bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electing the First Parliament
Authors: Galatas Steven E.
Published: May 2004

Theory regarding turnout in elections suggests that voters are more likely to vote when their vote could be decisive. The article provides a generalized test of the relationship between the likelihood of turning out and the closeness of elections. Data are single-member district (firstpast-the-post) and regional (party list) constituency-level results from the Scottish Parliament election of 1999. Scotland provides an excellent case because the 1999 Scottish Parliament was elected using a combination of single-member districts, plus an additional member, regional list alternative vote system. In addition, the Scottish Parliament election was characterized by regional, multiparty competition. Controlling for other factors, the article finds that closeness counts and relates to higher levels of voter participation in the Scottish Parliament elections. This finding holds for single-member district (first-past-the-post) constituencies and additional member regional lists.
The Quality of School Physical Education in Flemish Secondary Schools
Authors: De Knop Paul , Theeboom Marc , Huts Kristof , Van Hoecke Jo , De Martelaer Kristine
Published: May 2004

In this article the importance of a quality care system within school physical education is emphasized. Taking into account the fact that education is a critical part of human development and a government concern, striving towards an optimization of the quantity and quality requirements of education can be regarded as a necessity. This applies as much to the school physical education subject as to education generally. Based on the results of in-depth interviews with pupils, PE teachers, subject teachers, committees of parents, school principals and so-called ‘expert-witnesses’ from the world of sports on the actual quality of school PE in Flanders, it is concluded that school PE in Flanders faces similar problems as in many other countries (e.g. limited curricular time allocation, low subject status, inadequate financial, material and human resources). Finally, it is indicated that, in order to ensure the future of school PE, a specific quality care system must be developed.
The Mechanisms and Outcomes of Evaluation Influence
Authors: Mark Melvin M. , Henry Gary T.
Published: May 2004

Past literature has identified several putative precursors of use, as well as alternative forms of use. However, important shortcomings still exist in previous work on use. In particular, inadequate attention has been given to the underlying processes that may mediate the effects of evaluation on attitude and action. In essence, a key part of the theory of change for evaluation itself is missing. To help fill this gap, we describe a framework designed to capture key mechanisms through which evaluation may have its effects. The framework includes change processes that have been validated in various social science literatures. It identifies three levels of analysis (individual, interpersonal and collective), each with four kinds of processes (general influence, attitudinal, motivational and behavioral). With a more comprehensive view of the mechanisms underlying evaluation’s influence, the field can move forward in relation to its understanding and facilitation of evaluation’s role in the service of social betterment.
A Novel Clinical Intervention for Severe Childhood Depression and Anxiety
Authors: Flory Vicky
Published: May 2004

A novel clinical intervention, Emotionally Attuned Parenting, was developed and trialed for severe childhood depression and anxiety. The intervention was designed to alleviate child psychopathology by improving quality of parenting. Parents of eleven children aged between 6 and 13 years who were outpatients in a public mental health service completed treatment. Parents received between 5 and 13 treatment sessions that aimed to increase parental empathy and improve emotional care of the child. T-test analyses revealed that the intervention was related to a significant reduction in psychiatric disorders, child-reported depression and anxiety, parenting stress, and a marginally significant reduction in child behaviour problems. Data available for five cases at 6 months follow-up indicated that gains were maintained. Implications of results for treatment of severe childhood psychiatric disorders and the role of parental empathy are explored.
‘What Do I Have to Come Here for, I’m Not Mad?’ Children’s Perceptions of a Child Guidance Clinic
Authors: Ross Niamh , Egan Bridget
Published: May 2004

Children’s views as service users are being increasingly sought and valued. A pictorial critical incident technique was developed to gain insights into the perceptions and experiences of children and young people ( n= 30, ages 5–15 years) attending a child and adolescent outpatient mental health service for the first time. The methodology proved effective in eliciting children’s views, both positive and negative. Findings show age differences in clients’ anxieties about attending. The degree to which children and young people felt involved in the process of assessment also varied with age. In general, children and young people felt more positive when leaving the clinic compared with when they first arrived. Salient aspects of the initial visit emerged which may not have been tapped using a questionnaire or rating scale. Findings are discussed in the context of service delivery issues and the development of child-focused preparatory information.
Mental Health of ‘Looked after’ Children: A Needs Assessment
Authors: Blower Aileen , Addo Ama , Hodgson Jessica , Lamington Linda , Towlson Kate
Published: May 2004

