visualizing white‐collar crime

This study examines how film‐makers construct images of white‐collar crime in genre film. Data consist of twenty‐four white‐collar films in two genres: thrillers and comedies. Results indicate that images of white‐collar crime vary significantly by genre. Thrillers contain few visuals of white‐collar crimes and white‐collar offenders. Instead film‐makers use more familiar images of violence to create thrills. Comic film‐makers use standard sight gags to make images of white‐collar offenders and their crimes funny. When comic film‐makers find humor in the content of the subject matter, they construct images of white‐collar criminals and their crimes to clearly communicate the structure of each joke to the audience. Visual images of victims are not predominant in these films, especially in white‐collar comedies. The analysis reveals more than film‐making techniques. It begins to uncover cultural codes that frame white‐collar crime and illuminate its relative unimportance in the public arena, especially when compared to other crimes.     

The Process is Pedagogy: What Does Community Participation Teach?

Does participation in community activities increase the knowledgeand skills of the volunteers? If so, which knowledge and skillsare gained? What is the relationship between learning throughcommunity activities and a volunteer's age, gender, level ofeducation and level of involvement? To examine these questions, data from a survey conducted ina small American community were used. Respondents were askedif they had learned any new knowledge or skills, or had extendedtheir existing knowledge and skills from participating in communityactivities. The analysis shows that all volunteers increasedtheir knowledge and skills. Most of what they learned was generalknowledge rather than specific skills and was not new but extensionsof existing knowledge. The question format greatly influencedinterviewee response. The authors conclude that people's knowledgeand skills are increased by becoming involved in community activitiesand the greater their involvement, the greater the learning.The process is the teacher!     

A Dedicated Diversity Course or an Infusion Model? Exploring Which Strategy Is More Effective in Social Work Pedagogy

The Council on Social Work Education requires schools of social work to meet diversity and social justice competencies. Many MSW programs meet these standards by having either a dedicated diversity and social justice course, or by using some form of diversity and social justice curricular infusion. The current study explored which of these strategies is more effective. Two-hundred and eighty-six MSW students participated in this quasi-experimental design (diversity-83; infusion-97; no diversity/no infusion-106), and were assessed on multiple indices of cultural responsiveness and social justice awareness. Our findings were mixed, but indicated that a dedicated diversity and social justice course is effective at increasing students' cultural responsiveness and social justice awareness. Implications for social work pedagogy are discussed.     

How to evacuate a psychiatric hospital: a Hurricane Katrina success story

This article describes the successful evacuation of an entire psychiatric hospital from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Memphis, Tennessee, on a weekend night. The destination site was 400 miles away and buses were used for transport. The evacuation occurred shortly before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and included 73 adult, adolescent, and child acute psychiatric patients. Thirty-five staff members also participated in the evacuation with their families and pets. This report is significant because little is known about how to implement a disaster plan that involves the transport of an entire psychiatric hospital-patients, nurses, physicians, staff, and family members--to another city. The knowledge gained can also benefit psychiatric nurses and their organizations when establishing or modifying their disaster plans.