The relationship between infringements on the freedom to research and teach and poor sociological practice

Infringements upon the freedom to research and teach may be experienced as pressures to attend to particular topics of research to the exclusion of others, to conduct research using false parameters and inappropriate methodologies, to reach conclusions acceptable to funders, to apply “sexy” theoretical explanations while ignoring other perspectives, and to respond favorably to consumeristic university student admission and retention policies. Although there is no empirical evidence to support a causal relationship between infringements and poor research and teaching, I am suggesting that the presence of infringements can detract from effective teaching and unbiased research. The literature suggests that at least a portion of scholars are aware of infringements and their negative consequences, yet formal complaints about infringements are rare. Sociologists may permit these infringements out of confusion over the possible outcomes of infringements (in other words, uncertainty about the standards of good and poor practice), out of fear of being punished for noncompliance with the infringements, or because they do not recognize the infringements for what they are. Sociologists may be able to reconstruct the infringements as pressures of the job and the outcomes as acceptable sociological practice.     

ENTREPRENEURIAL SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOCALLY INITIATED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE NONMETROPOLITAN UNITED STATES

A community embeddedness perspective hypothesizes that nonmetropolitan localities high on entrepreneurial social infrastructure (ESI) are more successful at implementing economic development projects than those lacking ESI. ESI is a format for converting social capital into organizational forms that facilitate collective action. Logistic regression revealed that localities with projects were more likely to have an unbiased newspaper, multiple contributions by financial institutions to community projects, and more external linkages, Project communities place more emphasis on citizen involvement through civic organizations than through local government. Community-based patterns of interactions and organization are associated with successful collective economic development action.     

National Determinants of Cloning Policy*

Objective. This research seeks to identify demographic factors that may account for national stance toward human cloning. Methods. A multiple logistic regression model serves as the basis for analysis. Cloning policy stance is characterized as restrictive or permissive, depending on whether the nation has expressed support for therapeutic cloning research—all nations oppose reproductive cloning. Results. Findings suggest that nations with higher per‐capita incomes and permissive abortion laws are more likely to take a permissive stance toward cloning, supporting an immediate ban on human reproductive cloning, but allowing therapeutic cloning research to proceed. Countries favoring an immediate and total ban on both human reproductive and therapeutic cloning are more likely to have lower per‐capita incomes and restrictive abortion laws. A relationship between the Roman Catholic population and cloning stance was investigated and found not to be significant. Conclusions. This article offers evidence that there may be systematic differences predisposing individual nations to act either restrictively or permissively with regard to cloning technology. Understanding the factors that shape sentiment and impel policy making may help inform the policy process as nations strive to create workable cloning policies both within their own borders and in the global community.     

The DIRECTIONS nonprofit resource assessment model: A tool for small nonprofit organizations

Rapid growth in the number of nonprofits has created a shortage of trained staff and experienced volunteer leadership for nonprofit organizations. The Nonprofit Education Initiative (NEI) in South Carolina developed the DIRECTIONS nonprofit resource assessment model to provide tools to help nonprofits better meet the challenges facing our communities—tools that will help nonprofits develop effective plans, integrate resources, diversify revenue, communicate effective messages, and motivate constituents. These tools are also inexpensive and available close to home. The research and development process was a cooperative effort between the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management and Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, with funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Cooperative Extension is a component of the land grant university system, the largest educational delivery system in the world. Cooperative Extension's role is to plan, execute, deliver, and evaluate learning programs consistent with locally identified needs. It helps people acquire the understanding, capabilities, attitudes, and skills essential to solving farm, home, and community problems. This article gives a background of the challenges facing nonprofit organizations in South Carolina, the steps taken to develop this new assessment model, and results of research conducted throughout the development process.     

Unlocking the family secret in family play therapy

Family play therapy combines play therapy with family systems therapy. When family secrets are revealed in a family setting, with play to cushion the family's anxiety, families have the opportunity to resolve long-standing intrapsychic and interpersonal difficulties that impede the psychological well-being of both children and parents. Family play therapy effectively reduces symptomatic behavior in children in an age-appropriate manner—an advantage over family therapy that may be geared to adult cognitive levels. It also gradually shifts the family to a systems perspective of its problems in a non-threatening way, thereby facilitating the child's connection to his or her primary caretakers.Ms. Eaker is a psychotherapist in private practice in Family Systems Theory, and therapist for the United Federation Teachers' Stress Management Program and various Employee Assistance Programs, and a PhD candidate.     

Discharge planning with pathological gamblers: An ongoing process

Criteria for a diagnosis of pathological gambling include gambling related disruption or damage in legal, financial, family, vocational and personal areas. Therefore, discharge planning with a pathological gambler is much more than a placement problem at the end of an inpatient treatment stay. In fact, discharge planning incorporates and continues a holistic treatment approach at the Cleveland Veterans Administration Medical Center, Brecksville Gambling Treatment Program. This paper discusses all areas of the gambler's life which have been disrupted and need to be considered when working on a discharge and recovery plan.     

The association between mood states and physical activity in postmenopausal, obese, sedentary women

Mood states influence evaluative judgments that can affect the decision to exercise or to continue to exercise. This study examined how mood associated with graded exercise testing (GXT) in sedentary, obese, postmenopausal women (N = 25) was associated with physical activity and predicted VO2max during and after a behavioral weight-loss program (BWLP). Measures of physical activity included planned exercise, calories from physical activity, leisure-time physical activity, and predicted VO2max. Mood before and after pre-BWLP GXT was assessed using the Profile of Mood States. Mood before and after the GXT was more strongly associated with planned exercise than other forms of physical activity, and this effect became stronger over time. Mood enhancement in response to exercise was not related to physical activity. Mood before and after exercise might yield important clinical information that can be used to promote physical activity in sedentary adults.     

Faculty in the Middle

This study was designed to explore how organizational life in university-affiliated graduate social work education programs in the United States is affected by the stress of heightened caregiving roles. Analysis of data from 69 schools demonstrated deleterious effects of caregiving stress on organizational effectiveness, including missed obligations, feeling overwhelmed, and distracting others by seeking social support for specific problems. The authors identify two variables that provided partial amelioration of caregiver stress and appeared to contribute to increased organizational effectiveness: larger faculty size and on-site child care.     

Job-Seeking Behavior in Young Adults: Do Unemployment Insurance Benefits Hurt Job Search Efforts?

ABSTRACT. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association between extended unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and young adults’ job-seeking behavior. In particular, the study evaluated if the extension of UI benefits to 99 weeks in 2008 had direct effects on job search efforts. Three waves (2007–2009) of data (N = 915) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth were analyzed using multiple regression models to assess the association of UI benefits to young adults’ job search efforts. Additionally, the homogeneity of slope coefficients of the UI benefit on job search effort was evaluated across 3 years using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results of regression analyses suggest that UI benefits were negatively associated with job search efforts for 2007 and the pooled sample of 2007 to 2009, but the relationship was not significant for 2008 and 2009. The results of the ANCOVA suggest that the UI benefit extension of 2008 did not have any negative association with job search efforts. Future studies should explore the subjective experiences and decisions young adults make in consideration of unemployment, UI benefits, and job search efforts.