Resilience of Families Living in Poverty

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways that community social workers reflect the established literature on family resilience. This exploratory study involved semistructured group interviews with community social workers from an urban agency that serves families who are poor. The analysis was completed by comparing Walsh's “Key Processes in Family Resilience” with the responses from the participants in the group interviews. Specifically, Walsh (2002 Walsh , F. ( 2002 ). A family resilience framework: Innovative practice approaches . Family Relations , 51 ( 2 ), 130 – 137 .[Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) identifies three domains of resilient families, including belief systems, organizational patterns, and communication processes. These were used as reference points for comparison. The interviews with the community social workers revealed a connection between using positive beliefs, thinking, and taking action steps that define a resilient family. This only becomes possible in the context of supportive internal family relations and external community connections. While the community social workers affirm elements of the established models of family resilience, they also emphasized its dynamic nature as the interplay of positive family beliefs combined with action steps and support from the community.     

Common Beliefs About Child Sexual Abuse and Disclosure: A College Sample

ABSTRACT

Adults’ common beliefs about child sexual abuse and disclosure were explored. Participants (N = 670) were questioned about key areas of child sexual abuse that could affect decision-making processes of jurors evaluating child sexual abuse cases. These areas included victim and perpetrator characteristics, medical and behavioral indicators of child sexual abuse, memories for the event, and disclosure of the event. The scientific literature pertaining to these same areas are reviewed. While individual beliefs were consistent with some areas of the scientific literature (e.g., victim and perpetrator characteristics), they strongly contrasted the literature in other important areas (e.g., memories for the event, indicators of child sexual abuse, and the likelihood of denial and recantation). Implications, including the option of providing expert testimony to reduce discrepancies, are discussed.     

Predictors of Job Satisfaction and Burnout in Child Abuse Professionals: Coping,Cognition, and Victimization History

ABSTRACT

This study investigated coping style, work-related cognition, and victimization history as predictors of job satisfaction and burnout in child abuse professionals. Subjects were 215 participants in a conference on sexual abuse victim treatment. We developed a questionnaire assessing a variety of cognitions related to work with human services clients. One of the findings was that job satisfaction showed no relation to items portraying simple optimism or pessimism about helping clients, but satisfaction was related to a number of cognitions that combined realism and hope in a distinctive fashion. The coping strategies of Planful Problem Solving, Positive Reappraisal, and Seeking Social Support were associated with positive work experience, and the coping mechanisms of Confrontive Coping, Escape/Avoidance, and Accepting Responsibility were associated with negative work experience. Job satisfaction was higher in subjects reporting a childhood history of sexual abuse or neglect.     

Alternative Therapies and Empowerment of Older Women

SUMMARY

There has been a striking increase in Americans' awareness and use of alternative therapies over the last decade. Women, in particular, have been drawn to explore these unconventional health practices, which include herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, manual therapies, energy healing, and mind-body therapies. From a feminist perspective, the rise in alternative therapies' use in the United States represents a shift in cultural concepts of health from an outmoded patriarchical model which disempowers older women, to a more feminine, holistic model which can reempower older women. Throughout history, older women have developed, applied, and taught the principles and practices of what are now considered alternative healing modalities, in their roles as mothers, expert herbalists, midwives, wise women, and shaman. By becoming familiar with these therapies, older women can increase their control over their health, enhance prevention and self-care, and enjoy a health-care pathway that leads to wholeness in body, mind, and spirit.     

90后大学生政治信仰危机的现状、原因及对策

90后大学生存在政治信仰淡化、马克思主义信仰弱化、盲目崇奉西方政治价值观等问题。出现这些问题的原因包括：中国当前社会矛盾的存在及其解决的长期性,发达资本主义国家生产关系的调整及其容纳性,世界社会主义运动的低迷及其曲折性,互联网技术的推动及其负面性,以及大学信仰教育的削弱及其功利性等。化解大学生信仰危机要加强和创新社会管理,解决人民群众长期关心的重大问题;重视和完善信仰教育,强化大学生对马克思主义的认同;治理和规范网络环境,建设积极向上的网络文化。     

对新时期党员干部坚定理想信念的思考

习近平提出:共产党人的立命根本是坚定理想信念,坚守精神追求,共产党人的政治灵魂是对马克思主义的信仰,对社会主义和共产主义的信仰。理想信念是共产党人精神意志中的"钙",没有理想信念,精神上就会"缺钙",就会得"软骨病"。在经济全球化、世界多极化和信息社会化的时代背景下,共产党员在理想信仰方面总体上是积极向上,但是也有一些不良趋势出现,例如功利主义、享乐主义等不良思想滋长,只有深刻分析现阶段党员理想信念中存在的问题和不足,才能更好地加强党的建设,发挥党员的先进性和榜样示范性作用。     

社会主义核心价值体系与当代农民信仰：错位及调适

任何社会都需要核心价值观的引领与整合。我国农村社会的和谐有序发展也需要一整套共同的信仰和价值观。然而令人忧虑的是,社会转型期我国乡村社会却出现了群体性的信仰危机,价值体系也处于混乱、冲突与失衡状态,这与社会主义核心价值体系的共识性要求形成明显错位。为此,必须提高农民对社会主义核心价值体系的认同,努力把社会主义核心价值体系内化为农民信仰,凝聚共识,有效地推进新农村建设。     

浅析高校大学生宗教信仰问题——基于宗教文化的视阈

宗教是一种社会文化现象。大学生宗教信仰问题是当前高校思想政治工作的一项难题。立足于宗教文化的定义及长期性、群体性、政治性、民族性、文化性的特征,具体分析目前我国宗教的具体特征,结合高校中宗教信仰的现实传播途径,针对性地提出一些建议和对策。     

师范生的教师观及其影响

通过对五年一贯制师范学校四年级学生的问卷调查,询问学生心目中好教师与差教师的特性。研究表明师范生把教师的教学工作更多看作是涉及到情感因素和人际关系的职业,而不是需要相关专业技能和丰富专业知识的职业。研究结果对教师发展项目有参考作用。     

政治文明建设中的政治理念变迁解析

政治文明是人类文明中的政治层面,政治文明在很大程度上反映了整个社会、国家的文明水平,影响或制约着其他两个文明的发展进程。政治理念是政治文明的潜在因素,建设社会主义政治文明要从政治理念入手。通过分析中国政治文明建设,提出了五个理念变迁即政权合法性理念变迁、权力归属理念变迁、权力运行理念变迁、权力控制理念变迁、权力指向理念变迁。