Housing strategies in an uncertain market

The slump in house prices in the early 1990s created a degree of uncertainty in the housing market which contrasts markedly with the optimism of the 1980s. In particular, the market downturn made it sharply apparent that there could be losers as well as winners in the unstable housing market. This study looks at a sample of owner occupiers drawn from Glasgow and Bristol in 1995. While still endorsing home ownership as the major housing option and as potentially enabling in housing and neighbourhood terms, a note of caution is recognisable. Aspirations to climb the housing ‘ladder’ are tempered by fear of overextending financially and by the broader uncertainties that people perceive to be endemic in the labour market and the housing market. Strategies reflect both diverse personal histories and the adoption of defensive or risk reduction options. For many respondents maintaining current housing standards is more important than market advancement.     

The Great Regions: Wide Europe and China Make the Future Global Growth

EU is an economic super power and ASEAN is an economic mini power. In demographic view, EU is a mini power and ASEAN is a super power. EU has a kind of hydraulic power that no other institution has. Could it be that Europe as a whole is insulated against the sufferings and the fate of irreversible relative decline in the world? Perhaps like China, Europe need not be down and out forever. If one strategy is not working, more of the same is probably not the solution. So, Europe needs to do things differently—all depend on transparent governance and wiser policies.     

When Social Work and Psychoanalysis Meet

In this paper I share my personal journey from agency social worker to psychoanalyst. I show how I have brought to my psychoanalytic work the teachings of such well known social workers as Mary Richmond, Bertha Reynolds, Gordon Hamilton, and Florence Hollis as well those of such contemporary social workers as the late Gertrude and Rubin Blanck, Nancy Bridges, and Eda Goldstein, among others. In the presentation, I also consider how social work values, social work ethics and social work attitudes have influenced my approach to the practice of psychoanalysis. The attitudes which I refer to, include flexibility, beginning where the client is; an appreciation of the importance of understanding a patient’s cultural background and a recognition of the importance of the relationship in the therapeutic encounter. These were not standard for psychoanalysts at the time I began to practice. Today however psychoanalysis has largely caught up with social work, and this paper affirms how those of us who have had a social work background are well prepared for psychoanalysis in the 21st century.

Evaluation and Implementation of a Telepsychiatry Trial in the Emergency Department of a Metropolitan Public Hospital

Telepsychiatry via video conferencing is not new to mental health but has been expanding at a rapid rate over recent years. Initially it was introduced for treatment in remote and rural communities, but it is now being utilized in larger health settings due to increasing patient demand and cost-effectiveness. Emergency departments are becoming increasingly burdened, as the workforce cannot keep pace with the rising demand of patient mental health needs. While telepsychiatry has been shown to have treatment efficacy, research is still relatively new, especially within the emergency department context.     

Stressful and positive experiences of women who served in Vietnam

Experiences of women who served during the Vietnam War have been described in interviews/anecdotal reports but rarely in empirical literature. Potential positive (versus negative) aspects of service or its impact on well-being are seldom considered. We describe stressful and positive experiences reported by approximately 1,300 female military personnel, Red Cross workers, and others deployed to Vietnam. Prominent stressful (e.g., negative living/working conditions) and positive (e.g., interpersonal relationships) themes and differences based on trauma history, Vietnam experiences, and group membership are explored. We evaluate associations between themes and psychological well-being. Findings provide insight into experiences of this understudied group of women.     

The ant and the grasshopper revisited: The present psychological benefits of saving and future oriented financial behaviors

This study examines the impact of saving and future-oriented financial behaviors on young adults’ well-being. Using two-timed longitudinal data (N = 748) collected both prior to and during the economic crisis, we tested and confirmed a psychological process model (i.e., financial attitude → behavioral intention → actual behavior → well-being), one that included parental norms, perceived behavioral control and financial planning horizon as antecedent factors. Our findings indicate that the more positive a young adult’s attitude toward financial behaviors, and the greater his/her perception of parental expectations, then the stronger will be this young adult’s intention to perform such behaviors. We found that behavioral intention at Time 1 contributed to actual financial behaviors at Time 2, which in turn was positively related to a young adult’s present sense of well-being. We also found that perceived behavioral control and financial planning horizon influenced both behavioral intention and actual behavior. Although perceived impact of the economic crisis moderated the link between past and present well-being, it did not affect the hierarchical flow of the model. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our study pertaining to consumer financial education.     

Mexican and Swedish Managers' Perceptions of the Impact of EIS on Organizational Intelligence,Decision Making,and Structure*

Although information technologies in business organizations around the world may be very similar, the meanings conveyed through the technologies may be dependent on managerial values and national culture. Cultural differences need to be understood before information technology developed for organizations in one country can be effectively implemented in organizations in another country. Drawing on survey responses from managers using Executive Information Systems (EIS) across many organizations in Mexico, Sweden, and the United States, the current study examined whether cultural differences influence perceptions of the relationship between Executive Information Systems' use and various outcomes related to decision-making behaviors and processes. The study found significant differences, predicted by cultural factors, in the impact of EIS use on senior management decision making. The findings confirm the notion that IT is used by executives to reinforce the decision-making behaviors valued in their culture.     

Black–White Marriages: The Moderating Role of Openness on Experience of Couple Discrimination and Marital Satisfaction

This study examined how open communication between spouses may buffer against discrimination experienced by Black–White couples. Results from 178 couples analyzed using a combination of common‐fate and actor–partner interdependence models, indicated that for Black partners, marital satisfaction was not contingent on the level of openness when experiences of couple discrimination were low. When experiences of couple discrimination were high, levels of marital satisfaction were maintained among partners who reported high openness and reduced among partners who reported low openness. Moderation effects were not found for White partners. The results suggest that because Black partners are more aware of and sensitized to discrimination, White partners’ abilities to attune to their partners’ needs for support could help enhance their relationships.     

‘Being young and LGBT,what could be worse?’ Analysis of youth LGBT activism in Indonesia: challenges and ways forward

Young Indonesian LGBT people are currently mobilising against a wave of conservatism and violence in an increasingly anti-LGBT context. Young LGBT people are showing remarkable courage and strategic thinking and mobilising in a range of ways. These include grassroot peer support, advocacy, and partnerships with government, adult-led non-government organisations and the private sector. However, these youth also face multiple challenges. This article highlights findings from a 2016 study of mobilisation by youth LGBT activists, using in-depth feminist qualitative research methods. The aim of the research was to highlight the resilience of young LGBT people in Indonesia, the barriers they face, and to consider what feminists and development policymakers and practitioners can do to support them.