Generation and discourse in working life stories

Following Mannheim's ( 1970 ) Problem of Generations, many scholars have warned of the analytical and political risks of conflating generation with cohort. Yet the temptation persists, as relying on cohort is a convenient method of dividing a population to study it. This article proposes that cohort is only convenient if the objective is understanding generations as definitive groups of people. It suggests a supplementary objective: understanding generation as a matter of discourse. Qualitative data from interviews with 52 Canadians illustrates how the discursive forms of generation in their stories render difference, human agency and social change in atomistic or voluntaristic terms. The most extreme manifestations of this theme appear related to the perception of generational conflict. Guided by James' principle of pragmatism, this article maintains that understanding generation as a discursive, historically contingent ‘thought’ with ‘effects’ is as important as understanding its structural form and contents.     

Fostering Solutions: Bringing Brief-Therapy Principles and Practices to the Child Welfare System

This article describes a 15-month university-community collaboration that was designed to fast-track children out of foster care. The developers of the project initiated resource-oriented "systems facilitations," allowing wraparound professionals and families to come together in large meetings to solve problems and find solutions. Families also participated in strength-based brief-therapy sessions. The authors describe the history, structure, and process of the project, and they provide a case study to illustrate the approach and exemplify the kinds of changes that occurred throughout the system. In the final section of the article, the authors reflect on what they learned about their university-community partnership, what they would do differently the next time, and the implications of such larger-system involvements for American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy's Core Competencies.     

The Challenge of Leadership in Front Line Clinical Teams Struggling to Meet Current Policy Demands

Teams, and their managers, working at the interface between government policy and service to clients are subject to high levels of anxiety arising out of the persecutory manner in which well-intended policy demands are delivered and cost efficiencies imposed. Informed by Bion's ideas about group behaviours, these responses can be understood as a form of defensive behaviour and identified as Basic Assumption Me-ness. Basic Assumption Me-ness in team managers takes the form of managerialism at the expense of leadership, developing a shell that acts as a protection for the lonely, overburdened, vulnerable and soft inside. This hardness, evident through increased unavailability and a rather sadistic use of boundaries, is communicated to staff, who in turn pass it onto clients. In this manner, it infects all relationships thus stifling emotional engagement, creative thinking and practice. This paper then explores ways in which team leaders, courageous enough to take up their authority in an emotionally engaged manner, can reverse these dynamics to the relief and benefit of all concerned. Leaders need to insist on attendance at meetings and supervision where cases can be properly considered; demonstrate an ability to think about risk as ever present in the work because, as all are well aware, no amount of form filling can eliminate this; and acknowledge that the work requires constant assessment and judgement as well as an ability to stay with the unknown. The aim is to be responsive to the daily struggles of team members working face-to-face with clients and to remain aware of ‘the reality on the ground’ when engaging in an equally lively way with senior management.     

Hepatitis B virus seroconversion rates among health sciences students in the southeastern United States

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the hepatitis B virus (HBV) seroconversion rate among health sciences students. Participants: The study included pharmacy, doctor of nursing, and medical students over 18 years of age enrolled at the University of South Carolina between 2007 and 2011. Methods: The primary end point was HBV seroconversion rates among students at the initial reporting period. Seroconversion was defined as hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) level greater than or equal to 10 mIU/mL. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine predictive factors of seroconversion. Results: Of 777 records, data were available for 709 students. An 83.9% seroconversion rate was observed after a mean of 10 years between vaccine receipt and anti-HBs evaluation. Students with incomplete HBV vaccine series and longer time between initial series and evaluation were less likely to exhibit antibody response. Conclusions: These data highlight the importance of assessment and documentation of HBV vaccination series among health sciences students prior to direct patient care activities.     

Addressing Elder Abuse: The Waterloo Restorative Justice Approach to Elder Abuse Project

The Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) of Waterloo Region, in partnership with a number of other social service agencies, designed and implemented a restorative justice model applicable to older adults who have been abused by an individual in a position of trust. The project was very successful in building partnerships, as many community agencies came together to deal with the problem of elder abuse. The program also raised the profile of elder abuse in the community. However, despite intensive efforts, referrals to the restorative justice program were quite low. Because of this, the program moved to a new organizational model, the Elder Abuse Response Team (EART), which has retained the guiding philosophy of restorative justice but has broadened the mandate. The team has evolved into a conflict management system that has multiple points of entry for cases and multiple options for dealing with elder abuse. The team has developed a broad range of community partners who can facilitate referrals to the EART and also can help to provide an individualized response to each case. The transition to the EART has been successful, and the number of referrals has increased significantly.     

Willingness to Have Unprotected Sex

Little is known about people's willingness to engage in sex without protection from unwanted pregnancy. This study surveyed 1,497 women and men at 75 clinics and physician offices across California after their reproductive health care visits in late 2007 and early 2008. When asked if they would have sex without contraception, 30% said definitively that yes, they would have unprotected sex, and 20% indicated they would “sometimes” or “maybe” engage in unprotected sex. In multivariate models, compared to non-Latino White respondents, Latinos who responded to the survey in English were 52% more likely and African Americans were 75% more likely to report willingness to have unprotected intercourse. Wanting a child within the next three years was associated with increased willingness to have unprotected sex. Age, gender, parity, and relationship status were not significant in multivariate models. A considerable proportion of women and men may be willing to have unprotected sex, even with access to subsidized contraceptive services and even when recently counseled about birth control. The dominant behavioral models of contraceptive use need to acknowledge the widespread likelihood of occasional unprotected sex, even among people motivated to usually use contraceptives. Findings underscore the need to make contraceptive methods accessible, easy to use, and even pleasurable.     

Research Note—Multiple Time Point Course Evaluation and Student Learning Outcomes in an MSW Course

ABSTRACT

Evaluation methods play a key role in measuring student learning outcomes. Yet traditional assessments focus on assessing student satisfaction with instructors or courses rather than their progress toward competencies. In addition, the common pretest-posttest assessment is problematic because of response-shift bias. Although multiple time point assessment is suggested, very little is known about its application and potential in social work education. This research note examines how student self-assessments of their progress on core competencies in an MSW-level social work course change across three time points (pretest, posttest, retrospective test). The findings suggest that students underrated and overrated their competencies at the pretest. We argue that using multiple time point self-assessment addresses this internal validity threat and should be considered in social work course evaluation.     

Mental Health Workforce Change Through Social Work Education: A California Case Study

The 2004 CaliforniaMental Health Services Act requires large-scale system change in the public mental health system through a shift to recovery-oriented services for diverse populations. This article describes an innovative strategy for workforce recruitment and retention to create and sustain these systemic changes. The California Social Work Education Center Mental Health Program provides stipends to master's of social work students at 17 California universities. In return, students must work for 1 year postgraduation in community mental health practice. Results of a 5-year study show that stipend recipients closely mirror the diverse demographics of the state, and 94% have remained in community mental health practice. The article also discusses lessons learned and implications for social work education in California and other states.     

Public Attitudes Toward Sexual Offenders and Sex Offender Registration

This study explores the relationship between fear of various types of sexual offenders and a belief that those sexual offenders should be subject to sex offender registration. We hypothesized that those who offend against children would elicit the most fear; consequently, the most feared offenders would be rated as most requiring registration. As part of a telephone survey, 733 participants answered questions about fear of sex offenders and agreement with requirements about registration for offenders convicted of incest, statutory rape, marital rape, pedophilia, date rape, and an offense committed more than 10 years prior. Results indicated that all types of sexual offenders elicited some fear from respondents, and fear was related to support of registration requirements.