From old school hunches to departmental lunches*

Despite the steady supply of books on management we still have very few sociological accounts of managerial work and organisation within particular firms and industries. Through first-hand observation and over twelve months intensive interviewing, the authors were able to uncover a virtual anthropology of managerial ideology, generational conflict, career and intra-managerial politics and arbitration in four manufacturing firms. One such case-study firm is presented here. Despite being riven with conflict between an Old School and a New School ascendant, and between conflicting patterns of industrial bureaucracy, ‘Parkers’ is a highly successful company. The use of an external firm of management consultants has helped keep the peace, but beneath the surface there is persistent instability, barely concealed by official euphemisms. Under pressure from the trade unions, from instrumental young managers, and above all from external control by overseas HQ, the Old School believed it is making its last stand. All names and places have of course been changed.     

Integration and Its Future: a case study of primary education and physical disability

This article describes a case study of the integration into mainstream schooling in two LEAs of children of primary school age with physical disabilities. Levels of disability are compared with the location of the children in the school system and any special provision made for them. Quality of provision is also explored. Factors affecting the overall levels of integration in the LEAs and differences between them are examined and the wider implications of recent legislation for the future development of integration are discussed in the light of the findings of the study.     

Transforming national health policy: The significance of the stratification system

Policy formulation and decision-making occur within a continually changing sociopolitical environment. Presently, our national health policy lacks coherence and direction. It also is in a state of transition as evidenced by the recent restricted proposal to expand Medicare coverage to catastrophic illness. A comprehensive strategy for balancing escalating medical, hospital, and insurance costs as well as those associated with long-term care while extending access has not been devised. One of the most salient reasons for this is the failure of policy makers to grasp the complexities of the multifaceted stratification system. Its diverse, interrelated strata based on age, sex, economic status, and race are not incorporated in the process of shaping vitally needed and rational health policy. Doris Y. Wilkinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Kentucky, is a co-principal investigator on an intervention project funded by the National Cancer Institute. She recently received the Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Johns Hopkins University.     

Social Advocacy for Equal Marriage: The Politics of "Rights" and the Psychology of "Mental Health"

Using the contemporary issue of equal access to marriage for same-sex couples as a case study, we examine two distinctive frameworks within which social advocacy may be pursued. We argue that when we speak as psychologists, we use a discourse of mental health; when we speak as social activists, we use a discourse of human rights and justice. Although these two frameworks may converge in supporting equal access to marriage, they represent radically different ways of understanding inequality and advocating for social change. A discourse of mental health focuses on psychological damage or deficit (caused, for example, by the social exclusion of particular groups or individuals. A discourse of rights asserts universally-applicable principles of equality, justice, freedom, and dignity. Further, the paradigmatic framework of psychology as an approach to understanding human beings in the world seems fundamentally antithetical to the conceptual framework of human rights, as a basis for social justice.     

'Your friends don't understand': Invisibility and unmet need in the lives of 'young carers'

This paper is based on a study of the experiences of people identified as ‘young carers’, commissioned by the National Assembly for Wales as part of a wider review of carers’ needs and services. Following a brief review of some of the previous research in this area, the paper reports key findings of the research, using the words of children and young people as much as possible. It then goes on to explore some of the wider implications of this and other research for the identification and support of ‘young carers’ and their families, and for the understanding of the needs and wishes of children and young people so defined. The paper concludes with an alternative definition of a ‘young carer’ and with some recommendations for professional practice, suggesting that the role of social work is crucial in this area of service.     

Divorce and Emerging Adult and Young Women: Building Foundations for Self-Development

Informed by consensual qualitative research methodology, the experiences of nine divorced emerging and young adult women were analyzed. Prior to marriage, themes of feeling unmoored, in transition, and without an anchor shaped their narratives. Lack of self-reflection and evaluation predisposed the participants to making decisions based on partial and “convenient” truths. Unfolding processes led the majority of the women to revisit their premarital selves, engage with the emotional work that was deferred, and build foundations that were growth enhancing. Implications for counselors and related professionals are discussed.     

Data-Driven Organizing: A Community–University Partnership to Address Vacant and Abandoned Property

Vacant and abandoned properties adversely affect the physical, mental, social, and economic health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. This article describes a community–university partnership that combined a multimethod data collection strategy with a novel community-based participatory intervention research model (i.e., data-driven organizing) to address the vacancy problem. The project assessed the conditions of over 1,500 properties in an economically disadvantaged, predominantly African American neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and mobilized residents to use an existing policy mechanism to ameliorate the impact of property vacancy in the community.     

Reclaiming Our Agency in Academia: Engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching in Social Work

In this paper, I argue that as academics we need to engage in self reflection on our own practice as educators. Among many things, this means looking at ourselves and challenging our own unhelpful arguments that work to rob us of our agency in terms of our scholarship. While beginning with an acknowledgement of broader realities, such as neoliberal agendas, that impact on our experiences of tenure and promotion, I wish to push the discussion further by arguing that one form of resistance to these unjust conditions is to reclaim our agency by revaluing our practice as educators.

Hence, this paper begins with a challenge to some of our unhelpful arguments and proceeds to a discussion of several ideas that could be helpful in furthering our scholarship within a climate where quantity supersedes quality and where ‘productivity’ is the defining feature of success. My hope in writing this article is to offer my reflections and experiences as a way for other young academics to enhance their own scholarship. As such, this paper discusses the importance of writing for publication from an untenured academic's point of view and provides ideas that could assist specifically in engaging in the scholarship of teaching.     

When Do First-Year College Students Drink Most During the Academic Year? An Internet-Based Study of Daily and Weekly Drinking

Abstract

Objective: The authors investigated the alcohol consumption trajectories among first-year university students. Participants: A sample of 415 students attending a large university in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, was recruited. Methods: Students completed a baseline questionnaire and 26 weekly brief Internet surveys assessing alcohol consumption from September 2006 to April 2007. Results: Findings indicated that alcohol consumption varies considerably as a function of time of the academic year. Overall trends indicate that students drink more heavily at the beginning of each semester and less during exam periods. Daily patterns indicate that most drinking occurs on weekends. The highest drinking days in the first academic year included Halloween, New Year's Eve, and St. Patrick's Day. Conclusions: The present study provides evidence that periods of high and low alcohol consumption are contingent upon specific events and the time of the year.