bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts among Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and Cuban Americans
Authors: Ungemack Jane A. , Guarnaccia Peter J.
Published: March 2007

This article compares the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in three Hispanic populations in the US: Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Puerto Ricans. Lifetime reports of suicidal thought and behavior of adults participating in the 1982-1984 Hispanic Health and Examination Survey (HHANES) were analyzed. Puerto Ricans reported consistently higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts than either Mexican Americans or Cuban Americans. The correlates of suicidality varied by ethnicity. The differential suicide risks in these Hispanic populations point to the importance of the sociocultural context in understanding suicidality and the need for groupspecific interventions.
DSM-IV, Culture and Mood Disorders: A Critical Reflection on Recent Progress
Authors: Manson Spero M. , Kleinman Arthur
Published: March 2007

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Edition IV (DSM-IV) represents a significant advance over past editions in terms of attention to the role of culture in the assessment process. A major share of this accomplishment is due to the work of the National Institute of Mental Health Group on Culture and Diagnosis which orchestrated a large body of knowledge and diverse array of scientists to argue for a more culturally informed approach. This paper focuses on the nature and form of the debate as it unfolded with respect to the mood disorders. Specifically, it considers the Culture and Diagnosis Group's recommendations as to the cultural features of mood disorders to be included in DSM-IV, critically appraises the outcomes and suggests directions for future efforts along these lines.
Patient and Family Experiences of Psychiatric Services and African Indigenous Healers
Authors: Ensink Karin , Robertson Brian
Published: March 2007

The experiences and satisfaction of African psychiatric patients and their families with services rendered by indigenous healers and psychiatric facilities were explored in Cape Town, South Africa. Illness conceptualization and its impact on satisfaction were also investigated. Sixty-two African patients and their families were interviewed using an adapted version of Weiss’s Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC). While respondents were satisfied with herbalists and faith healers, they reported negative experiences with diviners. Respondents expressed less dissatisfaction with psychiatric services than was expected. The study provides further evidence that indigenous names are used as explanatory categories which include the consideration of psychosocial and other explanations, and that the use of indigenous names does not preclude satisfaction with conventional psychiatric services.
Culture and Psychotherapy: Review and Practical Guidelines
Authors: Tseng Wen-Shing
Published: March 2007

In this overview, the subject of culture and psychotherapy is considered broadly from five perspectives: (i) culture-embedded indigenous healing practices, (ii) culture-influenced ‘unique’ psychotherapies, (iii) cultural elements in ‘mainstream’ therapies, (iv) the practice of psychotherapy in different societies, and (v) intercultural psychotherapy. Various modes of therapy are compared with respect to their basic orientations, techniques and mechanisms of therapy. Culture-relevant psychotherapy requires technical adjustment, theoretical modifications and philosophical reconsideration. Practical suggestions are made regarding areas that need attention in order to conduct culturally appropriate psychotherapy.
The Silent Treatment: Perceptions of its Behaviors and Associated Feelings
Authors: Williams Kipling D. , Shore Wendelyn J. , Grahe Jon E.
Published: March 2007

Asked to list specific behaviors that occur when they give or receive the `silent treatment,' undergraduates then wrote down the feeling associated with each behavior. Independent raters in Study 1, and participants in Study 2, coded the entries according to taxonomic dimensions for the behaviors and threatened needs for the feelings, finding support for Williams's (1997) Model of Ostracism. Specifically, the silent treatment is regarded to be primarily punitive and social (carried out in the presence of the target), and is composed mostly of avoidance of eye contact and absence of verbal communication. As hypothesized, when receiving the silent treatment, the feelings were coded to indicate threatened needs of belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. When giving the silent treatment, a sense of belonging was threatened more than it was fortified, whereas in Study 2, self-esteem and meaningful existence tended to be equally threatened and fortified, and perceived control was fortified more than threatened. Implications for considering the silent treatment within a broader framework of ostracism and possible consequences of the silent treatment are discussed.
The Interactive Effects of Social Dominance Orientation, Group Status, and Perceived Stability on Favoritism for High-Status Groups
Authors: Federico Christopher M.
Published: March 2007

Two studies examined the interactive effects of social dominance orientation (SDO), group status, and perceived stability on various manifestations of favoritism for high-status groups: (1) an analysis of survey data from a sample of UCLA students, and (2) an analogous experimental study using a modified version of the minimal-group paradigm. Results of these studies offered general support for the hypothesis that high-SDO members of low-status groups would only favor high-status groups when the system of hierarchy was perceived to be stable (i.e. impervious to change), although findings were somewhat less clear-cut in the experimental study. Implications for social dominance theory and other theories of intergroup behavior are discussed.
The Intergroup Dynamics of Collective Empowerment: Substantiating the Social Identity Model of Crowd Behavior
Authors: Drury John , Reicher Steve
Published: March 2007

