Barriers to Optimal Care between Physicians and Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Transgender, and Questioning Adolescent Patients

The objective of this article was to identify barriers to optimal care between physicians and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) adolescents. To this end, 464 anonymous, self-administered surveys were distributed in 2003 to residents and attending physicians in pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, psychiatry, emergency medicine, and family practice at Upstate Medical University. The survey included questions pertaining to practice, knowledge, and attitude pertaining to lesbian, gay, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) adolescents. One hundred eight four surveys were returned. The majority of physicians would not regularly discuss sexual orientation, sexual attraction, or gender identity while taking a sexual history from a sexually active adolescent. As well, the majority of physicians would not ask patients about sexual orientation if an adolescent presented with depression, suicidal thoughts, or had attempted suicide. If an adolescent stated that he or she was not sexually active, 41% of physicians reported that they would not ask additional sexual health-related questions. Only 57% agreed to an association between being a LGBTQ adolescent and suicide. The majority of physicians did not believe that they had all the skills they needed to address issues of sexual orientation with adolescents, and that sexual orientation should be addressed more often with these patients and in the course of training. This study concludes that barriers in providing optimal care for LGBTQ adolescents can be found with regard to practice, knowledge, and attitude regardless of medical field and other demographics collected. Opportunities exist to enhance care for LGBTQ adolescents.     

Intersectionality,Critical Race Theory,and American Sporting Oppression: Examining Black and Gay Male Athletes

This article examines the influence of the racial categories of White and Black and the sexual categories of gay and straight on sporting American men. The effect of the intersection of these cultural categories is discussed by investigating the exclusion of athletes who are both Black and gay, as well as highlighting the culturally perceived differences of (straight) Black and (White) gay men. However, the analysis accounts for more than just difference, examining the commonalities of oppression between these discrete identity groups. We use the research on Black athletes to call for further empirical study on gay athletes. It is argued that critical race theory and intersectionality offer complex and nuanced understandings of these oppressions, which, when theorizing is left solely to the realm of poststructuralism, can otherwise be missed.     

Debating LGBT Workplace Protections in the Bible Belt: Social Identities in Legislative and Media Discourse

ABSTRACT

This article reports a case study of the legislative and media discourse surrounding the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity language to the employment nondiscrimination ordinance of a city in the heart of the Bible Belt. The purpose of the study is to uncover how different identities were constructed and contested at city council meetings and in the news media on the way to passing legal protection for LGBT city employees in a region that is often characterized by anti-gay prejudice. This debate over the nondiscrimination ordinance centered on the question of whether LGBT identities are equivalent to identity categories based on race, gender, or religious belief, and it was shaped by various intergroup communication dynamics, specifically between members of the LGBT minority and the straight majority, between LGBT and Christian identities, and between “true” and “false” Christian identities.     

Evaluating lifetime performance for the Pareto model with censored and imprecise information

A lifetime capability index L _tp has been proposed to measure the business lifetime performance, wherein output lifetime measurements are assumed to be precise from the Pareto model with censored information. In the present study, we study a more realistic situation where the lifetime output data are imprecise. The approach developed by Buckley [Fuzzy system, Soft Comput. 9 (2005), pp. 757–760; Fuzzy statistics: Regression and prediction, Soft Comput. 9 (2005), pp. 769–775] incorporated with some extensions (a set of confidence intervals, one on top of the other), is used to construct the triangular-shaped fuzzy number for the fuzzy estimate of the L _tp. With the sampling distribution of the unbiased estimator of the L _tp, two useful fuzzy inference criteria, its critical value and fuzzy p-value are obtained to assess the lifetime performance. The presented methodology can handle the lifetime performance assessment on the condition that sample lifetime data are involved with imprecise information, classifying the lifetime performance with the three-decision rule. With different preset requirements and a certain degree of imprecise data, we also develop a four quadrants decision-making plot where managers can easily simultaneously visualize several important features of lifetime performance for making a decision. An example of business lifetime data is given to illustrate the applicability of the proposed method.     

工科基础课教学法改革的探索

文章对工科基础课教学法的两类形式进行了比较,探索了目前几种主要教学法的教学理念和教学实践,同时提出了专题式教学法的教学思路。     

从及物性视角看英语“中性”新闻

系统功能语言学中的及物性理论是对新闻语篇进行批评性分析的有效工具,试图利用这一工具对鲜有问津的貌似客观公正的"中性"自然灾害类报道进行分析,揭示出语言、意识形态和权利之间的密切关系存在于任何形式的新闻语篇中。以期读者提高批评阅读意识,增强在阅读国外强势媒体新闻时的判断力,从而有效抵御西方话语霸权对中国本土文化的侵蚀。     

论批判民族志研究的困境及对策

20世纪70年代以来,批判民族志的研究方法逐渐受到西方教育研究领域的重视,并被广泛应用于社会弱势群体的教育问题研究。但同时,批判民族志也面临着声音的合法性危机和研究者与被研究者的不平等关系的问题。鉴于此,批判民族志提出了自我反思、建立与研究对象的平等、互动、信任的关系以及主动帮助他们寻求公平等三条解决途径。批判民族志研究的问题及其对策对我国的教育民族志研究的深入开展具有重要的参考价值。     

对国内场独立、场依存认知风格研究的反思

场独立、场依存认知风格作为学习者个体差异的重要分支,一直以来得到广大研究者的关注,但是研究却陷入困境。本研究从认知风格相关概念的理解、场独立、场依存认知风格测量工具的信效度、以及学习任务性质的分析等三个方面对目前国内的相关研究进行了反思,以期对今后的研究起到推动作用。     

桥梁科学技术体系及其发展问题探析

桥梁科学与技术是桥梁工程建设的基础和灵魂。以建材技术、设计技术和施工架设技术为主干的桥梁技术体系,横向密切协同,纵向分化细密。直接服务于桥梁建设实践的桥梁科学,实用性、特殊性、现场性研究的特征明显。桥梁科学与技术互动相长、渗透融合,共同构成了统一的现代桥梁科学技术体系。以解决桥梁工程实践问题为核心的创新活动,是推动桥梁科学技术发展的直接动力。发端于桥梁建设前沿领域的高技术化、生态化、标准化、艺术化和专业化协作,是现代桥梁科学技术的五大发展趋势,将支撑和引领着未来的桥梁工程实践。     

从写作能力看英语专业学生的批判性思维能力

批判性思维能力是大学生必须具备的基本素养,文章针对批判性思维的六项核心技能,对英语专业大学一年级和四年级的学生通过议论文写作展开调查和研究。结果表明,通过四年学习学生具备了解释,分析,说明这三项技能,而评估,推论和自我校准技能仍然缺失。