Rangeland to cropland conversions as replacement land for prime farmland lost to urban development

Data from the 1997 National Resources Inventory (NRI) are used in this study to examine recent trends in the conversion of cropland to urban land with special attention paid to the spatial distribution of these conversions relative to rangeland to cropland conversions. Our findings are that the approximately 11 million acres of cropland converted to urban land between 1982 and 1997 was coincident with an equal amount of rangeland converting to cropland. The rangeland to cropland conversions equate to replacement lands for cropland lost to urban encroachment. Approximately one third of the cropland lost to urban development occurs on prime farmland while the new cropland converted from rangeland is more likely to be irrigated as it resides principally in the arid western United States. The findings are discussed in light of a sustainable land use system perspective.     

Teaching Note—BSW Students’ Experiences With an MBSR Assignment and the Five Facets of Mindfulness

BSW students appear to be under increasing levels of stress. In response to concerns about students’ well-being, we developed a three-credit-hour self-care elective. This article explores students’ participation in the primary assignment of the course, a modified version of mindfulness-based stress reduction. We also present empirical findings of an exploratory study examining students’ mindfulness and their subjective experiences with the assignment. Results support the usefulness of mindfulness-based stress reduction assignments in supporting BSW students’ well-being. This kind of assignment may also contribute to the development of the first social work competency, “demonstrate ethical and professional behavior,” (Council on Social Work Education, 2015, p. 7) through an increase in self-reflective and self-regulation skills.     

北京市社会办养老院入住老人生活状况及满意度调查分析

随着社会福利社会化及相关政策的出台,社会办养老院迅速发展起来,机构养老方式也逐渐为更多的老人所接受。在养老院数量快速增加的同时,其服务质量也应得到及时的关注。本文在对北京市社会办养老院入住老人生活状况和满意度问卷调查的基础上,分析了入住老人的生活质量和支持网络,并且从服务使用者的角度探析社会办养老院的服务状况和服务质量,并藉此对此类养老院近期的发展提出建议。     

TREATMENT OF MARITAL CONFLICT AND PREVENTION OF DIVORCE

This paper provides a review of previous literature reviews on the effectiveness of marital therapy and evaluates the long-term efficacy of couples therapy in preventing marital separation and divorce. There is general agreement that marital therapy can be effective in reducing marital conflict and promoting marital satisfaction, at least in the short term. Research examining the long-term efficacy of couples therapy for the prevention of marital separation and divorce is sparse but promising with respect to its effectiveness in promoting marital stability. Predictors of successful marital therapy outcomes, the clinical significance of marital therapy outcomes, and the cost effectiveness of marital therapy are also discussed.     

Patterns of social affiliation as predictors of depressive symptoms among urban blacks.

This paper focuses on patterns of social affiliation viewed historically as sociocultural adaptations to stresses associated with minority group status. Data are from a community-based sample of 927 Black adults residing in a large metropolitan area. Specifically, this analysis assesses the extent to which patterns of social affiliation such as close family ties, religious involvement, and participation in voluntary associations diminish the detrimental impact of chronic economic strain on the level of depressive symptoms. The findings provide no support for a sociocultural adaptation explanation. Moreover, the results show an unexpected relationship among religious involvement, chronic economic strain, and depressive symptoms. At the most intense levels of religious involvement, a significantly higher level of depressive symptomatology was evident among those experiencing chronic economic strain. In contrast, those with less religious involvement had fewer depressive symptoms when experiencing chronic economic strain. Implications of findings are discussed relative to social changes affecting patterns of affiliation and sociocultural adaptation in Black communities.     

A Behavioral Examination of Mead's View of Role-Taking

According to Mead, self appears as individuals take the role of others toward their own gestures. In two investigations, the hand movements of subjects were observed as they verbalized different commands specifying hand or head movement to another person. The first investigation explored the possibility of directly observing and recording instances of role-taking. In the second, the visual accessibility between experimental subjects was varied in order to assess its effect on the frequency of overt role-taking. Results indicate that the process of role-taking is amenable to direct observation; and, furthermore, that overt role-taking decreases as visual accessibility increases.     

Toward Increasing the Sociological Relevance of Sensitivity Training*

As a means of increasing the theoretical relevance of sensitivity training for sociologists engaged in evaluative pursuits, the concept of role-based sensitivity is suggested for use in an evaluative research perspective. Results of the application of a role-based sensitivity scale, as a pre-training diagnostic device, in a training program for local human relations commissioners, suggest that the area of sensitivity training has potential as an arena for the refinement of sociological role theory and hence is deserving of the increased interest of sociologists.     

Indoor tanning and problem behavior

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined factors predicting college students' use of tanning beds. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Undergraduate students (N = 745) at a large Northeastern university participated in the study by answering a survey measuring tanning behavior and other psychosocial variables, including sensation seeking, self-esteem, tanning image beliefs, and friends' tanning bed use. RESULTS: All 3 systems from problem behavior theory predicted past tanning bed use and intention to use tanning beds. The authors observed a positive association between sensation seeking and intention to use tanning beds. Tanning image beliefs were positively associated with both past tanning behavior and intention to use tanning beds. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions focusing on friend and acquaintance social network influences may be more effective than health-risk campaigns in reducing tanning bed use.