Framing the experiences of BME social work students within a narrative of Educating for a Culturally Diverse Workforce

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has noted that a higher percentage of black and minority ethnic (BME) students fail or take longer to complete their social work degrees, compared with the white majority student population. In response to this and related evidence, a national study was carried out in 2013 to explore this phenomenon and ways to support BME students in social work education in Scotland. BME students from five Scottish universities were interviewed, along with lecturers from six Scottish Universities, and practice educators from around Scotland. The background to the study is discussed and a review of the literature on race, whiteness, diversity and a strengths-based perspective is provided. The methodology of the study is explained, followed by a presentation of some of the key findings covering the themes of cultural difference, discrimination and valuing student strengths. To prepare social work students to practice in a culturally diverse and culturally aware workforce the paper argues for framing of social work education within a strengths-based perspective, of valuing diversity and other knowledges and for this approach to be embedded within a critique of both race and whiteness.     

Efficient Estimation of the Partly Linear Additive Hazards Model with Current Status Data

This paper focuses on efficient estimation, optimal rates of convergence and effective algorithms in the partly linear additive hazards regression model with current status data. We use polynomial splines to estimate both cumulative baseline hazard function with monotonicity constraint and nonparametric regression functions with no such constraint. We propose a simultaneous sieve maximum likelihood estimation for regression parameters and nuisance parameters and show that the resultant estimator of regression parameter vector is asymptotically normal and achieves the semiparametric information bound. In addition, we show that rates of convergence for the estimators of nonparametric functions are optimal. We implement the proposed estimation through a backfitting algorithm on generalized linear models. We conduct simulation studies to examine the finite‐sample performance of the proposed estimation method and present an analysis of renal function recovery data for illustration.     

Cluster‐Specific Variable Selection for Product Partition Models

We propose a random partition model that implements prediction with many candidate covariates and interactions. The model is based on a modified product partition model that includes a regression on covariates by favouring homogeneous clusters in terms of these covariates. Additionally, the model allows for a cluster‐specific choice of the covariates that are included in this evaluation of homogeneity. The variable selection is implemented by introducing a set of cluster‐specific latent indicators that include or exclude covariates. The proposed model is motivated by an application to predicting mortality in an intensive care unit in Lisboa, Portugal.     

Screening and brief intervention for alcohol problems in a university student health clinic

The purposes of this study were (1) to determine whether a university student health center (SHC) is a feasible location to introduce a campus-based screening and brief intervention (SBI) program for alcohol and (2) to determine whether the patients seen in the SHC differ in terms of the prevalence and severity of alcohol-related problems compared with students reported by emergency department programs. The authors used motivational interview techniques to counsel subjects from a convenience sample of patients waiting for medical treatment in the SHC who had screened positive with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The authors interviewed patients again after 3 months. Seventy-five percent of eligible students participated. Sixty percent screened positive and received an intervention. The authors contacted 66 students (51.2%) again after 3 months. Seventy-five percent of students interviewed again after 3 months reported that SBI was helpful, 92% found the information clear, and 90% thought that the SHC was a good place to learn this information.     

Talking about violence: a microanalysis of narrative processes in a family therapy session

In this article, we look at the development in family therapy of narratives about domestic violence. We report on microanalyses of a family therapy session, using narrative research methods, including some conversation analytic tools. The main questions posed in this investigation were: How does storytelling of a highly charged and delicate topic like domestic violence develop in the session?; how do the different actors in the therapy room contribute to telling such stories?; how do actors try to put forward domestic violence as a conversational topic? and how do different actors react to these attempts? Our research illustrates how the recounting of stories of violence seems to go hand in hand with modes of interaction that discourage the telling of these stories. In the back‐and‐forth process between voices of hesitation and voices of reassurance, the participants weigh the level of safety in the session. In as far as the voices of hesitation can be reassured of the safety, it becomes gradually possible to talk about delicate, problematic experiences, such as violence in the family.     

Postdrinking sexual perceptions and behaviors toward another person: alcohol expectancy set and gender differences

Based on research showing that alcohol expectancy and gender both play a role in sexual perceptions, we factorially crossed the apparent drinking status of yoked pairs consisting of a participant and a target person (a confederate posing as co-participant). Alcohol expectancy interacted with gender in complex ways to influence sexual perceptions. We also found behavioral effects: Men showed more erotic material to both male and female targets than women did. Men perceived the target as more sexually aroused by erotic material than women did. Men also showed more erotic material to drinking targets than to non-drinking targets. Sexual perceptions and erotica showing behavior were correlated significantly and positively. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for postdrinking heterosexual encounters.     

The agricultural ethics of biofuels: climate ethics and mitigation arguments

An environmental, climate mitigation rationale for research and development (R&D) on liquid transportation fuels derived from plants emerged among many scientists and engineers during the last decade. However, between 2006 and 2010, this climate ethic for pursuing biofuel became politically entangled and conceptually confused with rationales for encouraging greater use of plant-based ethanol that were both unconnected to climate ethics and potentially in conflict with the value-commitments providing a mitigation-oriented reason to promote and develop new and expanded sources of biofuel. I argue that the conceptual construct of technological trajectories provides a fecund approach to the ethical evaluation of R&D strategies in the case of plant-based liquid transportation fuels. The idea of a trajectory has a current use in the literature of science studies and aptly summarizes a number of themes that are critical to the evaluation of tools and techniques whose future shape, design, applications and potential consequences are necessarily somewhat speculative. In the case of biofuels, it is the imagined future trajectory that provides the basis for resistance to an emerging technology, rather than the present-day technical capabilities and the unexpected consequences of biofuel development.     

The health needs of elders within an intentional community

A small-scale survey was carried out on the health needs of those members of the Findhorn Bay Community, in northeast Scotland, who were over the age of 60. The survey asked questions about their health, quality of life, support received and perceived needs in these areas. The responses of the elders are summarised and discussed. Most of the elders had health conditions which affected their quality of life, yet almost all were satisfied with the support they received and over half with their quality of life. Implications for the links between community, family, work and perceived health were identified. Une recherche a ete faite sur les besoins en sante des personnes ages de plus de 60 ans qui vivent dans la communaute de Findhorn Bay dans le nord est d'Ecosse. Il y avait un questionnaire qui leur demandait des informations sur leur sante, et qualite de vie; il leur etait aussi demande si ils se sentaient suffisamment soutenus et comment ils percevaient les differents besoins de leur vie. Les responses de les personnes sont brievement evoquees et discutees. Les implications concernant les rapports entre communaute, famille, travail et sante furent identifiees. La plupart d'entre eux avait des problemes de sante qui affectaient leur qualite de vie, cependant la majorite etait satisfaite du soutien recu, et plus de la moitie avec leur qualite de vie.