bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Family as a Protective Asset in Adolescent Development
Authors: Kingon Yvonne S. , O’Sullivan Ann L.
Published: March 2007

Adolescents are considered at high risk for engaging in such negative health behaviors as drug and alcohol use, unprotected sexual intercourse, and violence. Conventional wisdom has long upheld the belief that the peer group exerts the strongest influence on adolescent behavior. However, recent research has shown that in fact the family remains a strong factor in moderating teen risk behavior. Holistic nursing acknowledges the crucial relationship between environment and health; the environment is composed of everything that surrounds the individual, which by definition includes the family. The purpose of this article is to examine the evidence supporting the concept of the family as a protective external asset in adolescent development, to explore the way the family helps defend young people from risk, and to review briefly the implications for nursing research, practice, advocacy, and education.
An Explication of Nursing and Family Caring for Older Adults
Authors: Fawdry M. Kaye
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this article is to present a holistic approach to the care of older adults by family members who are steadily assuming more responsibility for their care. Nurses can greatly enhance this care through the establishment of collaborative partnerships with family caregivers. Nursing and family caring as collaborative partnerships build on Harvath et al.’s work on establishing partnerships with family caregivers and Bowers’ theory of intergenerational caregiving. Through the use of nursing and family caring as collaborative partnerships, nurses can empower family members to promote the health of older adults.
Complementary Therapy Use in Persons with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Kirksey Kenn M. , Goodroad Brian K. , Kemppainen Jeanne K. , Holzemer William L. , Bunch Eli Haugen , Corless Inge B. , Eller Lucille Sanzero , Nicholas Patrice Kenneally , Nokes Kathleen , Bain Catherine
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency and correlates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies used by people with HIV/AIDS to manage illness and treatment-related symptoms. Data were collected from a convenience sample (N = 422) of people living with HIV disease. Demographic variables (e.g., education, age, and gender) were compared for those who reported using at least one CAM therapy. There were significant differences for gender (χ2 = 4.003, df =1,p = .045) and for ethnicity (χ2 = 6.042, df =2, p = .049). Females and African Americans used CAM more frequently. More than one third of the participants used CAM, and there were a total of 246 critical incidents of nontraditional treatment use. It is possible that these nonallopathic interventions may positively affect health-related quality of life in persons with HIV by ameliorating or reducing the side effects associated with the disease and its treatments.
A Research-Based Use of Tai Chi/Movement Therapy as a Nursing Intervention
Authors: Chen Kuei-Min , Snyder Mariah
Published: March 2007

Tai Chi has been widely practiced in China for centuries as an art form, religious ritual, relaxation technique, exercise, and a method of self-defense for people of all ages. It has been used to improve balance; promote postural stability; decrease falls; enhance cardiovascular and ventilatory functions; rehabilitate persons with acute myocardial infarction and rheumatoid arthritis; and reduce pain, stress, and nightmares. The purpose of this article is to summarize, synthesize, and critically evaluate the research-based use of Tai Chi presented in the current literature and give implications and directions for future research. Additional studies about the effects of Tai Chi from a nursing perspective are needed to make clear when it is beneficial as a nursing intervention.
Stage of Life Course and Social Support as a Mediator of Mood State among Persons with Disability
Authors: Allen Susan M. , Ciambrone DesirÉe , Welch Lisa C.
Published: March 2007

Objective:This research seeks to determine which aspects of social support are most effective in mediating mood state amongworking-age and elderly adults with disability ( N= 442). Methods:Participants were identified through random-digit dialing of telephone exchanges and administration of a disability screen. Multiple regression was used to model multiple aspects of social support while holding sociodemographic and disability indicators constant. Results:Analyses revealed that network size and confidence in the reliability of helping networks are significantly and negatively related to depressed mood. Confidant supportwas related to lower levels of depressed mood for younger respondents only. Neither marital status, advisor support, nor social integration were related to mood. Discussion:Both instrumental and emotional support are key in mediating depressed mood among this population. We conclude that all types of social support are not equally effective in mediating mood among people with disability.
When It Is More Than a Job
Authors: Piercy Kathleen W.
Published: March 2007

