Development of Ethnic Identity in Young Adults from Immigrant Families: “I Want to Hold Onto My Roots,but I Also Want to Experience New Routes”

This article explores ethnic identity development among young adults from immigrant families from diverse countries of origin. Based on in-depth interviews with young women and men, the authors examined the formation of ethnic identity through childhood, adolescence, and into young adulthood. Analysis of the participants’ narratives revealed that, compared with fluent bilinguals, limited bilinguals reported weaker connections to their heritage culture. Most participants progressed through the model of ethnic identity formation, which was influenced by their family socialization and community context, and reported integrated or bicultural ethnic identities. Practitioners may use the experiences shared by our participants to inform their work with second-generation immigrant youth in varying stages of ethnic identity development.     

Evaluation of Social Work Communication Skills to Allow People with Aphasia to be Part of the Decision Making Process in Healthcare

The purpose of this paper is to examine how social workers are trained to interact with individuals with communication barriers in healthcare. Consent to treatment and the right to decide upon a discharge destination are enshrined in law. However, barriers such as aphasia (a communication disorder commonly resulting from a stroke) can mask competency and exclude people from the decision making process. Social workers play a vital role in the healthcare system, providing advocacy, case management, counselling, addressing capacity and assessing the patient as a whole person. But they need to be taught specialized communication skills to carry out this complex role with individuals with aphasia. A literature search and survey of universities revealed that the majority of training in supported communication is taking place in the field and driven by aphasia centres. But does the training meet the needs of social workers and their patients with aphasia, especially when someone needs a healing conversation? Results from two pilot projects show that teaching a set of skills is not sufficient; adaptation of present communication techniques is also needed to ensure that the human worth and dignity of those with communication barriers is maintained and human rights in healthcare are being met.     

Drink Sluts,Brats and Immigrants as Others

Drawing on an analysis of the media debate on two Swedish rape cases involving alcohol, the present article argues that social norms and power structures are made visible both when debaters ascribe explanatory power to alcohol and when they do not. Using feminist intersectional theory, we argue that when debaters employ the concepts of “foreign culture” and “jet-set drinking culture,” respectively, to explain the rapes, they simultaneously (re)produce stereotypical discourses on gender, sexuality, class and ethnicity/nationality. The troublesome positions of the Immigrant, the Drink Slut and the Brat symbolize how these discourses intersect in the specific cases. To understand why alcohol is central in explaining rape in a fashionable area, but not in a socially disadvantaged area, we suggest that the official image of Sweden as a gender-equal, sexually liberal and multicultural society with small class differences blocks discussion of existing inequalities within the country. When rape happens in a place constructed as a “Swedish middle- and upper-class area,” alcohol and intoxication are used to symbolize the “uncivilized,” unpleasant and malicious among Swedish men. When rape happens in “socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods” populated by “immigrants,” the unpleasant instead resides in the “foreign culture.”     

Factors associated with exercise participation in adults with arthritis

Most people with arthritis are not regularly active. Understanding what factors influence exercise is essential for designing programs to increase participation. The objective of this study was to examine the correlates of exercise in people with arthritis. Using a cross-sectional design, sociodemographic, health-related, and psychosocial variables were collected from community-dwelling individuals with arthritis (N = 141). Associations with exercise level were examined with bivariate statistics (ANOVAs, chi-squares) and logistic-regression analyses. Exercisers were less likely than nonexercisers and insufficiently active people to report that arthritis negatively affected their physical and social functioning, and they reported more positive affect and greater self-efficacy (p < .05). Exercisers also reported less pain than nonexercisers (p < .05). In multiple logistic-regression analyses, self-efficacy and physical limitations remained independent predictors of exercise. The results suggest the need to target exercise self-efficacy when designing exercise interventions. Results also suggest the need to tailor exercise programs to individuals' physical limitations.     

Eskalierendes Commitment gegenüber Mitarbeitern: Ein Rahmenmodell

Zusammenfassung:  Oft werden zus?tzliche Ressourcen in Mitarbeiter investiert, obwohl sie die in sie von ihren Vorgesetzten formulierten Erwartungen nicht erfüllen, und augenscheinlich die Trennung von ihnen die angemessene Entscheidung w?re. Ein solches Verhalten kann als „eskalierendes Commitment“ bezeichnet werden (Staw, 1997). In diesem Beitrag wird untersucht, welche Konsequenzen es hat, dieses „Festhalten“ an wenig geeigneten Mitarbeitern tats?chlich als „eskalierendes Commitment“ zu beschreiben. Hierzu werden zum einen Erkenntnisse aus der bisherigen Forschung zum eskalierenden Commitment herangezogen, zum anderen werden ausgehend von Kernmerkmalen einer Arbeitsbeziehung vier weitere Faktoren diskutiert, die eskalierendes Commitment gegenüber Mitarbeitern verst?rken k?nnen: (1) Sympathie, (2) Prognoseungewissheit bzgl. des vermuteten Potentials des Mitarbeiters, (3) dem Mitarbeiter unterstellte Motivationsprobleme und (4) M?glichkeiten zur Reinterpretation der Anforderungen an den Mitarbeiter. Abschlie?end werden Deeskalationsstrategien diskutiert

Exhibiting Inclusion: An Examination of Race,Ethnicity, and Museum Participation

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Museum visitors are not reflective of the diversity present in communities around the nation. In this study, we...     