This article describes a combined quantitative and qualitative approach to assessing the need for mental health services of looked after children. We interviewed 48 children and young people who were accommodated by one local authority in foster care, children’s homes and residential schools. Fifty-six per cent of our sample were suffering from significant psychological morbidity. Forty-four per cent had a definite, probable or resolving diagnosis of at least one psychiatric disorder with impaired psychosocial functioning. Self-esteem was preserved to a variable extent across different domains. In most cases, problems in psychological development had been identified at a young age and the majority had previously been assessed, and some treated, by the local psychiatric service. Most of the participants had strategies for managing distress, made good use of available support networks and were happy with the level of care they were receiving. We concluded that a majority of children and young people looked after by our local authority suffer from chronic and disabling mental health problems despite early recognition of their difficulties, attempts at solutions and supportive care settings. The need we identified was notfor improved recognition of mental health problems, but rather for more effective interventions.
‘Anorexia Nervosa’ – Still Relevant in the Twenty-first Century? A Review of William Gull’s Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Madden Sloane
Published: May 2004

In 1874 William Gull published ‘Anorexia Nervosa’ an article detailing the cases of two young women presenting with severe and unexplained weight loss, as well as a more general exploration of the author’s experience with the condition he labelled ‘anorexia nervosa’. The article represents a fascinating first step in the study of a disorder of ever-increasing focus both in medicine and among the general population. Gull’s original description still forms the basis of modern day definitions of anorexia. To read ‘Anorexia Nervosa’ is to add depth and history to our understanding of eating disorders. It also reminds us of an earlier era when medicine and psychiatry were not so separated as they are today.
The Effects of Parental Mental Illness upon Children: A Descriptive Study of the Views of Parents and Children
Authors: Stallard Paul , Norman Philip , Huline-Dickens Sarah , Salter Emma , Cribb Jan
Published: May 2004

The association between parental mental illness and child disturbance has been documented although the experience of children coping with such illness has received comparatively little attention. This article details the impact of parental mental illness on children of patients attending a community mental health team. Information was obtained from 24 adults and 26 dependent children. Children were concerned about their parents, had little understanding of their parent’s illness and most wanted more information. Parents were aware of the negative impact of the illness upon their children, particularly disruption to everyday life and concerns about significant behaviour problems. Despite the negative impact of the illness, parents perceived their relationship with their children positively. In undertaking this research a number of potential barriers to identifying the needs of these children were identified which are reported. The study highlights the need for more collaborative and integrated child and adult mental health services and the development of a more family-centred focus.
A Scoping and Scanning Review of Research on the Adoption of Children Placed from Public Care
Authors: Rushton Alan
Published: May 2004

The aim of this review is to map the literature on the adoption of children from public care, to identify the extent of research-based knowledge and to note gaps in the evidence. Adoption research has grown over the last 40 years but, as the methodological quality has increased, so has the complexity of the questions to be answered. This review covers research on the problem profiles of placed children and the challenges to new parents, matching and preparation, contact arrangements, medium and long-term outcomes and interventions with adoptions in difficulty. The article recommends that adoption research needs to be considered as an integral part of general research into placement choices for children. Looking to the future, the commissioning of large-scale studies is recommended to gain a lifelong perspective on adoption, to identify predictors of outcome, the consequences of contact arrangements for all the parties, and the cost-effectiveness of different types of adoption support. Many smaller scale studies need to be commissioned to monitor the progress of the various policy initiatives and legislative changes designed to increase the use of adoption as a placement choice in the UK.
Deliberate Self-Harm at an Adolescent Unit: A Qualitative Investigation
Authors: Crouch William , Wright John
Published: May 2004

This investigation aimed to identify some of the personal and interpersonal processes involved in deliberate self-harm at a residential treatment setting for adolescents with mental health problems. A qualitative approach was used, which included interviews and participant observation. Six adolescents with a history of deliberate self-harm were interviewed about their perceptions of deliberate selfharm. The interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Process notes from observations at the unit community meeting were used to provide support for the themes generated in the interviews. Deliberate selfharm was identified as a response to conflict or feeling distressed or angry. It left other patients feeling angry, upset and burdened with a sense of responsibility. Sub-groups of ‘self-harming for genuine reasons’ and ‘self-harming for attention’ emerged as a central theme. Adolescents competed to be a genuine self-harmer: this led to feeling a need to cause a certain level of damage when self-harming and to harm in secret. Seeking help was difficult. The study concluded that group treatment methods were indicated, as well as challenging the traditional response to deliberate self-harm of not giving attention.
The Experience of the Impact of Divorce on Sibling Relationships: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Abbey Caroline , Dallos Rudi
Published: May 2004

