Does housework matter anymore? The shifting impact of housework on economic inequality

In recent years, American women’s housework time has declined while American men’s housework time has risen. We examine how these changes have affected economic inequality in the United States. Using time-diary data from the Time Use in Economic and Social Accounts, 1975–1976 (N = 1,484) and the American Time Use Survey, 2003 (N = 5,534), we value adults’ housework using two alternative methodologies and assess its influence on households’ real access to goods and services in both years. Results suggest that housework reduces economic inequality in both years. But, between 1975–1976 and 2002–2003, overall economic inequality rose largely because of the growing wage inequality and also, in part, because of growth in housework inequality. Socio-demographic change partially inhibited the overall growth in economic inequality.

Transforming a nonprofit work environment for creativity

As many nonprofit organizations struggle to maximize the use of their resources while simultaneously handling more complex social problems, creativity becomes especially important. It is the necessary first step required for innovation, which provides agencies with the upper hand in many areas of organizational management. It has been suggested that certain work environments can contribute to increased levels of creativity. So it is important that the managers of nonprofit organizations have tools that allow them to develop a work context that enhances employee creativity. This article presents a study where one such tool—concept mapping—was used in the process of transforming a work environment. Qualitative and quantitative data showed that the transformation efforts contributed to major changes in the organization's culture, leadership's attitudes and behaviors, coworker relationships, and the physical work environment, which in turn contributed to positive organizational outcomes.     

School counsellors' perceptions of mandatory reporter training and mandatory reporting experiences

The purpose of this study was to examine child abuse reporting by a national sample of school counsellors in the United States. The qualitative results from a large mixed methods study incorporating both quantitative and qualitative strands are presented. Participants were asked to comment on past child abuse training, noting the areas of training they found most beneficial and areas where they desired additional training. Participants were also afforded the opportunity to make any general comments regarding their perceptions of the current mandatory reporting legislation and their experiences of reporting child abuse. Results showed that while many school counsellors felt past training on mandatory reporting legislation and identifying types of abuse was helpful, they identified a need for additional training in identifying emotional and sexual abuse, and supervisory neglect (i.e. lack of supervision by a parent or caretaker producing potential injury or harm to the child). They also desired more training regarding working with children and families affected by child abuse. Four themes emerged from the open question. The first theme illuminated concerns regarding the effectiveness of the mandatory reporting process while the second theme was equally negative, with counsellors sharing many frustrations about their working relationship with child protection services. Additional themes related to their reporting experiences and specific challenges embedded in the school context, such as dealing with parents following a report, difficulty getting adolescent reports investigated and working with school personnel to ensure that reporting responsibilities were understood and followed. Copyright. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of health care reform on the workforce caring for older adults

This article summarizes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions that have a direct or indirect impact on the workforce caring for the elder population, explores the challenges to developing the workforce, and critiques the adequacy of the ACA provisions in meeting those challenges. The ACA is the first comprehensive federal legislation to acknowledge gaps in the workforce caring for the elder population. However, its provisions are inadequate given insufficient supply in the number and types of workers necessary both to meet the caregiving demand of the growing elder population and to implement the delivery system reforms instituted by the ACA. One of the challenges is that the workforce is not prepared for the new service delivery models specified in the legislation. They are not trained, supported, or held accountable for effective care coordination and service integration, and they lack the requisite skills, knowledge, and competencies. Moreover, it is likely to remain difficult to recruit and retain competent direct care workers, who represent the largest component of the long-term care workforce, because of the negative industry image, noncompetitive wages and benefits, a challenging work environment, and inadequate education and training. Several of the ACA provisions for developing the workforce have not received appropriations. Most are also demonstration projects of limited scope and duration.     

