Participation in Voluntary Youth‐Serving Associations and Early Adult Voting Behavior*

Objective. We investigate adolescent membership in voluntary associations and whether participation in these activities influences voting behavior during early adulthood. Methods. Weighted logistic regression models predicting membership in voluntary associations and voting behavior were estimated using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988–1994 (NELS). Results. Our findings suggest that membership in voluntary associations varies by race and socioeconomic status (SES). In addition, membership in organizations historically rooted in moral development and civic socialization positively predict voter‐registration status and whether or not young adults participated in the first national election that they were eligible to vote in, but this relationship is moderated by both race and SES. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that a large proportion of U.S. teenagers still participate in community‐based programs, many of which foster later civic participation, but that all youth do not equally benefit from participation.     

Disability Beyond Stigma: Social Interaction, Discrimination, and Activism

This article critiques the assumptions about the nature and meaning of disability advanced in social-psychological writing, suggests the origins of these assumptions, and proposes a return to a Lewinian/minority-group analysis of the situation of people with disabilities. It concludes by placing the articles in this issue of the Journal of Social Issues in context and by presenting questions in need of further exploration.     

Young families under stress: assessing maternal and child well-being using a mixed-methods approach

Supporting parents has been reinforced as central to improving children's lives. Assessment of needs, however, is crucial to the provision of effective support. This paper focuses upon the assessment of well‐being of mothers and their children in 162 young families experiencing stress in south‐east England and Northern Ireland. A mixed‐methods approach to assessment was adopted and the strengths of using face‐to‐face interviews alongside standardized measures are explored.     

Short-term and long-term effects of training in emotionally focused couple therapy: professional and personal aspects

This study investigated the immediate and long-term personal and professional effects of a 4-day externship training in emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT). EFT externship training uses lecture, discussion, video vignettes, live demonstrations, and role-plays to convey an attachment-based approach to working with couples. The two samples included clinicians (N = 76) who completed surveys immediately before and after training, and a subset of these clinicians (N = 29) who completed measures an average of 8 months later. Results indicate that following training, participants increased in their EFT knowledge and competence, became more open to their feelings, were more self-compassionate, were less likely to use avoidant attachment behaviors, and improved their own personal relationships.     

Criminal sittings – rape in the colony, New Zealand, 1862

In 1862 His Honor, Justice Johnston, issued his instructions to the jury of the New Zealand Supreme Court for two simultaneous rape trials – the alleged rape of a European woman by two Māori men, and an alleged “assault with intent to commit a rape” of a Māori woman by a European man. This article argues that those instructions should be read within an historiographical critique of British colonial expansion, print capitalism and violence. Drawing on feminist postcolonial theorizing the question posed here, is, “What is the historical, ideological context for a newspaper reporting of the possible rape of a Māori woman in 1862?     

Alcohol-related content in undergraduate nursing curricula in the northeastern United States

Societal alcohol abuse and misuse is disproportionate to the number of related didactic and clinical hours reported by traditional baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States. Because no recent research re-examines the findings from earlier studies, a survey was developed and then electronically distributed to all nursing department deans or program chairs of traditional baccalaureate nursing programs in the Northeast (N=117). Twenty-seven (23%) schools responded. Results showed limited didactic and clinical offerings. Most schools cover content related to definition, psychological and medical complications, and treatment and rehabilitation. Clinical applications were limited as was content addressing public dimensions of alcohol misuse. The current findings showed little change from those of studies conducted more than 20 years ago. Based on the current findings, further survey development is encouraged with the intent of continuing exploration of curricular offerings related to alcohol misuse.     

Qualitative exporation of relationships with important non-parental adults in the lives of youth in foster care

Foster youth are at risk of poor adult outcomes. Research on the role of mentoring relationships for this population suggests the value of strategies that increase their access to adult sources of support, both while in foster care and as they reach adulthood. We conducted semi-structured, individual qualitative interviews with 23 former foster youth ages 18-25 regarding their relationships with supportive non-parental adults. We sought to identify factors that influence the formation, quality, and duration of these relationships and to develop testable hypotheses for intervention strategies. Findings suggest several themes related to relationship formation with non-parental adults, including barriers (e.g., youth's fears of being hurt) and facilitators (e.g., patience from the adult). Distinct themes were also identified relating to the ongoing development and longevity of these relationships. Youth also described multiple types of support and positive contributions to their development. Proposed intervention strategies include systematic incorporation of important non-parental adults into transition planning, enhanced training and matching procedures within formal mentoring programs, assistance for youth to strengthen their interpersonal awareness and skills, and the targeting of specific periods of need when linking youth to sources of adult support. Recommended research includes the development, pilot-testing, and evaluation of proposed strategies.     

The multi-disciplinary nature of low vision rehabilitation--a case report

This paper presents the case of a 47-year-old female with low vision secondary to high myopic macular degeneration who remains active in the work force as a spiritual and religious care coordinator for a large institution. An ophthalmologist with a specialty in low vision rehabilitation initially assessed the client. The ophthalmologist prescribed optical devices which used residual retinal vision available at preferred retinal loci. This availed better vision for viewing targets located at far, near and intermediate distances from the client. An optician provided and dispensed the devices prescribed to the client. Additionally, the ophthalmologist made a referral to an occupational therapist. The occupational therapist conducted a series of sessions to further enhance reading and writing skills and a work place assessment aimed at optimizing workplace conditions in order to achieve optimal functional vision. This case illustrates and emphasizes the multi-disciplinary nature of low vision rehabilitation, which involved in this case co-operation between ophthalmology, occupational therapy and opticianry.     

Knowledge dissemination in operations management: Published perceptions versus academic reality

The channels for knowledge generation and dissemination in the business disciplines are many: presenting research at conferences, writing books, distributing working papers, offering insights in society newsletters, giving invited talks, publishing studies in academic journals, and many other venues, including even blogs and perhaps Facebook^®. But the most important venue is probably published research in “top-level” academic journals. In the discipline of Operations Management, many studies and lists have been published that attempt to determine which of these journals are supposedly the “top” according to either citation analyses, the opinion of recognized experts, author affiliations, bibliometric studies, and other approaches. These lists may then, in turn, be used in different degrees to evaluate research. However, what really counts is what the academic institutions actually use for guidance in evaluating faculty research. Based on a new source of ranking data from AACSB-accredited schools, we compare published journal-ranking studies against that of academe to determine the degree to which the studies reflect academic “reality”. We present rankings of OM journals based on this new source of data and on an aggregate of the stream of published studies, and evaluate their consistency.     

Perceptions of difference between aging and disability service systems consumers: implications for policy initiatives to rebalance long-term care

This study explores service professionals' perceptions of how and why older adults and younger persons with disabilities are different consumers and clients within the long-term care service sector. Data are from 2004, early in the history of federal long-term care rebalancing initiatives, reflecting perceptions at that time. Findings suggest professionals working within aging, developmental disability, and physical disability service networks believe significant distinctions exist related to age of clients and nature of service required and how it is delivered. Overall need for greater professional and organizational capacity to support provision of service to both aging and disability populations is reported.