The Household as an Economic Unit in Arctic Aboriginal Communities,and its Measurement by Means of a Comprehensive Survey

Northern aboriginal communities are widelyrecognized as having mixed, subsistence-basedeconomies. The chief characteristic of thiseconomy, aside from the contribution ofsubsistence harvesting and related activitiesto household well-being, is that the householdoperates as a ``micro-enterprise' that is thebasic unit of production as well asconsumption. This economic form has persistedinto the present day, contrary to thepredictions of many social scientists andpolicy-makers. This paper outlines a model ofthe household in mixed, subsistence-basedeconomies, and describes its characteristicsand activities. While the discussion focuseson northern Canada, the model is thought toapply generally in the circumpolar North. Quantitative measurement of northern aboriginalhousehold characteristics and activities hasbeen limited, however, because national andregional data collection systems are notdesigned specifically to capture thesephenomena. The model is therefore basedprimarily on the results of in-depth casestudies, and the systematic measurement ofsubsistence harvesting. This paper describesthe development, for the first time, of aquestionnaire specifically designed to documentquantitatively the key characteristics of thehousehold economy as part of a comprehensivesurvey of living conditions in the circumpolarArctic.     

National Competitiveness: A Question of Cost Conditions or Institutional Circumstances?

The issue of national competitiveness is a matter of considerable importance to both managers and public policy makers alike. Business scholars reflect this importance by their annual production of international indices of country competitiveness. Nevertheless, the notion of national competitiveness is controversial and has both (i) a narrow, concise conception that relates primarily to cost conditions as determined by exchange rates, and (ii) a broader, more nebulous conception that comprises the institutional and systemic circumstances of an economy, such as legal, governmental, public policy and other factors framing countries' wider business environments. In practical managerial terms, national competitiveness is a combination of both these narrow and broad conceptions. However, exactly how important cost conditions as opposed to institutional circumstances are to national competitiveness from a practical business perspective has never been investigated and is not known. This study uses qualitative and quantitative data gathered from senior firm executives in a specimen economy to find out. Hierarchical regression analyses suggest that institutional circumstances are significantly more important than cost conditions to the competitiveness of an economy from a practical managerial viewpoint.     

"Are they still having sex?" STI's and unintended pregnancy among mid-life women

Research has shown that women remain sexually active throughout mid-life and into the post-menopausal years. Recent data reveal that significant numbers of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) and unintended pregnancies occur among mid-life women. Data on STI prevalence indicate several STIs have relatively high rates among women over age 30, including HIV and HSV-2. Racial/ethnic disparities in STI prevalence between mid-life African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian women have also been noted. Data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth reveal 51% of pregnancies among women 40 and older are unintended. Both STIs and unintended pregnancy can result in serious health consequences for mid-life women. STIs can result in pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy can result in increased morbidity and mortality to the woman and the fetus. Mid-life women are also highly likely to go through relationship transitions (e.g., separation, divorce) and the subsequent initiation of new sexual relationships. As a result, these women are at elevated risk of STIs and unintended pregnancy. Despite these realities, there is a lack of programs addressing these two health issues among mid-life women and the unique life circumstances of women at this stage of life. The authors assert there is a compelling need for interventions to reduce STIs and unintended pregnancy in this population of women, review the literature regarding STIs and unintended pregnancy in mid-life women, identify gaps in current resources, and make recommendations for health care practice and future research.     

Building young people's public lives: one foundation's strategy

Foundations are awakening to the untapped potential of serious, policy-focused community change efforts led by teenagers and young adults. This chapter lays out background questions, a point of view, and programmatic strategies that one foundation developed for supporting young people who are taking direct action to improve their lives and communities.     

Managerial and professional beliefs influencing public health privatization: results of a national survey of local health department directors

This article describes managerial and professional beliefs underlying decisions to privatize public health services. We drew a stratified, nationally representative sample of local health departments and interviewed 347 department directors by telephone. We used logistic regression to establish the independent effects of various beliefs on the decision to privatize. Over half of directors did not believe that there was valid evidence that privatization results in more efficient performance, and those who believed there was such evidence were not more likely to privatize. However, directors held professional and managerial beliefs that influenced their decision to privatize. Directors most likely to privatize were those who believed that local health departments should exclusively focus on the core public health functions, those who asserted that public health should become involved in an increasingly diverse array of social problems, and those who believed that employees should be used on a temporary and contractual, rather than permanent, basis wherever possible.     

Early Intervention with a Mother–Infant Pair: The Impact of an Enduring and Adaptive Relationship

This paper examines the author's treatment of a severely depressed mother–infant pair in a therapeutic nursery. While the direct treatment lasted only nine months, a telephone relationship has continued over fifteen years. Dramatic changes in the pair resulted from the strong therapeutic alliance between mother and therapist, combined with a flexible and adaptive approach, utilizing on demand availability, as described by Winnicott. The convergence of the clinical work with the maturational processes and the sequelae of both mother and infant's early experiences of deprivation are described and explored.     

Regulation of Carcinogens

We propose a procedure, suitable for regulatory use, for estimating individual and societal risks of carcinogenic materials by using information on interspecies comparisons of carcinogenic potency. The consistent treatment of uncertainties allows evaluation of confidence limits and hence regulatory measures of risk which incorporate safety factors and incentives for better information. Numerical examples are given, together with discussion of the treatment of undetected carcinogens. Applications of the procedure to setting priorities for carcinogenicity testing and to product substitution are mentioned.     

FEAR OF CRIME AMONG THE ELDERLY AS PERSON/ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION*

Despite lower victimization, older people express greater fear of crime. The causes and consequences of such fear are investigated for a 1980 sample of 1,185 persons aged 60+. Fear of crime is a response to both personal vulnerability and locational cues. Fear reduces subjective well-being, but has little relation to activity patterns. While social resources have little bearing on fear of crime and its consequences, variations by sex and personal competence are apparent. These reflect the role of coping resources and environmental docility.