Understanding human ambivalence about sex: The effects of stripping sex of meaning

We offer a theoretical perspective to provide insight into why people are ambivalent about sex and why cultures regulate sex and attach symbolic meaning to it. Building on terror management theory, we propose that sex is problematic for humankind in part because it reminds us of our creaturely mortal nature. Two experiments investigated the effects of reminding people of the similarity between humans and other animals on their reactions to the physical aspects of sex. In Study 1, priming human‐animal similarities led to increased accessibility of death‐related thoughts after thinking about the physical but not romantic aspects of sex. In Study 2, when participants were reminded of similarities between humans and other animals, mortality salience resulted in decreased attraction to the physical but not romantic aspects of sex. In each study, priming thoughts about how humans are distinct from animals eliminated the association between sex and death.     

Appalachian Women: A Study of Resiliency Assets and Cultural Values

ABSTRACT

There is scant literature addressing Appalachian women, their resiliency, and their cultural values. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore what constitutes resiliency for Appalachian women. The following research questions were explored: (a) Are Appalachian values reflected in Appalachian women's perceived resiliency during their school-age years, ages 5–18; and (b) if so, which Appalachian values emerged in these women's external and internal developmental assets? Ten Appalachian women were interviewed and asked to reflect on developmental assets during their school-age years. The study results indicated a relationship between developmental resiliency assets during youth as they corresponded with nine Appalachian values. The results indicate that Appalachian women's cultural values foster their strengths and resilience. This study supports the significance of practitioners acknowledging the importance of cultural values in counseling strategy. Implications and suggestions for future research are suggested     

Why was the berdache ridiculed?

Several anthropological explanation of why North American Indian berdaches were riduculed are considered and rejected in favor of the proposal that berdaches were laughed at largely in the context of traditional joking relationships. Consequently, reports that Indians ridiculed berdaches need not be interpreted as evidence that they held negative views of homosexuality.     

“They're not my favourite people”: What mothers who have experienced intimate partner violence say about involvement in the child protection system

Although the primary aim of child protection services (CPS) is to ensure the well-being and safety of children, policy decision-makers and service providers are increasingly concerned about the potential harm children encounter when they witness the abuse of their caregivers. Researchers who have conducted reviews of child protection files in both Canada and the United States report that few cases in which intimate partner violence (IPV) is substantiated are referred for additional services. In this article, we question whether this response is appropriate. Through examining the results of a qualitative study with sixty-four women who experienced IPV and were thus involved in the child protection system, we have been able to analyze the impact of CPS practices on those women who received services and those who did not. Our findings suggest that CPS can be an important resource for women who experience IPV, but changes to current practices are necessary to ensure that services offered are beneficial.     

The growing divide: the marginalisation of young Roma children in Bulgaria

This article evaluates how evolving social policies for very young children and their families affect the marginalisation of Roma children from mainstream Bulgarian society. The Roma (or 'gypsies') have long been ostracised by various societies and since the fall of communism in 1989 have become increasingly vulnerable to income poverty and social exclusion. The exclusion of Roma threatens Bulgaria's economic and political growth because the Roma constitute an increasing proportion of the population. The article compares the effects of current child and family policies on modifying the social and economic differences between very young Roma children under the age of three and those of majority Bulgarian children. It demonstrates how both universal social policies directed at helping all children and policies targeted on helping the most deprived children in a population, can, because of previous employment and other factors, further marginalise the most disadvantaged children in a population.     

AFFECT IN MARITAL THERAPY

Affect has been conceptualized in various ways. These conceptualizations have influenced the manner in which emotion is dealt with in marital therapy. Using a network theory of emotion, the role of the evocation of emotion in emotionally focused marital therapy to create intimacy and facilitate conflict resolution is discussed. Accessing underlying primary emotional responses in partners makes available adaptive action tendencies which promote problem solving and helps change self- and relationship definitions. The role of emotion in creating change in cognitions, motivation and communication patterns in marital therapy is discussed.