Smoking and Membership in a Fraternity or Sorority: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Objective: Fraternity and sorority members have higher rates of smoking than other college students. This systematic review examines studies that included fraternity/sorority membership in their investigation of smoking behaviors. Participants/Methods: Studies identified in MEDLINE, PsychInfo, JSTOR, CINAHL, ERIC, and Google Scholar published between 2003 and 2013 were included if they included fraternity and/or sorority membership, were written in English, published in a peer-reviewed journal, and had smoking as an outcome variable. Nineteen studies were identified for the review. Results: Fraternity/sorority members were more likely to be nondaily smokers. Members who lived in the fraternity/sorority house had higher rates of smoking than members who lived elsewhere. Fraternity/sorority member smoking was associated with alcohol and other substance use. The influence of no-smoking policies on fraternity/sorority member smoking was also examined. Conclusions: Fraternity/sorority membership was associated with higher rates of smoking, but this association was influenced by other substance use and environmental factors.     

Time out for team practice: structured participation as a method of training for team maintenance and development

The social Work service in most Social Services Departments is organised in distinct geographically based units. Indeed, such units have become synonymous with social work teams. These “teams” rely heavily for their success, as responsive and resourceful units, on their ability to work together. The authors believe there are advantages in a collective approach to a team's decision making and service delivery. They describe a method for developing teamwork, centred around a study day, organised on the basis of structured participation and planned in a way which addresses a range of team concerns.

The programme used on the study day stresses the importance of clear objectives, agreed democratically, and the active involvement of all team members. Although this training method developed gradually and pragmatically it is based on a model of team development which identifies a progression through stages of team functioning. The model of learning emphasises change through participation in a climate of openness and trust.

Examples of a programme used by the authors, together with a report prepared as feedback to a team, are included as appendices.     

Dementia and Dementia Care: The Contributions of a Psychosocial Perspective

The social sciences have and continue to play a unique role in the study of dementia and dementia care. For central to the social sciences, particularly the discipline of sociology is a history of critical inquiry that challenges long held societal assumptions, a concern for issues of social justice, social exclusion and the treatment of marginalized populations. All significant areas to consider when caring for a person with dementia. This chapter will trace the development of the study of dementia and dementia care starting with its biomedical roots, examine the contributions of the social sciences in furthering the conceptual development of the field, and suggest future areas where sociologists can play a critical role in the provision of quality dementia care.     

An Examination of the Association Between Relationship Mindfulness and Psychological and Relational Well-being in Committed Couples

Relationship mindfulness is the degree to which individuals tend to be mindful during interactions with romantic partners. In this study, we examined both the intrapersonal and interpersonal links between relationship mindfulness and psychological and relationship functioning in a sample of 219 couples who had been in their relationship for at least 1 year. Even when accounting for the general tendency to be mindful, relationship mindfulness was linked with markers of relationship well-being and psychological functioning, both intrapersonally and interpersonally. The findings bring to light the importance of considering relationship mindfulness in clinical work with couples that focuses on addressing deficiencies in relationship or psychological well-being.     

People and Contexts: Social Development from Birth to Old Age,by Henry S. Maas. Englewood Cliffs,New Jersey: Prentice-Hall,Inc., 1984

Abstract

Throughout the history of professional social work education, the liberal arts have been regarded as not simply the most suitable basis for professional education but as the essential basis. As undergraduate programs developed more fully, liberal arts content inevitably decreased. Also, because graduate programs rely increasingly on undergraduate programs for students, the need to define clearly the nature and purpose of liberal education for social work students has become even more apparent. This article addresses the purposes of liberal education and the “content” versus “perspective” controversies and their relation to social work preparation. The premise is that social work has a natural alliance with the liberal arts. For one reason, social work is a complex set of “ideals” reflecting many ideas that have had currency over the century in the literature, politics, economics, history, philosophy, and the human and natural sciences that compose the liberal arts. Social work is not so much “technology of intervention” or science, as it is applied humanistic value. As such, the relationship of social work to the liberal arts is one of intertwined strands. This article proposes that social work education emphasize the ideas, assumptions, and events that have shaped, and are shaping, the profession, and in so doing, recast and strengthen its relationship with the liberal arts.