A Qualitative Perspective of Family Resources Among Low Income,African American Grandmother–Caregivers

ABSTRACT

This ethnographic study describes a group of 7 low-income, African American, grandmother–caregivers' perceptions of family resources. An ethnographic design, enhanced by a genogram, captured those who were available and unavailable to provide support to the grandmother. The analysis used a constant comparative method to thematically capture grandmothers' perceptions of family support resources as absent, unavailable, dependent, and reliable support, and the circumstances that led to that status. The findings reveal that many African American grandmothers are rearing children with little family support, owing mainly to the devastation of negative social and economic conditions. The results suggest areas for improvement in social work assessment and intervention.     

Caregiver's Spirituality and Its Influence on Maintaining the Elderly and Disabled in a Home Environment

ABSTRACT

This study examined the role that faith-based organizations play for caregivers in maintaining the elderly and disabled in their homes. The study explored if persons who use religious beliefs and practices cope with caregiver stress better than those who do not use religious beliefs and practices. The study also explored the role of religious coping as a factor affecting decisions to institutionalize, and the role that faith-based practices and organizations play in helping caregivers maintain the elderly and disabled in their homes.     

Caring for my wife: voices from Malay older husbands in Singapore

This study explores how Malay older husbands giving care to their wives in Singapore respond to these roles through coping strategies and social support. This study uses in-depth interviews with five Malay older husbands whose wives are homebound because of dementia and kidney problems. Key findings suggest that husbands report low caregiver burden or strain. However, all the participants report that they do not take time off from their caregiving roles because they have no other immediate sources of support. Services relieving their caregiving responsibilities would be helpful to reduce stress and prevent future burnout.     

Job satisfaction of social workers in senior welfare centres in South Korea: the effects of individual,client and organisational factors

This study investigates the individual, client and organisational factors that affect the job satisfaction of social workers employed by senior welfare centres in Korea. The data were collected from 130 social workers in senior welfare centres and subjected to hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The job satisfaction of social workers in senior welfare centres was influenced by their self-efficacy, positive attitude to older adults, their relationships with colleagues, and supervision. Ways to improve the job satisfaction of social workers are discussed.     

Medical and housing needs of older part-time migrant workers and the role of government: the Linyi model in China

The political, social and academic attention on migrant workers in China has been focused on the full-time worker while those who seek part-time work are rarely studied. We explore the effect of part-time day-labour employment of older migrants in an odd-job market in Linyi City. The medical, housing needs and available services for them are analysed. The Linyi government pioneered a program providing comprehensive services to part-time migrant workers, allowing this study to explore the strengths and weakness of the model. Building the appropriate social service industry competencies demands a joint effort from the government, community, organizations, researchers and enterprises.     

论中国企业向非洲农业投资的增长极战略

非洲经济发展的"瓶颈"是农业落后,特别是粮食生产更为突出。从比较优势理论、国际生产折中理论和技术地方化理论剖析了我国企业在非洲进行农业投资的可行性。同时,也尝试从增长极理论视角分析了我国在非洲进行农业投资应采用的战略。     

亚裔美国人运动的缘起与影响

亚裔美国人运动是美国ｌ９６０年代社会运动的重要组成部分,是亚裔沉默了１００多年后在美国广阔社会、政治舞台上的首次演练。这次运动激发起亚裔的政治参与意识,促进了有亚洲血统的美国人的泛亚裔意识形成,同时,它为美国亚裔留下了宝贵的遗产:创造了亚裔的共同称谓——“亚裔美国人”,推进了亚裔美国人研究的开展。     

Positive Parenting Among African American Mothers With a Serious Mental Illness

Positive parenting is hampered by social‐contextual risks—lack of income, education, and support, as well as maternal mental illness—but current models do not examine the effect of each factor in concert with the others. Using structural equation modeling and a community sample (N= 202) of African American mothers diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, we examined the direct and indirect effects of poverty, maternal education, social support, material and social stress, current mental health, and psychiatric history on positive parenting attitudes, involvement in children's education, and authoritative parenting style. The strongest predictors of parenting attitudes were stress and current mental health. Parenting attitudes were the strongest predictors of parent involvement and style but stress and current mental health were also predictive. Involvement was also predicted by maternal education and social support.     

Problem and Probable Pathological Gambling Among Older Adults Assessed by the SOGS-R

This study had three main objectives: to examine the prevalence of gambling and problem gambling among older adults, to examine the socio-demographic and gambling patterns of people with various South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised (SOGS-R) scores, and to examine endorsement of the SOGS-R items. The data were drawn from telephone interviews conducted with a sample of 1000 older adults, 60 years and older, throughout the province of Manitoba. Problem gambling was determined from scores on the SOGS-R (Lesieur, H., & Blume, S. (1987). American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1184–1188; Lesieur, H., & Blume, S. (1993). Journal of Gambling Studies, 9, 213–219). The results showed gambling to be a fairly common activity among older adults, with 74.7% of participants having gambled in the year prior to the study. Of the total sample, 1.6% were gambling at problem levels, and a further 1.2% were gambling at probable pathological levels in the past year. Inspection of gambling patterns by SOGS-R score failed to reveal a clear and consistent distinction between problem gambling and probable pathological gambling. Finally, examination of item distribution revealed consistent trends of both over and under endorsement of certain items. These results suggest the need for either refinement of the SOGS-R for use with older adults, or the development of a new measure specific to older adults.