The Effect of Infancy Childcare Center Use and Maternal Employment on Toddlers’ Language Development in South Korea

Using first to fourth wave data of the Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC), this study explores the effects of childcare center use, maternal employment, and other child and familial characteristics on the language development of toddlers in Korea. Among the 2078 families with children in the PSKC, those who completed the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test at the fourth wave were selected, and a small number of disabled or prematurely born children were excluded. In addition, to clarify the effects of maternal employment, families with mothers who were either employed or unemployed for three consecutive years during the child's infancy were selected. Regression analysis showed that neither childcare center use nor maternal employment during infancy had significant effects on toddlers’ expressive and receptive vocabulary at the fourth wave. Family characteristics, such as household poverty and maternal education level, as well as child characteristics, such as gender and birth order, had significant effects on expressed vocabulary. However, only children's gender significantly affected the receptive vocabulary level of toddlers.     

从托尼·莫里森作品看美国黑人精神生态

精神生态研究主要是关注人自身“精神圈”这一内自然的生态平衡,并探索精神生态失衡的文化和社会因素。在《最蓝的眼睛》、《秀拉》、《宠儿》三部作品中,托尼·莫里森塑造了美国黑人社会一系列悲剧人物形象,悲剧的因素包括“黑人性”的丧失与母爱的扭曲：在《最蓝的眼睛》中,黑人社区在白人强势文化面前迷失自我,丢弃“黑人性”,酿成了佩科拉一家的悲剧;在《秀拉》中,秀拉抛弃“黑人性”,蔑视黑人传统,给黑人社区带来了灾难;《宠儿》中塞丝杀死亲生女儿,《秀拉》中伊娃杀死深爱的儿子,都是扭曲的母爱带来的毁灭。如此种种,都折射出美国黑人精神生态的危机状况。     

乔叶小说《最慢的是活着》母性意识初探

在《最慢的是活着》的作品中,乔叶通过对琐碎的现实生活的质朴还原,向读者展现了“我”的祖母王兰英平凡而真实的一生。更重要的是,作品对“母性”进行了有意识的言说,内蕴于作品深处的母亲原型得以在时光背后被挖掘出来,而以此为基点所延展出的对“活着”这件事的冷静观察与深刻思考则成为作品的最终指向。     

Characterizing Mother’s Dating After Divorce

Mothers dating after divorce is a dynamic process, where not all mothers date the same way after divorce. However, few studies have examined the different ways that mothers date after divorce, which should influence maternal well-being, risk behaviors, and the quality of their relationships. This study characterizes four different approaches to mothers’ repartnering (referred to as repartnering histories): no dating, dating one partner monogamously, dating multiple partners serially, and dating multiple partners simultaneously. Each repartnering history is characterized by demographic variables, relationship quality, and maternal well-being. Implications of the study are discussed.     

Psychiatric Symptoms and Perceived Need for Psychiatric Care After Divorce

Abstract

The study investigated level of psychiatric symptoms and perceived need for psychiatric care among recently divorced males and females. Furthermore, various demographic factors and characteristics of the marriage and divorce related to psychiatric symptoms and perceived need for psychiatric care, were identified. Six hundred fifty eight recently divorced males and females living in five different counties in Norway participated. Their level of psychiatric symptoms was compared with the general Norwegian population. Divorced individuals had substantially higher level of psychiatric symptoms as compared to the general population. No consistent gender differences were observed. For both males and females, level of conflict with the ex-spouse and being leaver or being left, were the variables being most strongly related to psychiatric symptoms and need of psychiatric care. However, the variables accounted for only a modest proportion of the variance in the mental health outcome.     

Understanding Acculturation,Depressive Symptoms,and the Protective Role of Family Involvement Among Latino(a) Immigrant Families

Although the relationship between varying levels of acculturation and depressive symptoms has been established among Latino(a) youth, the positive role of family involvement in relation to depressive symptoms among immigrant Latino(a) families has been studied less. This study draws on a sample of first-generation Latino(a) youth from the Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study and explores the relationship between acculturation levels and depressive symptoms, as well as the protective role of family involvement. Although results do not support a relationship between acculturation and depressive symptoms, family involvement was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms while taking important sociodemographic variables into consideration. Research and practice implications with Latino(a) immigrant families are discussed.     

Three Types of Memory for Childhood Sexual Abuse: Relationships to Characteristics of Abuse and Psychological Symptoms∗

ABSTRACT

Data from a clinical sample (N?=?88) reporting childhood sexual abuse was compared by types of memory, abuse characteristics, and psychological symptoms. Three types of memory were identified from a questionnaire (“Always” n?=?27 [31%], “Recovered” n?=?41 [46%], and “Both” n?=?20 [23%]). When compared with narrative reports from a subset (n?=?30) of the sample, the lines between “Always,” “Recovered,” and “Both” types of memory were ambiguous. Consistency across reports, however, was 83%. Memories classified as either “Recovered” or “Both” were associated with earlier age-at-onset and more severe psychological symptoms compared to those who “Always” remembered CSA. No significant differences were found between the “Both” and “Recovered” groups.     

A Short Form of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children

A short form of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children was derived from the original 90 items. An exploratory factor analysis of each factor identified the four items from each of the original factors with the highest eigenvalues. These items were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. The best fit was obtained for an 8-factor, 32-item model. The short form evidenced good convergent validity with parent ratings obtained from the Child Behavior Checklist, the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory, and the University of California at Los Angeles Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (UCLA PTSD RI). Norms (t-scores and percentiles based on raw scores) were calculated by age and by gender. The short form has promise as a screening measure with parents in settings like a child advocacy center.     

Coping,Emotion Regulation,and Self-Blame as Mediators of Sexual Abuse and Psychological Symptoms in Adult Sexual Assault

This study examined whether coping, emotion regulation, and self-blame mediate relationships of trauma histories with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in adult sexual assault victims (N = 1863). A path analysis showed that theorized mediators partially mediated associations between trauma history variables and psychological symptoms. Specifically, child sexual abuse severity was related to greater post-traumatic stress disorder and depression indirectly through maladaptive coping and decreased emotion regulation but not self-blame. Other traumas had direct relationships with symptoms and partially mediated effects through maladaptive coping and emotion regulation. Child sexual abuse was unrelated to self-blame, but other traumas were related to greater self-blame. Results differed according to whether women had counseling post-assault. Implications are drawn for future research and clinical treatment of adult sexual assault victims.     

Challenges of Safe Motherhood: Program and Policy Recommendations

ABSTRACT

This article synthesizes the major findings from research and case studies on safe motherhood and focuses on best practices and changes in public policy. Many factors that negatively influence safe motherhood can be ameliorated—and have been in numerous societies through education, access to resources, public–private partnerships, and grassroots efforts. A model identifying the interrelationship of variable is provided. Policy recommendations are discussed.