Evolutionary Theory and Neuroscience: An Explanatory Theory for Social Work

Evolutionary theory and neuroscience are recommended as a foundational theory for social work. Advantages of evolutionary theory include explanatory power, suggestion of interventions to beginning social work practitioners, and accommodation of more specific theories of human behavior. The explanatory power of neuroscience is also discussed, along with its evidence base and compatibility with the strengths perspective and destigmatization work of the profession. Connections between evolutionary theory, neuroscience, and social work values are also discussed.     

College students’ use of transportation networking companies: An opportunity to decrease substance-impaired driving

Abstract

Objective: To examine the use of transportation networking companies (TNCs) (eg, Uber) among substance-using students in rural and urban college settings. Participants: Students at two large state universities were randomly selected and screened for substance use. Participants reported use of TNCs generally and after substance use and whether TNC use was on or near campus or in other environments. Methods: Data were evaluated using chi-square test, t-tests, and Fisher’s exact tests. Results: Most (85%) participants (n?=?99, 61% response rate) had used a TNC. Among students who used TNCs on/near campus, 98% of rural students used them after substance use compared to 85% of urban students (p?=?.037). We did not detect differences in TNC use by gender or age. Conclusions: Results indicate that TNC use is common after college student substance use and may play a particularly important role in preventing impaired driving for rural campuses where existing transportation options are limited.     

Knowledge transfer in MNCs: Examining how intrinsic motivations and knowledge sourcing impact individual centrality and performance

Studies investigating individual performance in knowledge-intensive work are finding that individual performance is a result, to some degree, of obtaining the right information to solve novel, challenging problems. Yet we know little about the role that the individual plays in the knowledge processes in multinationals and the relationship between individual knowledge sourcing activities and performance. Our expectation is that successful knowledge transfer will be based on an individual's intrinsic motivation, access to knowledge from explicit or tacit knowledge sources within and across firm boundaries, and position in the overall advice network of the multinational corporation. Using survey and social network data collected in one multinational consulting firm, we investigated the knowledge sourcing activities and informal advice networks for 1439 of the entire 1698 individuals in one multinational spread across 28 offices (84.7% response rate). Through hierarchical regression analysis we find that 1) intrinsic motivations are strongly related to creativity and efficiency and 2) MNCs should support individual level activities that include not only the use of internal knowledge sources but also the use of external knowledge sources. Research results also suggest that 3) there are different patterns of knowledge sourcing activities based on whether efficient or creative performance is the goal and 4) these differ significantly depending upon the functional group to which the individual belongs. Implications for theories of the knowledge-based view of the multinational corporation and practical implications for managers are discussed.     

Using satellite remote sensing and household survey data to assess human health and nutrition response to environmental change

Climate change and degradation of ecosystem services functioning may threaten the ability of current agricultural systems to keep up with demand for adequate and inexpensive food and for clean water, waste disposal and other broader ecosystem services. Human health is likely to be affected by changes occurring across multiple geographic and time scales. Impacts range from increasing transmissibility and the range of vectorborne diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever, to undermining nutrition through deleterious impacts on food production and concomitant increases in food prices. This paper uses case studies to describe methods that make use of satellite remote sensing and Demographic and Health Survey data to better understand individual-level human health and nutrition outcomes. By bringing these diverse datasets together, the connection between environmental change and human health outcomes can be described through new research and analysis.     

Race, Identities and Lives

This paper uses an individual biography to make an analysis of racialized identity. It explores the connections between subjectivity and the broader social scenes in which it operates, and argues that identity is the outcome of a negotiation between existential conceptions of the self in racial terms, and the administrative mechanisms through which individuals are dealt with as members of social categories. By thinking about identity in terms of specific forms of alterity, mobility and conceptions of home, this paper argues that lives acquire race through their social practices and spatial arrangements.     

Knowledge and education for peoples’ sovereignty

ABSTRACT

Living examples of peoples’ sovereignty can illustrate the path toward positive people-centred alternatives to control by the capitalist State, wealthy private land-owners and corporations. Efforts to undermine Indigenous and other peoples’ sovereignty have been deliberate and continue to take place in industrialized and ‘developing’ countries. Yet peoples’ sovereignty has the capacity to unite and educate people in important ways. Many examples of education to promote peoples’ sovereignty are emerging, building on the knowledge that communities have generated over time. This is a very different educational model than the one most commonly recognized and implemented in industrialized societies. People working in higher education everywhere have the responsibility to educate our students about the history of colonization and destruction of peoples’ sovereignty, so that they understand the real history of their countries, to build alliances with other educators globally, and to form bonds of solidarity with peoples’ movements.     

The Impact of Paternity and Marital Status on Low Birth Weight and Preterm Births

In the United States the number of births to unmarried mothers is at a record high. Although being unmarried is a significant risk factor for low birth weight and preterm births, paternal presence may have a protective effect. In addition to marital status, paternity may be a proxy measure for paternal support. Virginia birth registry data were analyzed to investigate the effect of marital and paternity status on low birth weight and preterm births. Findings from this study show that women who reported being unmarried and with no paternity status were 1.6 (odds ratio = 1.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.41–1.75) and 1.4 (odds ratio = 1.39, 95% confidence interval = 1.21–1.61) times more likely to have preterm low birth weight and term low birth weight babies, respectively. Being unmarried and lack of established paternity appear to be significantly correlated with and may be important risk factors for preterm and low birth weight deliveries. Health care professionals should be aware of the potential role of paternal presence and marital status may play with respect to preterm births and low birth weight.     

Developmental Foundations and Clinical Applications of Social Information Processing: A Review

Social information processing has emerged as an important construct in understanding children's interpersonal functioning. This article reviews (1) the theoretical models guiding research, (2) the development of normative and atypical social problem solving, and (3) the connection between social information processing and individual differences in functioning. Finally, this review ends with a summary of efficacy of programs aimed at preventing social information processing biases or intervening with youth who display dysfunctional social information processing skills.