Recent accounts of collective action highlight the importance of psychological empowerment, but conceptualize it simply as a precondition for such action. By contrast, the social identity model (Reicher, 1996, 1997; Stott, 1996) suggests that empowerment is a product as well as a precondition of collective action. However, existing research on the social identity model has merely inferred the emergence of feelings of power rather than shown it empirically. This paper describes a study of a town hall anti-poll tax demonstration, using interviews, written accounts, newspaper accounts, and video evidence. The principal source consisted of interviews with 29 protesters which were subjected to thematic analysis to identify (i) whether and to what extent empowerment took place in the crowd; (ii) features of the intergroup relationship responsible for any such empowerment; and (iii) any normative limits to empowered behavior. The analysis suggests that feelings of power increased among crowd members due to the more inclusive categorization among them brought about by their perceived wholesale illegitimate exclusion from the town hall. Moreover, the empowered action of crowd members was limited by shared definitions of proper practice. The implications of these findings are discussed for studies of collective action, and it is suggested that further research along the present lines is necessary to shed more light on factors leading to the endurance and generalization of the types of empowerment found here.
The Autonomy of the Self
Authors: Joas Hans
Published: March 2007

This paper addresses the question of the relationship between creativity and autonomy - originally related to each other in the concept of the `self' as one of the crucial parts of the Meadian and symbolic interactionist heritage - and asks how we should construe this relation today. After a brief reconstruction of the history of the notions of `self' and `identity' the paper takes up the postmodern challenge of these notions by clarifying and partially revising them. It discusses the three aspects of a possibly over-socialized conception of the person, the irreducibility of difference between socialized individuals and the role of power and exclusion in processes of identity formation.
Growth with Equity: A Bangladesh Perspective
Authors: Khondker Bazlul Haque , Chaudhury Abdul Hamid
Published: March 2007

This article examines the growth and inequality situation in Bangladesh and the interlinkages between growth, poverty and equity. The experience of the past dec ade reveals that higher economic growth and reduced poverty are accompanied by a more unequal income distribution. It is significant that the higher GDP growth has not resulted in rapid declines in poverty due to the rise in income inequality. Growth of agriculture has been found to be least associated with rise in inequality. The pro-poor stance of the government is evident in the increased allocations to poverty alleviation and social sectors, particularly schemes for micro-credit. The article suggests that the government should simultaneously promote policies for encouraging growth and poverty reduction and not leave the task of poverty reduc tion to the market.
Punishment and the Changing Face of the Governance
Authors: SHEARING CLIFFORD
Published: March 2007

The article explores the implication of shifts in the way in which security and justice are being conceived. It argues that the emergence of a logic of risk is refiguring the way in which punishment is being used as a tactic of governance.
Ratifying Maastricht
Authors: König Thomas , Hug Simon
Published: March 2007

When signing the new Treaty on European Union in Maastricht, the governmental leaders of the 12 member countries of the European Communities had accomplished a significant step towards economic and political union. Before taking effect the draft proposal had, however, to be ratified according to the procedures of the 12 member countries. We discuss and analyze these different ratification procedures by focusing on the parliamentary stage. Applying the two-level game concept of international cooperation we show that a two-dimensional representation of the Maastricht draft treaty sufficiently explains the domestic events that occurred during the ratification process. Besides extending the Maastricht negotiation win-set linking economic and political objectives, the two-dimensionality particularly increased the 12 governments' likelihood to survive the ratification constraints in their domestic arena. Using spatial solution concepts from social choice theory as tools, we attempt to illustrate with empirical data how `big' the domestic win-sets of the 12 were in the parliamentary ratification.
The Dimensionality of the EU Policy Space
Authors: Pennings Paul
Published: March 2007

In any full-grown democracy, parties must confront voters with real choices that matter. The European Union is often said to be devoid of these choices owing to minor policy differences between parties. The manifestos issued at European Parliament elections by party groups are often perceived as being bland and indistinguishable from each other. How correct is this perception? In this article, the diversity of policy positions within and between the main European party groups is analyzed by means of the European election manifestos of 1999. The content analysis of these manifestos shows that there are significant differences both within and between the party groups. These differences indicate that these groups are (potentially) able to present meaningful choices to voters.
`Burned Like a Tattoo'
Authors: Ortner Sherry B.
Published: March 2007