Bayesian inference for non-stationary spatial covariance structure via spatial deformations

Summary. In geostatistics it is common practice to assume that the underlying spatial process is stationary and isotropic, i.e. the spatial distribution is unchanged when the origin of the index set is translated and under rotation about the origin. However, in environmental problems, such assumptions are not realistic since local influences in the correlation structure of the spatial process may be found in the data. The paper proposes a Bayesian model to address the anisot- ropy problem. Following Sampson and Guttorp, we define the correlation function of the spatial process by reference to a latent space, denoted by D , where stationarity and isotropy hold. The space where the gauged monitoring sites lie is denoted by G . We adopt a Bayesian approach in which the mapping between G and D is represented by an unknown function d (·). A Gaussian process prior distribution is defined for d (·). Unlike the Sampson–Guttorp approach, the mapping of both gauged and ungauged sites is handled in a single framework, and predictive inferences take explicit account of uncertainty in the mapping. Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are used to obtain samples from the posterior distributions. Two examples are discussed: a simulated data set and the solar radiation data set that also was analysed by Sampson and Guttorp.     

Health after childbirth: Patterns of reported postpartum morbidity from Lebanon

Problem and backgroundThe postpartum period is under-researched in low and middle income countries. The scarce literature reveals heavy burden of ill health experienced in that period and under utilisation of health services. Understanding the postpartum morbidity burden and identifying the care-seeking behaviours is essential to improve service delivery.QuestionThis paper examines reported postpartum morbidity, care seeking behaviour and whether postpartum morbidity is associated with method of birth.MethodsA cross sectional study of women delivering in 18 private hospitals from two regions in Lebanon was undertaken. Women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy, visiting private obstetric clinics affiliated with participating hospitals were interviewed for baseline information. Reported postpartum morbidity was assessed in an interview conducted at women's homes from 40 days up to six months postpartum.FindingsOf the 269 women recruited, physical postpartum health problems were reported by 93.6% and psychological health problems by 84.4% of women, with more health problems being reported beyond two months postpartum. Women were less likely to seek professional care for psychological health problems. Reporting postpartum health problems was not associated with method of birth.ConclusionA heavy burden of postpartum morbidity is experienced by women with gaps in utilisation of relevant health services. Efforts should be directed towards the organisation and delivery of comprehensive maternity care services.     

Formative evaluation of a motivational intervention for increasing physical activity in underserved youth

The present study was designed to develop an innovative motivational intervention (based on Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory) to increase physical activity (PA) in underserved adolescents. Sixty-four adolescents (35 females, 29 males; 50% minority; 65% on reduced lunch program; ages 11-13 yr) participated in either an 8-week motivational intervention after-school (n = 32) or a typical after-school program (n = 32). The conceptual framework for the intervention targeted the social environment (perceived autonomy, perceived social support, participation, fun), cognitive mediators (perceived choice, self-efficacy, and relatedness/belongingness), and motivational orientation (intrinsic motivation, commitment, positive self-concept). Formative evaluation data was collected by staff through daily forms throughout the 8-week program and through observational data completed by independent objective observers during 2 weeks of the program. The major themes that were identified addressed theoretical concepts regarding the intervention and logistical issues in delivering the intervention. The data revealed information regarding the importance of the cognitive appropriateness of the PA and motivational activities, the environmental climate for promoting nurturing relationships, developing specific strategies for increasing intrinsic rather than extrinsic reinforcement, and developing methods for preventing social "cliques" and gender conflicts to maintain an appropriate level of support in the social climate. Themes for training staff included focusing on team building, leadership, and nurturing. This formative evaluation is being used to formalize a randomized trial to test the effects of a student-centered motivational intervention on increasing PA in underserved 6th graders.     

Welfare brokers and European Union migrants' access to social protection

In spite of the existence of an extensive national and supranational legal framework, European Union (EU) citizens who exercise their right to freedom of movement to work in another Member State face numerous hurdles in accessing social protection. While recent scholarship on street-level bureaucracy and on migration and welfare has shed light on the role of discretion and stereotypes in access to rights, little is known about the processes through which such hurdles are overcome. In this article, we focus on a specific strategy which is the recourse to what we call “welfare brokers”. These actors offer assistance to EU migrants to overcome specific cross-border administrative challenges in the area of social protection that derive from their use of the right to freedom of movement. Relying on qualitative data collected with brokers and Romanian migrants working in Germany, the article also demonstrates that welfare brokers attempt to transform the norms, bureaucratic practices and representations that condition access to these entitlements. The article concludes by underlining how the existence of a brokerage industry is a sign of existing inequalities in the exercise of freedom of movement within the EU.