Aligning theory with practice: Understanding school-family partnerships at an inner-city high school

Ideally, theoretical constructs and real world practice should be closely related. The aim of this study was to examine the ways in which ecological principles (i.e., cycling of resources, adaptation, interdependence, and succession) were reflected in school-family partnerships. Parents (n = 15) and school personnel (n = 10) at a predominantly African American inner-city high school participated in in-depth interviews regarding their conceptualizations of parental involvement, home-school interactions and strengths and weaknesses of home-school communication. Four major themes emerged to highlight the connection between the theoretical principles of ecology and the practice of parental involvement: effective communication, initiation of contact, provide and protect, and contextual conditions. Although theory and practice overlap, study findings suggest ways in which the ecological principals might expand to better align with the practice of school-family partnerships in inner-city high schools. Future directions for theory and practice are discussed.     

The impact of the Victorian infringements system on disadvantaged groups: findings from a qualitative study

This article focuses on the infringements system currently operating in the state of Victoria, Australia and, in particular, its impact on disadvantaged groups, such as people suffering homelessness, drug and alcohol dependency, mental illness, acquired brain injury, poverty, and domestic violence. The concerns of lawyers working in community legal centres striving to address the needs of people in these disadvantaged groups prompted this qualitative study, which involved in‐depth interviews with key stakeholders in the infringements system. Participants included those who issue and enforce fines, those who represent vulnerable fine recipients, and the fine recipients themselves. The research sought participants' understanding of the system, its aims, and its outcomes. This article presents an overview of the research findings in relation to the complex Victorian infringements system process, net‐widening, proportionality, and the 'special circumstances' process. Our findings suggest that the Victorian infringements system is expedient and efficient when people can promptly pay their fines. However, multiple issues need to be addressed if the system is to be just and fair to people suffering various types of disadvantage. A number of systemic changes and educational initiatives are recommended, along with law reform that addresses the unreasonable and unacceptable impacts on disadvantaged groups in Victoria.     

Enhancing the rights and well‐being of people with acquired brain injuries in the criminal justice system: Some findings from a qualitative study

This article focuses on the issues currently facing people with an acquired brain injury (ABI) in the criminal justice system in the state of Victoria, Australia and, in particular, the impact of this condition on people suffering various forms of social disadvantage. This qualitative study involved in‐depth interviews with key stakeholders, such as service providers working in the system, court personnel including Magistrates and Judges, legal practitioners and persons living with an ABI and their carers. The aim was to determine the advantages and limitations of current policy and practices, and to identify possible actions which could lead to improved outcomes for this cohort. This paper responds to our research findings in relation to two key areas: first, the awareness of ABI amongst legal practitioners and service providers, prompting the need for better education, training and professional development; and second, the requirement to improve processes for identification, assessment and support, for people involved in the criminal justice system with ABI. A number of systemic modifications and educational initiatives are recommended to address the unreasonable and unacceptable impacts on persons living with an ABI in the criminal justice system.     

Organisiert sein. Was Gremien aber so langweilig macht

Committee meetings and conferences build an everyday communication network in associations and organisations. The author investigates the generelly perceived experiences of emotional emptiness, boredom and monotony in committee meetings and shows that the different factors on which this dynamics is based are both cultural and structural in nature. She establishes that the institutional and interaction aspects in committee meetings have to be understood and handled like the two sides of a medal to allow committee meetings and conferences to be animated and used successfully.     

Project northland in Croatia: a community-based adolescent alcohol prevention intervention

War and social transition in Croatia have increased unemployment and rates of substance abuse. A decrease in prevention programs places adolescents at an increased risk. Data collected from the 2002 Split Youth Behavior Risk Survey (YRBS) showed that adolescents are at risk for alcohol use and related problems. Thus, there is a need to strengthen primary and secondary prevention activities to empower adolescents and counteract negative societal change. A public health partnership between the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Public Health (UMDNJ-SPH) and Split, Croatia was formed in 2001. Adolescent alcohol prevention was identified as our focus and Project Northland, a model U.S. program, was selected. A strong network of NGOs and government officials support the project. Qualitative evaluation showed strong parent, teacher, and student satisfaction. Preliminary analysis shows a heightened awareness on the part of students that will likely contribute to the overall success of the program.     

Friend or foe: the media’s power to inform and shape societal attitudes towards people with acquired brain injury

Media representations play an integral role in modern society, informing the public about a range of issues affecting their communities. Using qualitative content analysis, this article reports on the study of a sample of Australian media coverage, spanning 30 years, covering issues associated with acquired brain injury (ABI) and related cognitive disabilities. The analysis explores how the media both portray and actively shape public perceptions about people living with ABI, the lived experience of the condition, and its broader social implications. The authors identify a range of themes arising in the sample that communicate specific ideas about ABI, disability, and deviance. Importantly, they identify how these themes are able to either construct or reinforce dominant understandings of disability and deviance through both their content and structure.     

Being counted? Examining the prevalence of looked‐after disabled children and young people across the UK

Since the 1970s, there has been growing academic interest in children and young people living in state care and, more recently, in the lives of disabled children. However, there has been little attention on the lives of disabled children who are looked after by the state. This paper compares and critiques what is known about the numbers of disabled children who are looked after in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We discuss the conceptual and methodological limitations of systematically collecting data on disabled children in state care across the UK. We argue that to ensure that the rights of disabled children in state care are identified, acknowledged and upheld, ‘being counted’ is a fundamental first step.     

Starting to drink: the experiences of Australian lower secondary students with alcohol

This study describes Australian year eight students' (13-14 years old) experiences with alcohol in terms of communication with parents, initiation into drinking, patterns of consumption, context of use, and harms experienced. The sample comprised 521 year eight students from four state government secondary schools in the state of Victoria. Three of the schools are in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria; the fourth is in a rural center. Female and rural students were more likely to talk to parents about alcohol, but this was not associated with safer drinking. Initiation into drinking was higher among rural students. Rural students also drank more, were more likely to drink without adult supervision, to drink to get drunk, and drink more than planned. Student drinkers experienced just over four alcohol-related harms on average in 12 months, with some indication of greater harm among rural students. Higher levels of drinking by rural students, accompanied by more risky patterns of consumption and the possibility of greater harm, supports prioritizing interventions in rural schools.     

Identity,accent aim,and motivation in second language users: New Scottish Gaelic speakers’ use of phonetic variation

This paper examines the use of phonetic variation in word‐final rhotics among nineteen adult new speakers of Scottish Gaelic, i.e. speakers who did not acquire the language through intergenerational transmission. Our speakers learned Gaelic as adults and are now highly advanced users of the language. We consider variation in their rhotic productions compared to the productions of six older, traditional speakers. Previous approaches to variation in second language users have either focussed on how variable production will eventually result in native‐like ‘target’ forms (Type 1 study), or have investigated the extent to which second language users reproduce patterns of variation similar to ‘native speakers’ (Type 2 study). We additionally draw on sociocultural approaches to Second Language Acquisition and apply notions of accent aim, identity construction, and learning motivation in order to fully explore the data. In doing so, we advocate a ‘Type 3’ approach to variation in second language users.