This article is part of a larger ethnographic and ethnohistorical project on social class in the US, as tracked through the lives of my own high school graduating class, the Class of `58 of Weequahic High School in Newark, New Jersey. In this article I focus on the underlying logic of high school social/prestige categories, and on the durability of those categories over the course of the 20th century. I argue for the centrality of both social class and what Americans call `personality' in the production and reproduction of those categories. I go on to suggest that the durability of the high school social categories may be explained by the fact that their underlying logic is nothing other than the logic of hegemonic `American culture' as a whole.
Transforming the Prison:
Authors: LIEBLING ALISON , ELLIOTT CHARLES , ARNOLD HELEN
Published: March 2007

This article explores the use of appreciative inquiry [Al] in a number of prisons, with different outcomes. It considers the nature of the Al process, both as a mode of inquiry and a mode of transformation. There are some links, in terms of the underlying principles, between Al and restorative justice and these are explored by the authors. They conclude that Al constitutes a fair and inclusive research approach that generates a rich and faithful account of a prison to emerge. It generates energy among prison staff that can be harnessed in the direction of better practice. But there are dangers when highly motivated prison officers are frustrated by a lack of responsiveness by senior managers in their `wishes for the prison', however understandable the reasons for this. The mechanism at work is a normative process, which seems to engage the research participants in meaningful, constructive and ethically relevant dialogue about their practices and experiences. The special and complex moral environment of the prison makes Al especially relevant.
Ending Participatory Research?
Authors: Northway Ruth
Published: March 2007

Traditionally, ‘ending’ research is a stage in the research process that is not widely explored. However, recently, some concerns have been expressed regarding the effects that ending participatory research may have on some people with learning disabilities. Given the importance of research which promotes their active participation it is thus important that researchers seeking to engage in such research consider carefully the challenges which may arise. In this paper, therefore, some key implications are considered and an argument is put forward that researchers should consider these implications before commencing work on participatory research projects. This means that ‘ending’ research is a stage in the research process which needs to be given much more emphasis than has previously been the case.
A Year in the Life of a Bereavement Counselling and Support Service for People with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Read Sue
Published: March 2007

This paper addresses the specific needs of a minority group that historically have not had their grief needs acknowledged, addressed or accommodated: people with learning disabilities. Action research was initially used to introduce, and facilitate the development of, a bereavement counselling and support service designed specifically for people with learning disabilities and integrated into a well-established voluntary organization in North Staffordshire, England. The paper focuses upon a 12 month `snap-shot' of this service which incorporated a qualitative perspective, where focus groups were used to capture constructive feedback from the bereavement counsellors involved in the project. In addition, descriptive statistical data of the service are presented to corroborate the perceived needs and challenges of the bereaved individual who has learning disabilities. Specific characteristics of a bereavement service that can constructively accommodate the bereavement care needs of such a client group are identified.
Maternal Responses to the Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities in Children
Authors: Partington Kevin J.
Published: March 2007

The aim of this study was to explore maternal responses to the diagnosis of learning disabilities in children using a focus group approach. The findings identified four central themes: differences between antenatal and postnatal diagnosis, whereby the former presented a dilemma in relation to the option of termination; reactions from the participants being comparable to a recognized cycle of bereavement; issues relating to causation; and examples of poor interpersonal skills from the medical services. Overall, analysis demonstrated that maternal responses appear to be a complex set of intertwined emotional and cognitive behaviours. External influences were predominantly negative or pessimistic, often manifesting within a moral and ethical framework of making a decision on the prospective genetic worth of a human being.
Socio-Cultural Values, Internal Work Culture and Leadership Styles in Four Post-Communist Countries
Authors: Ardichvili Alexander , Gasparishvili Alexander
Published: March 2007

This survey-based study compared socio-cultural values, internal work culture assumptions, and leadership styles of 695 managers in nine manufacturing firms in Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic. It has found differences between the four countries in all three areas. These differences are not across the board: there are clusters of similarities between some countries on some dimensions. Georgian managers emerged as more collectivistic than managers from the other three countries. Kazakhstan was the highest on paternalism and fatalism, and Russia the lowest on these two dimensions. The study shows that, despite similarities in economic systems and organizational and managerial structures, internal work culture assumptions vary from country to country. Recommendations for further research and practical suggestions for educators, trainers, and human resource executives are provided.
A Person-Centred Approach to Counselling, Psychotherapy and Rehabilitation of People Diagnosed with Dementia in the Early Stages
Authors: Bryden (Boden) Christine
Published: March 2007

