The Forms and Structure of International Voluntary Service

International voluntary service (IVS) has a significant and growing presence worldwide. IVS is a policy and program tool used for international development aid, humanitarian relief, and promotion of international understanding. In the last century, forms of IVS have proliferated, while research on scope, effectiveness, and impacts has lagged behind. We propose a typology that addresses duration, nature of service, and degree of “internationality.” Further, we identify IVS networks and support organizations that bolster the capacity of IVS sending and hosting organizations, and in this process create large and little recognized international institutions of cooperation. Building on the typology, we suggest program, policy, and research implications to advance knowledge of the role of IVS, its role in global civil society, and impacts it may have on human conditions and cross-cultural understanding.

Reflections on Katimavik, an innovative Canadian youth program

In this study, two U.S. researchers report findings and conclusions from a 1985 study of Katimavik, a Canadian youth service program. Katimavik has been, in many respects, a unique and successful experiment in youth policy, and the researchers look at the program with an eye toward lessons for the United States.     

Effects of International Volunteering and Service: Individual and Institutional Predictors

Despite unprecedented recent expansion of international volunteering and service (IVS), there has been relatively little research on impacts. This paper proposes a conceptual model for impact research based on existing research evidence published in English. The model suggests that outcomes for host communities, volunteers, and sending communities vary depending on individual and institutional attributes and capacity. How institutions structure and leverage individual capacity influences who participates and how they serve, and shapes the impact of volunteer action. The conceptual model provides directions for future research.

美国及世界各地的资产建设

西方国家传统的扶贫项目主要是以增加穷人收入为核心。但西方的社会政策现在已经开始转向致力于帮助穷人积累资产而使个人、家庭以及社区得以发展的系统。美国以及世界各地都进行了以资产为基础的理论研究以及社会政策的探讨。其中个人发展账户是主要的一种面向低收入家庭的以资产为基础的社会政策手段。资产建设与社会发展同样面临着一些挑战与机遇。     

A Critical Examination of Acculturation: The Impact of Health Behaviors,Social Support and Economic Resources on Birth Weight among Women of Mexican Descent1

Although recent theoretical work points to the multidimensional character of acculturation, empirical studies often fail to operationalize the concept in ways that capture the complexity. This study uses data from indepth interviews with 58 pregnant and recently postpartum women of Mexican descent to demonstrate that prior studies examining acculturation and low birth weight have focused too much on negative health behaviors and too little on social support and access to resources. The analysis also demonstrates the importance of examining social change in sending and receiving communities by addressing the starting point for acculturation and the forces for acculturation in immigrants' lives.     

Policy lessons from children's allowances for children's savings accounts

This article examines the history and current structure of children's allowances around the world as well as the history of such allowances in the United States in an effort to provide the United States with a policy framework for children's savings accounts. The authors also provide policy direction for children's savings accounts.     

Adopting a financial capability and asset-building curriculum at historically Black colleges and universities

ABSTRACT

Social workers currently engage in financial capability practice with low-income and financially vulnerable individuals and families in diverse practice settings, but typically lack professional preparation for this work. In response, several schools of social work have begun adopting financial capability curricula. Using an in-depth interview methodology, this study examines the adoption of a curriculum in financial capability and asset building (FCAB) from the perspectives of faculty and administrators (N = 19) at four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Findings show that key reasons for curriculum adoption are prior working relationships and trust, relevance of FCAB content to student and community needs, and alignment with program, institutional, and professional goals. Using the diffusion of innovation theory to understand curriculum adoption in HBCUs suggests that perhaps trust and relationship building are particularly important in the case of minority serving institutions.     

The Impacts of Individual Development Accounts,Assets, and Debt on Future Orientation and Psychological Depression

Individual development accounts (IDAs) have been adopted in communities across the country as a way of helping lower-income individuals accrue financial assets. These programs match the savings of program participants if they invest them in the purchase of a home, the creation or expansion of a business, or additional education. Beyond the financial benefits of holding assets, scholars have argued that they should also result in psychological benefits such as enhanced future orientations and decreased depression. This study tests this argument with data from a randomized controlled experiment involving 1,103 applicants to an IDA program. The findings show that assignment to the IDA program was not associated with either future orientation or depression 10 years later. The value of assets held at that time, however, was found to be negatively associated with depression. In addition, self-reported financial stress was found to be negatively associated with future orientation and positively associated with depression.     

Limitations of civic service: critical perspectives

Community, national, and international service policies andprograms exist worldwide. Anecdotally, their prevalence hasincreased dramatically in recent years. Their proliferationindicates a tacit presumption of their positive nature. Whileacknowledging the benefits of these programs, we call attentionto the possible limitations of service, including elitism, stateinterests, and imperialism. We emphasize implications for policy,practice, and research.