Changing Meanings of Authority in Contemporary Rural India

The article explores political meanings in the context of recent economic and political changes in a village in south India. Cultural constructions of political relations emerged in conversations between the author and village informants in Andhra Pradesh. Informants perceived decline in the power and authority of former village lords and talked about the establishment of authority in the new setting. In processes of democratization which had taken place, showing and receiving honor and respect continued as political and social preoccupations. However, deserving honor and respect has become less a statement about political superiority and domination and more about individual moral qualities.

The Monetary Value of Voluntary Work: Conceptual and Empirical Comparisons

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive comparison of different valuation approaches for estimating the monetary value of voluntary work both conceptually and empirically. This study adds to the literature by suggesting two approaches: (1) the leisure-adjusted opportunity cost approach (OCA), which corrects for voluntary work being a leisure substitute, is suggested as an alternative to the alternative-employment wage approach (AEWA). And (2) the volunteer judgment replacement wage approach (RWA), where volunteers state a wage rate that they consider adequate for the task they perform, is suggested as an alternative to the generic RWA. Using data on volunteers in German non-profit sports clubs (n = 566), the valuations show that the monetary value of 1 h of voluntary work is highest for the generic RWA (€14.27), followed by the AEWA (€14.03), the volunteer judgment RWA (€9.98), and the leisure-adjusted OCA (€1.78).

     

Processes of Religious and Spiritual Influence in Adolescence: Introduction to a Special Section

This paper serves as the lead article introducing the special section of the Journal of Research on Adolescence focused on processes of religious and spiritual influence during adolescence. The purpose of the special section is to review prior theory and research on the processes by which religiosity and spirituality might influence youth outcomes, present original cutting‐edge theory and research on processes of religious and spiritual influence, and point to the most fruitful directions and methodological approaches for future work in the area. The special section is guided by eight research questions which push researchers to go beyond mere bivariate associations between religion/spirituality and youth outcomes to unpacking the processes of influence at work.     

Student Perceptions of Web-Assisted Teaching Strategies

This study determines which Web-assisted teaching strategies social work students from a single university experience and perceive as valuable. The results demonstrate that most faculty use email, post grades online, and give out student email addresses to the class. Students perceive email communication with the instructor and the online provision of course information as the most valuable strategies. The impact of several student characteristics on value perception is also examined, revealing varying levels of influence. These findings suggest that the strategies students report as the most valuable are not necessarily the strategies most frequently used by faculty.     

Social Context of Smoking Hookah Among College Students: Scale Development and Validation

Abstract

Objective: To develop an instrument that measures the social context of hookah use among college students. Participants: A pool of 50 potential items, based on 44 in-depth interviews with regular college hookah smokers, was administered to a sample of 274 hookah users between October and December 2011. Methods: Participants were approached in hookah bars and asked to complete the survey. Results: A principle components analysis revealed 3 reliable factors: social facilitation, family/cultural influence, and alternative to smoking cigarettes and drinking. These were examined across different categories of hookah use: Weekly hookah users were more likely to smoke in a context of social facilitation than the other 2 groups. Similar effects were observed for family/cultural influence. Asians were more likely to smoke in a context of family and cultural influence than non-Asians. Conclusions: This scale has potential for identifying situation-specific contexts of hookah use that may help in designing effective interventions for college students.     

Improving Intimate Partner Violence Services in Home Visiting: A Multisite Learning Collaborative Approach

Abstract

To improve intimate partner violence (IPV) service delivery, the Florida Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Initiative’s continuous quality improvement (CQI) team implemented a Breakthrough Series model Learning Collaborative with eight program sites. Using mixed-methods, we: examined post-Collaborative changes in Florida MIECHV home visitors’ knowledge, system awareness, and confidence; identified strategies to address challenges in supporting families with IPV; and assessed post-Collaborative program improvements. The Collaborative included three interactive 2-day sessions, six webinars, and testing strategies using the Model for Improvement (Plan-Do-Study-Act). Three online surveys assessed changes influencing IPV screening, referrals, and safety planning. Thematic content analysis of qualitative data revealed existing barriers and strategies to address challenges. Home visitors reported accurate knowledge (change: 2.3%-34.8%), confidence (change: 31.8%-37.9%), and system awareness (change: 22.7%-53.5%) for all items from baseline to final survey. There was also an increase in rates of IPV screening (change: 88.0%-91.0%) and referrals (change: 43.0%-100.0%). Strategies for addressing challenges in supporting families experiencing IPV were identified at the individual (self-care, continuous education); interpersonal (reflective supervision, trauma-informed approach); organizational (defining success, supportive agency/program, policies); and community (collaboration with IPV service providers) levels. Lessons learned from the MIECHV IPV Learning Collaborative informed future CQI projects.