The Charged Economic Environment: Its Role in Parental Psychological Distress and Development of Children,Adolescents, and Young Adults

The current downward economic spiral has manifested in increased joblessness, unemployment, and new faces in the landscape of American poverty. More Americans are living in poverty, and vulnerable populations are experiencing psychological distress and despair. This paper addresses the psychological impact of the ongoing economic impasse. There is a call for policymakers, and practitioners to collaborate in facilitating youth and families to develop support strategies (of support) for sustaining them through these challenging times. Case examples illustrate how the economy impacts children and families. Relational/cultural theories and the life course perspective are used to understand the impact of the economy on vulnerable populations.     

Communicating Cultural Dimensions of Gender-related Identity in Female Austrian and Finnish Business Students' Responses to Joanna Kramer (and to each other)

This paper discusses aspects of Austrian and Finnish female business students' responses to the acts and speech of Joanna Kramer in the Oscar winning American film Kramer vs. Kramer. Of special interest are their distinctive conceptions of "equality", "responsibility", "independence" and "choice" in response to the gender-related identity crisis that is the main plot of the film. The cultural meanings of these conceptions were revealed as the following conceptions were played with, or against, each other: "equally divided" and "equally shared" responsibility, "mother" and "father" roles, "family" and "society/day-care centers" in socializing children, and "social partnership" (Austrian) and " sisu " (Finnish) in societal as well as wife-husband relationships. At one level, these conceptions are analyzed as revealing cultural conceptions of personhood and sociation, each of which positions social identities of gender differently. At another level, introduction to a discovery process suggests how perplexity among interlocutors, students and teachers alike, can lead towards pedagogical development, improvement in intercultural communication competence and awareness of ways of talking and living in different cultural landscapes. Reflection on the ways identities are constituted also opens the door to challenging those identities.     

Biculturalism and Architecture in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Europeans have long questioned the relevance and significance of indigenous architecture for contemporary life in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Maori architecture in turn has been influenced from first contact and continues to be shaped and respond to social change. However, there is very little architecture that can be called 'bicultural', other than the so-called Maori church Rangiatea of 1851 and Futuna Chapel over one hundred years later. The architect of Futuna, John Scott, in the Maori Battalion building pointed in possible directions but these were not taken up by the National Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa Tongareva).     

Civic Action and Volunteering: The Changing Space for Popular Engagement in England

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - The idea that volunteering and civic action may both play a role within the work of voluntary organizations has a long...     

Challenges and Recommendations to Enforcement of Alcohol Policies on College Campuses: An Administrator's Perspective

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine challenges and recommendations (identified by college administrators) to enforcing alcohol policies implemented at colleges in the southeastern United States. Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with 71 individuals at 21 institutions. Results: Common challenges included inconsistent enforcement, mixed messages received by students, and students’ attitudes toward alcohol use. The most common recommendations were ensuring a comprehensive approach, collaboration with members of the community, and enhanced alcohol education.     

“I was <Emphasis Type=Italic>that</Emphasis> close”: Investigating Players’ Reactions to Losses,Wins, and Near-Misses on Scratch Cards

While scratch cards are a popular, accessible, and inexpensive form of gambling, very little is known about how they affect and influence the player. This study sought to understand the physiological and subjective experience of scratch card play, with special emphasis on the effect of near-miss outcomes (i.e. uncovering two out of three “grand prize” symbols needed to win said prize), which are remarkably prevalent in scratch card games. Thirty-eight undergraduate students from the University of Waterloo each played two custom scratch card games and experienced three types of outcomes (losses, wins and near-misses) while their skin conductance levels (SCLs) and post-reinforcement pauses were recorded. Each participant also rated each outcome in terms of its subjective level of arousal, valence, and frustration. Our results indicate that players interpreted near-misses as negatively valenced, highly arousing, frustrating losses, and were faster to move onto the next game following this type of outcome than following winning outcomes. Additionally, near-miss outcomes were associated with the largest amount of change in SCLs as the outcome was revealed. This work has implications for the problem gambling literature as it provides evidence of the frustration hypothesis of near-misses in scratch cards, and is the first study to examine the physiological and psychological experiences of scratch card players.     

Understanding and working with adolescent neglect: perspectives from research,young people and professionals

This paper provides an overview of research about adolescent neglect funded by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (now the Department for Education) and the Department of Health. The paper examines what is known from literature about the causes of adolescent neglect, together with its potential consequences for well‐being. Drawing on qualitative data, the concept of neglect is explored from the perspectives of young people themselves and the professionals who work with them. Consideration is given to examples of interventions and preventative models geared towards addressing adolescent neglect. Key findings indicate that there is a need for both a re‐examination of current definitions of neglect in the light of age‐related distinctions and perspectives, and a fuller understanding of the particular needs of adolescents who are experiencing neglect. Additionally, the research highlights that there is a lack of research knowledge about neglectful parenting and the behaviour of young people, as well as limited understanding of interventions with neglected adolescents. Key themes from the research are discussed in terms of their implications for future practice, policy and research in relation to working to improve the welfare of neglected young people.