Elder Abuse: A Review of Progress in Ireland

Until recent years, Ireland has not formally responded to elder abuse. This article considers the recent developments in Ireland through an ecological framework, which focuses on the multidimensional progress of Irish policy, practice, and legislation related to protecting older people. Although significant progress has been made, the discussion highlights areas for continued development and improvement.     

Still in the Ghetto? Experiences of Secretarial Work in the 21st Century

Secretarial work has been described as one of the most persistently gendered of all occupations. Historically, it has been characterized as a ghetto occupation with three key features: low status and poor pay, narrow and feminized job content and poor promotion prospects. Twenty years ago, when a major study last took place in the UK, it was thought that new office technologies might transform the role, leading to a newly defined occupation equally appealing to both men and women. In this article, we report on the findings of a questionnaire survey involving 1011 secretaries. We found evidence of continuity and change. Secretaries are now better qualified and generally well‐paid. A minority is undertaking complex managerial tasks. However, most secretaries continue to perform traditional tasks and career prospects for all remain bleak. We conclude that processes of role gender‐typing are deeply entrenched and that secretarial work remains largely a ghetto occupation.     

From the Editor

No abstract available for this article.     

Conceptualizing Age-Friendly Community Characteristics in a Sample of Urban Elders: An Exploratory Factor Analysis

Accurate conceptualization and measurement of age-friendly community characteristics would help to reduce barriers to documenting the effects on elders of interventions to create such communities. This article contributes to the measurement of age-friendly communities through an exploratory factor analysis of items reflecting an existing US Environmental Protection Agency policy framework. From a sample of urban elders (n?=?1,376), we identified 6 factors associated with demographic and health characteristics: access to business and leisure, social interaction, access to health care, neighborhood problems, social support, and community engagement. Future research should explore the effects of these factors across contexts and populations.     

Mobile technologies and communication strategies in an urban Midwifery Group Practice setting. An exploratory study

BackgroundAround-the-clock access to a known midwife is a distinct feature of Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) and caseload midwifery settings; although the literature suggests this aspect of working life may hinder recruitment and retention to this model of care. Mobile technologies, known as mHealth where they are used in health care, facilitate access and hence communication, however little is known about this area of midwifery practice.Research questionWhich communication modalities are used, and most frequently, by MGP midwives and clients?MethodsA prospective, cross sectional design included a purposive sample of MGP midwives from an Australian tertiary maternity hospital. Data on modes of midwife–client contact were collected 24 h/day, for two consecutive weeks, and included: visits, phone-calls, texts and emails. Demographic data were also collected.FindingsDetails about 1442 midwife–client contacts were obtained. The majority of contact was via text, between the hours of 07:00 and 14:59, with primiparous women, when the primary midwife was on-call. An average of 96 contacts per fortnight occurred.ConclusionThe majority of contact was between the midwife and their primary clients, reiterating a key tenet of caseload models and confirming mobile technologies as a significant and evolving aspect of practice. The pattern of contact within social (or daytime) hours is reassuring for midwives considering caseload midwifery, who are concerned about the on-call burden. The use of text as the preferred communication modality raises issues regarding data security and retrieval, accountability, confidentiality and text management during off-duty periods. The development of Australian-wide guidelines to inform local policies and best practice is recommended.     

When Beauty Brings Out the Beast: Female Comparisons and the Feminine Rivalry

Research on competition amongst women has largely focused on relational aggression amongst adolescents, but less explored are women’s understandings of the origins of competition as it relates to comparisons amongst women and feminine ideals. Drawing on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 30 collegiate women, we find young women’s stories constructed comparisons and competition amongst women as never-ending and seemingly natural, although they point to restricted societal expectations of femininity as its origin. Women drew from the interrelated topics of perfection-seeking, media portrayals, relationships, and consumerism to explain how they and other women negotiated feminine ideals. Even if participants understood these actions as ultimately undermining their self-image, they still perceived achieving goals of femininity as connected with perfection and happiness. We define such ongoing comparisons and competition as a feminine rivalry, as women perceived other women as direct competitors and thus understanding of the nature of the competition. We conclude by considering how college-aged women’s negotiations of feminine ideals to seemingly bolster or secure their social positioning in a hierarchy of femininity, at times in contradictory ways, offers additional insight into connections between interpersonal dynamics, expectations, and stereotypes of women.