Counseling severely dysfunctional families of mentally and physically disabled persons

Some families of mentally and physically disabled persons behave in an extremely self-destructive or resistant manner. These severely dysfunctional families pose a formidable obstacle to their disabled relatives' habilitation. Because such families are particularly frustrating to work with, little professional assistance has been provided to them. This article examines probable causes of severely dysfunctional family behavior, details several maladaptive family patterns and suggests practical treatment strategies for helping these families.     

Covariates of length of stay in residential treatment

This study explores variables associated with length of stay in a child welfare residential treatment center. The study followed three entry cohorts (416 boys) from admission through discharge. The researchers conducted event history analyses to examine the rates of discharge over time and the covariates of length of stay. They conducted analyses by discharge destination (reunified, transferred, or ran away). The results demonstrated that mental health issues slowed down rates of discharge for youth who were reunified or transferred. For children who left by running away, age and prior substance history were associated with faster rates of exit. These results have important public policy implications for improving the application of length of stay variables in planning and treatment.     

Quality circle failures in UK manufacturing companies—A study

This paper presents the results of a study of quality circle failures in UK manufacturing companies. A questionnaire survey formed the first part of the investigation, which reveals that the majority of companies which implement quality circles should expect to encounter some form of failure. The first three years of operating a quality circle programme represent the critical period for establishing long-term survival of the programme, whilst in the case of individual circles it is the first 18 months. The results indicate that white collar circles are more difficult to sustain over time than are circles in blue collar areas. The main reasons for circle failure include: rejection of the concept by top management and trade unions; the company restructuring, redundancies and labour turnover; circle leaders lacking time to organise meetings and a lack of co-operation from middle and first-line management. It is pointed out, that despite an average circle failure rate of 20%, there is a high level of satisfaction with quality circles amongst the respondents.     

Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism

SUMMARY

This paper presents a literature review of social work programs' distance education evaluation studies with an emphasis on the strengths distance education programs offer to students relative to standard programs. The authors discuss quality issues in relation to teaching and learning in distance education programs with a panel of distance learners who will discuss their experiences.     

Identifying Themes Regarding the Benefits and Limitations of Caregiver Support Group Conversations

Support groups continue to be one of the most needed and desired forms of help for family caregivers to persons with dementia. Though the effects of caregiver support group participation have been examined, the benefits and limitations of the dynamics of support group conversations have been neglected. This study focuses on the perceived consequences of group dynamics. Three themes—balance, sameness, and individuality—emerged through analysis of open-ended interviews with support group members following observations of their meetings. The consequences of these themes are illustrated with a case study and the implications of these themes for practitioners are discussed.     

Inheritances and Bequest Planning: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances

Using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, this paper documented the positive correlation between the receipt of an inheritance and the expectation of leaving a bequest. Inheritance recipients were found to have a higher probability of planning to leave a bequest relative to households that had not received an inheritance. Conditional on having already received an inheritance, the likelihood of expecting to leave a bequest was even larger for households that anticipated to receive an inheritance in the future. The findings in this paper suggest that inheritances already received or expected to be received may be an important transmission mechanism underlying the bequest motive.     

Positivism and ‘Functional Theory’ in the Thought of Karl Polanyi, 1907–1922

Karl Polanyi is the author of a modern social science classic, The Great Transformation, as well as a number of well‐known and widely debated essays collected in Trade and Market in the Early Empires and Primitive, Archaic and Modern Economies. These texts were researched and written either during his second exile in 1930s Britain or in wartime or post‐war North America. Not so well known, however, are his Hungarian writings from the 1910s. Until recently, very few of these had been republished or translated, although this is in the process of being rectified [ Gareth Dale (forthcoming) : Karl Polanyi: The Hungarian Writings]. With reference to new translations of his Hungarian writings, to interviews with his daughter, Kari Polanyi‐Levitt, as well as to biographical essays by György Litván, Évá Gábor, Endre Kiss, and Zoltán Horváth, this article explores his early influences, drawing attention in particular to his flirtation with and then violent reaction against philosophical materialism and ‘objectivist’ sociology, his appreciation of Ernst Mach’s positivism, and his adherence to the ‘functional theory’ of contemporary Guild Socialism.     

The prevalence and incidence of HIV among injection drug users: A five year panel study

Six hundred and one injection drug users (IDUs) who attended drug treatment programs in Miami, Florida, were enrolled in a panel study to determine the prevalence and incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and associated risk factors. A structured questionnaire which elicited injection and sexual behaviors was administered and blood was obtained by venipduncture. All participants were reassessed at six month intervals for 5 years. The baseline prevalence of HIV was 16.3%. African–Americans had a prevalence of HIV (37.1%) that was significantly higher than that of non-Hispanic whites (7.6%); the prevalence of HIV among Hispanics was 27.2%. Persons who were more than thirty years of age were more likely to test HIV positive (17.8%) than were younger participants (9.7%). The annual incidence per 1000 person-years of exposure for the 503 initially seronegative participants was consistently low for each year of the study. The 5 year incidence was 4.1 per 1000 person years; 7.5 for men and 1.7 for women, 7.5 for African–Americans and 3.8 for non-Hispanic whites. No Hispanic participants seroconverted. Multivariate logistic techniques were used to identify the independent risk factors for HIV prevalence. Earlier injection, ethnicity, and income were independently associated with HIV serostatus. A history of a sexually transmitted disease was marginally associated with HIV prevalence. Low incidence probably is a function of the reduction of risk behavior that occurred over the course of the study and the stage of the epidemic.