This article examines the impact of divorce on relationships between siblings. It is argued that despite the massive number of children who go through this experience few studies have invited children to talk about their experiences. An exploratory qualitative study is reported with eight young women who talk about the effects of the divorce of their parents on their relationships with their siblings. The study employed a form of interpretative theme analysis and used sociograms to illustrate perceived changes in family and sibling relationships. Three metathemes emerged: changes over time, emotional impacts of the divorce and systemic processes. Overall, the findings indicated that siblings experienced increased closeness as a result of the shared experience of going through the divorce of their parents together. The young women also reported turning to each other for support as a result of the emotional unavailability of their parents during the divorce. Some implications for clinical practice are discussed, especially working together with siblings as well as with their families.
Filial Therapy: Shifting the Balance
Authors: Hutton Deborah
Published: May 2004

The author presents an argument for the inclusion of filial therapy as an empirically researched treatment in child mental health services. Filial therapy is a hybrid form of child-centred or non-directive play therapy that actively involves parents in the delivery of their child’s therapy. Developed in the 1960s by Bernard and Louise Guerney, Pennsylvania State University, USA, filial therapy can be understood as a relationship-enhancing therapy that provides a bridge between family therapy and play therapy. The author argues the case for filial therapy to be more widely adopted in the UK on two counts. First, as an integrated therapy filial therapy avoids the traditional ‘either/or’ treatment options of play and family therapy, allowing the intrapsychic or intrapersonal issues of the child to be addressed directly within the family system. Second, being taught child-centred play therapy skills to use with their children empowers parents and creates a shift away from the usual perception of the therapist being seen as the ‘expert’ or the one who can best help the child in question.
Test Of Time
Authors: Heriot Sandra Angela , Pritchard Michelle
Published: May 2004

In this article, we review Wolpe’s (1954) work demonstrating the relative efficacy of reciprocal inhibition in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Although Wolpe’s article refers to studies involving adults, the findings and implications are equally valid for therapy with children and adolescents. Wolpe’s groundbreaking work as a behaviourist was grounded in his belief that behaviour therapy could be as much an applied science as could any other aspect of medicine. He is best known for his work in the areas of desensitization and assertiveness training, both of which have become important elements of modern behavioural therapy. In his seminal article, Wolpe argued that any fundamental reduction in the levels of anxiety were frequently the result of reciprocal inhibition. According to Wolpe, reciprocal inhibition refers to the complete or partial suppression of anxiety responses as a consequence of the immediate evocation of other responses physiologically antagonistic to anxiety, i.e., the technique seeks to condition a new response that is considered incompatible with the response to be eliminated. Wolpe’s theory of reciprocal inhibition, like a number of other learning-based theories, was based on experiments with animals. Following this experimentation, Wolpe was confident that reciprocal inhibition was effective in interrupting conditioned responses in animals in ways that extinction was not. This finding led Wolpe to develop the hypothesis that if a response incompatible with anxiety can be made to occur in humans in the presence of anxiety-provoking stimuli, then it will weaken the relationship between these stimuli and the anxiety responses. Wolpe’s enduring contribution was in laying the foundations for experimentation in the broad field of individual psychotherapy.
Health Psychology and Public Health: Theoretical Possibilities
Authors: Murphy Simon , Bennett Paul
Published: May 2004

Public health has either implicitly or explicitly drawn upon a range of psychological theories. This paper identifies four areas where the application of such theory could be developed, health communication, environmental initiatives, the negotiation of behaviour and participation and empowerment. Recommendations are made regarding content, sources and recipient characteristics that can be used to develop targeted health communication campaigns. Psychology also has a role to play in informing structural approaches to prevention. To facilitate this, a framework which focuses on cues, reinforcer and barriers and an understanding of how behaviour is achieved through negotiation and interaction is outlined. Finally we highlight a role for psychology in approaches that focus on participation and empowerment in relation to health.
Health Psychological Theory in Promoting Population Health in P‰ij‰t-H‰me, Finland: First Steps toward a Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Study
Authors: Uutela Antti , Absetz Pilvikki , Nissinen Aulikki , Valve Raisa , Talja Martti , Fogelholm Mikael
Published: May 2004

In public health promotion, behavioural science theories and theory-based methods should be translated into practical strategies that fit environmental conditions and are feasible for implementation. In this article, an effort to meet this challenge is presented. As a starting point we describe the conditions for development and success of the previous generation of public health promotion programmes in Finland. However, changes both in the population structure and in the population health bring new demands for programme development. We consider possibilities offered by health psychology and give a practical example of how theories and theory-based methods are applied in a community programme for type 2 diabetes prevention implemented in the Finnish primary health care.
Partnerships and Participation of Community Residents in Health Promotion and Prevention: Experiences of the Highfield Community Enrichment Project (Better Beginnings, Better Futures)
Authors: Nelson Geoffrey , Pancer S. Mark , Hayward Karen , Kelly Rick
Published: May 2004

