‘Growing Old’ in Shelters and ‘On the Street’: Experiences of Older Homeless People

Homelessness among older people in Canada is both a growing concern, and an emerging field of study. This article reports thematic results of qualitative interviews with 40 people aged 46 to 75, carried out as part of a mixed-methods study of older people who are homeless in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Our participants included people with histories of homelessness (n = 14) and persons new to homelessness in later life (n = 26). Interviews focused on experiences at the intersections of aging and homelessness including social relationships, the challenges of living on the streets and in shelters in later life, and the future. This article outlines the 5 main themes that capture the experience of homelessness for our participants: age exacerbates worries; exclusion and isolation; managing significant challenges; shifting needs and realities; and resilience, strength, and hope. Together, these findings underscore the need for specific programs geared to the unique needs of older people who are homeless.     

College students with congenital heart disease: A critical time for transition

As medical and surgical advances improve, more young adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) are attending college. This case study illustrates some of the issues that these young adults may face as they attend college and discusses the role that college health practitioners can play in easing that transition. Participants: A case of a male with CHD presenting to the college health clinic with a new onset headache. Methods: The authors discuss some of the unique challenges that college health practitioners may face when caring for students with CHD. In addition, they make recommendations on how best to care for these patients and how best to coordinate care with CHD students other care providers. Results: This student with a history of coarctation of the aorta presented with new onset headaches and was found to have high blood pressure. He was diagnosed with recurrent coarctation, underwent percutaneous treatment with stenting and quickly resumed classes. Conclusions: As more students with CHD enter college, college health providers will need to understand some of the health risks that CHD students face. In addition, understanding some of the optimal ways to coordinate care with CHD providers can ease the transition that CHD students face as they enter college.     

Relationship building as integral to British activism: its impact on accountability in broadcasting

This study examines the strategies and impact of six activist groups concerned about British broadcasting policies and programming. Particular emphasis is placed on strategic relationship building, which played a central role in groups’ interactions with target publics, and on the activists’ perspective. The study is contextualized within the political culture of the United Kingdom and a changing broadcasting landscape. The data suggested that building strategic relationships is one of the major ways in which pressure groups have an impact on their targets. When assessing effectiveness, respondents looked beyond tangible gains by activists to long-term relationships with targets, which were contingent on critical dimensions. These included trust, mutual respect, openness and access. Groups bolstered their credibility by engaging in research and structuring educational events such as conferences and symposia, in which they enhanced the scope and quality of debate about broadcasting policy. Public relations has a role in facilitating both citizen debate within the public sphere of civil society and the relationships that make such debate possible. These groups may be a model for activists in other societies.     

阿拉伯伦理学

伊斯兰教前阿拉伯人的伦理道德是由他们生活的自然条件和沙漠社会所决定的 ,是一种不自觉的自然状态 ;阿拉伯人接受伊斯兰教信仰后 ,在人生观、宇宙观、生死观等诸多意识形态领域内的认识发生了重大的变化 ,发生了质的飞跃 ,这时候的伦理道德是一种自觉的理性表现。伊斯兰的基本信仰———确信真主及其使者———就成了伊斯兰道德的基础 ,一切言行都要按照真主的命令认真去做。阿拉伯伊斯兰伦理在道德与行为 (工作、弃恶从善、履行诺言等 )、道德与修养 (容忍、宽恕、平等、民主等 )、主张男女平等、维护妇女权益以及与现代文明关系诸多方面 ,都表现出了它独有的特征     

关敬吾论日本传统故事的类型与结构

本文是日本民俗学家关敬吾先生对日本传统故事的概念界定以及对之内容、结构特点的概括,作为“他山之石”,可以给中国民俗学理论研究提供参考。     

新媒体艺术的审美新奇--感官的延伸亦或损毁的共通感?

具有历史意义的技术革新不仅决定着现实世界中人与人之间的社会经济、政治关系,同时决定着人类感觉器官和人类自身本体性的改变。正如马克思指出的,技术形象地阐释了人与自然之间的相互作用,同时改变了人类在具体化时被历史性建构和发展的方式。麦克卢汉认为,由技术扩张带来的感官延伸会在所有的感官中产生新的感官比例。他还强调,多感官、多能力的延伸同属于一个经验范畴,因而必须协同一致。针对所谓的新媒体艺术的议题,笔者的目标是在当下后福特主义的情境中检测“解放性的新事物”。如果说,(新)媒体的影响力只能在能够改变人与人之间个体相互作用的方式中进行检验,联系麦克卢汉的相关理论,那么,不用考虑任何新“技术”,艺术解放力即被看作是消解共通感的变革力量。      

阅读毛泽东文本：认识论问题

毛泽东的认识论并非严格意义上的经验主义,而是经验主义和理性主义的混合物。研究毛泽东的思想需要理论干预,应将其文本看作理论推演的实体,并关注文本中现有的理论主张、合乎逻辑的假设和建构方式及其相互间的关系以及这些关系的一致性和连贯性程度。     

Elementary School-age Children's Attitudes Toward Children in Same-Sex Parent Families

As numbers of families with same-sex parents increase in the United States, children are more likely to encounter diverse family structures. Given that young children can demonstrate in-group bias, prejudicial attitudes, and social exclusion, it is important to understand how children perceive their peers in diverse families. To our knowledge, no studies have assessed elementary-school-age children's attitudes about same-sex parent families. Here, 131 elementary school students (M_age = 7.79 years; 61 girls) viewed images of same-sex (female and male) and other-sex couples with a child and then were asked about their perceptions of these families, particularly the children. Results indicated participants' preferences toward children with other-sex versus same-sex parents. Developmental and practical implications about children's attitudes toward sexual minority parent families are discussed.     

Socializing Children About Family Structure: Perspectives of Lesbian and Gay Adoptive Parents

Despite increasing numbers of lesbian- and gay- (LG-) parent families, little research on LG-adoptive-parent families has examined parental beliefs and perceptions related to discussing their sexual minority status with their children. This study assessed 266 LG adoptive parents (160 lesbian mothers, 106 gay fathers) from the Modern Adoptive Families (MAF) study, a nationwide survey (2012–2013) of adoptive parents' pre- and post-placement experiences. A cultural socialization lens provided the framework for examining LG parenting beliefs and practices. Two measurement scales were developed to examine parents' perceptions and self-efficacy related to socializing their child about being in a sexual-minority-parent family. Results indicate that LG parents endorse the importance of unique socialization practices and generally feel confident engaging in these practices. Parent education, transracial adoption, endorsement of racial socialization, and socialization self-efficacy were positively associated with endorsement of socialization practices. Excellent reliability suggests the 2 scales have the potential of being psychometrically sound instruments with which to measure parental endorsement and related self-efficacy of socialization practices for families headed by sexual minority parents. Findings contribute to a deeper understanding of socialization and communication patterns in LG-headed families, especially those formed through adoption. Research, policy, and practice implications are discussed.