This article considers a person-orientated approach to counselling, psychotherapy and rehabilitation for people with a diagnosis of dementia. It draws on the concepts developed by Tom Kitwood (1995) for describing the factors –neuropathology, health, personality, biography, social psychology – that affect the manifestation of dementia, but places more emphasis on personality and biography for the person in the early stages. The social context – or psychology – is the home in these early stages, and the family system is critical. It provides a supportive or negative environment in which the person expresses an experience of cognitive decline. The behaviours seen in dementia are regarded as adaptive responses to the experience of cognitive decline, rather than directly the result of brain pathology. Given this view of the syndrome of dementia being a reactive response to cognitive decline, and to stresses such as giving up driving, the types of interventions that might be offered are discussed. These are grief counselling, non-directive counselling, long-term supportive psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy and rehabilitation. The human brain has developed over a lifetime of experience, in a variety of psychosocial environments, and so exhibits its own unique coping mechanisms in the face of internal devastation. It is this aspect of dementia – its individual uniqueness and its reflection of a person’s past and present psychosocial context – that this article uses as the basis for suggesting effective treatment strategies.
The Kingdom of God, 'Utopia' and Theocracy
Authors: Beavis Mary
Published: March 2007

While the phrase 'the kingdom of God' has obvious political overtones, its use by Jesus has most often been interpreted in social, eschatological and theological terms. This paper will survey representative interpretations of this concept in the secondary literature, and attempt to situate Jesus' understanding of 'the rule of God' within the spectrum of Greco-Roman and hellenistic Jewish political thought, with special reference to utopian and theocratic ideas. In addition, the paper will examine Jesus' use of this utopian and theocratic phrase in the context of Jewish nationalism under Roman rule, as explicated by D. Mendels.
The Book of Lamentations in Recent Research
Authors: Miller C.W.
Published: March 2007

Over the past decade there has been an unprecedented explosion of interest in the book of Lamentations. This increased attention has led to the writing of more dissertations, monographs and articles since 1990 than had been pro duced in the previous half century. This article offers a brief overview of some of the more important aspects of that research, as well as a summary of the significant trends in scholarship that have surfaced in the past several years.

A more relentlessly brutal piece of writing is scarcely imaginable. This short biblical book affronts the reader with a barrage of harsh and violent images...the reader is not so much engaged by the book of Lamentations as assaulted by it (Linafelt 2000: 2).

The Book of Lamentations calls its readers to remember the sacred events of their past, to reflect on them, to relive them again, to learn from them, and eventually to find hope in that knowledge (Polan 1996: 16).
The Ecclesial Notions of the Apocalypse in Recent Studies
Authors: Tavo Felise
Published: March 2007

Images of the church are found scattered throughout the Apocalypse. These have thus been the focus of recent studies in the ecclesial notions of the seer of Patmos. But as this article illustrates, these studies vary to some extent in their principal focus while the methods of approach have been remarkably 'selective' in their treatment of the many church images of the book. As a way of bringing together these disparate methods and focus, this article discusses seven key thematic emphases in the recent studies of the seer's ecclesial notions since the 1950s, which could perhaps serve as 'rallying points' for further development of a more comprehensive portrait of the church in the Apocalypse: the 'cross-event' as underpinning; the eschatologi cal people of God; a community of equality; corporate in nature; non-addi tive in character; a community seeking repentance; and a trans-historical view of reality.
Learning Partnerships
Authors: Lovin Barbara Keelor
Published: March 2007

The Problem and the Solution. Those who work in partnerships face spe cial challenges. This chapter examines partnerships between paramedics to explore the different kinds of partnerships that exist in the working world because either the work itself or the relationship itself is routine or nonroutine Additive, potentiated, and synergistic partnerships have implications for staffing and learning in an organization
Treating Traumatized Children
Authors: COHEN JUDITH A. , BERLINER LUCY , MANNARINO ANTHONY P.
Published: March 2007

This article reviews and summarizes existing research that has examined treatment outcome with traumatized children. Methodological challenges in this line of research are addressed. Additionally, there is a review of types of treatment study designs as well as the kinds of treatment that have been used with traumatized children. Treatment studies for children exposed to specific stressors—including disaster situations, school and community violence, severe medical conditions, war, sexual and physical abuse, and domestic violence—are summarized and critiqued. Major findings are that (a) no single treatment approach will likely be applicable for all traumatized children as this population presents with a diversity of emotional and behavioral difficulties, (b) research on abused children has accumulated the greatest amount of empirical treatment outcome data for traumatized children, and (c) cognitive-behavioral therapy has been demonstrated in several recent empirically sound studies to be effective in treating traumatized children. Implications from these findings for clinical practice, research, and public policy are addressed.
A Review of Domestic Violence Risk Instruments
Authors: DUTTON DONALD G. , KROPP P. RANDALL
Published: March 2007

