Bridges to Sobriety: Testing the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mobile App Designed to Supplement an Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program

Clinical Social Work Journal - Adolescent substance use is a growing problem that causes a myriad of negative outcomes. Using substances during adolescence can lead to decreased executive...     

How Within-Study Comparisons can Inform Research and Evaluation Design for the Third Sector

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Within-study comparisons (WSCs) compare quasi-experimental results to an experimental benchmark and assess the extent to...     

A Convolution Estimator for the Density of Nonlinear Regression Observations

Abstract. The problem of estimating an unknown density function has been widely studied. In this article, we present a convolution estimator for the density of the responses in a nonlinear heterogenous regression model. The rate of convergence for the mean square error of the convolution estimator is of order n ^?1 under certain regularity conditions. This is faster than the rate for the kernel density method. We derive explicit expressions for the asymptotic variance and the bias of the new estimator, and further a data‐driven bandwidth selector is proposed. We conduct simulation experiments to check the finite sample properties, and the convolution estimator performs substantially better than the kernel density estimator for well‐behaved noise densities.     

RELATIVE ADVANTAGE

A concept of relative advantage is outlined in this article. Based on an oppressed group's selective assessment of their circumstances or character or values in comparison with either those of another group or at different points of time for their own group, the consensual image that they are relatively better off or relatively superior in some way is constructed. Drawing on the experiences of three oppressed groups, it is suggested in this article that the reality construction process occurs in various circumstances, and that the shape of relative advantage is defined differently, possibly in accord with this. It is concluded that this perception might help to engender a sense of group honor and also serve as a strategic factor in the tamping down of discontent and in the maintenance of the oppressive social order.     

Assumptions, Motivations and Neutrality in Rural Development: The Portuguese Paradigm

Development agents need to examine their underlying assumptions,motivations, neutrality, and their terminology, which is oftenimprecise and misleading. In addition, development is frequentlycharacterized by self-created dichotomies that obscure the veryproblems that need to be solved. The combined cooperativistand constructivist approach has proved itself successful inovercoming these problems. "A lady once said to him, ‘My maid must be pleased, Igave her my dresses.’ ‘That's nice’, he replied,‘does she give you hers?" Jean-Paul Sarrte, Saint Genet "You name it, you claim it." Max Roach, Black American jazzmusician, referring to whites, and jazz.     

An Integrated Approach to Oversight Assessment for Emerging Technologies

Analysis of oversight systems is often conducted from a single disciplinary perspective and by using a limited set of criteria for evaluation. In this article, we develop an approach that blends risk analysis, social science, public administration, legal, public policy, and ethical perspectives to develop a broad set of criteria for assessing oversight systems. Multiple methods, including historical analysis, expert elicitation, and behavioral consensus, were employed to develop multidisciplinary criteria for evaluating oversight of emerging technologies. Sixty‐six initial criteria were identified from extensive literature reviews and input from our Working Group. Criteria were placed in four categories reflecting the development, attributes, evolution, and outcomes of oversight systems. Expert elicitation, consensus methods, and multidisciplinary review of the literature were used to refine a condensed, operative set of criteria. Twenty‐eight criteria resulted spanning four categories: seven development criteria, 15 attribute criteria, five outcome criteria, and one evolution criterion. These criteria illuminate how oversight systems develop, operate, change, and affect society. We term our approach “integrated oversight assessment” and propose its use as a tool for analyzing relationships among features, outcomes, and tradeoffs of oversight systems. Comparisons among historical case studies of oversight using a consistent set of criteria should result in defensible and evidence‐supported lessons to guide the development of oversight systems for emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology.     

Perceived Challenges to the Sustainability of Community-Based Aging Initiatives: Findings from a National Study of Villages

Concerns have been raised regarding the sustainability of Villages, a rapidly-expanding set of organizations that typically use a participant-directed approach to improve older adults’ quality of life and ability to age in place. Using online survey and telephone-interview data from a 2013 follow-up study of Villages across the United States, this study examined organizational leaders’ perceptions of the major challenges to sustainability. Major challenges identified included: (a) funding, (b) membership recruitment, (c) leadership development, (d) meeting members’ service needs, and (e) limitations of the Village model itself. Findings point to a number of important considerations for the development, implementation, and sustainability of the Village model, including the role of social workers in addressing these challenges.     

News and Comment

This article tells the story of a classroom teacher's journey with her elementary students as they attempt to understand and define citizenship. The narrative highlights the process of using an emergent curriculum, creating a democratic classroom, and facilitating an active citizenship project led by students. The authors provide steps to help classroom teachers implement a social action curriculum, and they also include children's literature connections.