Parent Management Training, Relationships with Agency Staff, and Child Mental Health: Urban Foster Parents' Perspectives

Many foster parents are ill prepared to meet the behavioral needs of children placed in their homes. Research suggests they lack training in evidence-based behavioral interventions and feel unsupported by child welfare professionals. Given the complex needs of foster children and increased rates of placement disruption for foster children with behavior problems, implementation of effective interventions is essential. However, little is known about foster parents' receptivity to these types of interventions. In this qualitative study, we examine urban foster parents' perceptions of the specific elements of parent management training (PMT), an evidence-based treatment for disruptive behaviors that teaches parents to improve desired behaviors and decrease oppositional behaviors by rewarding positive behaviors (positive reinforcement) and responding to negative behaviors with mild, consistent punishments such as timeout or a privilege removal. We present data from four focus groups (N = 38). While the questions focused on parent's perceptions of PMT, responses often related to parent interactions with agency staff. Four strong themes emerged from the data. First, foster parents discussed a need for more support and training in how to address children's behaviors, but also had concerns that some PMT discipline techniques would be ineffective based on their past experiences with foster children. Second, they described how staff communication skills and allegations of child abuse could affect parents' motivation to continue fostering. Third, they expressed a need for more detailed information about children's histories and visits with biological families as the lack of information contributed to difficulty in meeting foster children's needs. They suggested that joint training of foster parents and staff in the intervention could improve their ability to work together to support the child's positive behaviors. Finally, parents reported little involvement in child mental health services and doubted the effectiveness of the mental health services their foster children received.     

‘My grandchild has a disability’: Impact on grandparenting identity, roles and relationships

Being a grandparent is an important and valued role for many older adults, who often have strong views about the type of grandparent they will be and what they will teach their grandchild. When their grandchild has a disability, grandparents may have to significantly adjust their expectations and interactions. This research explores if and how having a grandchild with a disability influences grandparents' sense of identity and enactment of the grandparent role. Using qualitative purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 grandparents of children with an intellectual and/or physical disability residing in Brisbane, Australia. A thematic analysis identified three key themes characterising grandparent's views: formation of grandparenting identity, styles of grandparenting, and role enactment. The results highlight the critical role of grandparents when a child has a disability, illustrating that the grandparenting experience and role enactment may be universal with only the context and delivery varying.     

《封神演义》对儒家五伦的消解与重构

五伦是儒家伦理规范之根本,明清时代的五伦观念越来越突出等级意识和单向性的绝对要求,日趋异化和不合理,背离了早期的交互性原则。在这一话语背景下,明后期的《封神演义》出现了对五伦的消解,反映了作者对秦汉以来德性伦理异化为政治伦理的不满和反思,表达了对双向性和交互性人伦关系的渴望与价值诉求。但由于种种原因,小说对五伦的消解只是在一定层面上进行,而且基于儒家稳定道德秩序的价值理想,小说在消解的同时又进行着重新建构的工作。     

普通话语音、英语语音与英语听力水平的关系研究

文章以讲客家方言的英语专业学生为研究对象,探讨普通话语音、英语语音和英语听力水平之间的关系。研究表明被试的普通话语音、英语语音和英语听力水平三者之间存在显著正相关。基于实验结果,作者建议:1)要发挥普通话语音学习对方言学生英语学习的促进作用;2)把英语语音训练和听力教学结合起来,尝试"听-读-听"的听力教学模式。     

析英汉互译中视点与信息量的关系

翻译并不是从一种语言到另一种语言简单的形式上的对等,大多数情况下,由于文化的差异,人们观察或描述事物的角度会有所不同。而文化因素往往被压缩在语言当中,在实际使用中会以不同的方式释放出来,译者会发现原语和译语的意义表达上呈现出不同的信息量。探索和发掘英汉互译中视点和信息量存在的内在关系：视点相同,信息量相同;视点不同,信息量相同抑或不同,对翻译具有重要的意义。     

关于家庭性的几点思考

家庭及家庭关系的形成和发展使人有了家庭性。家庭性是家庭及家庭关系在人身上的体现和反映,它包括两个方面家庭行为和家庭精神;五个层次性关系婚姻化、人际关系伦理化、血缘关系亲属化、消费家庭化、家庭关系泛化。家庭性有四个特点第二获得性、二重性、普遍性、永恒性。家庭性是人和动物的根本区别之一。     

论人际交往诚信及其意义

人际交往诚信关注的是作为公民的个体在社会公共生活领域、家庭生活领域中人际互动的诚信关系,情感性、非功利性和基础性是其特点。人际交往诚信是个人基本的道德品质,是建立社会诚信的基础。它有利于建立和谐的人际关系,能满足个人安全需要,减少不必要的代价。     

Social contexts and personal relationships: The effect of meeting opportunities on similarity for relationships of different strength

This paper examines the effect of social contexts on similarity in personal relationships. We argue that the effect of social contexts is larger for weaker, and smaller for stronger relationships. Using data from The Survey of the Social Networks of the Dutch (collected in 1999/2000, n = 1007), we first describe where people got to know their acquaintances, friends and partner and that similarity in these relationships with regard to age, level of education, sex, and religion, generally varies. We then inquire whether getting to know each other in a certain context affects similarity, and whether this effect is different for relationships of different strength. Our main conclusion, however, is that the effect of social contexts on similarity is remarkably consistent across partnerships, friendships, and acquaintanceships.