Who Decides? The Social Characteristics of Who Initiates Marital Separation

This study investigates gender differences in the associations between social characteristics and men’s and women’s reports of which spouse initiated marital separation. Using retrospective data on 9,147 first marriages from the Household Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia survey (2001), we find that some social characteristics differentiated between separations initiated by wives compared to husbands, but few differences were statistically significant. The main gender difference is that wives are more inclined than husbands to initiate separation on the basis of their husbands’ as well as their own social characteristics. Our findings indicate that taking account of which spouse initiates separation is important for improving our understanding of gender differences in the processes of marriage breakdown, but more research is required.     

Why Does Immigrant Trip Duration Vary Across U.S. Destinations?

Objective . This article explores the factors that lead to differences in immigrant trip duration across U.S. destinations. Methods . Using data from the Mexican Migration Project and the 1970, 1980, and 1990 U.S. Censuses, we estimate discrete-time hazard models of the probability of return for unauthorized male migrants. Results . We find three patterns of migration for undocumented migrants across U.S. destinations: semi-permanent and permanent migration to urban areas; temporary migration to agricultural areas; and sojourner, or cyclical, migration to border regions. These patterns depend on the characteristics of the immigrant population that moves to each destination, in addition to the opportunities available to migrants in each destination. However, all these factors are mediated by social and institutional conditions at the destination. Conclusions . The findings of this study reiterate the importance of economic opportunities as an important predictor of not only migration to, but also length of stay in, the United States. Dynamic regions not only attract more immigrants, but they also attract a more permanent population of migrants.     

Traditional and innovated gambling products: an exploration of player preferences

There is concern that recent innovations of traditional face-to-face gambling products may lead to increased harm because of the tendency for innovated products to share certain structural features with electronic gaming machines (EGMs). The VICES framework focusses on several mechanisms known to influence gambling behaviour: visual and auditory enhancements, illusions of control, cognitive complexity, expedited play and social customization. The current study applied the VICES framework to an investigation of player experiences with both traditional and innovated gambling products. Through a series of six focus groups (N = 40) with regular bingo, poker and casino table game players and sports bettors, we examined the characteristics of innovated gambling products and their influences on player experience and the risk of gambling harm. Findings suggest that traditional games are perceived as more social, more enjoyable and less harmful. This was largely attributed to the low social interaction, expedited play and increased potential for consumption that is associated with EGM-type gambling activity. Further, we suggest that VICES, pending some revision, is a valid and applicable framework by which to identify characteristics of innovated products that influence player experience and behaviour.     

A typical problem gambler affects six others

While the financial and psychological burden on problem gamblers can be severe, at least some of the ill effects are also passed on to family or other close social ties. The present study estimated the number of affected-others for the typical problem gambler. Australian members of an online panel with gambling problems (N = 3076) and panel members who indicated that they had been affected by someone else’s gambling (N = 2129) were asked to estimate the number of other people who were negatively affected by their gambling. Using robust statistics to analyse this data, the study found lower estimates made by problem gamblers (four affected people) compared to estimates made by affected others (six affected people, including the respondent). It was concluded that a point-estimate of six people affected is a more accurate figure since it does not suffer from self-presentation effects of problem gamblers. Low-risk and moderate-risk gamblers, unsurprisingly, affected far fewer other people (one and three, respectively). Both gamblers and affected-others most often identified close family members, including spouses and children, as the people impacted by others’ gambling problems. These results provide an approximate measure of the number of people affected, per problem gambler, to facilitate accurate accounting of the harms accruing from gambling problems.     

