Single Parent Widows:

This paper examines the stressors, appraisal of be- reavement, coping, resources, grieving responses and health of four types of single widow parents: widows raising dependent children; widows raising a handicapped child; independent older widows with children; and dependent, ill, older widows with a child. A review of literature on single parent widow families and data from the authors research on single parent widows served as a basis for this paper. Major gaps in knowledge include: limited research on single parent widow families including longitudinal and theory-based research; findings which are based on small samples of single parent widows who are often mixed with other single parent types; little research on single parent widows from Black, Hispanic and other ethnic groups; and few studies on resources used by widows. A secondary analysis of data from the authors research indicated characteristics of high- risk, vulnerable, and healthy single parent widow families. High-risk single parent widow families are characterized by: presence of mul- tiple stressors; intense grieving; appraisal of bereavement as a threat or harmful loss; use of less adaptive coping; limited use of resources;and poor health. Characteristics of vulnerable single parent widow families include: presence of stressors including an unresolved grieving process; negative appraisals of bereavement with hope for a more positive appraisal in the future; limited coping abilities; use of some resources such as helpful social supports; and less than op- timum health which can improve with intervention. Positive mean- ings of bereavement, use of adaptive ways of coping, a normal grieving process, use of many resources, and good health are charac- teristics which are prevalent in healthy single parent widow families. Themes in common to all four family types were: the grieving pro- cess; changes in roles and responsibilities; employment; loneliness; dating and remarriage; and caregiver stress. Directions for future research and implications for family professionals are discussed.     

Exercising Agency,Becoming a Single Mother

Abstract

Single motherhood is on the rise and an increasing number of single mothers are never married. This has contributed to the crisis rhetoric surrounding the decline of the traditional family. A plethora of research has been conducted with a variety of subgroups of single mothers, but virtually no research has examined the lives of never married, single mothers, who are neither poor nor middle class, but economically fall in between. Drawing on data from qualitative interviews with this subgroup, the article examines their decision-making processes. The findings of this study reveal various factors that helped the women make decisions showing how the process is more complex than previously suggested in the literature. Interestingly, the women articulate a comfort zone of single motherhood that is unparallel to other groups of single mothers. Concepts of agency, autonomy, pride, and self-reliance are crucial to understanding their process of decision making.     

‘The Whole Family Suffered,So the Whole Family Needs to Recover’: Thematic Analysis of Substance-Abusing Mothers’ Family Therapy Sessions

ABSTRACT

Substance-abusing mothers and their children are more likely to experience a range of social, behavioral, and psychological difficulties. Despite the significant challenges faced by these families, little is known about their experiences in treatment. The current study analyzed 12 sessions of family therapy using thematic analysis to identify common themes that arose during discussion between substance-abusing mothers and their children during family therapy. Mothers’ ages ranged from 28 to 35 years old, and the children's ages ranged from 12 to 14 years old. Four therapy sessions from 3 families were coded for a total of 12 therapy sessions. An ecological framework was used to classify themes, in which themes related to each level of the families’ ecological systems were identified. Thematic analysis of the therapy sessions indicated that mothers and their children primarily discussed topics related to their relational and emotional needs. The findings indicated that mothers with substance use disorders and their children have unique treatment needs that should be addressed when the mother seeks treatment. More research is needed to further clarify and confirm the observations in this study. In particular, future research should include a larger sample and quantitative methodology.     

Alzheimer's Educational/Support Group:

Alzheimer's Disease is a neurological disorder that causes memory and cognitive impairment. The progression of the disease causes distress to the afflicted person and the caregiver. The interactional patterns of family members are severely altered as the disease progresses. An Educational/Support group was formed to assist families in learning more about the disease, community resources, and effective coping strategies. In addition it was an opportunity to share emotional reactions and develop a network with others experiencing a common issue. The findings suggest that awareness of family tasks, pre-planning, time-limited sessions and professional facilitation were important elements in releasing the supportive potcntial of the group members and increasing their adaptive capacities.     