We provide a description and analysis of the role of partnerships between community residents and service-providers in planning and implementing a health promotion/prevention programme for children and families. The context for this study is the Highfield Community Enrichment Project, a multi-component, community-based promotion/prevention project operating in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The nature and amount of resident participation in this project are described, as well as barriers to resident participation and strategies to reduce those barriers. The findings are interpreted in terms of empowerment and partnership theory, and the implications of these findings for involving citizens from low-income communities in planning promotion/prevention programmes are discussed.
Men and Chronic Illness: A Qualitative Study of LUTS
Authors: Gannon Kenneth , Glover Lesley , O’Neill Marie , Emberton Mark
Published: May 2004

In order to determine how men react to and manage chronic conditions 16 men with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) were interviewed to examine the relationship between detecting symptoms and seeking medical help, perceptions of symptoms and the impact of symptoms on daily life. Transcripts were analysed employing IPA and four major themes identified: Uncertainty/Trying to understand, Implications, Ways of coping and Self-concept/Identity. Uncertainty about the nature and origins of their condition and its gradual onset contributed to the delay in seeking medical advice. Men adopted a range of coping strategies to manage their symptoms. Implications for primary health care consultations are considered.
Faith-based and Secular Pathways to Hope and Optimism Subconstructs in Middle-aged and Older Cardiac Patients
Authors: Ai Amy L. , Peterson Christopher , Tice Terrence N. , Bolling Steven F. , Koenig Harold G.
Published: May 2004

This study was designed to fill gaps in the new field of positive psychology. Using data from two sequential interviews, this study examined the effect of faith-based and secular pathways to hope and optimism among 226 middle-aged and older patients facing a major medical crisis—cardiac surgery. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that religious faith factors contributed to the agency component of hope and dispositional optimism indirectly through the use of prayer as a coping strategy. Other sociodemographically resourcable factors affected both the agency and pathway components of hope as well as dispositional optimism and dispositional pessimism directly or indirectly through their effects on emotional distress.
An Assessment of Health Needs of Chronic Low Back Pain Patients from General Practice
Authors: Reid Marylou
Published: May 2004

The perceived health needs of 50 chronic low back pain patients were explored within an interview procedure. Patients described symptom and treatment histories, the problems they encountered living with back pain and their severity. Problems as goals for recovery were prioritized. The last two tasks were aided by the use of a Problem Board. Interviews were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results indicated that the use of this patient-centred procedure could be helpful in outlining individual concerns, translatable into recovery goals for intervention, regardless of concurrent medical treatment. Implications of this approach for individual needs assessment in chronic conditions and for planning service development are discussed.
Children on the Borderlands of Autism
Authors: Barrett Suzanne , Prior Margot , Manjiviona Janine
Published: May 2004

A sample of 37 children aged 4–7 years who all showed some autistic features was investigated. Children with a primary diagnosis of autism were compared with those diagnosed with a language disorder, on behaviours within four domains; social behaviour, imaginative activities, repetitive behaviour and communication. The aim was to identify potentially differentiating features of the two groups using observational ratings and questionnaire measures provided by parents and teachers. Information on participants’ intelligence and language skills was also collected. The children with autism showed greater deficits in joint attention, functional play and pragmatic language, and engaged in more repetitive behaviours, than the language disordered children. However, the groups did not differ significantly on formally assessed language skills. A cluster analysis produced three groups of children varying in level of functioning and parent-rated behaviours. The results are informative for clinicians dealing with the challenge of differential diagnosis.
Chromosomal Anomalies in Individuals with Autism
Authors: Castermans Dries , Wilquet Valérie , Steyaert Jean , van de Ven Wim , Fryns Jean-Pierre , Devriendt Koen
Published: May 2004

We review the different strategies currently used to try to identify susceptibility genes for idiopathic autism. Although identification of genes is usually straightforward in Mendelian disorders, it has proved to be much more difficult to establish in polygenic disorders like autism. Neither genome screens of affected siblings nor the large number of association studies using candidate genes have resulted in finding autism susceptibility genes. We focus on the alternative approach of ‘positional cloning’ through chromosomal aberrations in individuals with autism. In particular, balanced aberrations such as reciprocal translocations or inversions offer a unique opportunity, since only the genes in the breakpoint regions are candidate genes. This approach, in combination with others, is likely to produce results in the coming years.
The Diagnosis of Affective and Psychotic Disorders in Adults with Autism: Seven Case Reports
Authors: Clarke D. , Baxter M. , Perry D. , Prasher V.
Published: May 2004

