Correlates of Attitudes Toward Personal Aging in Older Assisted Living Residents

This study explored factors contributing to older adults’ self-perceptions about their own aging in assisted living (AL) communities. Data analysis was completed based on interviews with 150 older residents from 17 AL communities. Multiple regression analyses found that functional disability and hearing impairment negatively affected attitudes toward personal aging among AL residents, and satisfaction with social support positively influenced attitudes. Health perception mediated attitudes toward personal aging. Findings suggest the importance of social workers helping older AL residents recognize social support as a means of promoting their positive self-regard.     

Representation type and union success in certification elections

Many different variables have been used to predict union certification election success; however, none of the studies has explored the impact of representation type. Using NLRB election data for the period from April 1980 through September 1990, we found that affiliation of a local union with the AFL-CIO was detrimental to the success rate of unions in single union and contested certification elections. We offer preliminary interpretations based on fundamental economic themes often applied to collective choice and conclude with implications for union organizing policy. The authors thank Michael Nelson for helpful suggestions and Matthew Harris for research assistance.     

‘Someone's Decision: That is How I Got Here’

In the gerontological literature, the family has been characterised as either a party that has pushed the aged person into nursing homes or one which has assisted them to remain at home. But few studies have systematically examined the role the family plays in placing the older person in a nursing home. As part of a study that is reconstructing the pathway of 90 aged persons moving to nursing homes, this paper identifies the main actors in the institutionalisation decision, as well as the role the aged person, her family and health professionals play in decisions to obtain nursing home care.     

The Law as Index,Phenomenon, and Element—Conceptual Steps Toward a General Sociology of Law*

“The general life of society cannot extend its sway without juridical life extending its sway at the same time and in direct relation” (Durkheim, 1933, p. 65).     

Health concerns as a deterrent to seasonal migration of elderly Canadians

Each year, thousands of older Canadians seasonally migrate to warmer climates to spend the coldest winter months. Generally in good health, these older Canadians face the possibility of becoming ill during their long stays outside the country. This paper investigates health incidents and health concerns of 2046 Canadians aged 65 and older who spent part of the 1985–6 winter in Florida. Respondents had completed a mailed questionnaire sent to subscribers to a weekly newspaper targeted at the Canadian audience.Forty-six percent reported a health problem that bothered them now, and 14% said they had experienced a medical emergency requiring doctor or hospital care on this trip to Florida. Another 41% reported having had such a medical emergency on a previous trip. Although most respondents were habitual seasonal visitors to Florida, 5% said they had anticipated they would not return next year because of a health condition.     

Descriptive Analysis of the Individual Migratory Pathways According to Environmental Typologies

This study tests the influence of environmental changes on migration in Burkina Faso. It describes individual migratory pathways in the 1960–1999 period in Burkina Faso, using environmental typologies of origins and destinations based on rainfall variations and land degradation. The study links data from a national longitudinal (retrospective) survey with fine resolution rainfall data and land degradation data. Results suggest that environmental factors influence, but in different ways, both the probability to out-migrate and the selection of a destination once the migration decision has been made. Migration seems to be more influenced by a slow-acting process such as land degradation than by episodic events such as droughts.     

Special-needs adoption

In the last 15 years there has been a change in adoption patterns toward the adoption of children with special needs. A major problem with this type of adoption is the disruption rate. The purpose of this study is to provide multivariate analysis on the characteristics of families and the characteristics of children that can be utilized to predict successful adoptions of these children.Data were collected from a private, nonprofit agency in a large southwestern city that specializes in special-needs adoption by analysis of home study reports, supervision reports, and information accompanying a child for families that have adoption finalized or disrupted by this agency (N = 91).Several factors were found to influence adoption outcome, including age of the child, presence of other children in the home, placement number, age of the woman, family income, and type of placement. The reasons for these findings and their implications are briefly discussed.     

Adoption,attachment and self-concept

This was a two-tiered study. In the first part of the study, a random sample was drawn from a list of subsidized adoptions with a response rate of 70% (N=197). In the second part of the study approximately 30% of adoptive parents gave permission (N=57) for the adopted child to participate. Attachment from two different perspectives and self-concept were assessed. Results suggest most children with special needs do not evidence selfconcept difficulties. In addition, some indicators of attachment can be used in assessing self-concept; children with better parent-child relations and children who do not evidence ambivalence attachment patterns of relating have higher self-concepts. The implications of these findings for practice are discussed.     

Time-budget methodology for research on aging

Several aspects of time-budget methodology that are relevant to research on the activities of daily living by the aged are described. Most studies on the well-being of the elderly utilize data based on the number of activities, but the duration of the activities are not considered. This paper provides an overview of some of the salient research on time use studies and the elderly.