Objectives:A qualitative study was conducted to investigate the types of relationships that were formed between older clients and their home health aides and to identify structural characteristics and interactive processes that facilitated various types of relationships. Methods:Using semistructured interviews, members of 16 families and their home health aides described the relationships that developed between clients and aides and the conditions and contexts that facilitated or inhibited close relationship development. Data were coded and analyzed using a multistage process. Results:Most relationships between aides and older clients were described as friendship or like one of the family, with friendship occurring most often. Several structural conditions and numerous interactive friendship processes were identified. The cognitive process of boundary setting discriminated between friendships and family-like relationships. Discussion:Results show support for socioemotional selectivity theory and highlight the benefits of close relationships for older homebound adults and their home health aides.
Barriers to Non–Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) Self-Care Practices among Older Women
Authors: Schoenberg Nancy E. , Drungle Suzanne C.
Published: March 2007

Objectives: Noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) constitutes a significant threat to the health and well-being of older women. Appropriate self-care, the cornerstone of glycemic control, is reported to be modest. We aimed to investigate barriers to recommended self-care for NIDDM. Methods:A total of 51 African American and Whitewomen age 65 and older, completed the Diabetes Self-Care Barriers Assessment Scale for Older Adults, ethnomedical protocol, and other instruments during in-depth interviews. Results:African American women were more likely than their White counterparts to indicate financial, pain, and visual barriers to self-care. Both African American and White women expressed a reluctance to check blood sugar and to exercise; however, most indicated that they regularly followed medication recommendations and visited their physician. Discussion:This study extends our knowledge of the existence of self-care barriers by providing a qualitative, in-depth perspective detailing how these barriers often prevent optimal self-care behaviors and, conceivably, successful glycemic control.
The Association of Hearing Impairment and Chronic Diseases with Psychosocial Health Status in Older Age
Authors: Kramer Sophia E. , Kapteyn Theo S. , Kuik Dirk J. , Deeg Dorly J. H.
Published: March 2007

Objectives:This study examines the association of hearing impairment and chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, lung disease, cardiac disease, stroke, cancer, peripheral artery disease, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis) with psychosocial status (depression, self-efficacy, mastery, loneliness, social network size) in older persons. Methods:The sample consists of 3,107 persons (55 to 85 years) participating in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. MANOVA, adjusted for covariates, was used to test the effect of hearing impairment on the combined outcomes. The association of hearing impairment and chronic diseases with psychosocial status was studied using multivariate regression analyses. Results:Hearing impaired elderly report significantly more depressive symptoms, lower self-efficacy and mastery, more feelings of loneliness, and a smaller social network than normally hearing peers. Whereas chronic diseases show significant associations with some outcomes, hearing impairment is significantly associated with all psychosocial variables. Discussion:The findings emphasize the negative effect of hearing impairment on quality of life.
Contradictions in Case Management
Authors: Clemens Elizabeth , Wetle Terrie , Feltes Michael , Crabtree Benjamin , Dubitzky Deborah
Published: March 2007

New long-term care legislation and managed care legitimate case management for gatekeeping and advocacy for frail elderly. Qualitative in-depth interviews with case managers who are social workers and nurses were used to address the question: To what extent is client-centered theory reflected in case management practice? Differences between reported client-centered theory and directive practice were identified by five themes: (a) client wishes versus system constraints; (b) the paradox of working to keep clients home versus the perceived inevitability of nursing home placement; (c) client centeredness versus the case manager's care plan; (d) client self-determination versus strategies of persuasion; (e) informing the client about case management versus the reality of practice. Ethical implications, competing demands, and environmental constraints are discussed. Suggestions are made to better integrate client-centered theory with directive practice.
An Investigation of Nonresponse to Self-Assessments of Health by Older Persons
Authors: Rakowski William , Mor Vincent , Hiris Jeffrey
Published: March 2007

This study examined the association between mortality and nonresponse to questions about health status (both refusals and "don't know" responses) using a national sample of persons aged 70 and over. Data were drawn from the 1984-1990 Longitudinal Study of Aging. Three time points of vital status were used as the outcome indicators (1984-1986,1984-1988,1984-1990). Five self-assessment questions were examined; three of the five questions had bivariate odds ratios that indicated significant associations between a nonresponse and all three mortality indexes. Results of the study suggest that nonresponses by older persons can convey meaningful information. Research on self-assessments of health in later life should not routinely exclude nonresponses as missing data, even if they are an infrequent response.
Can a Survey Influence Quality of Care in Nursing Homes?
Authors: Schwartz Carolyn E. , Ozmiinkowski Ronald J. , Hoaglin David C. , Cella Margot , Branch Laurence G.
Published: March 2007

