Italy’s Non-Negligible Cohabitational Unions

Italy has long been regarded as the country with negligible non-marital cohabitation par excellence, but lately the pattern has begun to change and entry into consensual unions has increased strongly in younger Italian generations. This article is devoted to a study of such features between 1980 and 2003 based on the data from the Italian variant of the Gender and Generations Survey, Round 1. We consider entry into marriage and entry into cohabitation as competing risks and show how the incidence of cohabitation consistently much lower but has increased by some 70% over the 20-odd years of our study, while the marriage rate has dropped by almost as much. We find great variation across major regions of the country. The rise in cohabitation is confined to Northern and Central Italy, while the risk of marriage formation has declined strongly all over the country. Unlike previous investigations, our data suggest that non-marital cohabitation may be taking over whatever minor role civil marriage has had in Italian union formation.     

The model of human occupation: understanding the worker who is injured or disabled

This paper discusses application of the model of human occupation to the worker with an injury or disability. Concepts from the model of human occupation (MOHO) are used to frame potential work-related strengths and weaknesses. Using MOHO as a framework to understand the worker with an injury or disability provides a more complete and holistic understanding of the many factors which can affect a worker. In particular, the model illuminates how factors of capacity, motivation, lifestyle, and environment inter-relate in determining a worker's success or failure. Implications for using the model to achieve a more effective work-related practice are discussed.     

Development and Spanish translation of the Weinberg Center Risk and Abuse Prevention Screen (WC-RAPS)

Barriers for enhanced detection, identification, and reporting of elder abuse include the paucity of appropriate, valid, easily administered screening tools. This article describes the qualitative methods used in the development of the Weinberg Center Risk and Abuse Prevention Screen (WC-RAPS), and of its Spanish version. Focus groups and cognitive interviews were instrumental in identifying problematic items, underscoring potential response errors, and informing about putative causes for divergent interpretations of item-intent. Seven of the 11 original items were modified, a double-barreled item was segregated into two, one item deleted, and three additional items included to create the final 13 WC-RAPS items. The multi-step approach implemented for the Spanish conversion evidenced deviation from the original intended meaning for one item. The readability for English and Spanish versions was also assessed. Screening for elder abuse, if implemented systematically can be instrumental in identifying unrecognized abuse and preventing reoccurrence.     

Work-to-Family and Family-to-Work Spillover: The Implications of Childcare Policy and Maximum Work-Hour Legislation

This paper addresses the relationship between individual-level work-to-family and family-to-work spillover and two country-level policy measures: childcare policy and maximum work hour legislation. Coupling Gornick and Meyers?? (Families that work: policies for reconciling parenthood and employment, 2003) policy measures with individual-level data (N?=?7,895) from the 2002 International Social Survey Programme, the authors analyze whether men and women in countries with stronger childcare policies and maximum work-hour legislation exhibit work-to-family and family-to-work spillover. The authors find that neither childcare policy nor maximum work-hour legislation is significantly associated with work-to-family spillover. Stronger childcare policy is associated with lower family-to-work spillover for women, especially for women with young children. Maximum-hour legislation is associated with greater family-to-work spillover for women, with a significantly larger effect for mothers of young children.     

Gender and diversity topics taught in Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education programs

This article explores how the topics of gender and diversity are being taught and defined in accredited marriage and family therapy programs through syllabi content analysis and interviews with selected faculty. We examined findings by program (master's and doctoral) and type of training (those that taught specific gender and culture courses and those that attempted to infuse gender and culture throughout the curriculum). We examined 39 syllabi from 21 master's and 18 doctoral training programs. In addition, we conducted 20 interviews with faculty members. (Eighteen were White/Caucasian, one was African American and one was Asian Indian.) Some variation in topic areas was found between master's and doctoral programs and between those programs that offered specific course content and those that offered infused course content. However, qualitative interview data reflected many similarities. Particularly apparent was the level of commitment, transparency, and experiential learning methods professors used, regardless of program level or type.     

热爱短信的国度

能感动心灵，就能感染世界。芬兰人的生活离不开手机短信，芬兰人的短信风波也特别多。芬兰总理因为用手机短信与前女友谈分手而上了新闻，最近又因女方出书披露情事而对簿公堂；芬兰外交部长被报道用工作手机号码发上百个短信给舞娘而引起争议，甚至因而下台。目前芬兰人关于政治人物私生活如何影响公信力的讨论余波荡漾，我则忍不住思考短信作为一种沟通工具对于芬兰人的意义。     

Poverty, Welfare, and Patriarchy: How Macro-Level Changes in Social Policy Can Help Low-Income Women

A critical review of the current status of low-income women reveals how patriarchy, violence, and discrimination mitigates against their employment and contributes to their poverty. Myths that fuel prejudice against the poor have led to public policy and welfare legislation based on individualistic rather than structural assumptions about the causes of poverty. Research on the effects of welfare reform reinforces the conclusion that changes in social welfare and policy are necessary for income parity and improvement in the employment opportunities, access, and status of low-income women. A human-capital model and recommendations for macro-level changes in public policy and programming that address the systemic causes of women's poverty are presented.     

Side-by-side: An evaluation of Connecticut’s police and youth interaction model

This study evaluated a community-based intervention program designed to promote positive youth development and to create positive interactions between police and youth in a non-enforcement environment. A pre–post-design was used to compare the results of the program for participating youth and police officers, particularly changes in each group’s attitudes toward the other. The results showed that participation in the program improved police officers’ and youths’ attitudes toward each other. For youth, the rate of change in attitudes was greatest for minority youth and for youth who had prior negative experience with the police. That is, youth who had negative prior experiences with police and began with negative attitudes toward police developed more positive attitudes toward police as a result of participating in the program. Furthermore, having opportunities for positive interactions between police and youth played an important role in decreasing negative perceptions of police for ethnic minority youth. This study suggests that community-based programs that involve police with youth can improve participants’ attitude toward each other, which might impact future interactions.     

Older women who experience mistreatment:circumstances and outcomes

Data from Virginia Adult Protective Services (APS) case files of 95 abused women aged 60 years and older were assessed to establish demographic trends; ability to care for self; type, pattern, and place of abuse; information on witnesses and alleged offenders; and case resolution and outcomes. The most common types of mistreatment reported were neglect, exploitation, and physical abuse. The women typically had several functional limitations and were dependent upon their family members for care. Most cases were not prosecuted, and the majority of women remain at risk for further abuse. Implications of these data for future research and practice are discussed.