The problem of domestic violence has been well documented with respect to its social, psychological, and economic costs. Proactive arrest and sentencing policies have resulted in an increasing, and in some cases, overwhelming number of spousal batterers being processed through the criminal justice system. Scarce correctional and treatment resources necessitate that difficult decisions be made about the management of domestic violence perpetrators. In an effort to make better decisions, many jurisdictions have adopted a risk assessment approach. Spousal assault risk assessment now serves to inform those making decisions about sentencing (e.g., community release vs. incarceration), treatment placement, and supervision intensity. With these developments, researchers and clinicians have begun to discuss the appropriate content and process of spousal assault risk assessment. There have been a number of efforts in recent years to develop theoretically and scientifically sound risk assessment instruments and procedures. This article attempts to review state-of-the-art instruments in this rapidly expanding field.
The Effect of Moisture On Some Textile - Rubber Composites
Authors: Gardner E.R.
Published: March 2007

This article describes experimental work which indicates that if moisture could be prevented from being absorbed by rayon, it would be superior to nylon when used in tyre applications. Tests on tyres show that incorporation of desiccant in the casing rubber has a beneficial effect on the high speed performance of rayon tyres. If it is found that direct bonding by incorporating resorcinol, aldehyde donor, and silica without treating the cord with adhesive is feasible, then rayon would have an advantage compared with the main competitive materials.
Innovation in Fire Retardant Fillers for Carpet Backing
Authors: Westbrook C.E.
Published: March 2007

The discussion of calcium sulfate in SBR latex for carpet backing describes the difficulty of this application, performance comparison of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) to that of ATH (currently used as a fire retardant filler), and the economic advantage of gypsum over ATH. The stabilizing technology of LCG (Latex Compatible Gypsum) is a patent-pending development of Franklin In dustrial Minerals.
Evolution of Coated Fabrics for Automotive Airbags
Authors: Crouch Earl T.
Published: March 2007

In an era when automotive safety sells and competition among safety component suppliers is fierce, the inflatable supplemental restraint or airbag system is undergoing a continual evolution in terms of its materials, design, and perfor mance.
Converting and Product Development Considerations for Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Coated Products
Authors: Hansen William L.
Published: March 2007

There are a wide variety of products that depend on a Pressure- Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) for their ability to function. These products have varying degrees of complexity, which are usually determined by the sophistication of their end use. In general, increased complexity of use requires higher levels of complexity in the manufacturing and converting of the product. The examples that are used to illustrate the interactions between product functional expectations, raw materials, and processes are centered around the medical products family of PSA materials. The design philosophy and process technology exemplified in my discussion of this product group are common to most other PSA-based constructions.
The Demise of the Two Presidencies
Authors: FLEISHER RICHARD , BOND JON R. , KRUTZ GLEN S. , HANNA STEPHEN
Published: March 2007

Presidential-congressional relations scholars have long debated whether the president is more successful on foreign policy than on domestic policy (Wildavsky, 1966). The debate has focused on differential success rates between foreign and domestic policy and whether the gap has narrowed over time. This focus, however, neglects an important dimension of Wildavsky's argument. Wildavsky also argued that presidents should dominate Congress in foreign policy. Hence, the thesis predicts high levels of success on foreign policy as well as differences between foreign and domestic policy. Looking at the trends in success on foreign and domestic votes, we observe that whereas the difference between foreign and domestic success rates shows up consistently for minority presidents, the absolute level of support on foreign and defense issues has declined since the second Reagan administration. Analysis of opposition party base behavior reveals that foreign policy voting has become considerably more partisan.
Who Contributes?
Authors: SHIELDS TODD G. , GOIDEL ROBERT K.
Published: March 2007

The changing demographic trends of voter turnout have been a focus of great debate. Nevertheless, voter turnout is only one avenue through which citizens participate in electoral politics. Although the number of citizens voting may have declined since the 1960s, other forms of participation, such as financial contributions, have increased in terms of the number of citizens engaging in such activity. We find that although class biases in financial contributions are great within each election, these biases demonstrate no consistent trend toward increased or decreased class biases in financial contributions. The extent to which any specific election is skewed along economic class lines results largely from the behavior of those at the highest income levels. Finally, we find little empirical support that legal reforms designed to increase the base of campaign contributions have had any significant impact on who contributes.
Voter Registration Reconsidered
Authors: LLOYD RANDALL D.
Published: March 2007

