Couple Differentiation: Mediator or Moderator of Depressive Symptoms and Relationship Satisfaction?

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether differentiation at the couple level would act as a moderator or a mediator in the association between marital satisfaction and depressive symptoms over time. In a sample of 412 couples, a latent profile analysis was performed to determine how couple differentiation scores were clustered. An Actor/Partner Interdependence Model was then estimated via a group comparison procedure in structural equation modeling. There was no evidence of a moderating effect of differentiation. A mediating model was then estimated and there was evidence that differentiation mediated the association between depressive symptoms and relationship satisfaction via actor and partner effects.     

Naturalization as a strategy for improving soil physical characteristics in a forested urban park

Ensuring good soil quality is essential to promoting plant growth in urban parks and building ecological resilience into a cityscape. Periodically used to restore a degraded urban ecosystem, parkland naturalization is a management approach designed to facilitate the return of an area to a natural state by largely discontinuing maintenance activities and restricting public access. This study investigates the potential for parkland naturalization to improve soil quality in a forested portion of Kew Gardens Park, Toronto, Canada by comparing soil physical properties in three six-year-old naturalization enclosures with those found in adjacent managed parkland. Soil texture, compaction, bulk density, and surface water infiltration rate were measured at 104 sample sites, while ordinary kriging was used to interpolate two-dimensional prediction surfaces representative of soil properties. Sand and loamy sand were the dominant soil texture classes found across the study site. Highly compacted soil (>2,000 kPa) and soil with a bulk density >1.8 Mg/m³ (values sufficiently elevated to restrict tree root growth and respiration and impair soil water infiltration) were spatially correlated with high pedestrian traffic areas and corridors used by festival and park maintenance vehicles. In contrast, compaction and bulk density measurements in the naturalized areas were at or below thresholds known to impair root function ([`(X)] {{\overline{X}}} at 10 and 30 cm depth: 849 and 1,311 kPa, 1.15 and 1.51 Mg/m<sup>3</sup>, respectively). Similarly, water infiltration rates were rapid ( [`(X)] = 470mm/hr ) \left( {{{\overline{X}}} = {47}0{\hbox{mm}}/{\hbox{hr}}} \right) within the naturalization enclosures but retarded to the point of surface pooling in parkland subjected to regular public use. In the absence of quantitative baseline data, our use of spatial analysis demonstrates that parkland naturalization is a good management practice for restoration of soil physical characteristics. While our results show improvements to soil properties in a relatively short period of time, variability in the soil response rate to parkland naturalization will be dependent upon disturbance history as well as on soil and climate type.     

Interprofessional Client-Centered Reasoning Processes in Home Modification Practice

We investigated the complex reasoning processes of professional home evaluators involved with home safety assessments. Twenty evaluators with varied professional training engaged in in-depth qualitative interviews. Two primary themes emerged: integrating expertise and tailoring interventions. Within these themes, evaluators expressed differences and similarities in how they obtained information, developed interventions, and addressed professional-client interactive reasoning as they identified needs. We propose an adapted ecological model to describe best practices for personalizing home modifications through an interprofessional lens. Differences among professional home evaluators reveal unique, yet overlapping reasoning processes. Interprofessional teams may better meet the holistic needs of home modification consumers.     

Preface

Sociological Forum -     

Introduction

Qualitative Sociology -     

Educational Differences in Adolescents' Sexual Health: A Pervasive Phenomenon in a National Dutch Sample

Educational level is strongly associated with age of first intercourse and risk of unintended pregnancies. This study examined these associations in a large representative sample of Dutch adolescents and also included associations of educational level with other sexual health aspects. Adolescents aged 12 to 25 (3,926 boys and 3,915 girls) completed an online questionnaire that included measures of romantic and sexual experience; the evaluation of their sexual debut; the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy; and sexual attitudes, satisfaction, self-efficacy, knowledge, victimization, and functioning. The results showed that adolescents on a vocational track or who completed fewer years of education were more at risk of several adverse sexual health outcomes than adolescents on an academic track. They had their first sexual experiences at an earlier age; evaluated these experiences less favorably; had less sexual health knowledge and fewer refusal skills; and had a higher risk of unintended pregnancy, STIs, and victimization. Possible explanations for these consistent differences are discussed. Sex education and services should pay specific and targeted attention to less educated young people and tailor their efforts specifically to the needs, characteristics, and realities of this group.     

Granny as Nanny: Positive Outcomes for Grandparents providing Childcare for Dual-Income Families. Fact or Myth?

The proliferation of dual-income families has led to the prevalence of grandparents providing child care in Singapore. The Chinese culture and values have tasked grandparents to fill the role of providing child care while mothers seek employment. Literature on grandparents providing informal care posits this situation to be a rewarding experience and a protective factor for grandparents’ stability in old age. This study uses the Social Relational Theory framework to examine the experiences of Chinese grandparents who provide care for dual-income families in Singapore. In-depth interviews were conducted to understand the experiences of the grandparents and common themes guided by the framework. Through the exploration of the narratives of grandparents, this study sieves out the issues they face in the Singaporean context and analyzes the motivations that spur grandparents to provide care for their grandchildren. Despite informal caregiving being positively framed in many studies, this study found that grandparents also faced a variety of challenges. Chinese grandparents were bound to the caregiving roles by cultural and familial obligations despite the high costs associated with providing care.     

From Mastery to Accountability: Cultural Humility as an Alternative to Cultural Competence

Cultural competency has been a long held ideal for social work educators and practitioners. However, definitions and approaches to cultural competency vary widely depending on worldview, discipline, and practice context. Within social work and beyond, cultural competency has been challenged for its failure to account for the structural forces that shape individuals' experiences and opportunities. In contrast, the concept ofcultural humility takes into account the fluidity of culture and challenges both individuals and institutions to address inequalities. This article takes a critical look at cultural competence as a concept, examining its explicit and implicit assumptions, and the impact these assumptions have on practitioners. It suggests that cultural humility may offer social work an alternative framework as it acknowledges power differentials between provider and client and challenges institutional-level barriers. The authors advocate a move from a focus on mastery in understanding ‘others’ to a framework that requires personal accountability in challenging institutional barriers that impact marginalized communities. Cultural humility, while a promising concept, has not been fully explored in social work. Therefore, the authors present a conceptual model of cultural competency along with strategic questions for providers and organizations to integrate into social work practice and education.