bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Experiment in Parole Supervision
Authors: Berman John J.
Published: March 2007

An evaluation was performed on the Volunteer in Parole Program, in which lawyers volunteered to become counselors for parolees. Ex-offenders were randomly assigned to be either in the program or in a control group; each group was interviewed before the program began (pretest) and then again after the program had been running for nine months (posttest). Dependent variables of interest were arrest rates, several employment indices, the frequency of use of community agencies, and several attitudinal dimensions. The results showed that the program did not affect parolees' arrest rates, employment situations, use of community agencies, general happiness, feelings of stigma, perceptions of the difficulty in keeping parole rules, or their attitudes toward thefairness of the courts. The program did succeed in making more positive parolees' attitudes about society's concern for them and in making their job expectations more realistic. A significant proportion of participants named the volunteer as one they could talk to when they had problems, and this was interpreted to mean that the program was successful in providing ex-offenders with a high-status counselor.
The Cycles Surveys
Authors: Kegan Daniel L.
Published: March 2007

A set of quality of student life indicators, the Cycles Survey, is described. It was developed to provide a low cost, quality institutional research program capable of longitudinal re search, continuous broad bandwidth monitoring, and data comparisons with other insti tutions. The development of the 50 questions and the form and format of the survey is pre sented. Test-retest reliabilities of the questions of the survey were found to be good. The Cycles instrument is multidimensional without dominant evaluative, halo, or response- effect factors. Some uses of Cycles data are presented. It is suggested that Cycles surveys will be useful at other colleges and universities, as well as to business, government, and health institutions.
Inmate Self-Government and Attitude Change
Authors: Regens James L. , Hobson William G.
Published: March 2007

This study examines the impact of participation in an inmate self-government program at the Washington State maximum security prison on changes in the following atti tudinal dimensions of social responsibility: self-esteem, self-competence, acceptance of others, and acceptance of law and authority. The evaluation utilizes a pretest-post- test design involving a stratified random sample of 173 male inmates. The data reveal that participation consistently fostered a more positive sense of social responsibility while such attitudes deteriorate among the nonparticipant group, especially acceptance of law and authority Controls for demographic and sentence characteristic variables did not alter the original relationship between participation and attitude change.
Constructing a Quasi-Controlled Environment
Authors: Votey Harold L.
Published: March 2007

Three alternative techniques are utilized for evaluation of a law enforcement experiment. (I) forecasting holding the experimental variables constant to compare with the observed time series, (2) interrupted time series analysis, and (3) contrasting observed experimental results with a controlled environment. Each of the first two have theoretical or practical weaknesses noted in the literature of econometrics and sociometries. The third approach is to construct, from a set of 72 alternatives, a control group appropriate to the circum stances of the test for the purpose of evaluation. A technique is presented for selecting the best quasi-control group. This technique should find suitable application in situations in which the first two alternatives would be inappropriate. Test results do not differ sig nificantly among the three alternatives.
Improving Section 8 Rental Assistance
Authors: Khadduri Jill , Struyk Raymond J.
Published: March 2007

This article reviews the tortuous process of implementing the findings of a series of evaluation studies of the Lower Income Housing Assistance Program (Section 8) to alter the program's structure. To understand the process, the role of the Research Office in HUD's policy process and the pressures for program improvement external to the agency are reviewed, as are the evaluation findings themselves. The actual "translation" process— involving actors from the office administering the program, the Research Office, the Secretary's staff, and the Department's principals-is then recounted. The article concludes with some notes on the inertia of the policy process; inertia that remained even though the conditions for change seemed propitious.
Jargon and Data Do Make a Difference:
Authors: Thompson Pat A. , Brown Robert D. , Furgason John
Published: March 2007

Use of communication theory as a paradigmfor studing the impact of different evaluation report styles on different audiences was explored. Ratings of the evaluation consultant and the evaluation report were influenced by use of jargon and data, but, as in previous studies, were generally unrelated to whether they were read by lay or professional audiences. In contrast, extend of agreement with recommendations were related primarily to audience type and rarely related to the style of the report.
Surveying Clients To Assess Police Performance
Authors: Mastrofski Stephen
Published: March 2007

Research indicates that the interpretability of typical survey research on police is severely limited by the generality of questions asked the respondents. This article argues that focusing survey research on police-citizen encounters and specifying the role of the respondent and the nature of the problem in the encounter will provide more comprehensive and interpretable evaluations of police performance.
Evaluation of Social Programs
Authors: Heath Linda , Kendzierski Deborah , Borgida Eugene
Published: March 2007