Research on voter participation has led to the conventional wisdom that registered people will vote and that registration requirements inhibit voter turnout. However, research on which this belief is based improperly tests registered people who have no registration needs, and thus, it does not accurately identify the contextual influences associated with the registration decision. Contrary to past research, this analysis of January unregistered individuals from the 1980 ANES panel study suggests longer registration-closing periods increase the likelihood of November registration. An expectation of voting and uncertainty about the future may explain the phenomenon. Also, this analysis finds that registration requirements do not appear to inhibit registration for election-year movers.
Government Regulation of Coal Mine Safety
Authors: Perry Charles S.
Published: March 2007

Federal government spending on mine health and safety has strongly reduced bituminous coal mine fatalities when safety law has been strong but not when law has been weak.
Congressional Cohorts and Voting Patterns
Authors: Keiser K. Robert , Jones Woodrow
Published: March 2007

Voting behavior on selected issues during the 90th and 95th sessions of Congress is used to determine whether important generational differences altered congressional behavior during the 1970s. Voting differences between newer and older members are examined on issues concerning social welfare, government management, foreign policy, civil liberties and rights, and public interest issues such as environmentalism and consumerism. Some seniority-related differences were expressed in the 90th and 95th sessions. While the younger members of Congress are more likely to reflect the temper of the times, the longer Democrats are in Congress, the more conservative they become.
Cheers and Jeers
Authors: West Darrell M.
Published: March 2007

This article investigates electoral feedback mechanisms in the 1980 presidential race. Unlike many election studies, that emphasize voters, I concentrate on candidates and their personal advisors. How do presidential contenders get feedback about their performances on the campaign trail? What lessons do they learn from campaign audiences? Using interviews, field observation, and a study of audience reactions to campaign speeches, I argue that campaigning is crucial to the link between leaders and the public. Candidates use campaigns to learn what is on the mind of voters (as do the media). These lessons influence candidate rhetoric and illustrate the importance of communications in presidential campaigns.
The Impact of Group Economic Interests On Political Evaluations
Authors: Conover Pamela Johnston
Published: March 2007

In recent work dealing with the impact of economic conditions on political behavior, a key point of controversy has concerned the type of information that people use to evaluate economic performance: Do they base their evaluations on personal economic well-being or the state of the nation's economy? In this debate, information about the economic well-being of social reference groups has generally been ignored. Therefore, in this article we explore the role of group economic interests in performance evaluations. Basically, our findings indicate that (1) group economic interests are perceived to overlap relatively little with personal, and especially national, interests; and (2) group economic interests have a significant independent effect on performance evaluations. Possible explanations for such group influence are discussed.
Pluralistic Intolerance in America
Authors: Gibson James L.
Published: March 2007

In this article I reconsider the concept "pluralistic intolerance," which has recently been advanced by Sullivan, Piereson, and Marcus. I first consider the question of whether Americans prefer that political repression be directed at unpopular political minorities on either the left wing or the right wing, or whether people are willing to support political repression against both the left and the right. My analysis reveals that those who support repression against left-wing groups also support repression against right-wing groups. A number of other difficulties with the "least-liked" approach to political tolerance are identified, difficulties that argue in favor of alternative conceptual and measurement strategies. Finally, the implicit linkage model associated with pluralistic intolerance is reconsidered as well.
Isolating the Economies of States
Authors: Brace Paul
Published: March 2007

Despite impressive efforts, we lack an empirically supported explanation of the role of state-level political processes in shaping state economic performance. This study indicates why a concrete understanding of the interplay of state-level political and economic forces has been elusive. State economies are sensitive to external influences. This sensitivity varies systematically and significantly over time and between states. The magnitude of these external influences shows that before we may unravel how states influence their economies, consideration must be given to the extrastate influences that condition the economic environment of states. Pooled models of state economies are estimated for three periods: 1968-1973, 1974-1979, and 1980-1985. In general, state economies were heavily influenced by national economic trends, but over time they have become more economically independent. States are also evaluated individually. Fast growing states in the 1968-1985 period tended to be the most sensitive to national economic conditions while slower growing states were more autonomous.
The "Turning Point"
Authors: Lanoue David J.
Published: March 2007

Scholars and journalists have long disagreed about the importance of presidential debates for influencing election results and public opinion. This article considers viewers' reactions to the second debate between George Bush and Michael Dukakis in October 1988, which was widely hailed as a turning point in the 1988 presidential campaign. Two major conclusions are drawn in this article. First, this supposedly critical debate had no more effect on actual vote choices than debates studied previously. Second, while the debate did not satisfy needs for guidance and reinforcement, it did lead to a short-term increase in viewers' information levels. That effect, however, dissipated in the two weeks after the conclusion of the debate. These findings cast serious doubts about some of the benefits of televised presidential debates, even under these "favorable" conditions.
Explanations of Group Economic Outcomes
Authors: Koch Jeffrey W.
Published: March 2007

