Middle East and North African Information Resources: Western Libraries Navigating the Montage

The spotlight for this edition of “The Balance Point” is on publishing and collection development issues in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region of the world. While reflecting upon recent events in the Middle East and Europe, the column editor began to wonder what impact current issues have on publishing, collection development, scholarly communication, and discoverability of resources from the MENA region, as well as the impact these issues have on the collection development activities of Western academic research libraries. Blair Kuntz, the Near and Middle Eastern studies librarian at the University of Toronto Library, was asked to coauthor the column and to share his insights regarding the region with readers. The authors discuss the myriad issues and the mosaic of collection development issues for the MENA region.     

Attitudes towards lesbians and gay men and support for lesbian and gay human rights among psychology students

A questionnaire comprising two scales, the short form of the Attitudes Towards Lesbians and Gay Men Scale (ATLG-S; Herek, 1984) and the newly devised Support for Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Scale (SLGHR) were administered to 226 students taking undergraduate psychology courses at universities in the United Kingdom, to assess their attitudes towards lesbians and gay men, and their level of support for lesbian and gay human rights. The results indicated that whilst only a small percentage of respondents expressed negative attitudes towards lesbians and gay men on the ATLG-S, the sample as a whole did not overwhelmingly support lesbian and gay human rights. The lack of support for lesbian and gay human rights is discussed in relation to its implications for psychology students as future practitioners and policymakers.     

Negotiating for more than a slice of the pie

Negotiation is an important way for physician executives to manage conflict and to accomplish new projects. Because of the rapidly changing nature of the health care environment, as well as conflicts and politics within their organizations, managers need to effectively negotiate with a wide range of other parties. Managers should consider the relative importance of both the substantive and relationship outcomes of any potential negotiation. These two factors may guide the executive's selection of initial negotiation strategies.     

Exploring heterosexual women's anti-lesbian attitudes

Previous research on attitudes toward gays has mostly focused on heterosexuals' attitudes toward gay men, with little research specifically directed at anti-lesbian attitudes. Using a sample of 269 undergraduate heterosexual women, the present study tested two feminist propositions: Anti-lesbian attitudes would be associated with (1) conservative beliefs regarding the female gender-role and (2) attitudes toward men that support the differential status of women and men in the patriarchy. Findings based on a series of multiple regression analyses support these propositions across three components of anti-lesbian attitudes (contact apprehension, morality beliefs, and stereotypic beliefs). Directions for future research on anti-lesbian attitudes are discussed.     

Assessing Variations in Developmental Outcomes Among Teenage Offspring of Teen Mothers: Maternal Life Course Correlates

This study investigated potential heterogeneity in development among offspring (age 17) of teen mothers and maternal life course as correlates of variation. Using latent class analysis, subgroups of developmental outcomes were identified. Maternal standing in two life course realms (i.e., socioeconomic and domestic) was considered as a potential explanation for heterogeneity in offspring's development. Offspring reported on measures assessing their psychological, academic, and behavioral development. Teen mothers reported on measures of life course realms. Three subgroups of developmental outcomes were identified: on track (52%), at risk (37%), and troubled (11%). Findings suggest that economic hardship and number of pregnancies among teen mothers distinguish developmental patterns among teenage offspring, whereas teen mothers' educational attainment and marital status do not.     

The Duplic and Codic: the Importance of a Consistent Taxonomy of Verbal Behavior

The Analysis of Verbal Behavior - Behavior analysts operationally define relations among environmental stimuli and behavior both functionally and topographically, and an insistence on objectivity,...     

Community-based accompaniment & social work—A complementary approach to social action

Accompaniment, or the intentional practice of presence, emphasizes processes and relationships over outcomes, with the ultimate goal of leveraging privilege and collectively changing destructive systems. Though not widely recognized in social work, accompaniment has been applied globally. Here, we outline an overview of accompaniment, including how it has been applied in social work literature and practice. We then propose community-based accompaniment as an approach to complement traditional models of social action as a necessary, yet accessible way to further advance community organizing in social work education and practice, and ultimately promote transformative social change.