Data from a standardized administrative form, the Patient Review Instrument, were used to evaluate whether the New York Quality Assurance System (NYQAS) had an impact on deterioration in functional status or on the incidence of adverse outcomes among residents in New York's nursing homes. The NYQUAS approach evaluated nursing homes by using "triggers" suggestive of dificient quality of care. A random sample of nursing home facilities was selected from data encompassing 2 years before and 2 years after the implementation of NYQAS in 1988. Growth curve analysis and logistic regression were used to assess the influence of NYQAS on deterioration and on the probability of developing decubitus ulcers or contractures, or of being mechanically restrained. The functional status of most residents did not change significantly over time. After allowing statistically for differences in the resource needs of residents within the facilities, the implementation of NYQAS was associated with decreased deterioration in toileting and/or transferring, depending on the site of care. NYQAS was not associated with changes in incidence rates of decubitus, contractures, or the use of mechanical restraints.
Changes in Functional Competency in the Oldest Old
Authors: Zarit Steven H. , Johansson Boo , Malmberg Bo
Published: March 2007

Changes in everyday functioning and cognitive abilities are studied longitudinally in a representative sample of the oldest old. Respondents were selected by using census records from all people aged 84, 86, 88, and 90 years old living in an area of South Central Sweden, and then were assessed at 2-year intervals. The findings show high base rates for disabilities and high incidence of cognitive and functional deficits among survivors. Mortality is associated with higher rates of disability at the previous time of assessment. Because of this increased mortality rate among disabled individuals, prevalence does not rise as much as would be expected from the high incidence. Instead, new cases of disabled are partly replacing disabled individuals who died since the previous evaluation.
New Methods for Analyzing Active Life Expectancy
Authors: Laditka Sarah B. , Wolf Douglas A.
Published: March 2007

The increment-decrement life-table methods used in several recent analyses of active life expectancy depend on parameters representing rates of movement between functional states such as "active" or "disabled." Available data often pose severe problems for the derivation of these parameters. For example, panel-survey data typically fail to record functional status between interviews. The time intervals between interviews also tend to vary across respondents, often substantially. The Longitudinal Study of Aging, used in this research, exhibits these problems. The authors develop a discrete-time Markov chain model of functional status dynamics that accommodates these features of the data and present maximum-likelihood estimates of the model. Also introduced is a new technique for the calculation of active life expectancy: microsimulation of functional status histories. The microsimulation technique permits the derivation of several new indexes of late life-course outcomes.
The Relationship between Nursing Staffing Levels and Nursing Home Outcomes
Authors: Bliesmer Mary M. , Smayling Miles , Kane Robert L. , Shannon Iris
Published: March 2007

This study examined the effects of selected Minnesota nursing home attributes (size, ownership, noncompliance with a state correction order, and licensed and nonlicensed nursing hours) on specific outcomes (functional ability, discharge home, and death) for residents ages 65 and older, controlling for residents' age and previous functional ability. The functional outcome was operationalized by calculating the resident's Total Dependence Score (TDS), the total score on the assessment of eight activities of daily living (score range: 0-33). Ordinary least squares regression analysis was used to estimate the effects of facility attributes, admission TDS, and age on resident outcomes, and nonlinear probability analyses were used to estimate the effects of facility attributes, admission TDS, and age on the probability of death or discharge home. In the year after admission, licensed (but not nonlicensed) nursing hours were significantly related to improved functional ability, increased probability of discharge home, and decreased probability of death, but when limited to chronic residents, the role of professional nursing hours virtually disappears. Overall, the findings support greater use of licensed nurses in the nursing home setting.
Religion, Health, and Psychological Well-Being in Older Adults
Authors: Levin Jeffrey S. , Chatters Linda M.
Published: March 2007

This study examines the impact of religious involvement on health status and psychological well-being using data on older adults from three national probability surveys: the Myth and Reality of Aging (N= 2,797), the Quality of American Life (N= 1,209), and Americans' Changing Lives (N = 1,669) studies. Constructs are measured by single items and indices that vary across data sets. A proposed theoretical model specifies direct effects of religiosity on health and well-being and indirect effects on well-being through health. Analyses consist of structural-equation modeling of confirmed measurement models using weighted least squares estimation in LISREL 8.03. The model is analyzed first as specified and is then rerun controlling for the effects of six exogenous constructs: age, gender, race, marital status, education, and geographical region. Findings reveal excellent overall fit in all three samples and the presence of statistically significant religious effects, notably positive net effects of organizational religiosity, in all three samples. These results build on those of prior studies based mostly on samples limited regionally or methodologically or to particular racial or ethnic groups. This study also underscores the value of replicated secondary data analysis as a strategy for gerontologists seeking to confirm or examine a given structural model. Finally, an agenda is proposed for future research in this area.
Perceived Health Competence and Personality Factors Differentially Predict Health Behaviors in Older Adults
Authors: Marks Glenn R. , Lutgendorf Susan K.
Published: March 2007