Previous studies of group economic voting have not examined how citizens explain group economic problems and how those causal explanations might affect the role of group economic conditions and the consequent formation of citizens' political preferences. This research addresses three questions: (a) How do citizens explain group economic predicaments? (b) Are there meaningful, systematic variations in the explanations offered by citizens for both individual and group economic problems that coincide with our understanding of differing group schemas, societal values, and economic predicaments? (c) Do citizens' explanations of group problems determine the effect that assessments of group economic predicaments have on political preferences? The research presented here indicates citizens are more likely to cite political or social factors to explain group economic problems. Members of disadvantaged groups are more likely to cite political explanations. Assessments of group economic well-being that are explained by reference to political factors have a larger effect on political preferences than those explained by social factors.
Turnout and the Democratic Vote
Authors: Radcliff Benjamin
Published: March 2007

Although political folk wisdom has long suggested that high turnout works to the advantage of the Democratic Party, this hypothesis has not fared well when subjected to empirical testing. The author finds strong and unequivocal evidence in support of the conventional view that greater turnout does profit Democratic candidates. This effect appears to have become more pronounced since 1960. The magnitude of the relationship is found to be considerable, such that even modest changes in turnout would have been sufficient to reverse the outcomes of recent presidential elections. The implications for party strategies and the study of voting are discussed.
Candidate Gender and Women's Psychological Engagement in Politics
Authors: Koch Jeffrey
Published: March 2007

In previous research scholars consistently have documented that women in the United States are less psychologically engaged in the political process than men. Utilizing the unique electoral circumstances surrounding the 1990 and 1992 Senate elections, I determine if the presence of female candidates increases the psychological engagement of women in the electoral process. The empirical analyses suggest that the presence of female candidates by itself does not serve to increase women's engagement in the electoral process. Instead, the combination of issues involving women's representation in politics and female candidates serves to heighten women's psychological engagement in the electoral process. The importance of these results for a symbolic theory of representation and women's engagement in politics is discussed.
Why Do the News Media Cover Certain Candidates More Than Others?
Authors: Haynes Audrey A. , Murray Sarah G.
Published: March 2007

This article explores two approaches to campaign coverage in order to estimate their relative importance to state and national media coverage levels during presidential nomination campaigns: the horse race account and the campaign account. Using news coverage data from a sample of 21 state newspapers, three national newspapers, and the ABC World News Tonight, multivariate models of state and national candidate news coverage levels are estimated. The findings, although confirming the conventional wisdom that candidates who do well gain more media attention, also suggest that candidate activity can make a difference and that candidate factors can have a significant influence, whereas structural factors, such as the number of candidates competing, appear to have little influence on how the national and state media determine their distribution of coverage when other factors are present. Moreover, the state news media are strongly influenced by performance factors, but these are felt primarily through the priming influence of the national news media.
Political Parties in a Critical Era
Authors: ALDRICH JOHN H.
Published: March 2007

American political history is ordinarily divided into categories called party systems. Each system contains within it a broad similarity, an apparent “equilibrium” or “politics as usual” that distinguish it from all others. The generational regularity of the transition from one party system to the next is remarkable. Or, at least it was until the critical era expected in the 1960s apparently failed to materialize. Richard Niemi and I earlier argued that, in fact, there was a critical era in the 1960s, but it failed to be noticed because it was not a partisan realignment, bringing a new voting majority to power. Nonetheless, the change in public opinion, leadership, institutional structure, and policy agenda and coalition were pervasive. In this paper, I build on the argument that the 1960s was a critical era. If it was, then we should be reaching the end of the consequent sixth party system, moving toward (or actually being in) a new critical era, leading toward the seventh party system. The dramatic electoral events of the 1990s provide a prima facie case that we may be encountering the end of politics as usual. The analysis in this paper fleshes out that argument. Particular components considered include the change in electoral fortunes, noted above. The generational transition in presidential leadership and the nearly as dramatic change in congressional leadership are also considered. The rise of the South in the Republican congressional party, in its sheer numbers, its source of leadership, and its impact on the party's agenda is also examined. Notice is taken as well of changes in electoral behavior, particularly recent increases in partisan identification and strength of attachment, declines in split-ticket voting, and the weakening of the electoral strength of incumbency. Collectively, this evidence suggests that the 1992 and, especially 1994 and 1996 elections show signs of the beginnings of a critical era.
Did Motor Voter Work?
Authors: MARTINEZ MICHAEL D. , HILL DAVID
Published: March 2007