艺术活态传承中的名实之辩——对“青歌赛”唱法概念的再考量

CCTV青年歌手电视大奖赛从11届到15届设立“原生态”唱法到取消的过程,体现了对原生性文化与生态关系的重视、喜爱、弘扬、认识、回归的实践过程。这一过程,让我们看到我国文化艺术界在遇到当今全球化生态整生过程中所产生的不和谐问题及无法解决的困惑时,将目光转向现存活在地理环境相对清晰,生态因子、序列相对完整的生态环境中与主流文化共时,但相对被边缘化的弱势文化群体的音乐生活。即对尚未被全球化冲击、并未完全改变的民族民间原生、活态音乐文化特色样式的回眸与观照。以此希望从现存的此种文化样态中找到久远的母文化原始性基因,获得解决当今全球化带来的文化单一化、格式化问题的新办法。但在“生态”前冠以历时性状语“原”组成新词“原生态”,并教条地用于文化历史时空的活态文化的传承实践中,其中造成的观念到实践等的悖论及各种混乱也应当辨明。有必要进行一次跨学科的辨析,以期尽达艺术活态传承中的名实之清。     

Evidence-based practice in real-world services for young people with complex needs: New opportunities suggested by recent implementation science

There is growing agreement that child and youth services have been slow to implement evidence-based practice (EBP). A variety of interrelated barriers and facilitators of EBP implementation have been recognized and investigated. Key categories include the attitudes of providers, the characteristics of client populations, the characteristics of usual practice, organizational factors, and resource availability. Implementation scientists are investigating these factors, seeking to bridge the gap between clinical science and practice. Much of this work has been conducted in the context of behavioral health services for children and young people. This paper provides a purposeful review of this research from the perspective of decision-makers in agencies serving young people with multiple and complex psychosocial needs. It is argued that major barriers to EBP may be mitigated if ways can be found to transcend the oppositional construction that has characterized the discourses of EBP versus practice wisdom. A conceptual approach to such integration is offered. New lines of implementation research are offering opportunities for practical action by decision-makers consistent with this integrative approach.     

Effect on Preschoolers' Literacy when Never‐Married Mothers Get Married

Healthy Marriage programs in the United States aim to promote marriage primarily among low‐income individuals. There is little research assessing whether children fare better when their never‐married mothers get married. The present study uses the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey–Birth Cohort to test the hypothesis that children have higher literacy scores when their mothers who had never married when the children were 9 months old had married when the children were 48 months old (N = 2,800). A small positive effect was found, but only when marriage was compared with cohabitation. The association between marriage and literacy is partially explained by mothers' increased household income. The children of mothers who were single noncohabitants or married and then divorced or separated were also doing better with respect to literacy than children of cohabiting mothers. Future research is needed to better understand how cohabitation is associated with negative effects on children's literacy.     

The Influence of Local Price and Availability on Parents’ Choice of Child Care

The striking variation in patterns of child care usage across states reflects differences in family characteristics, but may also reflect exogenous differences in local child care markets. Type of care selected will be influenced by the availability, cost, and accessibility of supply in the child care market as well as by family and child characteristics and cultural preferences. This study contributes to the growing literature on parental demand for child care by using a recent detailed data set from the state of Minnesota. We link household-level data on child care usage and family characteristics with county-level data on average provider rates and availability by type of care in order to estimate multinomial logit models analyzing the family, child, and market characteristics that predict type of care. Our analysis shows that using a relative or friend to care for a child is largely determined by availability, and choice of family care providers is most responsive to price for employed mothers. The types of care chosen by mothers who are not in the paid labor force differ substantially from the choices of employed mothers, and their use of center care is influenced by the prices of both center and family providers. Attitudes towards relative care are also shown to influence type of care chosen.     

思想的传承、决裂与重构(下)——《德意志意识形态》创作前史研究

《德意志意识形态》的写作显示出马克思的思想达到的新高度,这是他多年思考、探索的结果,也是一个艰难的剥离与建构过程的完成。本文以文献材料为依据,对这一著作撰写之前马克思思想的演变给予了新的梳理。首先对马克思主义哲学史研究中长期流行的“两个转变”的诠解框架与批判模式提出质疑,然后具体分析了马克思与青年黑格尔派之间近十年复杂的思想纠葛、他们理解世界的方式从深受影响到发生歧见一直到最后决裂的关键环节,特别是以马克思十部文本的写作勾勒出他的思想达到《德意志意识形态》的水准、走上独立化发展道路之前所经历的艰辛过程。研究这一思想进程对于理解《德意志意识形态》的思想内容,进而把握马克思哲学复杂的内涵具有非常重要的意义。     

高校青年教师发展力的提升途径与建议

近年来青年教师群体在高校教师中的比例日益增高,其发展力极大地影响到我国高等教育质量,青年教师在教学、科研水平等方面的现状不容乐观。探讨高校青年教师发展力提升面临的困境,并从加强新教师的职前培训、设立专门的教师发展中心、改善生活待遇等方面提出开发高校青年教师发展力的建议。