Objectives:Previous studies have shown relationships among personality, perceived efficacy, and proactive health behaviors. Although health behaviors are particularly important among seniors, little is known regarding predictors of health behaviors in older adults. The current study examined the extent to which facets of personality, perceived health competence (PHC), and health status predicted health behaviors among older adults. Methods:Ninety-seven older adults responded to questionnaires assessing health status, personality, PHC, and level of engagement in certain health behaviors. Results:Whereas higher levels of Conscientiousness and lower levels of Neuroticism predicted a greater likelihood of engaging in social support/relaxation behaviors, after controlling for health status and education, higher levels of PHC predicted greater exercise and dietary/health information-seeking behaviors. Discussion:These findings suggest the importance of considering facets of personality and PHC when evaluating health care strategies for the elderly.
Metropolitan Nonprofit Sectors: Findings from NCCS Data
Authors: Bielefeld Wolfgang
Published: March 2007

Data from the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) and other secondary sources was used to examine the nonprofit sectors of nine metropolitan regions. The results indicate that nonprofit sectors vary widely in terms of the numbers of organizations in them and the proportions of different types of providers. Moreover, the findings showed complex and intriguing relationships between nonprofit sectors and political culture, generosity, wealth, poverty, and heterogeneity. Traditionalistic sites had sectors with the opposite characteristics. The sectors in individualistic sites lay between these two patterns. Wealthier sites had larger, better-supported and secure sectors. Sites with higher poverty had less well supported sectors with smaller human service components. The most and least heterogeneous sites had the largest and smallest nonprofit sectors respectively. These findings bolster confidence in the use of NCCS data.
Understanding the Mobilization of Professionals
Authors: Crawford Sue E. S. , Olson Laura R. , Deckman Melissa M.
Published: March 2007

This article develops a Professional Mobilization Framework to guide research and discussion of the mobilization of nonprofit professionals in issue politics. We use the framework, together with literature on women clergy, to develop expectations about the issue interests and political mobilization of women clergy. We use qualitative interview data and aggregate survey data from 54 women clergy to test the expectations developed in the framework. The results of the study show that the women’s issue agendas focus on racism and intolerance, poverty, and gay rights, while their action agendas stress poverty, community organizing, and reproductive rights. Organizational mobilization and ease of entry appear to push women clergy into far more poverty and community-organizing activities than would be expected based on their interest in these issues alone. Meanwhile, organizational demobilization appears to result in less activity than interest on issues such as gay rights, women’s rights, and racism.
Public Expectations and Nonprofit Sector Realities: A Growing Divide with Disastrous Consequences
Authors: Carson Emmett D.
Published: March 2007

This article suggests that there is a growing disconnect between the public’s expectations for nonprofit organizations and the operational realities faced by nonprofit organizations. This disconnect is a problem of image as well as a deeper problem of meaning and substance. The image problem relates to inaccurate perceptions about the size, use of volunteers, and sources of revenue of nonprofit organizations. The problem of substance relates to the public’s growing misunderstanding of the legitimate and essential role of nonprofit organizations to engage in the public policy decision-making process to help set social priorities and allocate resources. The relief efforts associated with September 11, 2001, highlight how the disconnect between the public’s expectations and nonprofit sector operations is beginning to have adverse consequences for the nonprofit sector. The article concludes with suggestions for how nonprofit organizations can better align public expectations with their operational realities.
Of Books and the Scholarly Infrastructure
Authors: Hall Peter Dobkin
Published: March 2007

This article suggests that among the impediments to the institutionalization of nonprofit and voluntary action research is the inability of publishers of scholarly books to effectively market them. The chief obstacle to this effort is the failure of general readership periodicals and scholarly journals to comprehensively review the growing literatures on these subjects. In the hope of taking on this task, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly solicits the assistance of its readers.
Religious People, Religious Congregations, and Volunteerism in Human Services: Is there a Link?
Authors: Cnaan Ram A. , Kasternakis Amy , Wineburg Robert J.
Published: March 2007

The literature on volunteerism is voluminous, yet there is very little that examines the relationship between religious belief or observance and volunteerism. Religious belief may relate to an individual's decision to engage in volunteer activity. Religious observance may lead to organized volunteer activities that have a systemic impact on the community. Yet both are inadequately studied. The purpose of this article is to explore the link between religious beliefs and volunteerism and to shed light on the impact of religious observance on volunteering.
Can Campaigning be Evaluated?
Authors: Ri Per , Forder Julien E.
Published: March 2007