Seven men with autistic disorders developed mood disorders or psychotic illnesses during adult life. This association has also been described in several previous reports. Although no firm conclusions can be drawn on the basis of case reports alone, it appears that autistic disorders may increase vulnerability to such psychoses. Possible reasons for the association are discussed, as is treatment.
Approaching Reality: The Use of Personal Construct Assessment in Working with People with Asperger Syndrome
Authors: Hare Dougal Julian , Jones Jonathan Paul Robin , Paine Claire
Published: May 2004

To date there have been few accounts of psychotherapeutic work with individuals with autistic conditions such as Asperger syndrome, yet this group often presents with high levels of psychological distress and confusion which they find difficult to communicate to others. The use of clinical assessment techniques derived from personal construct psychology is described and four case studies are presented to illustrate the potential utility of this approach. The advantages and disadvantages of such an approach are discussed.
The Will to Violence
Authors: Schinkel Willem
Published: May 2004

Many social scientific accounts of interpersonal violence hold a few basic premises that are in this article contested as being one-sided. The explanation of violence dissolves the intrinsic character of the phenomenon and replaces the singular aspects of violence by a social-scientific explanatory ground. This explanatory social science is in this article called determinism. Supplementing determinism is a formalism of violence, which focuses on the aesthetics of violence and which, in so doing, retains the possibility of violence occurring for no reason other than itself. This kind of violence will be called autotelic violence. Cultural signs seem to justify the idea that violence can be a self-referential act, due to a will to violence.
Self-Control in the General Theory of Crime:
Authors: Marcus Bernd
Published: May 2004

Numerous studies have attempted to test Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime. The present article outlines the view that virtually every empirical test of the theory is based on serious misinterpretations of its core construct, self-control. A reinterpretation of self-control is proposed and seven requirements for its construct-valid measurement are specified. A review of self-control measures used in previous research shows that these requirements are more often violated than met. As a consequence, the empirical status of self-control theory is held to be still largely unknown, despite all apparent evidence.
Durkheim’s Theory of Homicide and the Confusion of the Empirical Literature
Authors: Dicristina Bruce
Published: May 2004

Emile Durkheim’s theory of the relationship between societal development and homicide has received significant attention in the empirical literature of criminology, yet has been oversimplified by this literature and appears to be poorly understood. The purpose of this article is to clarify the core arguments of his theory, note its complexity and highlight the extent to which Durkheim’s ideas on this subject have been misrepresented in empirical literature. In view of what Durkheim explicitly states about societal development and homicide, it is apparent that his theory has not been carefully tested. Distortions of his work have resulted both from the fragmented nature of his theoretical presentation and, perhaps more importantly, from the failure of contemporary researchers to read his work thoroughly.
Criminal Careers, Desistance and Subjectivity
Authors: Gadd David , Farrall Stephen
Published: May 2004

This article analyses the life-stories told by two men who appeared to be desisting from crime. At the time of their respective interviews, both men had reduced the frequency and intensity of their offending behaviours, although neither man had completely stopped offending. Using these men’s life-stories, the authors endorse Shadd Maruna’s argument that the study of criminal careers and desistance needs to embrace a more adequately psychosocial conception of subjectivity. However, in contrast to the cognitive approach preferred by Maruna, the authors seek to demonstrate that an interpretive approach to narrative material, sensitive to the possibility of unconscious motivations, better explains some of the contradictions evident in desisters’ life-stories, especially in relation to the heavily gendered issue of family formation. The authors draw particularly on the psychoanalytic work of Tony Jefferson to make their argument.
Policing Criminological Knowledge
Authors: Martel Joane
Published: May 2004

This article draws on the sociology of knowledge literature to bring to light several social mechanisms used to police the production and circulation of criminological knowledge. The discussion draws from actor-network theory and feminist analyses in science and technology studies to make visible mechanisms of construction, filtering, negotiation and appropriation. By way of illustration, the article draws on an actual case of scientific, political and media marginalization of disquieting research findings on prison conditions in Canada. Taking these reactions as a starting point, the analysis discusses, among other things, the hierarchy of paradigms and the gendered structures that affect researchers’ admission into a scientific community and their access to discursive resources.
Displaced Expertise
Authors: Haggerty Kevin D.
Published: May 2004

The long-standing relationship between criminal justice policy and the advice of criminologists has been ruptured in the past two decades. Three interrelated factors help to account for this displacement of criminological thought: (1) the rise of neo-liberal forms of governance which have made traditional forms of criminological knowledge and preferred sites of intervention increasingly superfluous to the practice of governance; (2) the ascendancy of a highly symbolic public discourse about crime; and (3) the transformation of the criminal justice system by new technologies of detection, capture and monitoring. While criminologists continue to influence the development of specific criminal justice policies, the combination of these three developments pose additional hurdles for our ability to shape criminal justice policies in a rational manner.
Illness and Internet Empowerment: Writing and Reading Breast Cancer in Cyberspace
Authors: Pitts Victoria
Published: May 2004

