An Application of Non–Ignorable Non–Response Models for Gross Flows Estimation in the British Labour Force Survey

In previous work, non–response adjustments based on calibration weighting have been proposed for estimating gross flows in economic activity status from the quarterly Labour Force Survey. However, even after adjustment there may be residual non–response bias. The weighting is based on estimates of cross–sectional distributions and so cannot adjust for bias if non–response is associated with individual flows between quarters. To investigate this possibility, it was decided to apply models for estimating gross flows when non–response depends on the flows. This paper has two aims: first to describe the many problems encountered when attempting to implement these models; and second to outline a solution to the major problem that arose, namely, that comparing the model results directly with the weighting results was not possible. A simulation study was used to compare the results indirectly and it was tentatively concluded that non–response is not strongly associated with the flows and that the weighting provides an adequate adjustment.     

College health services in California.

College health services are an underrecognized segment of California's health delivery system. Higher education institutions in California vary in their arrangements for the provision of health services. Some of the smaller institutions provide nurse triage, first aid, and referral only, whereas other institutions provide 24-hour-per-day/7-day-per-week comprehensive ambulatory and inpatient services. More than 200 full-time equivalent physicians are employed in college health services in California. Patient profiles served by college health services targeted the traditional college student age range. Some institutions, however, have expanded their services to include nonstudent university employees and their dependents. Comparing numbers of outpatient visits and professional staffing requirements to student enrollment showed significant variability between institutions, depending upon the scope of services provided (basic, intermediate, comprehensive) and the type of student population (residential, commuter, mixed).     

Contested communities: the refuge movement and cultural identities in Wales

This paper explores different meanings of community and cultural identity. Women involved in the refuge movement in rural Wales belong to overlapping communities: geographically located rural communities; linguistic and ethnic communities; and the gendered and occupationally based community of Welsh Women's Aid. Language is an important marker of belonging to Welsh rural communities which are under threat from an influx of non-Welsh speakers. Incoming women who are homeless as a result of domestic violence may be perceived as part of this threat. This creates a potential conflict for refuge workers, some of whom are also Welsh speakers, who represent the interests of this group of women but also belong to Welsh-speaking, rural communities. We explore the interrelation between these refuge workers, the various communities to which they belong, and how belonging or not belonging shapes their identities. We conclude that these women, in spite of the conflicting rights and interests of their various communities, negotiate a shared collective identity which owes something to all three.     

Legitimation of Oppression: Response and Reflexivity

The basic question addressed in this article is why people in inferior and devalued strata submit to oppression. It is my thesis that the legitimation of oppression is one of the key issues for subordinate people and that the study of the creation and processes of legitimation among such groups will shed light on the phenomenon of human obedience or of resistance to oppressive rule. The core of the study consists of (1) the development of a model of the legitimation process and (2) the use of examples from the experiences of oppressed groups to illustrate dimensions of this process.     

Posttraumatic Psychological Distress and Resettlement: The Need for a Different Practice in Assisting Refugee Families

Social work practitioners are increasingly confronted with couples and families who have come from war-torn countries. Refugees may have experienced genocide, organized violence, ethnic wars, displacement, and losses of various kinds. Such experiences will often be carried through the post-migratory period and obscure legitimate individual and family processes that are often evaluated through a psychopathology lens. In this context, there is a pressing need to be attentive to refugee situations around the world and to issues related to forced migration and its impact on families. In an attempt to fill the gap in the literature on intervention with refugee families, this article presents two of the most compelling aspects of the refugee experience that can have a lasting impact on families and couples: premigration traumatic events and their potential impact on the refugee resettlement experience, and postmigration social and psychological experiences. The concept of “trauma” is presented within the context of resettlement of asylum seekers and refugees. Key stressors documented as having an impact on the long-term well-being of individuals, families, and communities who have been touched by war and conflict are outlined. Multiple-family group intervention is discussed as one of the promising approaches for helping families cope with pre- and postmigration trauma.     

The impact of urbanisation on avian species: The inextricable link between people and birds

This study investigates the impact of urbanisation on birdlife in a major city. Line transects and point counts were used to survey birds in three habitat types: parkland, residential areas and business/industrial areas. Abundance, richness and diversity of assemblages were determined for all bird species and for those birds native to the area. Behaviours of birds, and of human residents in relation to birds, in these urban areas were documented, including all instances of avian aggression. Bird species, including a subset of native bird species, have greater abundance and richness in parklands. Overall species diversity is greatest in residential habitat types, but native diversity is greatest in parklands. Introduced species are most abundant in business/industrial habitat types. The most frequent aggressive encounters were initiated by noisy miners Manorina melanocephalas, one of the four most common species throughout all habitat types (other common species include the rainbow lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus, rock dove Columba livia and common myna Sturnus tristis). Other behaviours involved birds utilising food and roost resources and were classified as being caused by active and passive human behaviours. These outcomes indicate that local changes to the environment can impact the bird species by providing different food and roost resources. Human residents and local governments have a range of tools to modify the diversity of urban areas. Further research is needed to determine alternative definitions of modification, such as defining it as open space, and investigating the health of the avian populations in urban areas.