Peace and Conflict Resolution Organizations in Three Protracted Conflicts: Structures,Resources and Ideology

Guided by organizational and social movement theories, this study compares the structures, resource bases, ideologies, and strategies of nongovernmental organizations engaged in peace and conflict resolution (P/CROs) in three regions with extended violent conflicts: Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Israel/Palestine. Qualitative content analysis techniques are used to analyze 27 detailed case reports. We analyze the funding patterns and structural attributes of the P/CROs in our sample, with particular attention to how they obtain fiscal resources and membership in spite of the risks they may experience. We then explore the degree of formalization among P/CROs over time and, finally, we examine the ideological frames that P/CROs use and how these frames relate to their tactics. Throughout the analysis we pay attention to how the political context of each region influences P/CRO behavior.     

Labor arbitrators’ performance: Views from union and management perspectives

Analyses were carried out relating performance evaluations of labor arbitrators by union representatives to similar evaluations of the same arbitrators by management representatives. It was found that these evaluations are either unrelated or, in some cases, negatively related. An important consideration in the evaluations is whether an arbitrator’s awards tend to favor union or management. These results are dicussed in terms of the disparate values and “good arbitrator” views of arbitrator performance. Both views find some support.     

PAs/NPs: forging effective partnerships in managed care systems

Three issues have dominated national health policy discussions over the past three decades--how to control health expenditures, how to improve access to care, and how to ensure delivery of high-quality health services. Cost remains the principal societal concern today. An important new dimension in this debate, however, is a critical examination of the impact of the structure of the nation's health workforce on health expenditures. Within this examination, policy makers are giving specific attention to the supply of health professionals, the role of primary care, and the identification of the most appropriate professionals to deliver primary care. In particular, a renewed interest is being shown in the potential of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) to address all three issues. This article will examine the factors that prompted this focus on health workforce issues and the implications of the use of PAs and NPs for the structure and management of the health workforce in the future.     

"Some of my best friends are black...": Interracial Friendship and Whites' Racial Attitudes

We examine the major tenets and assumptions of the well-knowncontact theory of prejudice, and we compare them with the morecynical reasoning implied by the infamous "Some of my best friendsare black, but..." expression. After assessing the extant evidencefor the contact theory, we use a unique set of national surveydata to address the central postulates of that theory. We examinethe racial beliefs, feelings, social dispositions, and policyviews of whites who have contact with blacks as friends, acquaintances,or neighbors. Our results suggest that personal interracialcontact is selective in its effects on whites' racial attitudes,that intimacy is less important than variety of contacts, andthat any effects are contingent on the relative socioeconomicstatus of black contacts. On the basis of our analysis, we reassessthe contact theory and propose a more political conception ofthe attitudes of dominant groups toward subordinates. We arguethat the message contained in the relationship between personalcontact with subordinates and intergroup attitudes is less benignthan is suggested by the contact theory.     

Team resilience: A scoping review of conceptual and empirical work

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the literature on team resilience to gain insight into current thinking regarding its definition and conceptualisation, and to identify how researchers have operationalised and measured this concept. We conducted a systematic scoping review using the 5-phase approach proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. A total of seven databases were searched, followed by a citation search of eligible papers via Google Scholar. Of the 275 articles identified via the search process, 27 papers were deemed eligible for review. Several key findings regarding the literature on team resilience were observed: (i) definitions varied in terms of content (e.g. input or process), breadth (e.g. unidimensional versus multidimensional), and quality (e.g. essential and necessary attributes of key components); (ii) there was a predominance of single-level conceptualisations of team resilience; and (iii) there has been a reliance on cross-sectional research designs in empirical studies, which is incongruent with the dynamic nature of this concept. Key recommendations from this scoping review focus on definitional, theoretical, and methodological issues.     

The influence of individual,marital, and family therapy on high utilizers of health care

Research has shown that people reduce their use of health care after individual, marital, and family therapy, which is known as the "offset effect." However, little research has been done to learn if high utilizers of health care reduce health care usage after therapy. Medical records of research participants (n = 65) from a health maintenance organization (HMO) were randomly selected and examined for 6 months before, during, and after therapy. Persons who received individual, marital, or family therapy all reduced their health care use after therapy, with the largest reductions coming from those participants who had some form of conjoint therapy.     

Preparing Social Work Students for Integrated Health Care: Results From a National Study

ABSTRACT

Integrated health care serves a vital role in addressing interrelated physical and behavioral health conditions, but social work graduates often lack sufficient training to work on integrated teams. We surveyed 94 deans of master’s of social work programs to assess the current and planned integrated health care curricula and the aptitude of schools to teach this material. We applied chi-square analyses to evaluate differences among programs that reported already teaching integrated health content and programs not yet delivering this curriculum. Findings suggest that deans of schools not yet teaching this material not only felt less prepared but also reported a lower capacity to do so. Implications and next steps to increasing integrated health curricula are presented and discussed.     

HEALTH CARE REFORM IN THE UNITED STATES: IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND PRACTICE IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY

Americans are spending 12-14% of their income on health care, and costs are rising about 11-12% per year. These increases are fueled by many social problems and are not limited strictly to health matters. Many alternatives have been examined to limit the rapidly increasing costs. The long-term results of these efforts are likely to be a reduction in health care benefits for many and the continued development of a two-tier system of health care. This article addresses the place of mental health care in general and marriage and family therapy in particular in the emerging system. Suggestions for training and practice for the new health care system are given.