A Cross-National Analysis of Lifespan Inequality, 1950–2015: Examining the Distribution of Mortality Within Countries

Cross-national health research devotes considerable attention to lifespan and survival rate disparities that are found between countries. However, the distribution of mortality across the world is shaped mostly by what happens within countries. We address this striking gap in the literature by modeling length-of-life inequality for individual nation-states. We use life tables from the United Nation’s (2015) World Population Prospects to estimate inequality levels for 200 countries across 13 waves between 1950 and 2015. We find that lifespan inequality is steadily declining across the world, but that each country’s level of inequality, and the rate at which it declines, vary considerably. Our models account for more than 90% of the longitudinal and cross-sectional variation in country-level lifespan inequality during the 1990–2015 period. Maternal mortality is the strongest predictor in our model, while disease prevalence, access to safe water, and health interventions figure prominently, as well. Gross domestic product per capita shows the expected curvilinear association with lifespan inequality, while primary education (both overall enrollment and gender equity in enrollment), external debt, and migration also play critical roles in shaping health outcomes. By contrast, the distribution of political and economic resources (i.e., democracy and income inequality) is less important.

     

/r/ and the construction of place identity on New York City's Lower East Side1

This paper argues that a group of white residents on the Lower East Side of Manhattan use a New York City English (NYCE) feature – non‐rhoticity in the syllable coda – in the construction of a place identity, one aspect of identity tied to localness and authenticity. A quantitative analysis confirms that the change in progress towards rhoticity in NYCE ( Labov 1966 ) continues to advance slowly, so that non‐rhoticity remains a resource for New Yorkers, imbued with local social meaning. Ethnographic observation of the Lower East Side reveals conflict among residents, which motivates one group to highlight their place identity by using non‐rhoticity. These Lower East Siders utilize micro‐variation of /r/ in stretches of interview talk, increasing non‐rhoticity when discussing neighborhood topics. Results support a social practice approach to stylistic and sociolinguistic variation, where Lower East Siders use /r/ in constructing a place identity in order to present themselves as authentic neighborhood residents.     

Solutions to Faculty Work Overload: A Study of Job Sharing

This study investigated the opinions of a national sample of counselor education chairs and college of education deans regarding the advantages and disadvantages of faculty job sharing. Results showed favorable responses toward faculty job sharing from approximately half the sample, despite limited experience with job sharing. The study found few differences in perspectives between deans and counselor education chairs.     

Enhancing the midwife-woman relationship through shared decision making and clinical guidelines

The active and passive voice allocated to women within maternity service guidelines helps construct the nature of decision making. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that by allocating women an active voice within practice guidelines serves the interest of all parties within the health care relationship. Clinical guidelines were reviewed, and electronic databases and text were searched. The findings of this paper support that applying the principles of a shared decision making framework, within clinical practice guidelines, can assist the development of a partnership relationship between midwives and women.     

Nietzsche's holism: A paradigm for integration

With Europe at a crossroads, facing both nationalism and globalism, Nietzsche has some interesting things to say about our world today. Nietzsche's holism is multifaceted and complex, thus, he has attracted many critics. Recent scholarship has interpreted his holism as an offence to modern liberal society. Some have claimed that Nietzsche's “perspectivism” and the “overcoming of morality,” two essential categories of his holism, are essentially expressions of democratic ideals of tolerance. Still others have argued that Nietzsche's ‘will to power’ is to be understood as an expression of freedom where human bondage and prejudice are cast aside in the name of some brand of neo-Kantian liberalism. And finally, there are those voices who continue to paint Nietzsche's holism as nothing more than savage realism and harsh criticism. In this essay, I examine many of these claims (focusing principally on ‘the will to power’) with the expectation of trying to discern the value of his holism for advancing a paradigm for integration.     

The next decade in evaluation research

The field of evaluation research has developed rapidly in the past few years. Its growth is marked by:(1) establishment of an'entrepreneurial industry of considerable proportions; (2) emergence of a new profession as evidenced by the founding of professional associations, publication of books and journals, and the development of specialized training programs; (3) recognition of the importance of evaluation in the federal bureaucracy by the establishment of key executive positions in the various offices of the Secretaries; (4) quality control efforts by a variety of stakeholders and watchdog groups; and (5) efforts to address methodological problems and to maximize the dissemination and utilization of studies. In the future, continued federal funding in health, education, and welfare will be dependent on demonstrated program impact, and “sunset legislation.” Moreover, there will be fewer important “policy” evaluations and more administrative and managerial efforts. Evaluation questions, increasingly, will be specified either by Congress or the administering agency, including the setting of design and methodological requirements for studies. Opportunities for investigator-inspired studies and basic methodological development will decrease.     

The Impact of Family of Origin on Social Workers from Alcoholic Families

This study draws on the experience of six social workers who are adult children of alcoholics, to demonstrate that childhood learned responsibility and the capacity for attachment are translated into later professional acuity. The place of resilience in developing an understanding of the linkages between the experiences of adult children of alcoholics and social workers is examined and the consequences for social work practice and the education of social workers is outlined. Undeniably, prior life experience impacts on practice. Less well understood is the positive impact of negative experience. In the case of social workers who are adult children of alcoholics we argue that being part of an alcoholic family may significantly contribute to, rather than detract from, later practice competence.