Adjusting and Comparing Survival Curves by Means of an Additive Risk Model

Survival curves may be adjusted for covariates using Aalen's additive risk model. Survival curves may be compared by taking the ratio of two adjusted survival curves; the ratio is denoted the generalized relative survival rate. Adjusting both survival curves for all but one of a common set of covariates gives the partial relative survival rate, which measures the covariate-specific contribution to the generalized relative survival rate. The generalized and partial relative survival rates have interpretations similar to the traditional relative survival rates frequently used in cancer epidemiology. In fact, the traditional relative survival rate can be generalized to a regression context using the additive risk model. This population-adjusted relative survival rate is an alternative and useful method for removing confounding effects of age, cohorts, and sex. The authors use a data set of malignant melanoma patients diagnosed from 1965 to 1974 in Norway. The 25-year survival of 1967 individuals is studied.     

Traces of Norwegian influence in the development of social services in Minnesota, USA, 1890–1920

This article explores areas where Norwegian Americans contributed to the burgeoning social welfare system being established in Minnesota from 1890 to 1920. The array of services developed was due in part to the belief among native-born Americans that immigrant groups should establish their own helping networks and care for themselves. The Lutheran Church played a central part in this development by initiating and sponsoring new undertakings. Issues discussed during this period are found to be still central among both immigrant groups and 'natives' today. Concerns regarding mother tongue, religion, integration in schools and use of existing welfare systems continue to stir up 'natives' and 'settlers' alike.     

Religion and spirituality in social work practice and education in a cross-cultural context: findings from a Norwegian and UK study

As service populations have changed, social workers in Norway and the UK have responded to the needs of diverse cultures, which often include issues of religion and spirituality. Members of the Norwegian Union of Social Educators and Social Workers (FO) and the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) were sampled to explore attitudes regarding the placement of religion and spirituality in practice and education. UK workers were generally more accepting of religion and spirituality than their Norwegian colleagues. Factors such as secularism, differences in the educational systems, and different historical trajectories in the profession's development may contribute to differences between the UK and Norway. The authors recommend additional research in each country regarding the role of religion and spirituality in social work education and practice, the general culture, the bureaucratic delivery of social services, client and social worker interactions, and in the stratification of social class.     

Enabling and constraining family: young women building their educational paths in Tanzania

For an increasing number of African girls and women, upgrading the level of education has become a strategy for life improvement. This paper analyses the role that family plays in enabling women's education and contributes to understanding on the interconnectivity of education, work and family in women's lives in collective societies. The analysis focuses on how young Tanzanian women perceive the role of family and education in their ‘youth task’, of becoming adult. The analysis is based on interviews with seven young Tanzanian women enrolled in non-formal secondary education and nine professional women enrolled in higher education. The results show that the women were determined to pursue higher levels of education and committed to continuous self-improvement. The women identified family both as a motivator of further education and as a constraint for their individual aims and ambitions. Respecting and maintaining good family relations were given priority over individual aims and decisions. Consequently, the reasons for women to educate themselves were drawn from the overall benefits to the future of the family and the society at large. Findings suggest a major role of the family in determining the success in improving education and professional advancement of girls and women in Tanzania.     

First-hand Accounts of Emotional Experiences in Autism: a qualitative analysis

Internet-based first-hand accounts of five people who describe themselves as 'high functioning autistic' were analysed using a thematic analytic approach. Four central themes were identified. These were a sense of alienation, a sense of frustration, depression as a central emotion, and a pervasive sense of fear or apprehension. The findings not only imply that emotional issues are important and relevant to people with autism, but there is an implication that the predominant experienced emotions are unpleasant ones. This is in contrast to much of the literature on autism that points to the absence or lack of emotion compared to non-autistic controls. Issues of generalisability to a wider population of people with autism are discussed.