occupation in Palestine and for Building Peace

This article does not have an abstract     

Determinants of Middle School Students’ Participation in Shadow Education in Japan

Social Indicators Research - Although previous studies have examined the likelihood of students’ participation in shadow education (private supplemental education), these studies have not...