Birth Territory: a theory for midwifery practice

The theory of Birth Territory describes, explains and predicts the relationships between the environment of the individual birth room, issues of power and control, and the way the woman experiences labour physiologically and emotionally. The theory was synthesised inductively from empirical data generated by the authors in their roles as midwives and researchers. It takes a critical post-structural feminist perspective and expands on some of the ideas of Michel Foucault. Theory synthesis was also informed by current research about the embodied self and the authors' scholarship in the fields of midwifery, human biology, sociology and psychology. In order to demonstrate the significance of the theory, it is applied to two clinical stories that both occur in hospital but are otherwise different. This analysis supports the central proposition that when midwives use 'midwifery guardianship' to create and maintain the ideal Birth Territory then the woman is most likely to give birth naturally, be satisfied with the experience and adapt with ease in the post-birth period. These benefits together with the reduction in medical interventions also benefit the baby. In addition, a positive Birth Territory is posited to have a broader impact on the woman's partner, family and society in general.     

Improving ascertainment of risk factors for HIV infection: results of a group-randomized evaluation

To allow appropriate allocation of prevention and care funding, HIV/AIDS surveillance data must include risk factor information, currently available for less than 70% of cases reported in the United States. The authors evaluated an intervention consisting of provider training and materials to improve risk factor reporting. Facilities were matched prior to randomization to intervention or control, and generalized linear mixed models were used to test for an intervention effect. Twenty-one percent of cases from intervention facilities and 33.4% from control facilities (p = .09) were reported without any risk factor information. The pre-post difference (20.7% for intervention and 36.0% for control) was not significant among HIV cases (p = .11) nor among AIDS cases (p = .12; 21.3% for intervention and 31.1% for control). The methods the authors' evaluated may need to be combined with other approaches and/or alternative classification schemes to significantly reduce the percentage of cases reported to surveillance without risk factor information.     

No Place Like Home: A Qualitative Investigation of Social Support and Its Effects on Recidivism

This study explores the relationship between social support and recidivism. Although the support system for the ex-felon has many beneficial aspects, it can do very little to counter the institutional barriers and deficiencies that exist with the present penal system. Recommendations are offered to enhance the transition from prison to public life.     

Nasality of Infant Vocalizations Determines Gender Bias in Adult Favorability Ratings

Adults rate vocalizing 3-month-old boys as more socially favorable (pleasant, friendly, fun, likeable, cuddly, cute) than girls when they are producing syllabic sounds. Is the preference due to gender bias or to actual sex differences in the acoustical quality of early vocalizations? In Experiment 1, 59 adults rated videotaped segments of 4 vocalizing boys and 4 vocalizing girls who were dressed identically in white gowns, and labelled with a name representing their sex or a name of the opposite sex. Two infants of each sex produced syllabic sounds, and 2 produced vocalic sounds. Adults rated boys producing syllabic sounds more favorably even when the boys were labelled with the names of girls. Therefore, the preference was not due to gender bias. In Experiment 2, 3 groups of adults (N = 50, 49, and 50, respectively) each viewed and rated 1 of 3 different sets of videotaped infants. The videotapes contained segments of 8 infants (4 boys, 4 girls, 2 of each producing syllabic sounds, and 2 producing vocalic sounds); infants appeared dressed in identical white gowns and were identified only by number, not by name or sex. In addition to the social favorability ratings, adults guessed the sex of the infant. Adults rated syllabic boys more favorably even though gender was disguised, and even though their guesses of gender were no better than chance. In Experiment 3, the vocalizations of the infants who were heard in the 3 videotapes were subjected to spectrographic acoustic analysis. The acoustic quality of boys' syllabic sounds differed from that of girls' only on the feature of nasality. As expected, syllabic, as compared with vocalic, sounds of both boys and girls were similarly longer in duration and differed in frequency characteristics, but these differences were related only to sound category and not to sex. The variance in adult social favorability ratings due to sex of infant was explained by the less nasal acoustic quality of the boys' voices. These results have implications for early socialization, because we know that mothers respond more to less nasal vocalizations. These results parallel the less nasal quality of men's voices as compared with women's voices, and suggest continuities from early vocalizations to speech.     

Disabled Women Sexually Abused in Childhood: Treatment Considerations

There is a dearth of literature addressing the issues presented in the treatment of adult disabled women who were victims of childhood sexual abuse. This article focuses on the pertinent issues involved in clinically treating this population, such as the meaning of the traumatic event of sexual abuse for the individual, the disability and how it may have impacted her in terms of dependence, body integrity, and sexuality. Coping strategies and case examples are presented and possible countertransferential reactions are examined.     

The resolution of faulty identification process in a borderline adolescent girl

This paper discusses problems of identification which interfere with a borderline adolescent girl's completion of her adolescent developmental tasks. Therapeutic work entails the provision of a protective environment to assist processes of identification, separation and completion of structural restoration.     

The importance of selected housing features at various stages of the life cycle

The spatial environment of the home is an important factor in the consideration of satisfactory housing for families. With the increasing demand for housing, it has become common to simply provide the basic structure without addressing the various wants and needs of individuals and families. It is the purpose of the study reported here to evaluate the importance of specific housing features based on stage in the family lifecycle. Results show that those features with the highest importance involve low maintenance, aesthetics, and environmental quality. Implications for home designers, educators, and consumers are discussed.Kathleen Ann Lodl is an Instructor in the Department of Consumer Science and Education, 128 Home Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0801. Her research interests include housing design, residential alterations, and female-headed households. She is currently working on a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska.Betsy S. Gabb is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design, 226 Home Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE 68583-0802. Her research interests include housing design and residential space use. She received her Ed.D. from the University of Nebraska.E. Raedene Combs is a Professor in the Department of Consumer Science and Education, 134 Home Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0801. Her research interests include housing designs for special populations and families at risk. She received her Ph.D. from Purdue University.     

Contextual Accounts of Student Absences

Analysis of college student accounts given for classroom absences shows that some students provide justifications, but most rely on excuses. Females produced more accounts and were more likely to cite illness as an excuse, while males were more likely to refer to other pressing classwork requirements. A correlation existed between absences explained and grade, while preparation for another class was the only explanation found to be significantly related to course grade.     

Limitsetting,coping and adaptation: A theoretical context for clinicians and caregivers

Limitsetting in child therapeutic work presents the practitioner with a complex and often conflictual challenge of deciding what limitsetting techniques are appropriate with which children under what specific circumstances. This paper places the clinical limitsetting challenge within a frame of reference derived from the literature on coping and adaptation in an attempt to offer practitioners a more comprehensive, systemic framework within which to evaluate a child's limitsetting needs.     

JUST ANOTHER CRIME? Examining Disparity in Homicide Sentencing

Analyses of disparity in sentencing most frequently use general felony court samples. Because of this, little is known about the specific patterns of sentencing disparity among defendants convicted of criminal homicide. Using a sample of defendants adjudicated guilty of homicide in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, over the period 1995–2000, this research seeks to describe and explain patterns of sentencing with reference to legal and extralegal defendant and case characteristics. The findings indicate that it is primarily legally relevant variables that influence sentencing outcomes in homicide cases; however, some evidence is found for case processing effects as well as for the operation of criminal stereotypes in the generation of sentence disparities. Implications of these findings for research designs and theory development are discussed.