Meeting in the mist: Key considerations in a collaborative research partnership with people with mental health issues

Objectives: This study explored the experiences of an established collaborative research group, which were collected as data to gain research skills. Currently ideas about user involvement and knowledge transfer have not been considered together, indicating possible gaps in knowledge. Participants: Eight members of the group took part, including five people using local mental health services, an assistant and an occupational therapist from local services, and an academic. Methods: Experiences of collaborative working were explored in phases. Structured individual reflections were recorded and shared for initial analysis. A group discussion prepared for constant comparative analysis, which synthesized the emerging themes. Results: Participants had gained and shared skills, understanding and knowledge. "Meeting in the mist" was a metaphor to explain the journeys experienced by participants, within a collaborative cycle. This cycle was central to a visual model, "Creating space", which suggested the importance of allowing sufficient time and space to work for a shared vision of the future. A final theme was the "warp factor", which drew on relativity theory to highlight the sense of innovation. Conclusions: Collaborative work can be based on knowledge transfer and ideas about user involvement, generating tangible benefits for all involved, including engaging in productive occupations.     

Zur Bedeutung von mikropolitischer Kompetenz für den Aufstieg von Frauen in Führungspositionen – am Beispiel der Handlungsfelder Unternehmenskultur und Selbstdarstellung

The appropriation of micro-political competence affects the promotion of women into executive positions in a positive way. Evidence for this conclusion was found in the intervention study ??Micro-politics??. The study involved a research approach of Micro-politics-Coaching that was carried out on 30 female junior managers. As an introduction to the topic this contribution presents the Micro-political Competence Model (MCM) that was developed during the research project. The importance of micro-political competence for a successful carrier development is explained, based on the relevant action fields ??corporate culture?? and ??impression management??.The results of the research are made explicit by presenting two example cases of the coaching intervention study and by structuring the empirical evidence along the MCM. The conclusion clarifies why micro-political competence can be viewed as a partial area of carrier development competence and moreover provides implications for consultancy practice, for enterprises and for science.     

Variation in urban forest productivity and response to extreme drought across a large metropolitan region

The growth and survival of urban trees and maintenance of urban forest canopy are important considerations in adaptation of urban regions to climate change, especially in relation to increasing frequency of extreme climatic events such as drought. However, urban forest growth and drought response may vary considerably within large urban landscapes across gradients in land use, urbanization, forest composition and structure, and environmental factors. We quantified urban forest growth and resilience and resistance to extreme drought in the greater Chicago metropolitan region based on patterns of annual basal area production from increment core analysis. We evaluated variation in growth and drought response in relation to a broad urban to rural gradient, land-use categories, local-scale environmental predictors, and forest community characteristics. Urban forest growth varied greatly among land-use classes and major genera. Plot-level variation in productivity was predicted most strongly (R² = 0.53) by total plot-level basal area, canopy height, species composition, soil and ground-cover characteristics, and position within the urban-rural gradient. Urban forest growth was strongly related to regional meteorological drought. In periods of extreme drought conditions growth declined in the year of the drought (i.e., was not resistant to drought effects), but was highly resilient to drought in the subsequent 5 year period. Drought response did not vary consistently across land-use classes or among major genera, and site or community characteristics had little explanatory power in predicting drought response. Improved understanding of factors driving variation in urban forest growth and drought response could help inform adaptation-focused urban forest management strategies.

     

Making activism a participatory,inclusive and developmental process: a research programme involving mental health service users

Abstract

Understanding real-world experiences and issues is a priority for research funders, yet there are challenges in directly engaging with people for evaluation and investigation of the professional services they receive. Much professional work takes place within institutional restrictions, arising from legislation, policy and local practices. Collaborative research is therefore complex but relevant for improving services. This research programme started in 2002 with focus group research, led by occupational therapists based in a local National Health Service trust and a university, followed by eight further projects including a Photovoice project. This programme and our perspectives from reflections suggest we do not always know who we are, what we want or who cares about research outcomes, but it is important to embrace the potential of activism, to energise and focus people for positive action, wherever they are based.     

Influence of soil properties on street tree attributes in Singapore

Urban Ecosystems - Soil quality is thought to be a primary driver of street tree performance and thus a major concern for urban forest growth, health and longevity. This research was conducted to...