Transgender children and youth: a child welfare practice perspective

Using an ecological framework, the existing literature and research, and the authors' combined 60 years of clinical practice with children, youth, and families, this article examines gender variant childhood development from a holistic viewpoint where children, youth, and environments are understood as a unit in the context of their relationship to one another. The focus is limited to a discussion about the recognition of gender identity; an examination of the adaptation process through which gender variant children and youth go through to deal with the stress of an environment where there is not a "goodness of fit"; and a discussion of the overall developmental tasks of a transgender childhood and adolescence. Recommendations for social work practice with gender variant young people are presented in the conclusion of the paper.     

Cow as co-therapist: Utilization of farm animals as therapeutic aides with children in residential treatment

Using a mixed methodological approach, this exploratory study investigates the experiences of children who are placed in a residential treatment center that utilizes farm animals as one of its treatment approaches. The findings indicate that the children utilized the farm animals, like one would utilize the services of a therapist. Respondents indicated that they spoke to the animals, without fear that what they said would be repeated; that they visited the animals to feel better when they felt sad or angry; and that they learned about nurturing and caring for other living things. This article highlights a unique and novel approach to treatment that has not, as yet, been fully explored by the child welfare profession.     

A FINITE AUTOMATON MODEL OF BEHAVIOR AND LEARNING

This paper builds some bridges between economics, psychology and cybernetics by showing how a theory of learning when put into finite automaton terms yields insights about how learning is related to doing in a market enviornment.     

Social contexts and personal relationships: The effect of meeting opportunities on similarity for relationships of different strength

This paper examines the effect of social contexts on similarity in personal relationships. We argue that the effect of social contexts is larger for weaker, and smaller for stronger relationships. Using data from The Survey of the Social Networks of the Dutch (collected in 1999/2000, n = 1007), we first describe where people got to know their acquaintances, friends and partner and that similarity in these relationships with regard to age, level of education, sex, and religion, generally varies. We then inquire whether getting to know each other in a certain context affects similarity, and whether this effect is different for relationships of different strength. Our main conclusion, however, is that the effect of social contexts on similarity is remarkably consistent across partnerships, friendships, and acquaintanceships.     

Human purposeful activities for classifying management problems

Typologies of management problems, when suggested at all, focus on technique categories, previous solutions, current organizational activities, or abstract definitions. None appear to justify the rationale for establishing typologies: to identify the right situation or problem requiring attention and the most effective approach to follow in determining what to do about it. Human purposeful activities are proposed as a useful form for a manager to consider in dealing with problems. The major purposeful activities are maintaining an effective system (operate and supervise), creating or restructuring solutions (plan and design), assessing effectiveness of previously established programs and systems (evaluate), gaining skills and insights into bodies of knowledge (learn) and developing generalizations about social and natural phenomena (research). Significant improvement in results ought to be obtained when different approaches are followed in seeking to achieve each of the different purposes.     

Male victims of sexual abuse: An analysis of adolescent psychiatric inpatients

All too often it has been assumed that male victims of sexual abuse are simply similar to their female counterparts. The present study compares the psychological and substance use statuses of sexually abused adolescent male psychiatric inpatients with nonsexually abused adolescent male psychiatric inpatients. Data were collected from 166 male patients consecutively admitted to a 24-bed adolescent psychiatric unit. Abused adolescent males showed significant differences in several domains: they used drugs more frequently, were more depressed, had lower self-esteem, were more hopeless about the future, had more difficulty controlling sexual feelings, and were more concerned about their appearance than their nonabused counterparts. Implications for investigation, treatment, and training are discussed.     

Family,community and unemployment: a study in change

This paper provides the first report of an intensive empirical study of social relations of unemployment on a Glasgow housing estate. Its sample is divided into two equal, age-based categories corresponding to families where the male ‘head of household’ is over 25 and has a previous record of regular work, and those under 25 where such experience is absent. The paper identifies and examines a domestic and work-linked cycle which has been disrupted by unemployment. On this basis we then consider the differential adaptation to unemployment of the two groups; differences in their gender relations and differences in the forms and degrees of their reliance on kin and other support. We finally and tentatively propose some connections between unemployment and domestic conflict.     

Empirical indicators of educational equity and equality: A thai case study

The focus of this paper is social indicator reporting, not the development of scientific generalization. This social indicator analysis involves the development of an extensive set of empirical indicators to show the extent of equity and equality of education. Equity and equality are viewed as distinct concepts, each with its own indicators. The set of indicators proposed is applied to Thailand in a case study. Examples of indicators used are (1) the relationship between socioeconomic background and access to preschool education, (2) the relationship between provincial wealth and opportunities for upper primary education, (3) proportion of females in lower primary schools, and (4) degree of equality among provinces in grant per pupil in primary education. The discrepancy ratio is introduced as an indicator to standardize measures of inequality and inequity. This set of indicators shows moderate levels of inequality and inequity in Thailand, with the most serious problems at the preschool, secondary, and higher education levels. Empirical indicators of this type are viewed as critically necessary for governments everywhere to enable them to chart their progress toward greater equity and equality.     

THE CLINICAL AND THEORETICAL IMPACT OF A CONTROLLED TRIAL OF FAMILY THERAPY IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA

The paper discusses the practical and theoretical implications of the results of a controlled treatment trial. Family therapy was compared with individual, supportive psychotherapy for the management of severe eating disorder. Family therapy was markedly more effective in achieving improvement in one of four subgroups of patients: (a): those with early onset, short duration; (b) early onset, duration more than 3 years; (c) late onset, after the age of 18 years; (d) those with bulimia nervosa. The therapies used are described, as are the changes in clinical practice arising from the study. Theoretical considerations concerning notions of family structure, the family life-cycle and symptomatic and family change are also discussed.