The quandary m which program evaluators find themselves involves a search for ways to maximize the internal validity and inferential power of their research designs while still being able to assess the long-term effects of social programs. A multimethodological research strategy combining a delayed control group true experiment with a multiple time series with switching replications design is proposed as one means of addressing this problem. Providing certain criteria are met, such a combination would enable researchers to conduct research that is inferentially powerful and yet palatable to program personnel. At the same time, such an approach would not forfeit the assessment of long-term follow- up effects
Treatment Implementation and Statistical Power
Authors: Cook Thomas J. , Poole W. Kenneth
Published: March 2007

The authors contend that the assumption of equal treatment implementation in program evaluations is highly questionable. Through a reanalysis of data from afield evaluation of a nutrition supplementation program they demonstrate that including data on the level of treatment implementation in the analysis of treatment effects increases the power of the analysis. The results argue for the inclusion of data on treatment implementation as standard practice in future program evaluations.
The Formalization of Qualitative Research
Authors: Firestone William A. , Herriott Robert E.
Published: March 2007

Formalization of qualitative research (that is, case study or ethnographic research) is a major adaptation to the policy world that includes codification of research questions before fieldwork starts, standardization of data collection procedures through semistruc tured interviews, and reduction of verbal data to categories. The histories offive multisite, qualitative policy studies were examined to see how much variation in formalization reflected the technical requirements of the research problem, the demands of the federal client, and the preferences of the project team and its professional network. The research team has the greatest influence although the client sets broad limits on what is possible.
An Evaluation of Two Preemployment Services
Authors: Silkman Richard , Kelley John M. , Wolf Wendy C.
Published: March 2007

This article presents the results of research performed to evaluate two youth preemploy ment services initiatives—70001 Ltd. and Jobs for Youth. Participant outcomes were observed at two points in time, three and eight months after program termination, and were compared to similar outcomes of a matched comparison sample. Our results indicate that both programs are very effective: The programs significantly improve both the employment probabilities and the earnings of participating youths, the gains in earnings generally hold up between the three- and eight-month postprogram observations, and both programs are highly cost-effective, evidencing pay-back periods averaging one year.
Contributions of Evaluation To Education Programs and Policy
Authors: Leviton Laura C. , Boruch Robert F.
Published: March 2007

Federal evaluations in education contributed in numerous and important ways to changes in law, regulation, and management. Information about implementation contributed most often, but information about outcomes, cost, and federal administration also made contributions. The findings of the present study are surprising in light ofprevious research that concluded evaluations do not often contribute to decisions.
Using Social Indicators To Assess Mental Health Needs
Authors: Cagle Laurence T.
Published: March 2007

Social indicators were used to assess needfor acute psychiatric services in New York State. When indicators are regressed against service use rates, epidemiologically relevant indicators receive low weighting in projecting need, undermining the very purpose of using indicators in the first place. Simpler statistical techniques may be as useful as more sophisticated ones, particularly if the analyst's intent is to edify the statistically uninitiated.
Ideas About Social Research, Evaluation, and Statistics in Medieval Arabic Literature
Authors: Boruch Robert F.
Published: March 2007

This is a review of evidential ideas that appear in the Muqadimmah and India, Medieval Arabic works. The ideas concern numerical evidence, its collection, distortion, analysis, and interpretation, and its use in making statements about change and cause. Potential mistakes in educing the ideas from such translated texts are discussed briefly. Erudite attention to the topic is encouraged in the interest of understanding early parallels to contemporary evaluation problems.
Economic Evaluation of Agricultural Research
Authors: Bengston David N.
Published: March 2007

Many evaluations of the economic impacts of investment in agricultural research have been carried out over the past three decades. This article reviews certain aspects of this literature. Instead of focusing on details of the evaluation approaches or findings of individual studies, the extent of the coverage of agricultural research is assessed. It is found that the work in this area is limited in several ways: Agricultural research evaluations have been mostly ex post in nature, evaluations have focused on production oriented research, and a single measure of worth related to economic efficiency is the end product of most evaluations. Implications for the use of research evaluations in research decision making are discussed in a concluding section.
Evaluation of Residential Energy Conservation Programs in Minnesota
Authors: Hirst Eric , Goeltz Richard
Published: March 2007

This evaluation focuses on the energy-saving effects of the Minnesota Northern States Power (NSP) Utility Residential Energy Conservation Programs, one and two years after participation. The study involved collection of a large data base of monthly natural gas consumption records for program participants and nonparticipants from October 1980 through May 1984. The NSP home energy audit yielded a small but statistically significant net energy saving, which increased slightly between the first and second postaudit years.
Avoiding Bias in Estimates of the Effect of Data Error on Allocations of Public Funds
Authors: Spencer Bruce D.
Published: March 2007

