Comparison of Daily and Retrospective Reports of Vaginal Sex in Heterosexual Men and Women

This study examined the agreement between daily and retrospective reports of vaginal sex over a two-month period in a sample of 376 heterosexually active men and women. We also examined whether gender, age, or method of daily data collection (self-administered vs. interviewer administered) were related to agreement between daily and retrospective reports. Both counts and categorical measures of frequency of the behaviors were examined. There were no gender, age, or data collection method effects. When measured as a count, participants reported more instances of vaginal intercourse in the retrospective reports than on the daily reports. In contrast, comparison of retrospective categorical measures of frequency to daily reports showed considerable variability. Possible reasons for the over-reporting of counts of vaginal sex in retrospective reports are explored.     

Cocaine-Exposed Toddler-Caregiver Dyads During Free Play at 24 Months

Some women continue to use cocaine during pregnancy, placing their fetus at risk for developmental problems. While gross problems are not evident after controlling for experimental flaws, subtle effects continue to be found. Social interactions of cocaine-exposed and nonexposed toddlers and their caregivers were assessed during a Free Play test to determine if psychobehavioral deficits were clinically observable. Risk factors were evaluated to assess whether the child’s socioemotional-behavioral behaviors were related to exposure and/or interactions with caregivers or the environment. Twenty-four-month-old cocaine-exposed and nonexposed toddlers were evaluated with the Child Behavior Check List while they played with their caregivers. Caregivers’ vocalizations were scored as contingent pairs if they occurred within 3 seconds of the child’s. The proportion of pairs was compared by group. Quality of caregivers’ vocalizations was rated as positive or negative based on approval, encouragement, and criticism. General linear model analyses indicate that cocaine-exposed children showed more dysfunctional behaviors than noncocaine-exposed children. Deficits increased when income and number of dependents were included. Caregivers in the drug group emitted fewer vocalizations during play before receiving a toy, indicating fewer opportunities for learning. No effect of quality of caregiver communication or gender by cocaine exposure interaction emerged. Cocaine exposure predicts poor developmental outcomes, but the toddler-caregiver relationship and reduced access to resources are additional risks that had previously been attributed to cocaine exposure. Early intervention services are needed to reduce the impact of low income, increase preschool readiness, and optimize functioning of these fragile families.     

The Changing Landscape of Indigenous Gambling in Northern Australia: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

Little is formally known about the gambling practices, both regulated (e.g. poker machines) and unregulated (e.g. card games), of indigenous people in northern Australia, nor of the range of social consequences of these practices. To begin addressing this shortfall, a scoping study of indigenous gambling in the Northern Territory (NT) was conducted. This paper reports the key findings of this study and integrates them with information on indigenous gambling from the Northern Territory Prevalence Survey 2005 and from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2002. The emergent picture of indigenous gambling in the NT is one of widespread incorporation of gambling, both regulated and unregulated, into contemporary indigenous social practices with considerable negative consequence. However, the strength of this conclusion is tempered by the paucity of available data, by the limitations of existing gambling research methodologies and by the scoping purpose of the exercise.     

Discursive Arenas: Deliberation and the Constitution of Identity in Public Participation at a Local Level

This article is based on empirical research into public participation in two English cities. It discusses issues related to motivations to take part in public participation initiatives and the way in which individual and collective identities may be constructed through participation. Drawing on social movement theory it emphasises the importance both of networks and values in prompting participation and it illustrates this with examples drawn from participation initiatives based around identities: age, gender, ethnicity, and issues/interests such as health inequalities, community regeneration and social care service provision. The analysis suggests it is important to understand the histories and motivations of officials as well as citizens who take part, and questions the priority given to ‘representation’ in constituting the membership of participation forums.     

U dhashay—Ku dhashay: Genealogical and Territorial Discourse in Somali History

Genealogical reckoning has always been a prominent aspect of Somali social organisation long characterised as a ‘segmentary’ lineage-based political system. Beyond this ethnographic foundation there was also a widely-held view that the Somali nation—despite the inherent ‘republicanism’ of the segmentary system—did at least possess a distinctive and inclusive ‘national’ genealogy. However for a decade now—following the collapse of the unified state of Somalia—authors have been re-examining the basic assumptions of the Somali nation. True to the traditions of the segmentary system they describe, a younger generation of scholars has challenged their elders and these youthful revisionists have uncovered the ethnic and even ‘racial’ complexity of the Somali state and questioned the dominant national genealogical discourses. This article asks that the dominant genealogical framework of Somali studies be taken back to its local contexts, and that descent by lineage (or indeed race) should be seen as only one part of the repertoire of political legitimacy in Somalia.     

The Day-to-Day Reality of Delivering Shelter Services to Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence in the Context of System and Policy Demands

ABSTRACT

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of gender-based violence affecting Canadian women. Women often seek help from shelters to deal with IPV and its consequences. These shelters function within a broader context that shapes how services are delivered. This study was undertaken to better understand how structural factors including policies shape shelter service delivery and reveal systemic and structural complexities that influence those services and women's ability to rebuild their lives. This feminist qualitative study combined in-depth interviews and focus groups with 37 staff and 4 executive directors from 4 shelters in Ontario, Canada, and included critical discourse analysis of salient policy texts. The findings illuminate the complexity of the structural challenges faced by abused women and the shelters that support them. Systemic impediments were shown to determine how shelters support abused women, the obstacles women face moving forward, and the extent and availability of their options. Future research should include policy evaluation of policy written and enacted, cost analysis examining the actual costs of delivering shelter services and supporting women after leaving, examination of potential alternatives to the identified structural challenges, and investigation of system coordination of services and support for abused women.     

Supporting the Labor Force Participation of Older Adults: An International Survey of Policy Options

The unprecedented aging of the world's population challenges many institutions, including labor markets and public pension programs. This study was conducted to survey expert opinions regarding conditions and policies that affect employment of older adults. Eighty-nine respondents from 26 nations responded to an Internet survey regarding their own experiences with the aging labor force; factors that encouraged or discouraged labor force participation of older adults; and government responses to these issues. Respondents identified barriers to employment of older adults and described their governments' responses. Findings illuminate a range of current policy options and suggest possible opportunities for innovation.     

REPRESSION, THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, AND POLITICAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCACY DURING RECONSTRUCTION

Contemporary research on the modern civil rights movement stresses the importance of a triad pattern of civil rights protest, white violence, and federal intervention. We explore the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in constraining federal intervention in response to white supremacist violence during Reconstruction. We conclude that Supreme Court decisions played an important role in defeating the Reconstruction-era civil rights movement by minimizing the likely benefits to be gained from civil rights advocacy. Future scholarship should further examine the impact of federal court decisions on the political opportunity structure facing social movements.