Smoking cessation and relapse prevention among undergraduate students: a pilot demonstration project

The prevalence of college students' tobacco use is widely recognized, but successful cessation and relapse-prevention programs for these smokers have drawn little attention. The authors, who explored the feasibility of training peers to lead cessation and relapse-prevention programs for undergraduates, found a quit rate of 88.2%, suggesting that peers were effective facilitators. Relapse-prevention interventions, which began immediately after participants quit smoking, included 6 monthly group programs and individual meetings. Each session provided education and training in stress management, nutrition and exercise habits, managing environmental smoking triggers, and coping in social situations. After participating in the relapse-prevention programs, 63.3% of the initial quitters remained smoke free, another indication that peers were effective facilitators. The success of the program, combined with the dearth of population-specific cessation and relapse-prevention tools, suggests that college administrators and health educators should develop integrated tobacco management strategies on college campuses.     

Rational Versus Communicative: Towards an Understanding of Spatial Planning Methods in German Planning Practice

This paper considers the use of planning methods in German planning practice against the background of the ‘communicative turn’. The debate about concepts of rationality in Germany as well as in other countries can be said to have resulted in the paradigm of communicative actor-oriented planning achieving at least the same standing as the analytical rationality of the classical expert-based planning model. The inconsistent use of the term method in research corresponds to empirical findings indicating that the term is used ambiguously in practice. Nonetheless, planning methods fulfil a number of functions in practice. The notion of a relatively clear division between ‘analytical-rational’ methods on the one hand and ‘communicative’ methods on the other hand was relativized by experimental investigations. The setting in which the methods are applied seems of more importance; even apparently ‘analytical-rational’ planning methods can be implemented in a more or less communicative fashion.     

The Changing Space for NGOs: Civil Society in Authoritarian and Hybrid Regimes

In this introductory essay to the special issue on civil society in authoritarian and hybrid regimes, we review core themes in the growing literature on shrinking or closing space for civil society. We discuss the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as agents of democratization and note the emergence of dual, at times apparently conflicting policy postures within authoritarian regimes (restriction and repression for some CSOs vs. financial support and opportunities for collaboration for others). We posit that different conceptual perspectives applied to civil society can help account for the duality of authoritarian postures and examine repercussions for three key subgroups of CSOs: claims-making (or advocacy) NGOs, nonprofit service providers and regime-loyal NGOs supporting often populist and nationalist discourses.

     

"When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple": Red Hatters cope with getting old

This ethnographic study examined women's friendships in Red Hat Society (RHS) chapters. Qualitative data included in-depth interviews (n = 25), a focus group interview (n = 7), participant observation, and examination of RHS publications. Results suggest that participation in the RHS (1) aids in developing and enhancing positive attitudes about self and aging that contribute to overall well-being, (2) offers the opportunity to obtain instrumental and emotional support, and (3) provides social connections that prevent feelings of social isolation. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential buffering role of RHS participation in women's lives.     

The power of peasants: Reflections on the meanings of La Vía Campesina

This article assesses the social and political significance of the international farmers’ movement, La Vía Campesina by exploring how it has evolved since its inception in 1993. It explores the movement's accomplishments and the tensions that exist between international expansion and a commitment to represent the local interests of member organizations.     

Biomass and biodiversity of nocturnal aerial insects in an Adelaide City park and implications for bats (Microchiroptera)

Temporal variation of insect communities in urban environments is poorly known and mechanisms driving these changes are unclear, as are the implications for insectivorous predators. We examined the relationships between season and nocturnal aerial insect biomass and biodiversity, and between temperature and insect biomass in the Adelaide zoological gardens from December 2005 to September 2006. We also compared the effectiveness of two insect trap types and used a bat detector to assess bat activity in relation to insect biomass. During the study, 9,939 insects from 13 orders were collected at the Adelaide zoo with a Malaise trap and a light trap. Mass and diversity of insects were highest during warm months, as was bat activity, and bat activity was positively correlated with insect biomass. Winter-active insects consisted predominantly of Diptera and Lepidoptera, which may provide an important winter food resource for insectivorous bats. The Malaise trap attracted fewer insect orders and biomass than did the light trap, and insects congregated within 6 m of artificial lights, so bats that forage at lights may have an advantage in urban areas. A strong need for the inclusion of urban insects to biodiversity inventories exists in the context of bat conservation.     

The effects of multiracial identification on students’ perceptions of racism

This paper compares the differing perceptions of racism reported by White (n = 222), Black (n = 99), and White–Black multiracial (n = 45) students at an urban campus of a Southern university. Using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), we examine the differences between the racial groups in three campus contexts—campus in general, with instructors, and with other students. Items chosen for analysis included behaviors or actions experienced by at least 4% of the respondents. In nearly all areas, the multiracial student group reported the most experience with prejudice. We employ standpoint theory to discuss these findings.     

The Community Context of Family Structure and Adolescent Drug Use

Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), this article investigates a number of hypotheses used to explain the relationship between family structure and adolescent drug use. In particular, using linked community‐level data, an explicit examination of hypotheses drawn from a community‐context model is conducted. These hypotheses posit that the impact of family structure on adolescent behavior is, in part, explained by the different types of communities within which families reside and that community characteristics moderate the impact of family structure on drug use. The results of multilevel regression models fail to support these hypotheses; adolescents who reside in single‐parent or stepparent families are at heightened risk of drug use irrespective of community context. Moreover, adolescents who reside in single father families are at risk of both higher levels of use and increasing use over time. A significant community‐level effect involves jobless men: Adolescents are at increased risk of drug use if they reside in communities with a higher proportion of unemployed and out‐of‐workforce men.