Commonly used techniques for estimating the effect of data error on fund allocations are biased because they fail to account for numerous sources of data error and for misspecification of the allocation formula itself. Alternative techniquesfor estimating the effect of data error are presented and applied to estimate the effect of census undercount on general revenue sharing allocations.
An Analysis of Various Types of Home Energy Audits
Authors: Ridge Richard S.
Published: March 2007

The high cost of one of the more expensive versions of the Class A home energy audit prompted a major utility company to examine two questions that have to date received surprisingly little careful attention: (1) Does receiving an audit result in more energy savings than not receiving an audit? (2) Can the energy savings resulting from more expensive versions of the Class A audit be achieved by less expensive versions? Both self-reported conservation behavior data and more objective kilo Watt hour consumption data were collected from subjects over a 12-month period following the audits. These data indicate that the answer to both of these questions is yes.
The Metric Properties of Rating Scales Employed in Evaluation Research
Authors: Kenny Graham K.
Published: March 2007

This article describes a study that was designed to test the ordinal and interval properties of rating scales, the like of which are commonly employed in evaluation research. Because there is a scarcity of available techniques, testing the interval properties of the scales required a novel adaptation of Mosteller's (1951) "test for internal consistency." The analysis is based upon data generated by the use of paired comparisons and direct scales, and the conclusion reached is that rating scales such as those outlined in this article appear to possess metric properties.
Ensuring Validity Using Coworker Samples
Authors: Calloway Michael , Belyea Michael J.
Published: March 2007

In program evaluation, limitations often preclude the utilization of sophisticated methodologies that assure the integrity of research findings. When rigorous method ologies are not applicable, theoretical or situationally driven evaluations have been developed. In such cases, the situation itself can serve as a useful research guide. In a study of a managerial training program, two subsamples of coworkers—supervisors and subordinates—were used to validate the participants' assessments of program impact. Both samples supported in direction and magnitude the participants' assessments. In addition, the subsamples separately revealed a similar ability to judge specific as well as overall impact. The methodology strengthened the validity of the findings.
Qualitative Evaluation Audits
Authors: Whitmore Elizabeth , Ray Marilyn L.
Published: March 2007

Growing out of the authors' experiences with two evaluation audits, this article builds upon the discussion of evaluation audits begun in Greene et al. (Evaluation Review, August, 1988). The article highlights thefollowingfour issues salient to evaluation audits: (1) the importance of thorough contract negotiations and the orientation to the evaluation and audit trail, (2) the power of audits to detect bias, (3) the place of standards and criteria in naturalistic evaluations, and (4) the audit purpose. The authors confirm some of the conclusions from the literature while raising new issues for discussion. They conclude that the audit is an excellent tool for addressing the questions of trustworthiness and quality control in naturalistic enquiry.
Adjusting for Multimethod Bias Through Selection Modeling
Authors: Hennessy Michael , Saltz Robert F.
Published: March 2007

This article presents results of a beverage server intervention project that attempted to reduce levels of alcoholic intoxication through a set of policy changes and server training. Outcome data were collected through the use of personal interviews and structured observations in two enlisted clubs, one receiving the intervention and one acting as the comparison group. Because of the logistics of the data collection, the pooled sample of observations and interviews reflects systematic method biases as well as self-selection effects. Probit regression to model method and self-selection biases is used to adjust for these two biases in the analysis of consumption measures for total alcoholic drinks, beers, and blood alcohol concentration.
A Resampling Analysis of Federal Family Assistance Program Quality Control Data
Authors: Hand Michael L.
Published: March 2007

Federal quality control (QC) programs for the measurement of payment allocation errors in federally funded Family Assistance Programs have been at the center of a hot controversy. In 1986, Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study these QC programs. The Academy's Panel on Quality Control of Family Assistance Programs has recently completed its work on the study. Existing federal QC methodology employs a two-phase sampling scheme, giving rise to a regression estimator of the allotment error rate. A key issue in the QC debate is the appropriateness of the regression estimator in view of marked departure of the QC data from the standard model-based conditions for linear regression -linearity, constancy of variance, and normality of error. In this study, we employ bootstrap resampling methods to investigate the effects of these departures on the efficiency of the regresscon estimator of the error rate. The analysis is based upon actual QC data from the Oregon Food Stamp Program.
The Effect of Interviewer Characteristics On Gatekeeper Resistance in Surveys of Elite Populations
Authors: Parsons Jennifer A. , Johnson Timothy P. , Warnecke Richard B. , Kaluzny Arnold
Published: March 2007