The Internet is now a site where women with breast cancer both read and write about the illness, and in doing so negotiate identity and definitions of situation in disembodied space. Cyberspace has been imagined as a liberatory realm where women can transgress gender roles, invent selves and create new forms of knowledge. This study explores the personal web pages of women with breast cancer with an interest in exploring the issue of ‘cyber-agency’ or empowerment in cyberspace. I suggest here that women’s web pages might offer potentially critical opportunities for women’s knowledge-making in relation to what are often highly political aspects of the body, gender and illness. However, the Internet is not an inherently empowering technology, and it can be a medium for affirming norms of femininity, consumerism, individualism and other powerful social messages.
Medicalization, Ambivalence and Social Control: Mothers’ Descriptions of Educators and ADD/ADHD
Authors: Malacrida Claudia
Published: May 2004

Conrad notes that non-medical personnel often accomplish the routine, everyday work of medicalization. This is particularly so in the case of Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, where teachers, special educators and school psychologists identify, assess and administer medication to ‘problematic’ children. Drawing on data from interviews with Canadian and British mothers of ADD/ADHD children, this article explores mothers’ perceptions of educators’ roles in medicalizing children who are different, comparing medicalization in two divergent sites. In Canada, where ADD/ADHD is a highly medicalized phenomenon, and teachers have few alternative forms of social control available to them in classrooms, it appears that educators are prepared to identify problem children and press for medical treatment with remarkable vigor. In Britain, where medicalization remains incomplete, and where teachers and special educators have more stringent alternative forms of social control available to them, educators were often described as gatekeepers who will refuse the label or to administer medication.
‘It’s Your Life!’: Injecting Drug Users, Individual Responsibility and Hepatitis C Prevention
Authors: Fraser Suzanne
Published: May 2004

Health promotion materials on hepatitis C prevention and safe injecting enjoin injecting drug users to produce ethical selves through relatively rigid social and hygiene-related conduct. This article examines a sample of safe injecting and hepatitis C prevention health promotion materials, and interview data gathered from injecting drug users, to consider the ways in which the notion of individual responsibility functions within them. I argue that the primacy of the individual in western culture is indeed reflected in hepatitis C and safe injecting materials and, that for a range of reasons, injecting drug users also make use of notions of individual responsibility. The article concludes by considering the social and health implications of this individualist approach to injecting drug use and health promotion, and by suggesting ways in which effective materials which do not focus solely on the individual can be created.
Images of nature in relation to mood modifying medicines: a user perspective
Authors: Stevenson Fiona
Published: May 2004

Appeals to nature are common, however the term is associated with multiple or even oppositional meanings. This article explores the way nature is evoked and references are made to chemicals in relation to both prescribed and herbal mood modifying medicines. Data are drawn from 23 interviews with people who were taking, had been offered or had taken, either or both prescribed and herbal mood modifying medicines. Fifteen of the 23 respondents used the ideas of natural and chemical when discussing their medicine taking decisions. Rather than a dichotomy between prescribed and herbal remedies in relation to the ideas of natural and chemical, the notion of translations, and ideas concerning risk, are suggested as more appropriate for understanding how different treatments are assessed.
Ambiguity and Sexuality in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Sartrean Analysis
Authors: Burr Vivien
Published: May 2004

This article presents a phenomenological, Sartrean analysis of sexual relationships as portrayed in the cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS). I argue that, through an examination of the differences between vampire and human characters in relationship, we gain an appreciation of the ambiguity of human sexuality as it is experienced. Through the narrative device of sexual relationships between human and vampire characters, BtVS offers a representation that potentially subverts current ideologies of love and sexuality. In addition, BtVS makes visible, although does not explicitly endorse, sadomasochistic sexual practices.
Calendar Ladies: Popular Culture, Sexuality and the Middle-Class, Middle-Aged Domestic Woman
Authors: Andrews Maggie
Published: May 2004

Using the recent popularity of the Rystone Women’s Institute millennium calendar as a starting point and drawing upon a range of popular texts, this article argues that where once the middle-aged, middle-class domestic woman was seen as the negation of sexuality and ‘others’ were defined by their embodiment of sexuality, in the last 25 years, informed by second-wave feminism, discourses of female sexuality have shifted and been wrenched; divisions whose boundaries have become more fluid.
Sex and Worldmaking: A Review of New York’s Museum of Sex
Authors: Shepard Benjamin
Published: May 2004

