Normalisation and 'Normal' Ageing: the social construction of dependency among older people with learning difficulties

This paper discusses the new phenomenon of the survival into old age of the increasing numbers of people with learning difficulties. This raises both theoretical and practical policy issues. In the UK health and social services for older people and for people with learning difficulties have followed quite different paths. One has been based on a limited, age discriminatory view of 'normal' ageing; the other has focused on a potentially liberating concept of normalisation. This distinction is being challenged by the advent of older people with learning difficulties, which is raising questions such as, what is the meaning of normalisation in older age? We focus on this key question, illustrating the different principles behind service provision for these two groups and argue that the concept of normalisation is flawed when applied to older people. The alternative of social integration is proposed as the basis for organising health and social services for both older people and those with learning difficulties.     

Family interactions in public: Parent-child distance and touching

In an effort to extend the study of parent-child interaction to naturalistic settings, 207 families were observed in parks by observers who used scaled maps to record parent-child distances and touching behavior. Generally, parent-child distance increased and touching decreased as child age increased. The interactional behaviors of boys and girls and mothers and fathers were far more similar than different. Finally, the family context in which parent-child dyads interacted had second-order effects on their behavior. The presence of other children in the family reduced closeness between parent and child, whereas the presence of a second parent altered the behavior of individual parents without diminishing a child's experience of parental closeness. These findings support the value of studying parent-child interaction within its family context using a naturalistic approach.Preliminary data from this study were presented at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, May, 1984. The authors appreciate the support of the Eastern Kentucky University Faculty Research Fund; the contributions to data collection of Ann Adams, Nina Begley, Laura Epperson McGrail, and Rodney Swain.     

The Cultural Imperatives of Professionalism: Who's Protecting Whom?

What does it mean to be a professional therapist? This paper explores some of the personal and cultural pressures that influence how we see ourselves as professional therapists. It then explores how these pressures impact upon our capacity to protect children and ourselves.     

Dynamic Assessment: Psychoeducational Assessment with Cultural Sensitivity

Dynamic assessment is a relatively new model of psychoeducational assessment. Administration typically follows a pretest-inteIVene-posttest format, with instruction embedded within the assessment procedure. Resulting information addresses issues of the responsiveness of learners to intelVention, the intensity and nature of input required to induce change, and the approach of the learner to problem-solving. The model primarily addresses issues of “how” learners learn and “how” learners are best instructed, rather than questions of classification or program eligibility. Dynamic assessment shows promise for providing instructionally relevant information for culturally diverse learners. This article describes the dynamic assessment model, examples of currently available procedures, and research specifically involving ,students from minority backgrounds.     

SOCIAL WORK SCHOLARS' REPRESENTATION OF RAWLS: A CRITIQUE

Although Rawls is the most cited social justice theorist in social work, he is not always accurately represented in the literature. To clarify this claim, the author reviews social work scholars' views about social justice, shows social work scholars' representation of Rawls, and highlights aspects of Rawls' theory of social justice. The author's critique reveals that there have been and continue to be more differences than similarities between Rawls and social work scholars. Consequently, the article recommends revising the social work knowledge-base in relation to social justice and Rawls so that his ideas are authentically represented in future social work education and scholarship.