Cross-national comparison of internal migration: issues and measures

Summary. Our objectives are to identify the issues that researchers encounter when measuring internal migration in different countries and to propose key indicators that analysts can use to compare internal migration at the 'national' level. We establish the benefits to be gained by a rigorous approach to cross-national comparisons of internal migration and discuss issues that affect such comparisons. We then distinguish four dimensions of internal migration on which countries can be compared and, for each dimension, identify a series of summary measures. We illustrate the issues and measures proposed by comparing migration in Australia and Great Britain.     

On Homans' Psychological Reductionism*

George Homans' numerous claims that sociological propositions could be reduced to psychological propositions are examined in terms of the various ways Homans has used the word “reduction” and in terms of the development of Homans' reductionist position over the course of his career. Attempts to answer Homans” reductionism are reviewed and Homans” challenge to his critics is presented. A general sociological proposition is then presented as an answer to Homans' reductionism and to his challenge. It is then shown that the sociological proposition is not less general than psychological propositions, cannot be deduced from psychological propositions, and cannot be analyzed without residue into the behavior of individual men. It is shown that psychological variables may be used as independent or intervening variables in such a proposition but that such an inclusion of psychological variables would not constitute psychological reduction. Some implications of a distinctive sociology are then discussed.     

Algorithms and time complexity of the request-service problem

Given a number of users each of which provides a set of services with a cost for each service and has a set of requests to be satisfied, the goal of the request-service problem is to find a feasible solution that satisfies all requests of each user with minimum cost. In addition, a feasible solution must satisfy an additional constraint. Specifically, if user A provides a service to user B, B should provide a service back to A either directly or indirectly through other users. In this paper, we studied the complexity of this problem. We show that there exists a polynomial time algorithm that can compute a feasible solution with minimum cost if such a solution exists. However, if a feasible solution does not exist, the problem of maximizing the number of satisfied users (i.e., all requests of the users are satisfied) is NP-hard.     

Helping Dual-Earner Couples Manage Work–Partner Interferences: A Program Evaluation

This study explored the effectiveness and informed further development of a brief intervention designed to teach couples strategies for managing interferences from work to their romantic relationship. A pretest/posttest design with a control group measured the impact of the intervention on married couples’ work–partner balance skills and strategies and their relationship satisfaction. Couples in the intervention group improved in areas of work–partner balance compared with the control group, but there was no difference in relationship satisfaction between groups. The program was most effective for women. Based on these findings, we discuss program strengths, areas for improvement, and future directions for work–partner management programming.     

Assessing Health Care Needs Among Street Homeless and Transitionally Housed Adults

ABSTRACT

This study examined the health services received and needed among homeless persons in Hillsborough County, FL (N = 823). Lifetime and current need and receipt of health services were assessed with a cross-sectional survey. Participants reported extensive lifetime and current needs for physical and behavioral health care services. Nearly a third of participants reported current unaddressed health problem(s); an inability to obtain needed health care; and feelings of unaddressed mental health issue(s) as well as substance abuse problem(s) in the past year. Future research on homelessness and health should focus on identifying different pathways to health and mental health services for this vulnerable population and the outcomes of these interventions.     

A 12-Month Follow-Up Evaluation of Integrated Treatment for Homeless Individuals With Co-Occurring Disorders

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effectiveness of the Comprehensive, Continuous, Integrated System of Care (CCISC) model in addressing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Clients were eligible for participation if they had co-occurring disorders and were homeless or at risk of homelessness. Forty-eight clients received a comprehensive array of services consistent with the CCISC model. Measures assessing housing, employment, mental health, and substance use were completed at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Results demonstrated significant improvements in housing, employment, mental health, and substance use at 12-month follow-up. These results underscore the effectiveness of implementing evidence-based care.     

Exercise intervention designed to improve strength and dynamic balance among community-dwelling older adults

Loss of balance and falling are critical concerns for older adults. Physical activity can improve balance and decrease the risk of falling. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a simple, low-cost exercise program for community-dwelling older adults. Sixteen senior adults were evaluated using the Senior Fitness Test for measures of functional strength, aerobic endurance, dynamic balance and agility, and flexibility. In addition, measures of height, weight, resting blood pressure, blood lipids, and cognitive function were obtained. Participants then attended a 10-week exercise class including stretching, strengthening, and balance-training exercises. At the completion of the program, significant improvements were observed in tests measuring dynamic balance and agility, lower and upper extremity strength, and upper extremity flexibility. The results indicate that exercise programs such as this are an effective, low-cost solution to improving health and factors that affect falling risk among older adults.