Conflicts over shifting social hierarchies, expression and repression, the moralists’ ongoing love affair with the things they hate, are represented within the artefacts, photos, magazines, posters, tabloid headlines, early 20th century stag films, pulp fiction covers, vintage gay pornography, and S&M equipment that make up the debut exhibition of New York’s new museum of sex NYC Sex: How New York City Transformed Sex in America. The museum establishes a historical context for the development of debates that continue to come up again and again over the rise and demand for sexual materials vs the moralist attack. Yet, by putting sexual culture on display in a museum, it successfully and critically establishes that sex is a complicated issue defined by various discourses.
Queer at Your Own Risk: Marginality, Community and Hong Kong Gay Male Bodies
Authors: Shiu-Ki Travis Kong
Published: May 2004

Hong Kong gay men have always been subordinated under heterosexism and the disciplinary notion of hegemonic masculinity in the straight world and hegemonic cult gay masculinity in the gay world. Dominance, however, is not securely held, but must constantly be won. Under the postcolonial administration, Hong Kong gay men are not enthusiastic about the political sphere of life; rather, they have tended to shift from institutional politics to cultural politics. Cultural space has become the primary location for the production of texts that disrupt the norm of hegemonic heterosexuality under the commodity logic of capitalism. Moreover, using their own forms of embodied cultural capital, Hong Kong gay men tend to take the path of micro-resistance in combating societal domination. This can be seen from their engagement in public sex and in their involvement in the commercial gay scene. Based on the ‘voices’ of 34 Hong Kong gay men, this article argues that Hong Kong gay men negotiate a gay identity that is sensitive and flexible to different institutional arenas; this allows them to strive for sexual freedom and create their own space for social interaction and sexual desire.
A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Investigation of the Construction of Sadomasochistic Identities
Authors: Langdridge Darren , Butt Trevor
Published: May 2004

Plummer (1995) argues that we are living in a time of ‘new sexual stories’. This, combined with arguments that we are seeing the advent of the ‘sexual citizen’, who refuses to be marginalized on account of his or her sexuality, produces new sexual subjectivities that demand recognition and respect. In this article, we report on an investigation of a sexual story that is not new in itself but one that is yet to be fully explicated. This story is one involving dominance and submission. A hermeneutic phenomenological analysis (Ricoeur, 1981) of World Wide Web sites concerned with sadomasochism was conducted to examine the discursive resources drawn on in this paradoxical world. The findings are discussed in relation to the ‘transformation of intimacy’ (Giddens, 1992) and rise of the ‘sexual citizen’ in late modernity.
Beyond ‘MSM’: Sexual Desire among Bisexually-Active Latino Men in New York City
Authors: Muòoz-Laboy Miguel A.
Published: May 2004

Latino male bisexuality has been studied for the most part with a focus on men who have sex with men (MSM) and with little attention to sexual desire. The goal of this article is to present a comprehensive understanding of how sexual desire is organized, enacted through sexual activity, and interpreted in the sexual lives of bisexually-active Latino men. To achieve this aim, an analysis was made of 18 sexual histories of bisexually active Latino men who participated in a two-year ethnographic study. Four configurations of sexual desire were constructed to reflect what was found in this population of bisexually-active Latino men: (a) lifetime homoerotic desire and casual sex with women; (b) lifetime heteroerotic desire, but commercial sex with men; (c) lifetime heteroerotic/transgender desire; (d) lifetime sexual desire for women and men. These configurations are explored in detail in this article. The analysis presented here is intended to offer insights into the overall study of Latino male bisexuality and into the foundations for the design of HIV and STI prevention programs directed toward bisexually-active Latino men and their partners.
Managing between the Sheets: Lifestyle Magazines and the Management of Sexuality in Everyday Life
Authors: Tyler Melissa
Published: May 2004

Considering the intersection between managerial discourses, sexuality and contemporary cultural resources such as lifestyle magazines, this article reflects critically on the extent to which the discourses and techniques associated with the management of bureaucratic organizations have been incorporated into the (self-)management of sexuality and sexual relations. Locating its concern with sexuality within critical social theory, the article develops a critique of the work of those who emphasize the postmodernization of sexuality and the informalization of management. Drawing on recent research involving an analysis of management texts and lifestyle magazines, as well as a series of semi-structured interviews, it argues that contemporary cultural discourses on sexuality, permeated as they are by references to managerial imperatives such as efficiency and effectiveness, serve to arrest the inter-subjective aspects of eroticism (Bataille, 1962; Rose, 1995) and to reduce sexual relations in the contemporary era to yet another aspect of the ‘reflexive project of self’ (Giddens, 1992).
‘An Adult Thing’? Young People’s Perspectives on the Heterosexual Age of Consent
Authors: Thomson Rachel
Published: May 2004