Nonprofit organizations, their consultants, and researchers have well-developed ideas about how to evaluate service provision. Yet researchers seem to know much less about how to evaluate their policy campaigning. Perhaps this is not surprising. Because typical campaigning situations are complex, and because "consumer" constituencies are hard to identify and may typically be in mutual conflict, the relationship between activity and impact in campaign management is uncertain. This article develops an approach to the problem by concentrating on the evaluation of strategy rather than of impact directly. It combines policy analysis, norm and convention analysis, and economic analysis of efficiency. The central innovation, however, is to apply game theory to appraise the effectiveness of campaign strategies. A worked example of the approach is given.
Youth Socialization and Civic Participation: The Role of Secondary Schools in Promoting Community Service in Southern California
Authors: Raskoff Sally , Sundeen Richard A.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this research was to illuminate high schools' roles in encouraging volunteer community service. The authors sought to answer four questions: (a) What is the extent and distribution of secondary schools that sponsor or provide volunteer service programs, (b) how do secondary schools promote or support volunteering among students, (c) what is the rationale for offering community service, and (d) what is the conceptual relationship between school auspices and community service offerings? The findings generally support the expected differences between public and private schools; for example, private religious schools are most likely to mandate service experiences for their students. However, the differences between private religious and nonsectarian schools need further elaboration. To the extent that civic participation is based on social interdependence and a sense of community responsibility or ownership, high school community service remains problematic as a means to socializing students into the role of civic participation.
Trends in Voluntary Association Participation
Authors: Rotolo Thomas
Published: March 2007

Researchers have claimed that trends in voluntary association participation provide the starting point for examinations of social capital—a reflection of the quality of social ties at the individual or community level of analysis. This research addresses the link between participation in voluntary associations and social capital by examining trends in U.S. participation levels over a 21-year period. Using data from the General Social Survey (1974-1994), the findings demonstrate that, although aggregate voluntary association participation decreased between 1974 and 1984, participation increased in the later half of the time period. Further analyses disaggregating participation by the type of voluntary association demonstrate that participation in all but four types of association either increased or remained stable over the period. The article concludes with implications for future research exploring the relationship between voluntary association participation and social capital.
Trilogy of Categorical Unfitness
Authors: YUN HING AI
Published: March 2007

In this article, the process of Singapore's rapid industrialization is used to illustrate what Jenks referred to as `the erratic evolution of the imagery of childhood and its changing modes of recognition and reception'. The inherent relationship between women and children situates the discussion in concurrent debates about the role of women. This article relates the formation of the child as a social status to the building of Singapore's rational-bureaucratic infrastructures and the establishment of a plethora of political programmes, campaigns and moralizing projects. Nonetheless, self-formation has been found to be an indeterminate process, such that even uncompromising strong state dicta could not successfully legislate how people should forge their own identities.
Living and Coping with Ongoing Violence
Authors: RUDENBERG STEPHANIE LINDA , JANSEN PATRICIA , FRIDJHON PETER
Published: March 2007

The article explores the possibility of analysing the drawings of children aged 8-12 years as a method of understanding the effects of living and coping with ongoing civic unrest. The study took place in 1993 prior to the first democratic election in South Africa in 1994. The drawings of 64 black South African children and 38 white South African children were examined. A comparison group of drawings by 23 children living in West Belfast were included. The `Draw-a-Person' and the `Street Where I Live' were rated by two independent raters on four separate indices, a stress index, an emotional index, an adjustment index and a defence mechanism/coping index. The findings reflect cross-national differences in levels of stress and emotional indicators with Belfast boys showing the highest levels ( p < .05). The manner in which children responded to stress varied with greater anger and aggression ratings for Belfast boys ( p < .01). Overall, girls were more likely to be rated well-adjusted ( p < .01). Differences in adjustment and coping strategies were noted between Belfast boys and black South African boys and are discussed in terms of their hypothesized long-term negative effects. The use of coping mechanisms such as denial and social support were perceived as mediating strategies which could bolster resilience. The advantages and limitations of using drawings as a medium for understanding the effects of living in climates of civic violence are discussed.
`If I Don't Know Them, I'll Get Killed Probably'
Authors: SPILSBURY JAMES C.
Published: March 2007

