Canadians in Crisis: the Nature and Source of Support for Leadership in a National Emergency*

Cet article analyse un cas ou la position théorique de Parsons concernant «l'in-flation de confiance» dans les autorités politiques est opérant dans un groupe à l'occasion d'une crise nationale. Un analyse de contenu de 1047 lettres à lèditeur démontre que leurs auteurs arriverent aux mêmes conclusions mais à partir de significations subjecteurs les plus diverses et une grande variété de prises de positions idéalogiques. Dès lors, le consensus dans les systèmes de valeur devenait aleatoire: on chercha à le susciter par le biais de deux stratégies de leadership. D'une part on cherche à revaloriser l'attachement aux valeurs les plus fondamentales; d'autre part on veut créer la crainte par un dénigrement de l'ennemi. Une analyse plus poussée évonce les conséquences possibles pour le système de la répugnance chez les membres a mener une analyse critique des politiques de leurs dirigeants. This paper explores a case where Parsons' inflation of trust in political authorities was operating among system members during a national crisis. A content analysis of 1047 letters to the editor shows that writers reached the same conclusion but through widely different subjective meanings and ideological positions. Hence, value consensus was seen as problematic, and its source was sought in an exploration of two leadership strategies: inculcation of attachment to core values, and mobilization of fear through vilification of the enemy. Further analysis suggests the consequences for the system of a reluctance among members to scrutinize the policies of political leaders.     

Developing a research agenda in biogerontology: physiological systems

The Biology of Aging Program (BAP) at the National Institute on Aging supports research in many areas, including processes of cell senescence and apoptosis, genetic influences on aging, and how aging leads to tissue dysfunction. Several approaches to research on aging physiological systems are described, along with BAP programmatic efforts to enhance and support that research. Understanding the relation between aging and tissue dysfunction has led to new insights into how health can be improved for aged individuals.     

Hearing the voices of abused older women

This paper focuses on a qualitative research process that gathered responses from 64 older women aged fifty and older on their experience of violence and abuse. What older women said about abuse in their lives supports the use of a feminist framework as well as the age based analysis of the elder abuse field. Some respondents spoke of abuse from childhood into their later years. Some spoke of partners witnessing or experiencing abuse as children. Some women express concern about possible abuse by their adult children of their own children. Abused older women like younger women need a safe environment, emotional support, advocacy, information, and peer support. While it is important to consider the perspectives and knowledge of service providers when developing policy and practice on abuse of older women, it is critical to ask the women survivors of abuse or neglect what they believe would benefit them, and others in similar situations.     

Nonparametric Entropy-Based Tests of Independence Between Stochastic Processes

This article develops nonparametric tests of independence between two stochastic processes satisfying β-mixing conditions. The testing strategy boils down to gauging the closeness between the joint and the product of the marginal stationary densities. For that purpose, we take advantage of a generalized entropic measure so as to build a whole family of nonparametric tests of independence. We derive asymptotic normality and local power using the functional delta method for kernels. As a corollary, we also develop a class of entropy-based tests for serial independence. The latter are nuisance parameter free, and hence also qualify for dynamic misspecification analyses. We then investigate the finite-sample properties of our serial independence tests through Monte Carlo simulations. They perform quite well, entailing more power against some nonlinear AR alternatives than two popular nonparametric serial-independence tests.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Anderson, H. (1997). Conversation, language, and possibilities: A postmodern approach to therapy .
Kaslow, F. W. (Ed.)(1996). Handbook of relational diagnosis and dysfunctional family patterns .
GENERAL INTEREST BOOKS: McGoldrick, M.(1995). You can go home again: Reconnecting with your family .     

DEVELOPING FAMILY PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL TREATMENTS FOR PATIENTS WITH BIPOLAR AND OTHER SEVERE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

Developing family treatments for patients with severe and persistent psychiatric disorder begins at the basic research level, through identifying psychosocial variables that have prognostic significance. Treatment protocols informed by this basic research can then be designed, manualized, and piloted. Next, the efficacy of a new treatment is examined, first in a randomized trial and then, if successful, in a community effectiveness study. We describe this treatment development pathway in a population for whom family attributes have prognostic importance: patients with bipolar affective ddisorder. The methodological complexities of psychosocial treatment studies are many. Moreover, the results of these studies often reflect interactions between treatment, process, and outcome variables.     

Self-organise and Survive: disabled people in the British trade union movement

This article considers 'self-organisation' as a survival strategy for marginalised groups within the British trade union movement. It arises from an ongoing research project into the 'self-organised groups' for women, black members, disabled members, and lesbian and gay members within the public sector unions NALGO and UNISON. Initially, I provide an overview of the relevant literature on trade unions and their marginalised memberships, and argue that the absence of disabled people bears the hallmarks of discrimination. The remainder of this article is intended as a first step towards remedying this injustice. It draws upon interviews with disability activists to highlight critical moments in the creation of the disabled members' group in the 1980s; key themes inscribed on their agendas and activities in the 1990s; and dilemmas which will impact upon the future survival of the group. Finally, I offer some suggestions for future work in this arena and interrogate my own position in this project.     

Jocks, nerds, babes and thugs: A research note on regional differences in adolescent gender norms

We use data from 1,755 college students to explore regional differences in adolescent gender norms. Students attending four Northern universities and three Southern universities during the 1997–1998 academic year provided information on the ways that adolescents in their high schools had gained prestige with peers. The analyses revealed significant gender differences on fourteen of the fifteen most common avenues to prestige. Leading avenues to prestige for boys—sports, grades, and intelligence—did not vary by region. Leading avenues to prestige for girls—physical attractiveness, grades, and intelligence—also did not vary by region. However, consistent with the stronger emphasis on traditional moral views generally found in the South than the North, regional differences were found for several other avenues to prestige. Her work focuses on the effects of status transitions on intergenerational relations, social support networks, and marital quality. In collaboration with Karl Pillemer, she is currently studying caregivers' social networks during bereavement, and relations between caregivers and nursing home staff. Her research interests include gender stratification, family, and education. Currently, she is a Research Associate on a project examining health consequences of Mexican migration, funded primarily by the Hewlett Foundation (Co-PIs: Katherine M. Donato, (LSU), and Shawn Malia Kanaiaupuni, University of Wisconsin-Madison). Her dissertation is entitled “Wages and Domestic Labor: Explaining the Gender Gap in Earnings.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Patterson, J., Williams, L., Grauf-Grounds, C., & Chamow, L. (1998) Essential skills in family therapy: From the first interview to termination.
Schnarch, D. (1977). Passionate marriage.
Pasick, P. (1998) Almost grwon: Luunching Your Child From High School to College.