Patterns of development in early empathic behavior: Environmental and child constitutional influences

The second year of life is a period of developmental change and instability in empathic expressions. In this study, we identify specific developmental patterns of global empathy during the second year and investigate maternal style, family environment, and temperamental factors as moderator influences on these patterns of development. The sample consists of 158 children selected from twin pairs whose empathic development had been previously studied at 14 and 20 months of age. Planned comparisons within specific groups (initially high, mid-range, or low empathy) tested the difference between children who changed versus those who remained stable. Maternal style, family climate, and child temperament variables significantly differentiated children among different patterns of development. Child gender was an additional moderator of family influences on development among those children whose empathic responses were initially low. These findings suggest the importance of distinguishing patterns of development based on where in the range of behaviors development is tracked.     

Typification in a neuro-rehabilitation centre: Scheff revisited?

This paper presents data on the admissions process in a Regional neuro-rehabilitation centre, using the framework proposed in Thomas Scheff's classic paper on typification in the diagnostic process as a starting point for analysis. We argue that typification is a more complex and diffuse process than Scheff's ‘diagnostic stereotype’ concept suggests, and that this may be linked to the particular work imperatives and relevancies that are important in this setting.     

The mental health review board: a new concept for difficult clients.

1. The Mental Health Review Board concept is a hospital systems approach to the difficult client. Board membership varies with each case and includes representation from all areas of the hospital. 2. The Review Board deals with clients who have exhausted the system, are threatening or abusive to staff, and noncompliant with treatment recommendations. 3. The Review Board contract is the "final offer" for treatment and is without input from the client. Terms of the contract are nonegotiable. Noncompliance results in discharge and referral elsewhere.     

The air we breathe

Public attitudes toward smoking are complex, but the facts for businesses are clear. Second-hand smoke is a major health hazard, and the most unhealthy places for second-hand smoke are bars and restaurants. While there is little support for a total smoking ban, selected bans are more popular. Even if new federal rules don't force restaurants to ban smoking, businesses can gain a competitive edge by going smoke-free.     

Confidence to be given findings derived from fixed-period definitions of migration

Some of the errors in measurement of migration and its determinants that occur with the use of fixed-period data are identified. Consideration of this issue yields a typology of studies based on the nature of the determinants related to migration. Sources of distortion are numerated. The logical severity of each distortion is detailed. Use of the typology permits an appraisal of the potential confidence to be given to the validity of findings associated with classes of migration research which use fixed-period data. A test case is examined to illustrate the usefulness of the typology.This research was supported in part by the NSF Grant No. SOC76-81767, for the study, "A Test of Competing Explanations for Migration Differentials." Funds for computer time and technical assistance were also provided by the Department of Sociology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.     

Acknowledgement of client diversity and oppression in social work student supervision

An enduring theme of social work literature and education has been the need for workers to recognise and challenge oppressive structures and develop competence in working with diverse client groups. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative research project where student and field educator supervision sessions were recorded, with the view to examining how oppression and diversity were addressed in these sessions. The authors have used the term 'difference' to describe the breach between the student and client experiences. Examples of anti-discriminatory practice were identified in the recordings, however on occasions supervisors had difficulty in assisting students to acknowledge diversity and oppression in supervision. Four factors that related to addressing diversity emerged from the supervision material. These were: the struggle to unmask subtle themes of oppression; the use of questioning to raise student awareness and development of self-knowledge; using student biography to facilitate learning on 'difference'; and field educator use of self-disclosure during discussions on diversity. Successful approaches to anti-oppressive practice and responding to diversity are outlined.     

Implementing Fall Prevention Guidelines with Vulnerable Older Adults: The Social Work Role

Falls are the leading cause of injury among the older adult population, resulting in costly and devastating aftermaths. National fall prevention guidelines (FPGs) have been established to assist healthcare professionals with addressing fall risk, but little is understood about the extent to which FPGs have been implemented by social workers. Social workers, however, may beuniquely positioned to implement FPGs with older adults due to their expertise in care coordination and home- and community-based service settings. This conceptual paper addresses the timely issue of fall prevention and social workers’ potential role in implementing FPGs to address fall risk.     

The effect of artificial lighting on the arrival time of birds using garden feeding stations in winter: A missed opportunity?

The proliferation of artificial lighting at night is one of the key anthropogenic changes associated with urbanised areas as well as some non-urban areas. Disruption to natural light/dark regimes can have considerable effects on the timing of different behaviours of birds, particularly during the breeding season. However, the effect of artificial lights on the timing of behaviours during winter has received relatively little attention, despite the fact that time partitioning of foraging can have implications for avian winter survival. In this study, we assess at a landscape scale during winter, whether birds arrive at feeding stations earlier in areas with increased levels of artificial lighting using data from a citizen science project. Arrival times of the ten most commonly recorded species were associated with a combination of the density of artificial lights, temperature, rainfall and urban land cover. We found no evidence that birds advance the onset of foraging in gardens with more artificial lights nearby; contrary to our prediction, birds generally arrived later into these areas. This is possibly a response to differences in food availability or predation risk in areas with more artificial lights. We conclude that artificial light at night may not be as important for driving the timing of foraging behaviour in winter as previously thought, but it remains to be seen whether this represents a missed opportunity to extend the foraging period or an adaptive response.