A Study of Youth Services Networks from a Political-Economy Perspective

ABSTRACT

Volunteers play a vital role in modern societies by boosting the labor force within both the public and private sectors. While the factors that may lead people to volunteer have been investigated in a number of studies, the means by which volunteering contributes to the well-being of such volunteers is poorly understood. It has been suggested through studies that focus on the absence of depression in volunteers that self-esteem and sense of control may be major determinants of the increased well-being reported by volunteers. This is consistent with the homeostatic model of subjective well-being, which proposes that self-esteem, optimism, and perceived control act as buffers that mediate the relationship between environmental experience and subjective well-being (SWB). Using personal well-being as a more positive measure of well-being than absence of depression, this study further explored the possible mediating role of self-esteem, optimism, and perceived control in the relationship between volunteer status and well-being. Participants (N = 1,219) completed a 97-item survey as part of the Australian Unity Wellbeing project. Variables measured included personal well-being, self-esteem, optimism, and a number of personality and psychological adjustment factors. Analyses revealed that perceived control and optimism, but not self-esteem, mediated the relationship between volunteer status and personal well-being.     

Prenatal Depression and Infant Temperament: The Moderating Role of Placental Gene Expression

Prior research has demonstrated the link between maternal depression during pregnancy (i.e., prenatal depression) and increased neurodevelopmental dysregulation in offspring. However, little is known about the roles of key hypothalamic–pituitary axis regulatory genes in the placenta modulating this association. This study will examine whether placental gene expression levels of 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD11B2), glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), and mineralocorticoid receptor (NR3C2) can help elucidate the underlying mechanisms linking prenatal depression to infant temperament, particularly in infants with high negativity and low emotion regulation. Stored placenta tissues (N = 153) were used to quantify messenger ribonucleic acid levels of HSD11B2, NR3C1, and NR3C2. Assessments of prenatal depression and infant temperament at 6 months of age were ascertained via maternal report. Results found that prenatal depression was associated with increased Negative Affectivity (p < .05) after controlling for postnatal depression and psychosocial characteristics. Furthermore, the association between prenatal depression and Negative Affectivity was moderated by gene expression levels of HSD11B2, NR3C1, and NR3C2 such that greater gene expression significantly lessened the association between prenatal depression and Negative Affectivity. Our findings suggest that individual differences in placental gene expression may be used as an early marker of susceptibility or resilience to prenatal adversity.     

Marrying,Unmarrying, and Poverty Dynamics among Mothers with Children Living at Home

Using the two-way transitions model and a sample of mothers with children living at home who experienced poverty, we examined how the changes in mothers’ marital status relate to the odds of exiting and reentering poverty. The data came from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Cohort (1979–1998). This study found an asymmetric association between poverty dynamics and becoming unmarried. Becoming unmarried was associated with increased odds of both getting out of poverty and reentering poverty, where the magnitude of the latter is greater than that of the former, when family background, family characteristics, and human capital and employment factors are controlled.     

Gender and College Opportunities: Changes Over Time in the United States and Japan

The authors examine the rise of the two-year college and changes in enrollment patterns between two-year and four-year colleges by sex in the United States and Japan since 1960. Notably, the chances of a woman who attended college of entering a four-year college were less in 1980, in both the U. S. and Japan, than they were in 1960. Channeling large numbers of women into two-year colleges perpetuates occupational sex segregation. Further, it alleviates pressure for competition for professional jobs. The desire to reduce the number of individuals competing for professional jobs was a factor in the build-up of the two-year college. Problems associated with overeducation are evident in both the U. S. and Japan. The authors argue that the function of the community college is to prepare students to enter the kinds of jobs that are available in highly industrialized societies.     

NARRATIVES AND THE CONSTITUTION OF A COMMON IDENTITY: THE KAREN IN BURMA

This research was conducted in an informal school located in Thailand at the border with Myanmar (Burma) and supervised by the Karen National Union (KNU). The KNU has claimed and fought for political autonomy and independence from the Burmese government for more than a half century. The authors examine how, in their narratives about what it means to be Karen, future Karen leaders try to deal with challenges to a sense of Karen unity and “groupness,” and to the legitimacy of the Karen struggle. One important challenge is the substantial cultural, religious, linguistic, and geographical internal diversity. Establishing a coherent Karen identity among the different subgroups is a continuing struggle for Karen leaders. Another is the negative labeling of the KNU as stubborn people and violent terrorists. These labels endanger the political project, the international reputation, and the local attractiveness of the KNU.     

Living with suicidal feelings: Japanese non-profit organizations for suicide prevention amid the COVID-19 pandemic

The number of suicides in Japan increased for the first time in 11 years during the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend is particularly high among employed women and students. The Japanese government expanded its budget for providing telephone and social network service (SNS) counseling by prefectures and non-profit organizations (NPOs). On the basis of interviews with the chairman as well as counselors of an NPO in Osaka (Japan) that has provided telephone counseling services on suicide for over 40 years, this study examines suicide and suicide prevention amid the COVID-19 pandemic with a particular focus on how suicidal feelings are accepted. The results clarify that people do not wish to die just because of financial troubles or health problems; rather, they have lost the meaning in their life in the conflicts between social conditions and their personal life histories. Additionally, as volunteer counselors often experience the suicide of close relatives, their empathy for a caller may be based on their experiences of being overwhelmed by the realization of the otherness of others. They do not regard the acceptance of suicidal feelings as a “job,” but act as “friends.” Although modern society conceals death and suicide cases, the key to achieving a society where no one is driven into committing suicide is to place human life and human rights first as well as to talk about suicide and suicidal feelings without making the subject taboo or an aberration.     

The Impact of Social Ties on Depressive Symptoms in U.S. and Japanese Elderly

This study examines the effects of social ties (with spouse, children, friends, neighbors, other relatives, and community groups) on depressive symptom levels in U.S. and Japanese adults aged 60 and over. Nationally representative survey data from the United States ( N = 1,419) and Japan ( N = 2,200) indicate that having a spouse, or increased contacts with friends, neighbors and relatives was associated with fewer depressive symptoms in both samples. The effects of spousal presence were significantly larger in the United States than in Japan. The presence of children was associated with fewer depressive symptoms in Japan only, and this effect was significantly stronger among those currently unmarried as opposed to those who are currently married. We discuss these similarities and differences between countries.