Going Back Home? Changing Demography and Geography of Mexican Return Migration

Return migration has been a constant feature of Mexico?CUS migration patterns, but its characteristics have changed sharply with time. We use the Mexican censuses and counts of 1995, 2000, 2010, and the complete set of individual and household records of the 2005 Population Count to explore the demographic characteristics of returnees in the context of tighter border control and rising levels of forced return migration. Involuntary and therefore unplanned return is likely to mean greater difficulties of incorporation into the community of origin. The study of the effects of the militarization of the US?CMexico border on migration patterns has focused on the US side. We contribute to this literature by focusing on the Mexican side. We consider the intensity and type of previous migration to the US as compared to current return migration, and State of origin and destination. Our data suggest that particularly attractive destinations for returnees are border cities, prosperous communities and growing metropolitan areas. Findings suggest changes in the demographic composition and geographic distribution of returnees. The discordance between the patterns of outmigration and return is a telling indicator of changes in the overall migration relationship between Mexico and the US. The patterns for 2005 are also observed in 2010 even if the absolute number of inter-censal returnees increased threefold over the period. Finally, we argue that focusing on destinations of return instead of areas of emigration will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding on the nature of future return migration to Mexico and its policy implications.     

Human Rights and Sociological Duties

In recent years, scholars from a range of disciplinary orientations have looked to human rights to address an exceedingly complex, and often tragic, array of social problems. Nevertheless, as Judith Blau ( 2016 ) and many others have noted, despite the best efforts of dedicated supporters, people still remain separated from their rights. Why has realizing the promise of rights proven to be so elusive, and what can scholars do to help connect people with their rights?     

Six for Lunch: A Dining Option for Residents with Dementia in a Special Care Unit

Recent research has focused on the design of special care units for residents with dementia, often identifying the social benefits of residentially scaled kitchen and dining areas. This qualitative case study examines how the environmental design features of two dining settings in one special care unit impact residents’ patterns of socialization and interaction at meal times. The first setting is a central dining room for 50 to 60 residents. The second setting is a small office with a residentially scaled kitchen, where once a week, the activity director invites six residents for lunch once a week. Within an ecological theoretical framework, the study findings reveal that, while mealtimes in both settings are highly anticipated, it is the complex relational ties between the operational, managerial, and environmental features of the settings which determine residents’ social interaction and satisfaction with their mealtime experiences.     

The effects of economic circumstances on British students' mental and physical health

Three-hundred sixty British university students completed a questionnaire providing information on demographic characteristics, financial circumstances, smoking, and drug and alcohol use. A 14-item inventory of physical symptoms, the short form 36 health survey (SF-36), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to assess their physical and psychological well-being. Except for physical functioning, all subscales of the SF-36 and the GHQ indicated levels of health significantly below population norms matched for age and sex. Poorer mental health was related to longer working hours outside the university and difficulty in paying bills. Students who had considered abandoning study for financial reasons had poorer mental health, lower levels of social functioning and vitality, and poorer physical health as indicated by variables on the SF-36. They were also heavier smokers. Students' personal debt was significantly associated with their knowing people involved in prostitution, crime, or drug dealing to help support themselves financially.     

The Evolution of Penal Policy in Canada

This paper reviews the evolution of penal policy in Canada in recent years. In many respects, Canada occupies a unique position with respect to criminal justice. The principal influence on penal policy development has been the United States, yet at the same time developments in the United Kingdom have also been important. One result is that policy development in recent years has tended to follow a middle path between the more extreme and radical American route (that has given rise to policies such as "three strikes" legislation) and the more conservative European reforms. Canada's policies with respect to punishment have been affected by a number of influences, including: the presence of advocacy groups; the reporting by the news media of high-profile tragedies such as the Montreal massacre of fourteen young women; the restrictions of budgetary constraints; and the intervention of several federal elections in which crime became an important electoral issue. In this respect, penal policy development in Canada echoes trends in other jurisdictions. The federal government, which is responsible for policy development (but not the administration of those policies) has attempted to pursue a dual-track policy. One branch of this policy has sought to reduce the use of imprisonment and thereby cut criminal justice expenditures. The other track has sought to placate public and political pressure on the government by introducing more repressive penal policies, including severe minimum penalties and higher maximum penalties for young offenders. This paper reviews recent developments in the critical areas of sentencing and parole, and draws some general conclusions about criminal justice policy development in this country.     

“We thought it would be easy”: recruitment challenges,successes and best practices for low-income couple populations

Recruitment challenges present ongoing struggles for social science professionals. Especially problematic are recruiting endeavors when target populations are highly stressed, highly mobile, and are comprised of couples rather than individuals. Included in this study is a rationale supporting the need to study recruitment challenges coupled with a literature review discussing recent recruitment research summaries. Based upon a Delphi-type discussion with couples relationship education (CRE) experts, our team constructed a qualitative study to examine recruitment challenges in low-income CRE programs. Fourteen interviews were conducted with “successful” program leaders identified by federal regional managers within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Data were analyzed, and results detailing four main “challenge” themes, four “success” themes, and a seven-step best practice model are presented.     

The Roles of Love and Happiness in Divorce Decision Making

Little is known about divorce decision making, the process of deciding whether to divorce when a marriage is distressed. The focus of this qualitative study was to explore the roles of love and happiness—two Western ideals that govern contemporary marital processes—in divorce decision making. Married participants (N = 30) with recent thoughts about divorce were interviewed about their conceptions of love and happiness in their decision-making processes. The resulting categories for love included: (a) importance of love, (b) change over time, and (c) marital love. The categories for happiness included: (a) fluidity of happiness and (b) balancing happiness. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

‘We are not anything alike’: marginalization of health professionals with disabilities

Despite inclusive rhetoric, disabled peoples’ participation in the Health and Human Service (HHS) professions remains limited. This study explores the perspectives of individuals in the HHS sector regarding inclusion-related barriers and facilitators. We found three mechanisms that marginalize disabled people in HHS education and professions: dominant disabling discourses; discriminatory design within programmes and universities; and oppressive interactions. The inclusion of disabled individuals is vital for ensuring HHS professionals represent the populations they serve. By challenging the views of educators, professionals, and scholars, these findings may become part of the foundation upon which change can be created.