This article focuses on the interviewer's role in obtaining access to an elite respondent through a gatekeeper and considers the characteristics of interviewers that may make some more successful than others in circumventing gatekeepers. Analysis of data from a national survey of physicians suggests that experienced interviewers have greater success than inexperienced interviewers in bypassing gatekeepers. These findings persist after taking into account the number of interviewing hours and the portion of the field period worked, two considerations that have been neglected in previous investigations of interviewer effects.
Reliability and Accuracy of Surgical Resident Peer Ratings
Authors: Lutsky Larry A. , Risucci Donald A. , Tortolani Anthony J.
Published: March 2007

The reliability and accuracy of peer ratings by general surgery residents were examined. Thirty-two residents anonymously and voluntarily evaluated their peers on ten areas of perfor mance in 1988; twenty-eight residents were evaluated in 1989, and thirty-three were evaluated in 1990. Resident peer ratings were found highly reliable, with no evidence of serious restriction of range or leniency effects. The results indicated a high level of test-retest reliability replicated across three academic years. Halo effects appear to pose the greatest threat to rater accuracy. There was some evidence that chief residents exhibit less halo effect than junior residents when rating peers.
Industrial R&D Program Evaluation Techniques
Authors: Sorensen David P. , Nelson Kerry S. , Tomsyck John P.
Published: March 2007

U.S. industry's interest in and implementation of research and development (R&D) program evaluation techniques has been evolving throughout the twentieth century. Due in large part to the amount of funds corporations are now investing in R&D programs, evaluation techniques continue to become increasingly important. In this article, the history of R&D and its evaluation within the 3M Company will be used as an example of this progression. The article discusses how U.S. industrial R&D has moved from individual or few-person efforts earlier this century to today's high-investment, large-scale team approaches. A review of the most frequently used U.S. industrial R&D program evaluation methods is included. Among these are scoring methods, cost/benefit analysis, and risk analysis. The largest part of the article is a description of the 3M technical audit process. In addition to discussing the procedural and scoring elements of the technical audit, emphasis is placed on how 3M attains a variety of benefits from the process. The article concludes with a summary of other activities that take place in 3M's Technology Analysis Department. These projects involve measuring R&D productivity and assessing the technological health (present and future) of 3M.
Estimating the Impact of Regulatory Program Enforcement
Authors: Langbein Laura I.
Published: March 2007

The most common model for estimating the impact of regulatory program enforcement on intended outcomes is based on a standard version of deterrence theory. The corresponding estimating equation regards the amount of noncompliance by a firm as a linear function of enforcement by the regulatory agency, holding a variety of other variables constant. This article shows, based on recent theories in formal political science about how regulatory programs are likely to be implemented, that an equation of this form is likely to produce biased estimates. Specifically, the literature implies that the function should probably be a second-degree polynomial; that it should be two simultaneous equations, with one for compliance and one for enforcement; and that relevant equations should include variables that characterize the political coloration of the local area in which enforcement and compliance decisions are made. The general conclusion is that theory and method cannot and need not be separated. Evaluators of regulatory programs who overlook formal models of regulatory program implementation and who rely on outmoded models of deterrence will produce incorrect findings about the effective ness of those programs
Evaluating Gang Resistance Education and Training (Great)
Authors: Palumbo Dennis J. , Ferguson Jennifer L.
Published: March 2007

Gangs became a major concern of law enforcement and the public in the late 1980s and remain so in the first half of the 1990s. One response for addressing the problem has been the development and dissemination of a prevention program called Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT). This program is similar to the popular Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program of the 1980s. No published evaluations exist about GREAT although there have been numerous evaluations of DARE. The latter show that DARE has a very small effect on the drug behavior of children. This research reports an evaluation of GREAT in several sites in the United States that show that it also has a very small effect on children. However, as is the case with DARE, GREAT will continue because of the powerful symbolic political and public relations utility it has for various stakeholders.
Environmental Equity in Superfund
Authors: Anderton Douglas L. , Oakes John Michael , Egan Karla L.
Published: March 2007

This article presents findtngs of the first national tract-level analysis of the distribution of residential characteristics, including the percentage of selected minorities and socioeconomically disadvan taged groups, in relation to uncontrolled toxic waste sites (i. e., CERCLIS and NPL sites). In contrast to prevailing notions, the authors find that uncontrolled toxic waste sites are not disproportionately located in minority neighborhoods or neighborhoods of soctoeconomtcally disadvantaged residents. However, multivariate analyses of site distribution and a hazard regression analysis of the site prioritization process suggest that communities with a higher percentage of Black residents are less likely to receive NPL (National Priorities List) designation, delaying potential remediation. Biases in the prioritization process are, however, substantively small.
Evaluating the Process and Outcome of a Garbage Reduction Program in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Huey-Tsyh , Wang Juju C.S. , Lin Lung-Ho
Published: March 2007