Violence has eroded the childhood environment of many children in US cities. This study examined 60 7- to 11-year-old children's neighborhood perceptions and help-seeking behavior in Cleveland, Ohio (USA) neighborhoods with different levels of violence/crime. Results showed that children of neighborhoods of both low and elevated levels of violence were exposed to violence and expressed concerns about victimization. In light of these concerns, children described strategies to maintain personal safety while seeking help. Such strategies illustrate children's interactions with their local environments, interpreting environmental features and acting accordingly. Future work should examine the larger social forces shaping the environments in which these help-seeking strategies operate.
Youth Work ON THE Street
Authors: BAIZERMAN MICHAEL
Published: March 2007

Youth work is a principal strategy for responding to children and young people on the streets in many countries. Young work praxis has many forms worldwide and it is necessary to accept this and not urge a single model. A definition of youth work as a family of practices gives legitimacy to this variety. It is argued that the multiple sources for the philosophy behind youth work should be acknowledged along with their ethical implications. Youth work includes the reciprocal development of youth and community as well as being a vocation.
Nationalism, Nuclear Policy and Children in Cold War America
Authors: STEPHENS SHARON
Published: March 2007

In the wake of the Cold War era, researchers have begun to theorize the US national security state. This article is a preliminary attempt to theorize the place of children and childhood in the American `Cold War Consensus' of the 1950s and early 1960s. Children were widely depicted in the Cold War era as innocent beings at the heart of the contained domestic world, as objects of strictly gender-divided parental care and protection, and as the vulnerable core of American society, whose protection from foreign enemies required the construction of a vast and powerful nuclear defense system. The article counterposes dominant Cold War images of abstract, generic children (invariably presented as white and middle class) to the actual children most vulnerable to risks associated with nuclear weapons production and testing, and with government-sponsored radiation experiments. In various ways, these were all seen as `deviant' children, whose lives could legitimately be put at risk in the interests of safeguarding `normal' children at the heart of Cold War visions of American society.
Punjabi Childrearing IN Britain
Authors: DOSANJH J. S. , GHUMAN PAUL A.S.
Published: March 2007

This article reports the findings of a research project on the childrearing practices of Punjabi parents now living in the UK with special reference to the development of religious sensibilities, cultural identity, race awareness and bilingualism. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews from two generations of Punjabi mothers (those of the 1970s and 1990s) living in the UK. The findings from the interview data are discussed in an interpretative way. The salient findings are that while the second-generation Punjabis in the study are changing some of their traditional mores (equal treatment of boys and girls, modified system of arranged marriages), they are also eager to transmit the core values (religion, mother tongue and familial spirit) of their culture. Furthermore, most mothers want their children to appreciate the cultural diversity of British society and to develop a bicultural outlook. The implications for teachers and policy-makers are explored. The findings of this research have an important bearing on understanding the concerns and anxieties of other ethnic minorities in western European countries and elsewhere.
Combatting Child Labour
Authors: WOODHEAD MARTIN
Published: March 2007

This article summarizes some features of the Radda Barnen (Swedish Save the Children) study `Children's Perspectives on their Working Lives'. The case is made for working children's participation in the process of combatting child labour. Their participation will help ensure that interventions designed to eliminate exploitative and hazardous child labour are context appropriate, locally sustainable and child centred. This study is a contribution to the process. A specially designed Children's Perspectives Protocol guided group activities with over 300 children in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Central America. This article summarizes selected issues addressed by the study, including children's occupational preferences and their views on work and school.
Inequalities in Children's Environment
Authors: GAUTHIER ANNE HÉLÈNE
Published: March 2007

This article uses data from the British Household Panel Survey to examine inequalities in children's environment. In particular, it examines the relationship between income and deprivation. Results show that although income is a major determinant of deprivation, the two concepts do not overlap entirely. For example, more than 40 percent of the most deprived children are not found in the poorest income category. Furthermore, about 15 percent of the poorest children fare better than average on the deprivation index. Multivariate analysis reveals that household structure accounts partly for the relatively weak relationship between income and deprivation. Children growing up with never-married lone mothers appear especially disadvantaged, even after controlling for income.
Pivotal Voting
Authors: Margolis Howard
Published: March 2007

A voter only alters the outcome of an election if her/his vote is pivotal. A leading innovation of recent years in game theory applied to politics is Austen-Smith and Banks' analysis of pivotal voting, yielding a special form of strategic voting such that rational voters would vote against the side they favor if the decision were to be made by their vote alone. This note gives a non-mathematical version of the ASB argument, and explains why the result requires conditions which, in fact, are unlikely ever to be observed under actual conditions of social choice.
Do Parties Benefit from Electoral Manipulation? Electoral Laws and Heresthetics in Poland, 1989-93
Authors: Kaminski Marek M.
Published: March 2007

