Population: Past growth and future control

This paper is the opening chapter and demographic context of a forthcoming book onThe World's Food. It offers a summation of the Malthusian perception of food and population, an overview of population growth in history and the role of the demographic transition. The varying experiences of developing countries in bringing down the birth rate are examined and used as a basis for projecting future population growth.     

How is disability understood? An examination of sociological approaches

This paper considers sociological understandings of what constitutes disability. Current meanings of disability in both disability studies and medical sociology are examined and compared, using selected articles from leading authors in each discipline as case studies. These disciplines are often represented as offering starkly contrasting approaches to disability, with their differences amounting to a disciplinary 'divide'. It is argued that, on closer inspection, common ground can be found between some writers in disability studies and medical sociology. It is suggested that this situation has arisen because, in disability studies, the social relational understanding of disability developed by Vic Finkelstein and Paul Hunt in the 1970s has been lost over time, overshadowed by the rise to prominence of its offspring: the social model of disability. The paper concludes with some reflections on the need to revive a social relational understanding of disability.     

Wer schließt ab und was kommt danach?

Zusammenfassung Wie hat sich das Sozialprofil der Soziologieabsolventen in den letzten 20 Jahren ver?ndert? Welche Tendenzen lassen sich für die überg?nge nach der Ausbildung in die Berufst?tigkeit erkennen? Diese Fragen werden auf der Grundlage von drei Absolventenbefragungen an der LMU München für die Abschlussjahrg?nge 1978 bis 2000 beantwortet. Beim Sozialprofil zeigen sich bis auf die bekannte „Feminisierung“ des Fachs keine auff?lligen Ver?anderungen. Der Vergleich der Abschlusskohorten belegt, dass die überg?nge in die Berufst?tigkeit für die jüngste Kohorte (1995–2000) am einfachsten ausfallen. Ein Jahr nach Ende des Studiums sind nur noch wenige Absolventen (5%) arbeitslos. Die Nicht-Erwerbst?tigkeit ist allerdings in der jüngsten Kohorte st?rker vertreten als zuvor. Ein Blick auf die Verwendung von Studieninhalten im Beruf belegt, dass neben der Methodenausbildung und den soziologischen Vertiefungsgebieten die klassischen Zusatzf?cher des Münchner Diplomstudiengangs (Psychologie, VWL und Statistik) im Beruf gefragt sind. Herzlichen Dank an den Leiter der Gesch?ftsstelle des Departments für Soziologie und Kommunikationswissenschaften August Stiegler, der die Absolventenzahlen und die Numerus-Clausus-Vergangenheit recherchierte, an Josef Brüderl, der die Daten der ersten Befragung gut archiviert hatte und in methodischer Hinsicht Vorarbeiten leistete, und an Christiane Gross, die wichtige Anregungen zur ersten Fassung gab.     

The psychological development of prelinguistic deaf infants

This paper will discuss the emotional developmental problems displayed by those who are deaf at birth. In order to provide an in-depth understanding of the emotional needs of the prelinguistic infant the distinctive perspectives and concerns of various developmental psychologies will be reviewed. The tremendous need for mental health and social work services for the deaf population and their families has been rarely discussed, therefore, the last stage of this presentation will provide some suggestions for clinical treatment and prevention programs for deaf individuals.     

A bias analysis of Weibull models under heaped data

Retrospectively collected duration data are often reported incorrectly. An important type of such an error is heaping—respondents tend to round-off or round-up the data according to some rule of thumb. For two special cases of the Weibull model we study the behaviour of the ‘naive estimators’, which simply ignore the measurement error due to heaping, and derive closed expressions for the asymptotic bias. These results give a formal justification of empirical evidence and simulation-based findings reported in the literature. Additionally, situations where a remarkable bias has to be expected can be identified, and an exact bias correction can be performed.     

Beyond attachment theory and therapy: Towards sensitive and evidence-based interventions with foster and adoptive families in distress

Elements of attachment theory have been embraced by practitioners endeavouring to assist foster and adopted children and their parents. Attachment theory articulates the potential risks of experiencing multiple caregivers; emphasizes the importance of close social relationships to development; and recognizes that substitute parents may not always have close relationships with children who have experienced adversities before joining them. Attachment theory offers concerned parents what they believe to be a scientific explanation about their lack of the close, satisfying parent–child relationship they desire. Yet the scientific base of attachment theory is limited both in terms of its ability to predict future behaviours, and especially with regard to its use as the underpinning theory for therapeutic intervention with children experiencing conduct problems. There is a critical need to review the role of attachment theory in child and family services and to consider its place among other explanations for children's disturbing behaviour. An important step towards pursuing alternative approaches is for researchers and practitioners to understand the reasons the attachment paradigm appeals to so many adoptive and foster parents, given the apparent widespread prevalence of attachment‐based interventions. Such understanding might assist in the development of adoption‐sensitive uses of appropriate evidence‐based treatment approaches.