An Ethnographic Approach to Understanding Service Use Among Ethnically Diverse Low Income Families

Poverty is linked to disparity in families access to basic human services and an incapacity to fulfill basic needs. The study described in this paper uses a qualitative research design to address the ecology of service use in the family within the broader social and physical environment. While the focus of this paper relates to the methodology of the study, some substantive results are used for illustrative purposes. Through an in-depth study of families in the contexts of their neighborhoods, our task is to search for patterns and their meanings. This process may uncover the motives and beliefs underlying service use and access among the families in our study.     

Measuring conflict management,emotional self-efficacy,and problem solving confidence in an evaluation of outdoor programs for inner-city youth in Baltimore,Maryland

Substantial evidence supports the value of outdoor education programs for promoting healthy adolescent development, yet measurement of program outcomes often lacks rigor. Accurately assessing the impacts of programs that seek to promote positive youth development is critical for determining whether youth are benefitting as intended, identifying best practices and areas for improvement, and informing decisions about which programs to invest in.We generated brief, customized instruments for measuring three outcomes among youth participants in Baltimore City Outward Bound programs: conflict management, emotional self-efficacy, and problem solving confidence. Measures were validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of pilot-testing data from two groups of program participants. We describe our process of identifying outcomes for measurement, developing and adapting measurement instruments, and validating these instruments.The finalized measures support evaluations of outdoor education programs serving urban adolescent youth. Such evaluations enhance accountability by determining if youth are benefiting from programs as intended, and strengthen the case for investment in programs with demonstrated success.     

城市新移民文化研究

作为一个文化群体的存在,新移民在文化上具有山寨性、快餐性、开放性等特征。这些特征既是他们扎根城市生活的生活写照,也显示了他们永不言弃奋斗精神之下潜伏着的集体张力。新移民文化在很大程度上再次点燃了城市的文化活力。新移民文化所拥有的现象特征与内生动力,显现出其所蕴含的城市革新力量与未来发展潜能。他们是推动中国城市化进程至关重要的一环,乃至成为整个中国未来现代化事业中值得信赖的有生力量。     

Social Work Admissions and Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) protects students wth disabilities from discrimination by academic and professional programs in higher education. A student with a disability cannot be denied admission to an educational program because of his or her disability if the student is otherwise qualified. This means that a student with a disability who is qualified for an academic or professional educational program cannot be denied admission to a program based solely on the student&s disability. This educational requirement mandated by the ADA applies to all educational fields including social work education. The purpose of this study was to explore how social work programs are dealing with these requirements in their admission and academic accommodation procedures. Twelve social work programs located in the mid-western United States participated in the study. Representatives of each of these programs were given an in-depth interview focusing on their admissions process, academic accommodations, and general topics related to social work education and disabilities. All programs taking part in the research were accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE is the national accreditation body for social work education within the United States.     

缔造“一核两翼”的课程结构,推动师资团队协同教学——“城市详细规划课程群”整合研究

通过追本溯源分析课程群整合的概念、整合方式,根据城市详细规划课程群自身特点,探讨了该课程群的整合途径,包括课程结构的整合和师资团队的整合,提炼了一核两翼和协同教学的整合手法,总结了课程群整合的优势和特征。     

上海推进“城中村”改造研究

改造"城中村",有利于改善居民居住生活质量,促进城乡统筹发展;有利于盘活存量用地,推进土地的节约、集约利用;有利于改善城乡形象、推进宜居城市建设。上海进一步推进"城中村"改造,须加强领导,推进"城中村"改造的体制机制建设;要均衡各方利益,调动政府、开发商和农民三方的积极性;要摸清底数,对纳入全市统一改造计划内的"城中村"实行目录管理;要因地制宜,针对各个"城中村"不同的情况进行分类指导;要突破创新,建立、健全支持"城中村"改造的政策体系;要营造氛围,形成有利于推进"城中村"改造的良好外部环境。     

Case study for evaluating campus sustainability: nitrogen balance for the University of Minnesota

American ecologists recently began to address the ecology of cities. Concurrently, higher education institutions have developed sustainability education programs and instituted sustainability policies and projects. This paper draws together these two disparate areas by examining the nitrogen (N) budget of the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. We addressed the question: what were the annual inputs, outputs and internal cycles of N on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus? We found that 508 Mg N yr-1 were brought into the campus and 494 Mg N yr-1 were emitted from the University of Minnesota campus. The largest N inputs were abiotic fixation (conversion of N₂ to NO_x by combustion) and food for humans and animals. The largest N output was NO_x, followed by wastewater. Our results expand the understanding of the ecology of institutions within an urban area and provide an opportunity for improving urban ecology education and environmental policy at educational institutions.     

Three Gorges Project: Effects of Resettlement on the Environment in the Reservoir Area and Countermeasures

Environmental problems resulting from human displacement and resettlement are considered to be secondary impacts of hydro projects. There is a significant gap in knowledge concerning the environmental consequences of resettlement of the Three Gorges project (TGP), China. This study examines critical environmental problems associated with the TGP resettlement. It reveals that the contradiction between the land inundation and demand for land in resettling rural residents is a critical environmental issue. On the positive side, countermeasures that are discussed include: engineering works for farmland protection, developing eco-agriculture, reforestation and constructing a green belt in the peripheral zone of the reservoir, and adjustments to resettlement policy.     

Drug Trafficking and Urban African American Youth: Risk Factors for PTSD

This article examines how African American youths (ages 12–17) who are raised in neighborhoods that are centers for illegal drug trade and drug dealing (trafficking, running) cope with violent events such as shooting, stabbings and other intentional injuries. Using qualitative research methods, the study explores urban youths' perceptions of drug trafficking and related activities in their neighborhoods. The study then explores issues of personal encounters with traumatic events related to drug trafficking activities (shootings, stabbings, deaths, other violence) in their community. Finally, the study discusses implications of findings for risk and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) among these youths.