Injunctive Norms and Problem Gambling among College Students

Two studies examined the relationships among injunctive norms and college student gambling. In study 1 we evaluated the accuracy of perceptions of other students’ approval of gambling and the relationship between perceived approval and gambling behavior. In study 2 we evaluated gambling behavior as a function of perceptions of approval of other students, friends, and family. In study 1, which included 2524 college students, perceptions of other students’ approval of gambling were found to be overestimated and were negatively associated with gambling behavior. The results of study 2, which included 565 college students, replicated the findings of study 1 and revealed positive associations between gambling behavior and perceived approval of friends and family. Results highlight the complexity of injunctive norms and the importance of considering the reference group (e.g., peers, friends, family members) in their evaluation. Results also encourage caution in considering the incorporation of injunctive norms in prevention and intervention approaches.     

An Experiment on the Social Facilitation of Gambling Behavior

Research and theory regarding the social facilitation effect generates the expectation that the presence of other gamblers (or co-actors) in a gaming venue is likely to intensify individual gambling behavior and magnify losses. Fifty male and 66 female participants (116 total) played a computer-simulated electronic gaming machine with a fixed winning sequence, followed by an indefinite losing sequence. Measures of the intensity of gambling behavior included the final payout (a direct measure of losses), average bet-size, number of trials played, and the speed of play. Some participants received false feedback from the computer designed to suggest that other gamers in adjacent rooms were playing and sometimes winning at the same game. Persons who received both sight and sound information, including winning bells and instant messages regarding the wins of other (fake) players, placed more bets and lost more money compared to the other conditions with less information.     

Bridging the divide in urban sustainability: from human exemptionalism to the new ecological paradigm

This paper reviews the main bodies of contemporary urban sustainability theory. From this analysis, two underpinning paradigms of urban sustainability are identified: (1) The ‘Human Exemptionalism Paradigm’ (HEP), which emphasizes the ability of humans to overcome environmental problems—see Urban Sociology, Urban Ecology, Urban Geography, Urban Psychology and Political Economy; and (2) The ‘New Ecological Paradigm’ (NEP), which emphasizes the criticality of ecological limits to human progress—see Urban Metabolism, Energy/Emergy Analysis and Ecological Footprinting. Each of these approaches is critically reviewed, highlighting their main assumptions, theoretical and practical foci. It is argued in the paper that if the related issues of urban sustainability and development are to be progressed, there needs to be: (1) a greater maturation of the NEP approaches, which are ‘relative newcomers’ to the area of urban theory; and (2) greater integration and dialogue between the HEP and NEP approaches to urban sustainability than has hitherto been the case.

Bridging the gap between social work practice and community based welfare agencies

This article argues that social work in the UK needs to renegotiate its relationship with community welfare agencies. It begins by examining what we mean by local community and how welfare needs reflect complex non-linear dynamics unique to the local circumstances. It is argued that these are not always recognised in centralised policy agendas. The article broadly draws a parallel between policy issues for the European Community and for the national state. The drive for both is towards uniformity, which potentially fails to acknowledge the unique circumstances at both the national level between nations and the local level between communities.

The focus of the analysis is the lack of engagement with the subtleties of the local within the arena of social work education and practice. With the opportunity presented by the introduction of a new social work degree in the UK, the authors describe how a social work programme in Liverpool undertook a piece of research with the aim of creating an appropriate place for community welfare agencies in practice placements, the academic curriculum and, ultimately, with the next generation of social work practitioners. Eight welfare agencies within the proximity of Liverpool University, an area known as Toxteth, agreed to participate in the research to investigate what kind of placement module would enable local welfare agencies to engage meaningfully in the social work degree. Out of this process emerged a model for research based curriculum development involving local community agencies and academic institutions. More specifically for Liverpool, it placed the notion of social work's relationship with local community welfare at the heart of professional development for qualifying social workers, paving the way in this region of England for closer links between welfare agencies associated with civil society and professional social workers.     

The development of social work education in Russia since 1995

This article presents the findings of a four-year survey on the development of social work education in Russia from 1995 to the present day. Through a series of questionnaires, interviews and discussions with Russian academics, practitioners and students, the study looks at a variety of issues including the high rate of attrition. It focuses on aspects of students’ practice placements such as the type, length and quality of practice placements, the students’ workload and the supervision provided. It also looks at the contribution that international collaboration has made to the development of social work education in Russia.

The survey concludes that there is a need to enhance the overall package for social workers and raise the status of the profession in order to retain qualified personnel. Longer practice placements which start in the first year and are adequately funded and supervised are seen as the key to retaining new graduates. It concludes that although international projects have made a difference to those participating at the time, it is difficult to disseminate these benefits beyond the immediate region. Now that international funding to Russia has been reduced it is critical that any remaining funding is accurately targeted and properly coordinated.     

阿拉伯语语法推理思维的文化探析

语法是语言的结构方式和组织规则,它兼具人类共性和民族个性.语法规则是人类长期抽象思维的成果和社团约定,它反映着语言社团的文化规约和语言学家的思维方式.阿拉伯语语法与汉语截然不同,与印欧语系语言相似,属于有明显形态标记的形式语法,具有清楚的逻辑推理思维,即遵循概念、判断和推理的基础模式.本文对此现象进行了阐释,并探究其文化成因.     

创新文化与写作的变革

文化是社会现实存在的反映。创新文化,是与时俱进的、反映社会现实存在的、满足社会需求的文化。写作是生产文化产品的行为过程,其变革,是向着创新文化的发展方向而同步运行的变革。写作变革运行的轨迹,应随着社会需求而转动;运行围绕的圆心,是创新文化。     

社会工作两极化趋势及专业定位的反思

社会工作专业从产生之初就产生了两极化的趋势,即萌生于慈善组织会社的注重提供个人服务的取向和产生于睦邻组织的注重环境的改造及建立共同利益的取向。Spetch和Courtney在《背叛的天使》一书中批判了社会工作者心理治疗化的现象,认为社会工作者是背叛的天使,远离了自己的服务对象,背叛了社会工作的使命。本文通过回顾社会工作两极化产生的历史,分析社会工作心理治疗化的原因及限制,同时通过回顾中国大陆社会工作产生的背景,反思社会工作专业化的定位。     

英语教学中的文化渗透

英语国家社会文化和汉语文化存在着很大差异,在英语教学中,不但要教会学生英语语言本身,也要传授给学生英语语言中所承载的社会文化内涵,使学生学到真正地道的英语,从而真正达到文化交流的目的。     

关于马克思社会有机体构成内容的文本分析

马克思的社会有机体理论是由前提性有机构成部分、基础性有机构成部分、上层性有机构成部分、观念性有机构成部分所构成的多维度有机整体。全面理解马克思关于社会有机体理论,有助于我们更加全面地认识人类社会发展的基本规律,也有助于我们深化对全面建设小康社会与积极构建和谐社会的认识。