This article examines the impact of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act on turnout and the composition of state electorates in the 1996 elections. We address two questions regarding the effect of this new law: (a) Did the law increase overall turnout, and (b) did the law decrease the class and racial inequity in the U.S. electorate? Using turnout and exit poll data from the states, we find that the new law had no significant impact on overall state-level turnout, and it appeared to slightly increase the class and racial inequality in state electorates.
Incorporating Alternative and Complementary Health Practices Within University-Based Nursing Education
Authors: Halcón Linda , Leonard Barbara , Snyder Mariah , Garwick Ann , Kreitzer Mary Jo
Published: March 2007

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing aims to fully incorporate comple mentary and alternative health philosophy and healing practices into its baccalau reate, master's and doctoral programs. A planning process (1998-99) included School of Nursing faculty, administrators, and representatives of the university's Center for Spirituality and Healing. A comprehensive course of action was devel oped that included strengthening didactic and experiential learning, offering indi vidualized plans of clinical study in a variety of modalities, improving access to an interdisciplinary graduate minor in Complementary Therapies and Healing Practic es, and encouraging faculty research initiatives and continuing education in CAM.
Upper Extremity Control in Adults Post Stroke with Mild Residual Impairment
Authors: Pohl Patricia S. , Luchies Carl W. , Stoker-Yates Joni , Duncan Pamela W.
Published: March 2007

Motor control deficits in the upper extremity (UE) ipsilateral to the side of brain damage persist after stroke, but it is not known if the presence of these deficits is re lated to impairment of the contralateral UE. The purpose of this study was to inves tigate whether motor deficits are present in the ipsilateral UE when contralateral UE impairment is mild in adults with chronic stroke. Right-handed adults (10 controls, 10 right stroke, 10 left stroke) performed rapid continuous aiming movements to small and large targets. Using kinematic analysis, temporal measures of the movement were defined, including movement time (MT) and the three components of MT: acceler ation, deceleration, and dwell time (i.e., time on target). Participants with right stroke had prolonged MT only with the left UE, primarily due to longer dwell times. Partic ipants with left stroke had prolonged MT with both UEs as a result of longer dwell times. The results indicate that control deficits of the ipsilateral UE are evident in individuals with left but not right brain damage who have minimal impairment of the contralateral UE. These findings are consistent with the role of the left hemisphere in the control of both UEs. Key Words: Cerebrovascular disorders—Psychomotor per formance—Hemispheric asymmetry.
The Interrelations Between Disability and Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in the Area of Bajo Aragon, Spain: A Geographically Based Survey
Authors: Modrego Pedro J. , Pina M.A. , Simón Alicia , Azuara M. Carmen
Published: March 2007

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most disabling diseases in young people, but the interrelation between disability and quality of life is poorly understood. As indi vidual correlations between disability and the perspective of the patient may be weak in individual subjects, the purpose of our work was to analyze and correlate quality of life with neurologic impairment and disability in all patients with MS from the geo graphic area of the Bajo Aragón in the northeastern region of Spain. A total of 36 patients with a diagnosis of probable or clinically definite MS had an average age was 38.1 years (range,17-66 years). The majority of them were women (66.6%) and had relapsing—remitting forms (83.3%). The Minimal Record of Disability measured neu rologic impairments, functional limitations, and handicaps. Quality of life was meas ured by the Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis (FAMS) scale. Statistical analysis was performed with the Kruskal—Wallis nonparametric test and Pearson's co efficient of correlation. The mean EDSS of our cohort was 2.76 (range, 0-9). The mean FAMS score was 78.6 (SD, 52.5). We found that patients moderately or severely dis abled (EDSS >3) showed a significantly decreased satisfaction in comparison with the nondisabled or mildly disabled ones. Disability and handicaps were significantly re lated to some items of FAMS: mobility, symptoms, and emotional well-being, but not with the remaining items: general contentment, thinking and fatigue, family and so cial well-being, and additional concerns. In comparison with patients from other pop ulation-based surveys, our patients were less disabled and enjoyed a better quality of life. Although we globally observed poorer quality of life in more disabled patients, the per spectives of the patients did not necessarily agree with disability scales in some domains of health. Quality of life should be included in the approach to MS patients if we want to provide cost-effective health care. Key Words: Multiple sclerosis—Disability—Qual ity of life.