Validation of the Short Gambling Harm Screen (SGHS): A Tool for Assessment of Harms from Gambling

It is common for jurisdictions tasked with minimising gambling-related harm to conduct problem gambling prevalence studies for the purpose of monitoring the impact of gambling on the community. However, given that both public health theory and empirical findings suggest that harms can occur without individuals satisfying clinical criteria of addiction, there is a recognized conceptual disconnect between the prevalence of clinical problem gamblers, and aggregate harm to the community. Starting with an initial item pool of 72 specific harms caused by problematic gambling, our aim was to develop a short gambling harms scale (SGHS) to screen for the presence and degree of harm caused by gambling. An Internet panel of 1524 individuals who had gambled in the last year completed a 72-item checklist, along with the Personal Wellbeing Index, the PGSI, and other measures. We selected 10 items for the SGHS, with the goals of maximising sensitivity and construct coverage. Psychometric analysis suggests very strong reliability, homogeneity and unidimensionality. Non-zero responses on the SGHS were associated with a large decrease in personal wellbeing, with wellbeing decreasing linearly with the number of harms indicated. We conclude that weighted SGHS scores can be aggregated at the population level to yield a sensitive and valid measure of gambling harm.     

Why were the 1980s “millenarian”? Style,repertoire, space and authority in South Africa’s black cities

This paper argues that some of the key determinants of the style and repertoire of the South African township revolts of the mid-eighties lie in the changing configurations of race, class and authority within townships over a long period of time. One major and pivotal change in these relationships is identified, and the paper employs ideal-typical constructions of the nature of townships in the two crucial eras concerned: what could broadly be described as the era of "welfare paternalism" and succeeding it after a period of complex change, the equally broadly characterized era of "racial modernism". Though both eras were racist, exploitative, and engendered class and community struggles they differed from one another in important stylistic and spatial ways. This paper suggests that the move from the one era to the other constitutes the move from a mode of "governability" to one of "ungovernability", and highlights the form, repertoire and style of rebellion.     

Providing perinatal loss care: satisfying and dissatisfying aspects for midwives

PURPOSE: There is limited midwifery research that focuses on midwives experiences and attitudes to providing care for women who experience the death of a baby. There is also limited research investigating care components, and evidence to inform the basis of clinical practice in Australia and internationally. This paper presents the qualitative findings of a small study that aimed to investigate midwives experience, confidence and satisfaction with providing care for women who experienced perinatal loss. PROCEDURE: Eighty-three Western Australian midwives responded to an open ended question asking them to describe the most and least satisfying aspects of their role when providing care to women who experienced a perinatal loss. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. FINDINGS: The analysis revealed that Australian midwives gained most satisfaction from providing skilled midwifery care that they considered made a difference to women. This was enabled when midwives were afforded the opportunity to provide continuity of midwifery carer to women throughout the labour, birth and early postnatal period. In terms of the least satisfying aspects of care, midwives identified that they struggled with the emotional commitment needed to provide perinatal loss care, as well as with how to communicate openly and share information with women. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Within the context of the study setting, midwifery care for women following perinatal loss reflects the care components espoused in the literature. There are, however, organisational issues within health care that require commitment to continuity of care and further education of practitioners to enhance outcomes for clients.     

Bringing "Globalization" Down to Earth: Restructuring and Labour in Rural Communities*

Cette étude de cas sur des travailleurs licenciés dans un comté rural de l'Ontario s'inscrit dans le cadre de la controverse au sujet des effete, sur les travailleurs et la société, de la libéralisation du commerce et de la restructuration économique. En nous fondant sur l'expérience des travailleurs licenciés, la durée du chômage, la comparaison entre les anciens et les nouveaux emplois ainsi que sur la baisse des revenus, nous fournissons des données empiriques sur le genre de transformation qui s'opère dans une communauté rurale. Nous affirmons que, pour ce type de communauté du moins, les effets à long terme de la restructuration sont négatifs pour les travailleurs et la communautéà laquelle ils appartiennent, et, en particulier, pour les femmes et les travailleurs plus âgés.
A case study of laid-off workers in a rural Ontario county is placed within the polarized debate over the implications for workers and for society more broadly of trade liberalization and economic restructuring. Examining experiences of layoff, including length of time unemployed, comparisons between old and new jobs, and the degree of income loss, we present empirical data on the transformation taking place in a rural community context. We argue that, for such communities at least, the long-term effects of restructuring are negative for workers and their communities overall, and are particularly disadvantageous for women and older workers.