Electoral reforms had profound political consequences for post-communist Poland. The majoritarian system helped to accelerate the fall of communism, while later changes to the electoral law helped the former communists reclaim power. Despite the high stakes and top priority given to electoral design by political players, their efforts at manipulation were hardly rewarded. Although the political parties were ex ante seat-maximizers, they supported the electoral law that ex post would have given them the most seats about as frequently as they supported its closest competitor. The reasons for their miscalculations included a lack of methodological expertise, unexpected shifts in voter preferences, transition-specific poll biases and new entrants and coalitions that emerged in the period between the introduction of the new electoral law and elections. No significant differences among the various kinds of parties were found. The results do show that the effectiveness of manipulation increased strongly over time.
Decision Rules, Decision Styles and Policy Choices
Authors: Scharpf Fritz W.
Published: March 2007

The article emphasizes the importance of theory construction for comparative policy research. Attempts to identify the impact of institutional arrangements on policy choices are complicated by interaction effects between institutionalized boundary and decision rules on the one hand, and `decision styles' on the other hand - which are defined as cognitive and normative patterns that characterize the way in which interests are defined and issues framed and resolved under the applicable rules. A typology of such styles is developed with reference to recent findings of experimental social psychology, and the empirical implications of different combinations of decision rules and decision styles are examined in a game-theoretical context.
Comparison of Distributions in Electoral Studies
Authors: Petit Jean-Luc , Térouanne Eric
Published: March 2007

Political scientists most often deal with ordered variables: political parties range from left to right, social classes from lower class to upper class, age groups from youngest to eldest, and so on. We propose a series of powerful tools in order to compare several distributions of such a variable, or to estimate the correlation between two such variables. These tools, based on the very natural notion of cumulation order, are easily adapted to graphical representation. We give several examples based on real political data.
Biproportional Delegations
Authors: Gassner Marjorie B.
Published: March 2007

This paper deals with the problem of two-dimensional proportional representation most commonly encountered when seats are to be allocated in a region where voters are classified according to the double cleavage of the constituency in which they vote and the party of their choice. A priority is set here on marginal proportionality: seats are dealt out to constituencies and to parties at the global level first. It is proven that, under a very weak condition, a biproportional delegation always exists, i.e. a representation matrix matching imposed margins and which is a controlled rounding of the corresponding solution to the well-known biproportional problem. Two versions of a construction process for such a biproportional delegation are proposed and they are simulated on Belgian electoral data covering the last four general elections. Though no perfect system exists for this type of representation, comparisons with the current system plead in favor of the use of biproportional delegations.
Concepts of Political Parties
Authors: Pomper Gerald M.
Published: March 2007

Political parties are historically and logically connected to democracy. This article examines models of political parties and their relationship to democratic philosophy, with primary attention to normative rather than empirical models. Three dichotomous, analytical dimensions are developed: the parties' elite or mass focus, their collective or coalitional goals and their instrumental or expressive mode. Combining these dimensions results in eight abstract party concepts, each identified with particular theorists and practitioners. These concepts portray party, variously, as: governing caucus, cause advocate, ideological community, social movement, bureaucratic organization, rational team of office-seekers, urban machine and personal coalition. In an analysis of democratic theory, parallel dimensions are developed: the accessibility of leadership, voter goals and the character of popular participation. Particular kinds of parties are associated with these different concepts of democracy and with particular forms of government.
Common Property, Collective Action and Community
Authors: Singleton Sara , Taylor Michael
Published: March 2007

We are interested in explaining why some groups of users of common property are able to resolve their collective action problems by themselves and others not. Our argument is that a group possesses the capacities for a wholly endogenous solution to the degree that it approximates a community of mutually vulnerable actors. For an initial test, we reanalyze the cases studied by Elinor Ostrom in her recent book, Governing the Commons (Ostrom, 1990), in which the central role of community is (we believe) obscured.
Zionist Dialectics and Palestinian Paradoxes
Authors: Nisan Mordechai
Published: March 2007

My response to Nils Butenschøn's article on the question of Israeli state-building raises some qualifications concerning his empirical and theoretical format. The complexity and nuances of Israeli rule over the areas of Judea-Samaria and the Gaza Strip since 1967 have been largely ignored by most scholars and commentators. It seems that Israel has been unable to convey the fact of a Jewish-Palestinian virtual trade-off in their problematic relationship, for those examining the processes and influences from the state-building enterprise beyond Israel's Green Line border. Absent as well from adequate recognition and perception in this respect is the exigency of the Middle East political environment and its relevance for the Israeli case. Lastly, it is indeed the state-building expansive Israeli effort which contains within it the power to determine the outcome of the Israeli-Palestinian competition when all is said and done.
Deference or Preference?
Authors: Hammond Thomas H. , Hill Jeffrey S.
Published: March 2007

