Reclaiming complexity: beneath the surface in residential child care

ABSTRACT

Residential child care is an inherently distressing and multi-layered endeavour undertaken by staff who are often poorly trained and supported. In addition, the children, and the adults who care for them, can provide a convenient receptacle for the split off negative feelings of professionals, politicians and the public. The complexity and difficulty of this work is often unrecognised and a simplistic response based on a programmatic, behavioural framework, reinforced by performance-based management and an audit culture, is common. This paper argues for the usefulness of a different approach, drawing on psychoanalytic and open systems thinking, to provide a more nuanced understanding of what is happening in these volatile settings that can guide interventions which match the complexity of the work. Alongside advocating the use of key psychoanalytic and systems concepts to improve understanding, it argues for the importance of providing a containing and reflective environment for staff.     

Are fire services ‘extremely gendered’ organizations? Examining the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Australia

Emergency management organizations often have military‐based histories and continue to maintain militaristic styles of operation. Similar to the military, these organizations tend to be male dominated and culturally masculinized. The militarization and masculinization of rural fire services in Australia are generally unrecognized but highly important elements defining these organizations, and the example of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) is considered here. Using a cultural artefacts approach, historical and contemporary elements of the CFA's structure and practice are analysed using the concept of an ‘extremely gendered’ organization, with a focus on how the CFA is structurally and culturally gendered. We argue there is value in expanding the notion of ‘extremely gendered’ institutions beyond the military, to include other militarized organizations. Doing so not only helps to better understand and address resistance to change and gender equality measures, it also draws attention to the important role that such organizations play in the greater patriarchal order.     

Residential segregation in metropolitan established immigrant gateways and new destinations, 1990-2000

In the 1990s, many immigrants bypassed established gateways like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Miami to create new immigrant destinations across the US. In this paper, we examine how segregation and spatial assimilation might differ between established gateways and new destinations among the 150 largest metropolitan areas. Using data from the 1990 and 2000 censuses, we calculate levels of dissimilarity for Hispanics and Asians by nativity for these two gateway types. Our findings show that segregation levels are consistently lower in new destinations. However, Hispanics in new destinations experienced significant increases segregation during the 1990s, suggesting a convergence in residential patterns by destination type. Nevertheless, in both destinations the native-born are less segregated than the foreign born—consistent with immigrant spatial incorporation. Finally, socioeconomic indicators are generally consistent with predictions of spatial assimilation.     

How much does income matter in neighborhood choice?

There is a substantial literature on the residential mobility process itself and a smaller contribution on how households make neighborhood choices, especially with respect to racial composition. We extend that literature by evaluating the role of income and socioeconomic status in the neighborhood choice process for minorities. We use individual household data from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study to investigate the comparative choices of white and Hispanic households in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. We show that income and education are important explanations for the likelihood of choosing neighborhoods. But at the same time, own race preferences clearly play a role. While whites with more income choose more white neighborhoods, Hispanics with more income choose less Hispanic neighborhoods. One interpretation is that both groups are translating resources, such as income and education, into residence in whiter and ostensibly, higher status neighborhoods.

《〈火〉三部曲》新论

在综述有代表性观点的基础上,着重探讨《〈火〉三部曲》与其他作品之间的互文性。从三个方面具体论述了互文性的表现;深刻挖掘了田惠世这一基督徒形象的丰富内涵;重新评价了这部小说的认识价值和艺术价值。     

火历新探——对荆楚文化和原始宗教信仰的思想史研究

对火历的研究是由庞朴教授首先发起的。《国语·郑语》中有“黎为高辛氏火正”且名为“祝融”的记录 ,在神话系统中 ,祝融是楚人的始祖。相信自身具有火的品格并由此形成了对火的信仰和祭祀活动 ,这是楚人的一种文化心理。远古时代的焚巫求雨的行为正是对火的信仰的一种表现形式。与此有关的是甲骨文中著名的祭制度 ,即把人投于火中以求雨的原始祭祀活动。祝融及其后人都因为具有火的品格并和对火的信仰联系在一起。在《左传》中 ,“火出”是施行火历的隐语之一 ,它和夏商周历法存在着对应关系。     

对实行强制火灾公众责任保险的几点思考

随着经济的不断发展、城市规模的不断扩大,我国的火灾形势日趋严峻,重特大火灾尤其是群死群伤恶性火灾事故屡屡发生,给人民的生命财产安全和社会稳定造成了严重的危害。而作为火灾后对受害人最重要的救济途径即责任保险制度还不完善,本文就如何建立健全强制性火灾公众责任保险制度及其必要性和可行性、社会意义、推进措施和风险控制等方面进行了论述和思考,以期能够说明和解决一些实际问题。     

Risk Factors for Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Behavior Problems in Children and Adolescents Following a Home Fire

Based on a model of (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) PTSD by Green, Wilson and Lindy (1986), fifty-six children ages 6 to 17 years were interviewed at five months (T1) and 9 months (T2) after a fire in their homes. Outcome variables were PTSD and behavior problems. Major correlates of the outcome variables, include guilt at T1, worry about other family members at T2, and lack of satisfaction with family support at both times, as well as the attribution that another child did it. The stressor variable, present at the fire, became significant only at T2. The greatest variance in the PTSD scores occurred at T2 suggesting delayed onset or delayed reporting by children. Children may process traumatic events in a different cognitive fashion and in a different time frame than adults. Implications of these results are considered within the context of social work and nursing.     

Social Bonds and the Migration Intentions of Elderly Urban Residents: The Mediating Effect of Residential Satisfaction

Under the incorporation of social bonds within the residential satisfaction model, this study has attempted to examine why the elderly living in neighborhoods consider moving. The main hypothesis proposed in this study is that the four social bonds (friendship, social cohesion and trust, informal social control, and neighborhood activities), combined with residential satisfaction, affect the mobility intentions of elderly urban residents. This hypothesis is tested by survey data collected in 1995 from 1123 Chicago residents age 65 and over. The results support the hypothesis that strong social bonds, combined with residential satisfaction, are working as important factors when the mobility intentions of elderly urban residents are deterred.     

Prevalence rate of DSM mental disorders among adolescents living in residential group homes of the French Child Welfare System

Purpose

To determine the prevalence of some major mental disorders among adolescents living in a residential group home and the distribution of these disorders by gender.

Method

The participants included 183 adolescents (13–17 years old) living in residential group homes of the Child Welfare System in the county of Bouches-du-Rhône (South of France). A structured psychiatric Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children was used to assess the existence of Anxiety Disorder (AD), Major Depression (MD), Conduct Disorder (CD), Eating Disorder (ED), Enuresia (En), Psychosis Screen (PS) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among the study participants over the six-month period before the assessment was taken. The existence of Suicide Attempts (SA) during the lifetime of each child was also assessed.

Results

Of the youths qualified, 48.6% as having at least one psychiatric disorder during the last six months (AD: 28.4%; CD: 15.3%; MD: 14.8%; PS: 18.6%; ADHD: 3.8%), and SA have been reported in 23% of them. Females were more affected than boys (p < 0.001) with 64.9% having at least one disorder compared to 36.8% of boys; AD: 49.3% vs. 13.2%; and MD: 27.3% vs. 5.6%.

Conclusion

Adolescents living in residential group homes of the Child Welfare System in France have notably high rates of mental disorder (about three times more than those of the general population of the same age), similar to the patterns found in adolescents in North America and Europe. These data are the first of their kind in France and will guide necessary changes to the child welfare system.