Historically, the heterosexual age of consent in Britain has enshrined in law an asymmetrically gendered model of sexual agency. This legislation is currently under review as part of a wider review of the law on sexual offences premised on gender neutrality. In this article young people’s own perspectives are explored, through discussion of the proposition that the age of consent for heterosexuals should be lowered to 14. The ensuing focus-group discussions with 11–16-year-olds reflect the active way in which young people encounter and negotiate the institutionalization of heterosexuality represented by such legislation. The article explores young people’s perspectives through themes of legality, protection and timeliness, seeking to distinguish between how young people may evaluate or use the existing legal framework and the factors that they believe make sex legitimate.
The Shape of Equality: Discursive Deployments during the Section 28 Repeal in Scotland
Authors: Rahman Momin
Published: May 2004

In this article I focus on conceptualizations of equality in the discourses deployed in the campaign to repeal Section 28 in Scotland. I use the parliamentary debates and two newspapers: the Daily Record, which supported the campaign to Keep the Clause, and The Guardian, which supported repeal, to exemplify the different discursive articulations around equality and citizenship. I suggest that the Scottish example provides further evidence of the ways in which liberalism naturalizes heterosexuality as the standard for citizenship and thus bequeaths a hierarchy of ‘equality’ and citizenship in the realm of sexuality, wherein lesbian and gay citizenship is either rendered invalid or characterized as ‘special rights’. However, within the narrow confines of the parliamentary debates, more expansive and differentiated notions of citizenship and equality are evident. Whilst I conclude that the ‘shape’ of equality achieved through the repeal has been moulded to support institutionalized heterosexuality – with Section 28 replaced by statutory guidelines on sex education which advocate marriage – I also suggest equality is contested, both through the recognition of transformations in heterosexual family forms and the appeal to non-discrimination as a democratic principle. It is possible, therefore, that current destabilizations of the heterosexual social order simultaneously destabilize the precepts of liberal democracy.
Improving Transition: a Qualitative Study Examining the Attitudes of Young People with Chronic Illness Transferring to Adult Care
Authors: Soanes Corina , Timmons Stephen
Published: May 2004

Transition is a process that attends to the medical, psychosocial and educational needs of young people as they transfer to adult-orientated care. With a growing population of adolescents surviving with chronic illness well into adulthood, it is remarkable that empirical research has paid little attention to transition. This qualitative study examined the attitudes of young people with chronic illness who were facing transition, considering what young people wanted from a transition service and the ways in which provision could be improved from a service-user’s perspective. A purposive sample of seven adolescents (aged 14–17) attending a hospital youth club were interviewed. To increase the likelihood of successful transition, strategies need to be informal, flexible, highly individualized and prepare adolescents steadily for adult services.
An Initial Evaluation of the Design of Pediatric Psychology Consultation Service with Children with Diabetes
Authors: Gelfand Kenneth , Geffken Gary , Lewin Adam , Heidgerken Amanda , Grove Mary Jean , Malasanos Toree , Silverstein Janet
Published: May 2004

The objective of this study was to review the process of psychology consultation with an outpatient pediatric diabetes service, and provide data regarding assessment and outcome. The purpose was to demonstrate that the inclusion of psychology in the care of the child would enhance the effectiveness of treatment delivery. Over a one-year period, 91 psychological consultations were reviewed for information related to reasons for referral, diagnosis, and treatment. Processes of assessment and collaboration are described. Nearly half of all the participants that were referred for a consultation met the criteria for a psychiatric disorder, including Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, mood disorder or anxiety. Paired t-tests revealed significant improvement in metabolic control from referral to the next clinic appointment. Psychological consultation appears to have a positive impact on selected health outcomes. Given the large number of children with psychiatric disorder, psychological intervention may facilitate adherence and reduce complications associated with poor metabolic control.
The Family Life-path Theory: a Tool for Nurses Working in Partnership with Families
Authors: Jokinen Pirkko
Published: May 2004

The purpose of this article is to describe the family life-path theory. The theory may offer nurses an alternative model for use in working in partnership with the family of a child with a long-term illness. It is important that nurses have a deep understanding of a family’s everyday life. The better nurses know the family and the context in which it lives, the more individual advice and coping strategies that they are able to find in partnership with a family, and thus to support the family in achieving a good quality of life. The theory describes the life of a family of a child with asthma as a lifepath. The dimensions of the family’s life-path are environment, the child’s becoming ill, the family’s view of health, their attitude towards illness, everyday routines and social network. The unpredictability of asthma, optimism about the future and normalization of life are factors that guide families towards achievement of a good quality of life for their child.