A new model of foreign media sense-making

This paper introduces a new model to represent how individuals can develop a deepened understanding of both a foreign culture and of their own culture as a result of viewing and engaging with foreign media, and in particular foreign films and television series. The model emerged from data collected in a study of how Chinese university students based in China make sense of films and television series produced in the USA and the UK. The study involved a series of semi-structured interviews during which the students were shown clips from a number of films and television series. Five categories of sense-making activities emerged from the data, together with a number of variables, which influenced the activities, and a number of levels on which the activities could be performed. The proposed model captures all of these aspects.     

Education in multicultural environment – teaching/learning support activities (on the example of Georgia)

The National Curricula of Georgia emphasises the importance of intercultural education only in a declarative way. This article investigates how specific activities can contribute to the development of intercultural competences in a diverse environment. We conclude that additional training resources are critical for the development of those competencies among students. Application of our proposed model can serve to improve the intercultural schooling and adaptation of students in diverse environments.     

高校英语能力本位写作教育的相关性研究

能力本位教育对高校英语教学有着积极的促进作用,将这种教育理论引入到写作训练之中,使得传统的英语写作训练拥有了更为明确地目标和内容设置方向,同时也使得英语课堂教学方法更为丰富,学生的学习兴趣提高,学习动力增强。     

Book Review: On the Social Development of Antisocial Behaviour

Books reviewed in this article:
Michael Rutter, Henri Giller and Ann Hagell, Antisocial Behaviourby Young People     

Clinical Capital and the Risk of Maternal Labor and Delivery Complications: Hospital Scheduling,Timing, and Cohort Turnover Effects

The establishment of interventions to maximize maternal health requires the identification of modifiable risk factors. Toward the identification of modifiable hospital‐based factors, we analyze over 2 million births from 2005 to 2010 in Texas, employing a series of quasi‐experimental tests involving hourly, daily, and monthly circumstances where medical service quality (or clinical capital) is known to vary exogenously. Motivated by a clinician's choice model, we investigate whether maternal delivery complications (1) vary by work shift, (2) increase by the hours worked within shifts, (3) increase on weekends and holidays when hospitals are typically understaffed, and (4) are higher in July when a new cohort of residents enter teaching hospitals. We find consistent evidence of a sizable statistical relationship between deliveries during nonstandard schedules and negative patient outcomes. Delivery complications are higher during night shifts (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.18–1.25), and on weekends (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.14) and holidays (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04–1.60), when hospitals are understaffed and less experienced doctors are more likely to work. Within shifts, we show deterioration of occupational performance per additional hour worked (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.02). We observe substantial additional risk at teaching hospitals in July (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.14–1.43), reflecting a cohort‐turnover effect. All results are robust to the exclusion of noninduced births and intuitively falsified with analyses of chromosomal disorders. Results from our multiple‐test strategy indicate that hospitals can meaningfully attenuate harm to maternal health through strategic scheduling of staff.     

Supervising Social Workers in Involuntary Contexts: Some Considerations

ABSTRACT

This article outlines areas for reflection for those providing supervision to social workers working in involuntary and semivoluntary contexts. This includes clinical implications, impacts on social work identity, and potential impacts on the supervisory relationship itself. It suggests that there are some areas that could be considered for discussion and exploration that may be different in focus to other types of supervisory practice, encouraging supervisors to consider their own approach in response to the issues raised.

IMPLICATIONS

• Working in involuntary contexts raises specific challenges in relation to power and authority in practice, as well as a range of ethical dilemmas.

• Supervisors might wish to consider the issues raised with a view to exploring with their supervisees how working with involuntary clients changes their framework or approach.

     

Habla Mi Idioma? An Exploratory Review of Working Systemically with People from Diverse Cultures: An Australian Perspective

This paper presents a review of the literature informed by both grounded theory and phenomenology, which explores how culture is addressed in the family therapy field with particular emphasis on Australia. The primary aim of the study is to identify the issues and relevant publications that can inform and guide Australian family therapists in working with clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The secondary aim is to provide recommendations that may inform research directions and clinical practice. The results indicate that this challenge is not unique to Australia; indeed the issue is ubiquitous across the Western world. This paper attempts to provide an impetus for future dialogue and to precipitate discussion around the development of a culturally sensitive approach in the Australian family therapy field.     

Eating disorders and academic performance among college students

Abstract

Objective: There is a paucity of research exploring eating disorders (EDs) and academic performance (AP). This study aimed to understand the effect of ED treatment on AP, hypothesizing that students receiving treatment for EDs would have a higher GPA. Participants: The Spring 2010 – Spring 2011 National College Health Assessment data (N?=?231,586) was utilized. Methods: Ordinal logistic regressions, controlling for key confounders, analyzed the association between those diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia and GPA. Results: Students diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia and treated with medication and psychotherapy were respectively 1.49 (1.24, 1.80; p?<?.0001) or 1.35 (1.13, 1.61; p?=?.0009) times more likely to have a higher GPA (p?<?.0001) compared to students without EDs. Conclusion: Findings expand the literature on EDs and AP among college students. Additional research is needed to determine whether the combination of medication and psychotherapy is the most effective way to improve AP among students with EDs.     

人类语言归一假说理据

语言学的基本任务不仅包括探索语言的普遍规律，揭示语言的共性。从人类的生理和认知机制、语言能力以及语言本身等方面的共性进行分析研究，人类语言归一假说亦具有合理性与可能性。