Testing a Political Economic Theory of the Media: How Were Steel Tariffs Covered?*

Objective. The objective of this article is to test Strömberg's (2001) prediction that newspapers will devote more space to costs of tariffs than to their benefits, using the recent steel tariff issue as a test case. Method. A content analysis was performed on a sample of 123 New York Times (NYT) and 177 Wall Street Journal (WSJ) articles published between January 1 and September 10, 2002. The articles were coded sentence by sentence for pro‐, anti‐, and neutral‐tariff content. Comments or information deemed supportive of the tariffs, that is, touting their benefits, were coded +1, while those emphasizing the costs of tariffs were coded –1. A statement that was neutral with regard to the tariff issue was coded 0. The proportion of sentences coded –1 was then compared with the proportion coded +1. Results. The coders found 395 sentences devoted to the negative impacts of steel tariffs versus 124 sentences devoted to their benefits out of a combined total of 3,207 sentences. The results also reveal a mild “slant” toward free trade in the WSJ relative to the NYT. In the WSJ, the proportion of lines criticizing tariffs (0.11) exceeds the proportion supporting tariffs (0.02) by a wider margin than in the NYT (0.13 vs. 0.06). Conclusions. This article provides empirical support for Strömberg's (2001) political economy model of the media. The model implies that mass media will weaken the power of special‐interest lobbies relative to unorganized interests. Specifically, the data support Strömberg's prediction that more newspaper space would be devoted to the costs of steel tariffs—which are widely dispersed—than to their benefits—which are narrowly targeted.     

Using Video Interviewing in the Assessment of Social Work Communication Skills

The social work degree has now been introduced in England andit is timely to reflect on and evaluate key changes made bymany universities in this process. This paper reflects on thebeginning of such an evaluation, presenting a case study ofassessment changes made in relation to communication skillsteaching in a post-1992 university. This will act as a vehicleto explore some of the inherent complexities involved. Assessmentmethods implemented on social work courses should be scrutinizedin relation to their validity, reliability and feasibility.Drawing upon multi-professional literature, one such processof scrutiny is described, with the intention of contributingto current debates regarding communication skills within thewider arena of developing social work education. The case studypresented outlines how one social work programme changed itsmethod of assessing communication skills for social work students.It explores the processes involved in moving from an essay assignmentto the use of video interviews, supplemented by a written reflectiveself-evaluation undertaken in relation to the interview process.The views of students are outlined via their responses to aquestionnaire and the paper highlights key themes identifiedby a student focus group.     

Quality Indicators: Disabled Children's and Parents' Prioritizations and Experiences of Quality Criteria when Using Different Types of Support Services

Correspondence to Dr Wendy Mitchell, Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK. E-mail: wam1{at}york.ac.uk Summary Current health and social care policy seeks to develop and refinestandards of service quality. However, policies have so farlargely focused upon statistically based service output indicators.Recognizing the importance and yet limitations of this, especiallyin services for disabled children and their families, this paperdraws upon qualitative and quantitative data to explore indicatorsthat are meaningful and relevant to disabled children and theirfamilies. Results demonstrate the need to look beyond a genericfamily-based perception of service quality, as children andparents value different aspects of service quality and prioritizedifferent indicators when using different types of services.Although some indicators are regarded as ‘core’quality indicators, irrespective of service type, others areonly prioritized for specific types of services.     

Normative Trends in Children's Perceptions of Availability and Utilization of Attachment Figures in Middle Childhood

Two studies addressed the normative aspects of attachments to mothers and fathers in middle childhood. Using both cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons, we tested the hypothesis that children show no changes in perceptions of availability of attachment figures across the later middle childhood years, but do utilize attachment figures less at older ages. The first study included a cross-sectional comparison of third and sixth graders, and the second study was a follow-up on the third graders when they were in fifth grade. Both studies suggested a decline in utilization, but not in perceptions of availability of attachment figures within the later middle childhood years. Study 1 also demonstrated that children turn to parents to meet attachment needs, and peers to meet companionship needs. Study 2 examined individual differences in attachment by exploring how changes in attachment to mothers from third to fifth grade were related to children's social adjustment at fifth grade. Increases in perceptions of availability forecast better emotional and behavioral regulation at fifth grade. Changes in utilization of attachment figures showed both linear and nonlinear relations to regulation.     

Child Maltreatment Intervention: Directions and Issues

This article begins with a brief review of various non-medical intervention procedures for child maltreatment. Psychological intervention is reviewed in more depth, with an emphasis placed on those treatments which have been empirically evaluated. Finally, the article discusses methodological and ethical issues concerning outcome research on maltreatment intervention.     

Complex trauma and mental health in children and adolescents placed in foster care: findings from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Many children in the child welfare system (CWS) have histories of recurrent interpersonal trauma perpetrated by caregivers early in life often referred to as complex trauma. Children in the CWS also experience a diverse range of reactions across multiple areas of functioning that are associated with such exposure. Nevertheless, few CWSs routinely screen for trauma exposure and associated symptoms beyond an initial assessment of the precipitating event. This study examines trauma histories, including complex trauma exposure (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, domestic violence), posttraumatic stress, and behavioral and emotional problems of 2,251 youth (age 0 to 21; M = 9.5, SD = 4.3) in foster care who were referred to a National Child Traumatic Stress Network site for treatment. High prevalence rates of complex trauma exposure were observed: 70.4% of the sample reported at least two of the traumas that constitute complex trauma; 11.7% of the sample reported all 5 types. Compared to youth with other types of trauma, those with complex trauma histories had significantly higher rates of internalizing problems, posttraumatic stress, and clinical diagnoses, and differed on some demographic variables. Implications for child welfare practice and future research are discussed.     

‘Exercise is medicine’: Understanding the exercise beliefs and practices of older Chinese women immigrants in British Columbia, Canada

In this paper we examine how Western biomedical beliefs around exercise and related health practices compare and contrast with traditional Chinese medicine's (TCM) conceptions of health and exercise in a globalizing society, and how these narratives about health and physical activity are understood and taken up by 15 aging Chinese immigrant women (aged 65+) living in the multicultural city of Vancouver. Drawing upon theoretical work around the body and society to guide our analysis (including the ideas of Bourdieu and Foucault), we outline how the participants in our project take a pragmatic approach to their use of medicine, combining TCM with Western biomedicine in creative ways. However, understandings of the body are underpinned, we argue, by Eastern narratives of the ‘oneness’ of mind-body and the need for ‘balance’ in order to achieve health. Towards this end, we found that many of the participants view (and use) traditional Chinese body practices as an extension of TCM, a technique to help them achieve balance. We conclude that the neoliberal narrative of personal responsibility for health does not fuel the exercise practices of many of the participants, but rather that they perceive exercise as a pleasurable activity that improves their levels of happiness (and balance) and enhances their lives.     

Israeli policy toward veterans with disabilities: a snapshot and insights of the proposed reform

The policy toward Israeli veterans with disabilities is based on the Invalids Law (Benefits and Rehabilitation) of 1949 . This legislation has served as the foundation for an intricate disability policy, providing benefits and psychosocial services for veterans with disabilities. Sixty two years later, in light of the emergence of a new social model and disability rights conceptualization, there is a need to reevaluate the current legislation and policy. In this article the authors present the essence of the current Israeli disability policy and explore the applications of a proposed reform aimed at adapting the disability policy and services to the new principles of the social model of disability.