RECONSTRUCTING DAILY LIFE IN THE PAST: AN HERMENEUTICAL APPROACH TO ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA

Traditional sources of sociohistorical data capture only a narrow sense of past lifeworlds. Ethnographic accounts often preserve greater details of social practice but have less clear guidelines for use as data. We evaluate the use of hermeneutical theory as providing guidelines for a method by which ethnographies may be used as sociohistorical data. Hermeneutical analysis of ethnographic "texts" is used to reconstruct patterns of daily life in early-twentieth-century rural Appalachia. This method involves: (1) concept-critique to separate observations from the theoretical framework of the ethnographic account, and (2) validation through a logic of internal consistency and comparison. Through hermeneutical analysis, ethnographics can be made to yield observations of social relations not otherwise available. Our analysis suggests benefits and drawbacks of hermeneutical analysis of ethnographic texts.     

Attention deficit disorder: Problems with preconceived diagnosis

The diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become a household term with many inaccurate conceptions and expectations. The label is being applied to children with a broad range of mental health problems and developmental disorders. This study looks at the impact of preconceived diagnosis on assessment and treatment of children and adolescents. Alarming trends of overidentification of ADHD, which lead to inappropriate treatment and management, are identified. Other causes of the target symptoms are discussed. The impact of preconceived diagnosis on treatment outcome, patient functioning, and other areas are addressed. The need for greater community awareness of the broad spectrum of disorders of childhood and adolescence is identified.     

Early intervention services for very young children and their families under P.L. 99-457

This article addresses early intervention services for children, birth to kindergarten age, who experience developmental deficits and delays that may later be identified as learning disabilities. P.L. 99-457 is briefly reviewed with a focus on elements that emphasize family-centered practice. Vignettes are presented to illustrate interventive strategies that promote parent empowerment, and parent-professional and interagency collaboration.     

Repeat abortion

A reanalysis of the repeat abortion experience of New York City residents during July 1, 1970 to June 30, 1972 is undertaken on the basis of a probability model that generates repeat abortion ratios as a function of assumptions about fecundity, contraceptive efficiency, and exposure lengths. Tested are three hypotheses put forward by Daily et al. in a 1973 analysis: (i) the low repeat abortion ratio of .0245 is attributable in part to underreporting of registered induced abortions as repeat ones; (ii) a major part of the rise in repeat abortion ratios, from virtually zero to six percent over four consecutive six-month intervals, is explainable in terms of the rising volume of exposure time to risk of repeat abortion relative to the stream of initial abortions; and (iii) the higher abortion ratios of women in their twenties compared to those of older or younger women is ascribable to “differences in fecundity and intercourse frequency.” Support is found for the first two hypotheses, and a mixed outcome for the third.