THE WRAPPED t FAMILY OF CIRCULAR DISTRIBUTIONS

This paper considers the three‐parameter family of symmetric unimodal distributions obtained by wrapping the location‐scale extension of Student's t distribution onto the unit circle. The family contains the wrapped normal and wrapped Cauchy distributions as special cases, and can be used to closely approximate the von Mises distribution. In general, the density of the family can only be represented in terms of an infinite summation, but its trigonometric moments are relatively simple expressions involving modified Bessel functions. Point estimation of the parameters is considered, and likelihood‐based methods are used to fit the family of distributions in an illustrative analysis of cross‐bed measurements. The use of the family as a means of approximating the von Mises distribution is investigated in detail, and new efficient algorithms are proposed for the generation of approximate pseudo‐random von Mises variates.     

The Secretary as Supporter,Team Worker and Independent: A Case for Societal Comparison

Recent developments in cross-national comparisons of women's work have led to some new and challenging findings. This article aims to contribute to this debate by presenting one study which examined secretarial work in three European countries. The methodological issues connected with cross-national research on gender are addressed, and it is suggested that the ‘societal’ approach offers the most potential for cross-national gender research. Findings are discussed in the areas of demographics, education and training, job content and mobility, and interlinkages between national institutions and the secretarial occupation are explored. Differences between the national samples highlight the importance of carrying out cross-national research in this area.     

The Job Club Redux: A Step Forward in Addressing the Career Development Needs of Counselor Education Students

The career development needs of counselor education students beginning a professional job search have not been systematically explored. Although job clubs have been linked to positive outcomes, there is no empirical evidence that they meet the needs of this group. The purpose of this study was to examine how counselor education students viewed a proposed job club intervention using focus group data. The findings suggested that students had strong interest in a group that emphasized empowerment and collaboration, offered predictable social support, and provided training in specific job search skills. Implications for counselor education and career counseling practice are discussed.     

Appearance Cues and the Shootings at Columbine High: Construction of a Social Problem in the Print Media

In this study, we used an interpretive approach to examine print media (newspaper) representations of the relationship between appearance and the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado. Our work was guided by the social constructionist definition of a social problem. Grounded theory analyses revealed that both primary and secondary claims-makers staged claims and/or counterclaims contributing to the construction of Columbine as an appearance-linked social problem. The content and form of these claims varied according to the stage in the construction of the problem. Further, although both primary and secondary claims were made with respect to the conceptualization of the problem, an explanation for it, and solutions to it, the roles of primary and secondary claims-makers in constructing the problem varied. Implications of claims made within the media and related to the role of appearance in the shootings are considered, and a call is made for future work in this area.     

The Relationship Between Cohabitation and Marital Quality and Stability: Change Across Cohorts?

The relationship between premarital cohabitation and marital dysfunction was examined with a total sample of 1,425 spouses in two U.S. marriage cohorts: those married between 1964 and 1980 (when cohabitation was less common) and those married between 1981 and 1997 (when cohabitation was more common). Spouses in both cohorts who cohabited prior to marriage reported poorer marital quality and greater marital instability. When selection factors for cohabitation and subsequent marital instability were included in the statistical model, cohabitors in both cohorts continued to exhibit poorer marital quality and greater marital instability. These findings lend stronger support to an experience of cohabitation perspective than to a selection perspective as an explanation for why couples who cohabit before marriage tend to have more troubled relationships.     

Refugies de l'ex‐yougoslavie face a la forteresse Europe

Selon le Haut commissariat aux réfugiés auprès des Nations unies (UN‐HCR), le nombre des réfugiés et personnes déplacées¹ était à la fin de l'année 1993 de près de 3.5 millions sur le territoire de l'ancienne Yougoslavie—2.3 millions pour la seule Bosnie‐Herzégovine. La majorité absolue est composée de femmes et d'enfants. Ces chiffres sont d'autant plus approximatifs qu'augmente le nombre des clandestins avec les restrictions croissantes imposées à l'entrée des républiques. Même si les liens historiques entre les communautés yougoslaves justifient au départ un accueil particulièrement généreux de ces républiques, leur effort atteint des limites de divers ordres: la situation économique y est partout dégradée—bien davantage que dans les pays d'Europe qui ferment leurs portes au nom de la récession qui lesfiappe. Mais l'accueil des réfugiés sur l'espace yougoslave est aussi tributaire des choix politiques effectués par les pouvoirs républicains et de l'évolution de la guerre elle‐même, de sa nature. Sur ce plan les réfugiés sont à la fois effets et instruments des politiques à l'?uvre. C'est ce que nous examinerons dans un premier temps. Nous verrons ensuite les réponses faites en Europe aux quelques 700 mille demandeurs d'asile de l'ex‐Yougoslavie: la dissymétrie des situations accompagne une convergence des politiques restrictives. Dans l'Europe des accords de Schengen, le droit d'asile tend à s'identifier aux politiques d'immigration—ce qui soulève des questions particulièresface à une guerre qui concerne la Communauté européenne, ne serait‐ce que par les responsabilités qu'elle y assume dans l'élaboration de plans de paix?     

The Gender Structure of the Nursing Hierarchy: The Role of Human Capital

This study investigated the factors contributing to the over‐representation of men in senior positions in nursing. A questionnaire was distributed to a stratified random sample of 1536 registered nurses in New South Wales, Australia. The data were analysed using multiple logistic regression and showed that women's greater likelihood of taking breaks from full‐time employment was the major variable contributing to the gender segmentation of the nursing workforce. This has implications for those working towards ‘family friendly’ workplaces.     

The Treatment of Relationship Status in Research on Dating and Mate Selection

The relationship status of study participants (e.g., daters, cohabitors, marrieds, or unmarrieds) has implications for understanding dating and mate selection. Procedures used in studies may blur or ignore status distinctions. The authors examined methods used in 791 studies published from 1991 – 2001. Most commonly, status of participants is unspecified, and different statuses are collapsed for analysis. Status of participants is associated with recruitment method, and type (e.g., romantic, friendship) and form (e.g., perceived, current) of relationship measured. Unspecified samples are associated with research on the topics of universal properties or causal conditions, and specified samples with mate selection. The connection between status and topic is becoming more blurred over time. Recommendations for studying and reporting status are provided.