Taiwan has launched a demonstration program for reducing the volume of garbage in a community to deal with the rapid accumulation of garbage. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the process and outcome of this program. Both qualitative and quantitative methods, integrated under the framework of theory-driven evaluation, were applied to enhancing the internal and external validity of this study.
Community Mobilization, Organizing, and Media Advocacy
Authors: Treno Andrew J. , Holder Harold D.
Published: March 2007

Community Mobilization refers to those activities that prepare communities to accept, receive, and support prevention interventions designed to reduce alcohol-involved trauma. Media advocacy refers to the strategic use of media by those seeking to advance a social or public policy initiative. Within the Community Prevention Trial, both of these activities were critical elements. This article presents the evaluation design for communcty mobilization and media advocacy implemented for the project. Here the authors argue for the need to include both structured and unstructured community monitoring instruments, coding of local alcohol-related news coverage, and surveying community members about the exposure to alcohol-related problems, and support for project interventions. This article also presents an audience segmen tation analysis and discusses the implications of this analysis for media advocacy efforts.
Families of Origin of Homeless and Never-Homeless Women
Authors: Anderson Debra Gay , Imle Margaret A.
Published: March 2007

Naturalistic inquiry was used to compare the characteristics of families of origin of homeless women with never-homeless women. The women’s experiences in their families of origin were explored during in-depth interviews using Lofland and Lofland’s conceptions of meanings, practices, episodes, roles, and relationships to guide the analysis. The two groups were similar with respect to family abuse history, transience, and loss. The never-homeless women had support from an extended family member who provided unconditional love, protection, a sense of connection, and age-appropriate expectations, as contrasted with homeless women who described themselves as being without, disconnected, and having to be little adults in their families of origin. The experience of family love and connection seemed to protect never-homeless women from the effects of traumatic life events in childhood. These findings provide support for the influence of a woman’s family of origin as a precursor to homelessness.
Things That Help and Hinder Adolescent Sibling Bereavement
Authors: Hogan Nancy S. , De Santis Lydia , Demi Alice S. , Cowles Kathleen V. , Ross H. Miriam
Published: March 2007

A taxonomy of the things that help and hinder adolescents'sibling bereavement was developed from the responses of 140 bereaved adolescents to the questions What helped you cope with your sibling's death? and What made it harder to cope with your sibling's death? The dichotomous taxonomic framework revealed five categories. The categories of self, family, friends, social system, and time contained descriptions of things that helped coping. The categories of self, family, and social system also included descriptions of things that hindered coping with sibling grief. Support considered helpful was perceived as "people being there for me. " Support that was considered as not helpful (insensitive) was perceived as "people not being there for me. " Two themes emergedfrom the data The theme of resourcefulness pervaded each of the helped categories and served to increase the adolescents'sense of resiliency. The theme of helplessness pervaded the three hindered categories and created a sense of vulnerability.
Investigating Pediatric HIV Research Ethics in the Field
Authors: Twomey John G.
Published: March 2007

Physician and nurse researchers, Institutional Review Board members, and parents of children with HIV were asked, during interviews, to describe their views on the ethical issues involved in the conduct of clinical drug research that uses as subjects children who are seropositive for HIV Twenty-eight interviews atfour clinical sites were completed Two significant ethical topic issues were identified. The study presents and analyzes, using bioethical perspectives, () factors that affect access of seropositive children to care and (2) concerns that the respondents presented about the amount of risk appropriate for the afflicted children.
The Experiences of Lesbians in Alcoholics Anonymous
Authors: Hall Joanne M.
Published: March 2007

A feminist ethnographic study of lesbians' experiences in recovery from alcohol problems was done to understand from their perspectives how they identified alcohol use as problematic, sought help, experienced health care interactions and participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and maintained recovery. Through community-based purposive sampling in San Francisco, 35 lesbians recoveringfrom alcoholproblems participated in semistructured ethnographic interviews of 2 hours duration, which were subsequently interpreted using ethnographic coding, narrative analysis, and matrix analysis. A majorfinding was thatparticipation in AA wasfraught with tension in three areas. Each tension was defined by two poles of experience that appear to be in conflict. They were assimilation versus differentiation, authority versus autonomy, and false consciousness versus politicization. These tensions are elaborated and supported by examplesfrom the women 's interviews. Nursing implications regarding the role of AA in recovery for marginalized women are discussed.
The Role of the Lay Midwife in Childbirth in Rural Portugal
Authors: Cobb Ann Kuckelman
Published: March 2007

