Hyping White Hopes: Press Agentry and Its Media Affiliations During the Era of Jack Johnson, 1908–1915

The social presence of African American boxing champion Jack Johnson stands out among the most controversial social and media issues of the early 20th century. This study examines the manner in which press agentry shaped and animated this 6-year historical episode. It portrays press agentry not merely in terms of personalities, but also in terms of a network of social and economic affiliations among promoters, sports celebrities, and the press. I argue that understanding these affiliations not only better informs the Johnson situation, but it also sheds light on the ambivalent relationship between journalism and publicity practices over time.     

Supply and demand: A study of labour market trends and the employment of new social work graduates in victoria

Abstract

At a time of significant restructuring in the community services labour market, it is particularly pertinent to analyse the current labour market opportunities available to new social work graduates. In 1995, using a small RMIT-funded (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) research grant, five schools of social work in Victoria collaborated to pilot a survey of the employment paths of the previous year's social work graduates. The survey was repeated in 1996. A complementary project which analysed the job advertisements for social work and social work-related positions during six months in both 1995 and 1996 provided further insight into the employment opportunities being advertised. Survey results showed a high rate of employment among new graduates with a decreasing number of graduates being employed in designated “social work” positions. This trend was reflected in the requirements for the positions advertised. The implications of this diversity of jobs and the decrease in designated “social work” positions are discussed, particularly in terms of broader changes in the world of work.     

A comparison of estimation procedures for the parameters of the star model

A simulation experiment compares the accuracy and precision of three alternate estimation techniques for the parameters of the STARMA model. Maximum likelihood estimation, in most ways the "best" estimation procedure, involves a large amount of computational effort so that two approximate techniques, exact least squares and conditional maximum likelihood, are often proposed for series of moderate lengths. This simulation experiment compares the accuracy of these three estimation procedures for simulated series of various lengths, and discusses the appropriateness of the three procedures as a function of the length of the observed series.     

Chemical Scoring by a Rapid Screening of Hazard (RASH) Method

A rapid screening of hazard method (RASH) is presented for deriving relative potency estimates for hazardous substances. The method utilizes data from any available toxicological database such as the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS) or EPA's GENE-TOX database on genetic activity profiles. The method has been applied to derive relative potency values and permissible environmental concentrations for 278 chemicals. The derived values have been compared with recommendations of expert committees where possible, and substantial agreement is found.     

Laws and sexual identities: closing or opening the circle?

This essay considers, in comparative perspective, the articles in this volume to see what lessons might be learned with respect to the effectiveness of human rights norms in the struggle for GLBT rights and how these lessons might be used for successful activism. It notes that the concept of "GLBT" is itself not uniform, so that "GLBT rights" must also be contextual. It argues that successful change has been wrought when GLBT rights, however perceived, have been built onto the earlier successes of other movements, such as those for racial and gender equality. This in turn requires, and is assisted by, throwing off parochialism which prevents or hampers the building on the successes that may have occurred in other jurisdictions. Activism needs to be fitted to context, so that a "critical mass" is achieved, allowing sufficient acceptance of change. Once this is translated into law, a "halo" effect is produced. However, this is not the end of the problem, but the beginning of a new set of problems.     

An overview of the national EEOC ADA research project

The authors outline the development and scope of the National EEOC ADA Research Project which resulted from a cooperative agreement between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Virginia Commonwealth University. Research questions, the EEOC database, extraction of study data, limitations of the data, the organization of research teams, and the contents of this special issue of WORK are described.     

Patterns of Nonverbal Behavior and Sensivity in the Context of Attachment Relations

Nonverbal behavior and sensitivity to a relationship partner’s nonverbal behavior importantly influence the quality of interpersonal interactions and relationships, including attachment relationships. The abilities to encode, or express, and to decode, or understand, nonverbal cues are crucial to effective communication of emotions and are associated with social adjustment and relationship satisfaction. One important social context for the development and use of nonverbal encodingand decoding abilities is what Bowlby (1969/1982, Attachment and loss: Vol.1.Attachment (2nd ed.). New York: Basic Books) called attachment relationships—interpersonal relationships in which one person’s emotional security depends on another person’s sensitive, responsive caregiving and support. In this paper, we present theoretical ideas, review relevant research, and propose new avenues of research dealing with associations between attachment-related processes and patterns of nonverbal behavior and sensitivity in adulthood, two domains of research that have not previously been adequately connected.     

Goal Direction and Effectiveness, Emotional Maturity, and Nuclear Family Functioning

Differentiation of self, a cornerstone concept in Bowen theory, has a profound influence over time on the functioning of the individual and his or her family unit. This 5-year longitudinal study tested this hypothesis with 50 developing nuclear families. The dimensions of differentiation of self that were examined were goal direction and effectiveness and emotional maturity. A qualitative analysis of participants' goals demonstrated that couples with higher functioning developing nuclear families, when compared with couples with lower functioning families, placed more emphasis on family goals, had more balance between family and personal goals, and pursued more goals over the 5 years. The quantitative analysis supported the hypothesis that goal effectiveness and emotional maturity influenced variation in nuclear family functioning. In addition, couple goal effectiveness and emotional maturity were associated with nuclear family functioning more strongly than individual goal effectiveness and emotional maturity were associated with individual functioning.