’Til Divorce Do Us Part: Marriage Dissolution in Later Life

Late-life divorce—commonly referred to as gray divorce—is a rising trend that parallels the growth of the older adult population. We sought to gain an in-depth understanding of the experience of marriage dissolution, the divorce process, and life following divorce in a sample of older adults who divorced after more than 20 years of marriage. Qualitative data were collected from 10 divorcees (7 women and 3 men; M age = 63.5) and analyzed to understand the gray divorce experience; that is, factors that determined or delayed the decision to divorce and divorcees’ coping during and after divorce. Participants’ stories demonstrate that marriages endure despite problems because relationships are complex, and good experiences mix with bad ones. Outcomes of late-life divorce have significant health and financial implications for both individuals and society.     

Community Planning That Is “Caught” and “Taught”: Experiential Learning from Town Meetings

Generalist, strenghts-oriented social work practice requires practitioners who are equipped both academically and experientially to deal with a variety of interventions and client systems of different sizes and types. Social work programs need to assure that community practice is learned in both classroom and field. Generalist practice models and experiences should include a focus on the community as the unit of attention. Too often, community-related tasks that support individual clients are emphasized, resembling "systems-oriented casework" more than community practice. Strategies should support the development of community strenghts, esteem, and identity. This article describes a community project undertaken by a school of social work that provided students with experiential learning in community planning. Three town meetings were designed and led by a team of community leaders, students, and faculty to engage citizens in community planning efforts. The design of the town meetings and the integration of theory and practice focused on building community strenghts. Certain risks, creativity, and resources are required for developing powerful and relevant experiences for students in community practice. The implications for social work education are discussed.     

环境史研究：历史视角与“环境基座”

以人与人、人与自然两大关系作为环境史研究的两大主线,并将环境作为历史舞台、地理依托进入历史,将能看到历史的演变,不再只有帝王将相、改朝换代,而是在“环境基座”上有更为丰富多彩的样态.在全球环境意识深入人心的今天,环境史研究将为人类发展“推求其因果而为之解析”做出更大的贡献.     

美国次债危机原因的深度再分析——基于马克思主义理论的视角

2007年以来的美国次债危机是资本主义国家现代史上一次重大的金融危机,其原因引起了各国经济学家的探讨。只有从马克思主义理论的视角,才可以得出更彻底的和有说服力的答案:新自由主义是美国次债危机的思想引导,美元的世界霸权地位是危机伏笔性的铺垫,而虚拟经济与实体经济的失衡是危机的集中体现,归根结底,是资本主义根本制度导致的不可回避的必然现象。     

宗教感与现代性的悖论冲突——《尘埃落定》叙事视角分析

《尘埃落定》选择了麦其家的傻子二少爷为叙事视角展开叙述,但在实际的行文中我们发现,这个傻子实际上是作为一种修辞策略,而并不具备傻子叙事的典型特点。作为叙述者的“傻子”具有全知全能叙事的特点,能知晓超越的时间、空间,并能通晓人的内心。傻子话语还具有多重性,他的话语表现为对话性质。傻子视角的神秘性和宿命性实则是藏族佛苯结合宗教传统的影响,而多重性又体现出现代性对民族文化的入侵。     

"Get'cha After School"

This paper points up an important aspect of latency which is much neglected in the literature of child development. The author notes the baleful effects of such neglect on the education of social workers and other professionals and on their practice with children's groups. He emphasizes the need for group workers to attend to the problems posed.     

Applying Evidence-Based Practice in Group Work at an Alternative High School

Social workers often are reluctant to use evidence-based practice in group work. Part of this reluctance is because of the perceived rigidity of the process and its emphasis on research. However, social workers can rely on the four cornerstones of evidence-based practice—research, clinical experience, personal views, and client’s perspective—to provide an evidence-based group intervention. In this article, the authors illustrate how social workers used the four cornerstones at one alternative high school to provide an evidence-based group intervention. These cornerstones were used from the beginning of the process, which started with choosing the type of intervention, through the end of the process, which concluded with assessing the intervention. In this article, the authors show that it is possible for social workers to provide an evidence-based group intervention, while remaining flexible, thereby contributing to social workers’ knowledge of how to use evidence-based practice with groups.     

VII. Foster children: The Jewish home finding society and the institute for Juvenile research 1

Although there is a body of literature that applies Gestalt therapy techniques to clinical practice, little has been written about the use of Gestalt therapy theory as a comprehensive framework for social work practice as a whole. Gestalt therapy theory unifies social work's ecological and strength perspectives and is highly consonant with the core values of the profession. Four major theoretical aspects of Gestalt therapy that are highly applicable to social work practice are described: field theory, “I-Thou” relationship, creative adjustment, and the phenomenological perspective. Case examples are provided to demonstrate a Gestalt approach to social work practice.     

论人口均衡型社会的必然选择——基于历史的视角

人口发展一直都面临着各种1＇4题和挑战,人口增长过快、人口规模太大、人口老龄化、性别结构失衡、人口与资源、环境的关系日益紧张等等。这些现象表明,人类的发展从未实现人口的均衡发展。文章在提出人口均衡型概念的基础上,从历史视角切入,通过回顾人类文明的发展阶段并梳理各时期人口自身发展及人口与资源环境的关系,来看建设人口均衡型社会的历史必然性。     

The Relationship Between Citizen Participation and Organizational Processes and Outcomes and the Benefits of Citizen Participation in Neighborhood Organizations

ABSTRACT

A major resource of neighborhood organizations is the voluntary participation of residents who give their time and energy to improve their communities. In recent years, there has been a revitalization of strategies to engage residents to volunteer for neighborhood-based organizations. Guided by organizational empowerment theory and the ecological perspective, the current study examined the relationship between citizen participation and organizational characteristics and effectiveness and the benefits received by residents participating in neighborhood organizations in poor communities. The data were gathered through a survey of resident volunteers in four neighborhood organizations in Pennsylvania and were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The results showed that volunteers' level of involvement in their neighborhood organization influenced their self-efficacy. However, volunteers' perceptions of their neighborhood organizations' characteristics and effectiveness were the most strongly related to the benefits of citizen participation, contributing to residents' self efficacy, collective efficacy, and sense of community. Implications for social work research and practice are discussed.