The following article was written shortly after thefieldwork was completed in 1979. The research was conductedjust after Portugal 's 1974 revolution, prior to which a repressive political regime allowed virtually no social science research. Since that time, some significant works have been published, but no other ethnographies focus on the role of the lay midwife. The kind of information obtained in this study required then, and would now require, heavy reliance on ethnographicfieldwork This publication may serve as a baseline for comparative research. An epilogue provides some updating of statistical information about infant mortality rates; however, little can be determined about rural-urban differences. The limited information available suggests that very little may have changed in the last 15 years for lay midwives in the rural villages studied.
Psychosocial Factors Influencing Weight Control Behavior of African American Women
Authors: Walcott-McQuigg Jacqueline A. , Sullivan Judith , Dan Alice , Logan Barbara
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this descriptive study was to seek directly from college-educated African American women factors which they perceived influenced their individual weight control behavior, and those that influenced African American women collectively. Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted, primarily in their homes, with 36African American women. Thirteen major categories were identified. Six factors that influenced the women's individual weight control behavior were emotions/feelings, beliefs, life events, self-control, discipline, and commitment. Perceived benefits of the behavior and perceived barriers to the behavior were influential in determining the attractiveness, the type, and the extent of the weight control behavior Five factors related to the African American culture were identified and described by the women. Recognition of psychosocial determinants of weight control behavior may enable health professionals to design unique interventions relevant to African American women.
The Relevance of Familism in Cross-Cultural Studies of Family Caregiving
Authors: Luna Isela , de Ardon Esperanza Torres , Lim Young Mi , Cromwell Sandra L. , Phillips Linda R. , Russell Cynthia K.
Published: March 2007

Although familism has been studied in both Mexican American and Anglo families, there is controversy about whether familism in both groups is the same. Research has shown great within-group variability, and in addition, the kinship structure in the two groups isfundamentally different. This article explores the cross-cultural issues in conceptualizing familism and its relevance to caregiving among Anglo and Mexican American caregivers. Based on data obtained in an ongoing research program, the process of arriving at similarities and differences in the expression of familism is discussed using Berry's criteria for achieving cultural equivalence.
Acculturation, Perceived Social Support, and Self-Esteem in Primigravida Puerto Rican Teenagers
Authors: Orshan Susan A.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to explore acculturation, perceived social support, and self-esteem in 63 primigravida adolescents of Puerto Rican background living in the mainland United States. Although more teenagers of Puerto Rican background become pregnant than do those of all other Hispanic mainland groups, few studies have viewed pregnancy within this subculture. Mainland acculturation was not related to either perceived social support or self-esteem among the study sample. The study elucidates the importance of recognizing the dual cultural influence on mainland-dwelling adolescents of Puerto Rican background. The studyfindings suggest that exploration be continued beyond acculturation, as measured in this study, to understand the differences in adolescent pregnancy rates among the specific cultures of the Hispanic megaculture of the United States.
Differentiation between Dyspnea and Its Affective Components
Authors: Carrieri-Kohlman Virginia , Gormley Jenny M. , Douglas Marilyn K. , Paul Steven M. , Stulbarg Michael S.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated whether people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can differentiate distress and anxiety associated with dyspnea from the intensity of dyspnea and the perceived effort of breathing. Fifty-two subjects with COPD rated their perception of the individual components of dyspnea on a 200 mm visual analog scale at rest, after a 6-min walk (6MD), and every 2 min during an incremental treadmill test (ET). Subjects differentiated among the four dyspnea components at the end of the 6MD (p <.0001) and during ET (at rest, p < 0.001; at 75% V02 max, p < 0.0001; and at end exercise, p < 0.0001). Intensity was significantly related to perceived effort of breathing (p < .0001), as distress was to anxiety (p < .0001), suggesting that each pair measures similar components. Subjects were able to differentiate their affective response to dyspnea from the intensity of the symptom. Measurement of a patient's affective response to dyspnea may improve the selection of specific treatments and validity of outcomes.
A Triangulation Approach to Testing a Family Instrument
Authors: Friedemann Marie-Luise , Smith A. Ann
Published: March 2007

Sequential triangulation was used to test the validity of the Assessment of Strategies in Families (ASF), a screening tool for family effectiveness, and its application to families experiencing chronic pain. First, 30 subjects with chronic pain completed the questionnaire. Next, for the purpose of item validation, the subjects explained their thought process for each choice on the questionnaire. Results showed that they interpreted the items as intended. Subjects then responded to a semistructured interview about their perception aboutfamily stability and growth patterns. Thematic analysis suggested a tendency toward isolation from the community, intense involvement in each other's lives, and rigid control offamily operations. ASF results reflected the trends by a low family-growth subscore, and a high or low stability score, depending on the success in achieving cooperation offamily members. Thefindings suggest the instrument is valid and appropriate to screen families with chronic pain.
A Qualitative/Interpretive Taxonomy of Stop Smoking Strategies (QU/ITS)
Authors: Cobb Ann Kuckelman , Bott Marjorie J. , O'Connell Kathleen A. , Brown Janet M. , Baumann Linda C. , Bigbee Jeri L.
Published: March 2007

Research has indicated that using coping strategies is significantly related to resisting smoking during highly tempting situations. However, little is known about the nature of coping during smoking cessation. The purpose of this study was to identify coping strategies used within the first 10 days of smoking cessation by having participants describe these strategies into a handheld tape recorder at the actual time of occurrence. The aim of a qualitative analysis of the narrative accounts was to create a descriptive taxonomy of smoking cessation strategies grounded in the participants'own terms. Over3 consecutive days, 36participants recruitedfrom smoking cessation programs provided 477 narrative accounts of coping episodes. Seven major taxons-context, anticipatory efforts, awareness, urges, strategies, effects, and metaphors-reflected the entire process participants described when dealing with the urge to smoke. This taxonomy, inductively derivedfrom real time rather than retrospective data, provides a holistic picture of strategies used in the early stages of the quit experience.
Overeating, Reversal Theory, and Weight Cycling
Authors: Popkess-Vawter Sue , Wendel Shirley , Schmoll Serena , O'Connell Kathleen
Published: March 2007

America's overweight problem is universally recognized and escalating, despite billions of dollars spent to combat it. For the past century, a unidimensional paradigm was predominantly used to correct the overweight problem by reducing calories through dieting. As a result of the profoundfailure of traditional diet programs, a phenomenon known as weight cycling was born. In this article, a multidimensional paradigm is emphasized to address weight cycling. Reversal theory extends a new theoretical basis that can accountfor unpleasantfeelings, or tension stress, as a trigger of overeating in women who weight cycle. A case example demonstrates how reversal theory explains overeating as a response to high-tension stress. Results of two studies are presented, describing overweight and normal-weight women's reversal theory states during self-reported episodes of overeating and resisting overeating. The multidimensional paradigm calls for emotional overeating behaviors to be addressed in weight management.
Racism and social security
Authors: Gordon Paul
Published: March 2007

This article examines some of the main ways in which racism operates through the social security system in Britain, in particular at the connection between entitlement to benefit and immigration control and at the failure of the system to meet specific problems faced by black claim ants. It looks also at the implications for black people of the recent govern ment review of the social security system and the Social Security Bill before parliament at the time of writing. A final section suggests some points for consideration in the development of an anti-racist strategy for welfare benefits.
User-involvement, citizenship and social policy
Authors: Croft Suzy , Beresford Peter
Published: March 2007

User-involvement is emerging as a key concern in social policy. So far debates have largely been framed in narrow social administration terms. The idea embraces conflicting conceptions of consumerism and self- advocacy. Here it is considered in the broader context of citivenship and human need. Beginning with people's own experience and ideas about them, the article explores their relationship with an empowering approach to involvement which enables us to become producers rather than consumers of our own welfare.
Communication Predicaments of Aging
Authors: Ryan Ellen Bouchard , Hummert Mary Lee , Boich Linda H.
Published: March 2007

Within a communication accommodation framework, this article reviews the emerging literature on patronizing communication directed to older adults in both institutional and community settings. The verbal and nonverbal features of patronizing messages (modifications of communication based on age-based stereotypes of incompetence and dependence) are outlined, with an emphasis on the multiple, often ambiguous meanings of such messages. The authors organize the discussion of the functions and consequences of patronizing communication around the dual purposes of intergenerational communication (respect and caring) and emphasize how a focus on caring for frail elders can lead to over parenting and dependency-supportive behaviors. Both field studies of staff talk addressed to older care receivers and evaluative studies with conversational scenarios have permitted analyses of the influences of provider behavior, recipient characteristics, context, and recipient response on the meaning of patronizing messages.
Cosmopolitan Virtue, Globalization and Patriotism
Authors: Turner Bryan S.
Published: March 2007

This article is a contribution to the revival of `virtue ethics'. If we regard human rights as a crucial development in the establishment of global institutions of justice and equality, then we need to explore the obligations that correspond to such rights. It is argued that cosmopolitan virtue a respect for other cultures and an ironic stance towards one's own culture spells out this obligation side of the human rights movement. Cosmopolitanism of course can assume very different forms. The article traces various cosmopolitan ethics from the Greeks, Roman Stoics and Christian philosophers. Contemporary cosmopolitanism needs to be ironic to function usefully in hybrid global cultures, but it is open to the charge of being culturally `flat' and elitist. These criticisms are examined through the confrontation between Maurizio Viroli and Martha Nussbaum. While American patriotism is not a promising foundation for ironic cosmopolitanism, the republican tradition of virtue does offer a viable method of developing cosmopolitanism. Ironic cosmopolitan care for other cultures is founded on the commonalities of social existence, of which there are two central components: ontological vulnerability and political precariousness.
On the Cunning of Imperialist Reason
Authors: Venn Couze
Published: March 2007

This brief note takes the form of challenging a number of assumptions and generalizations in the article by Bourdieu and Wacquant. It calls for the invention of a new vocabulary to address the issues which have arisen for intellectuals in the context of the loss in authority of once secure foundations of modern critical enterprise, and the increasing commodification of intellectual work. The tone of the note seeks to encourage a debate towards establishing a more fruitful agenda for understanding the complex relays between identity, power, governance, globalization, capitalism.
Conciliation—New Beginnings?
Authors: Howard John , Shepherd Graham
Published: March 2007

Divorce Court work can be particularly difficult. The authors describe a family focused approach to custody and access reports which involves the active participation of the parents. Conciliation is fostered through increased contact between parents. Conjoint working provides colleague support and minimises the danger of taking on decisions and responsibilities which belong to the parents not the workers.
Chains, Drains and Welfare—where next for Prison Social Work?
Authors: Evans Grant , Vincent Christopher
Published: March 2007

The authors argue that a better knowledge base about Social Work in Prisons is essential before any decision can be made about future staffing and style of service.
Supervised Antabuse Therapy
Authors: Smith John
Published: March 2007

A 12 month review of supervised antabuse use as a condition of Probation for habitual drunken offenders.
1984 and Ahead: Prospects for the Penal System
Authors: Beaumont Bill
Published: March 2007

A full-blooded indictment of present Government policy on Crime and Punishment, and a call for an enhanced and humanitarian role for the Service.
Fostering and the Adult Offender
Authors: Forrester Ruth
Published: March 2007

Can the success of the Kent Professional Fostering Scheme in providing alternatives to institutional life for delinquent adolescents be repeated in Probation practice?
How Are You Managing?
Authors: Waters Robert
Published: March 2007

The structure of probation teams and the extent to which they facilitate or inhibit change in the Service, enhance or destroy individual performance.
Political Motivation and Probation Practice
Authors: Chapman Tim
Published: March 2007

The past ten years has been a steady rise in political conflict in England & Wales. More and more political organisations, pressure groups and trade unionists, frustrated with the existing democratic processes, have been willing to defy the law to achieve their objectives. The present Government readily uses the criminal justice system and indeed is keen to increase its powers to regulate political and industrial conflict. This, of course, has been the situation, though to a far greater degree, in Northern Ireland since 1969. Since 1975 NAPO policy on politically motivated offenders has been used to guide probation officers through the dilemmas which are constantly thrown up by such a situation. At the AGM in 1985 it was decided to undertake a fundamental review of this policy. This article explores some of the reasons for this decision.
Probation and Victim Support
Authors: Devlin Pat
Published: March 2007

How experience as a Support Scheme volunteer and Secretary has enhanced the author's insight and understanding as a probation officer and increased police sensitivity to victims.
Welfare Rights Skills After Fowler
Authors: Newcomen Nigel
Published: March 2007

A recent NAPO Newsletter note by South West London's Welfare Rights Group led to nearly 200 requests for copies of their form to help those in low paid work to obtain assisted prison visit payments. This example of sharing pertinent information on the increasing complexities of Welfare Rights affecting clients shows the possibilities in what will be an increasing demand on the Service following the Fowler Review.
They Don't Come Voluntarily, Do They?
Authors: Owen Llew , Morris-Jones Robin
Published: March 2007

What was originally planned as a 'tough', 'credible' Schedule 11 Day Centre, was transformed into an approach providing structured, intensive sessions relevant to the self-assessed needs of clients and attended voluntarily, overcoming the problems of a large, rural county, influencing the practice of individual supervision, and resisting a 'custodial' culture.
Staff Evaluations: Personality or Performance?
Authors: Godson David , Lawrie Christine
Published: March 2007

The changing role of Service management has led to a shift of emphasis on staff appraisals. Evaluation has been unduly pre-occupied with the individual in often vague, 'treatment' language, rather than the achievement of tasks. The authors offer a model which affirms the crucial importance of task- centred appraisals.
Preserving and Developing a Knowledge of the Education of Pupils with a Visual Impairment through Open and Distance Learning in Sweden
Authors: Söderberg Anders , Fellenius Kerstin , Söderberg Anders , Fellenius Kerstin
Published: March 2007

In Sweden, where responsibility for the education of all blind and visually impaired children except those with severe additional disabilities has been transferred from the specialist sector to local schools, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) has been adopted as the method for instructing general classroom teachers in relevant competences. This has involved the use of advanced technological systems and has led to a transformative experience by teachers and students from their more traditional roles to a more creative relationship.