Presidential nominees for executive office are almost always confirmed by the Senate. There is considerable disagreement in the literature about what accounts for this Senate behavior. Some scholars argue that the high degree of presidential success reflects a norm of senatorial deference to presidential wishes. Other scholars argue that while senators may say that it is desirable for the Senate to defer to the president's choices for administrative office, their behavior in the confirmation process betrays an intense interest in the nominee's policy views. In this paper we present a model of the appointment process which is based on senatorial and presidential policy preferences. This model is able to account for several major aspects of presidential success in the appointment process. It also provides a framework for further study of other aspects of appointments.
2. The Problem of Scale in Human/Environment Relationships
Authors: Young Oran R.
Published: March 2007

This essay seeks to initiate a discussion of the problem of scale among social scientists. Long familiar to natural scientists, the problem of scale centers on the transferability of propositions from one level to another in the dimensions of space and time. As a means of pursuing this goal, the essay examines similarities and differences between studies of micro-level institutions (common-pool resource [CPR] arrangements) and macro-level institutions (international resource regimes) governing human/environment relations. The conclusions are mixed. Some concerns (for example, the importance of transparency) loom large at both the micro level and the macro level. But others (for instance, the role of culture in connection with CPRs and the centrality of domestic implementation in connection with international resource regimes) are relevant primarily to one or the other level of analysis.
Intra-Party Determinants of Coalition Bargaining
Authors: Maor Moshe
Published: March 2007

Analyses of the impact of intra-party conflicts on coalition bargaining have generally concluded that, when intra-party conflicts occur, the more centralized the party structure, the more effective is the party as a coalition actor. This paper argues a concrete alternative which challenges the traditional view. It suggests that, when intra-party conflicts occur, organizational decentralization allows the party to handle conflicts in a variety of manageable ways without forcing members to leave the party. As a result, the party can enter into conflict-inducing coalition negotiations with other parties without risking its hold on its own members. A centralized organization, however, lacks the mechanisms necessary to adjust to dissent among its members and is therefore at a disadvantage when it enters parliamentary negotiations. This argument is strongly supported by a comparative analysis of intra-party conflicts and coalition governments in Denmark, Norway, Italy, France and the UK.
National Preferences, International Structures and Balance-of-Power Politics
Authors: Maoz Zeev
Published: March 2007

A major problem of system theories of international politics is the tendency to ignore state preferences altogether. Alternatively, system theories tend to impute preferences to states on the basis of assumptions based on tenuous empirical or logical foundations. Such, for example, is the prevalent notion in the realpolitik literature that states are engaged in a blind pursuit of resources because those are the chief ingredient of national power, and hence of survival in an anarchic system. The present study attempts to develop a balance-of-power theory which incorporates state preferences into the more traditional aspects of the theory. Propositions about the dynamics of balance-of-power systems are deduced from a new conception of power that combines preferences and resources. The theory explains which alliances would form and which alliances would not; when, and under what conditions certain states would become extinct; and the general properties of stability and instability in such systems. Some parallels between the propositions of the present theories and other studies addressing similar questions are discussed. Some of the implications of domestic politics for systemic changes are also considered.
Developing an Analytical Framework for Multiple-Use Commons
Authors: Edwards Victoria M. , Steins Nathalie A.
Published: March 2007

Much of the work on common-pool resources has tended to focus on `single-use' commons, where the resource system is used for extraction of a single `use' unit. However, as traditional commons evolve, research that explains the persistence of common-pool resources with multiple ownership, use and management structures will become increasingly relevant. This paper extends the analytical framework put forward by Oakerson (1986, 1992), for application to multiple-use common-pools, where multiple types of use are made of the resource system. Four components are introduced: (1) multiple-use analysis of physical and technical attributes; (2) multilevel analysis of decision-making arrangements; (3) social characteristics of the broad user community; and (4) analysis of contextual factors. The multiple-use framework facilitates the understanding of multiple-use commons in a chosen time period and institutional change over time. The example of the New Forest commons in England is used to explain the operation of the framework in a field setting.
Collusion, Competition and Democracy
Authors: Bartolini Stefano
Published: March 2007

This article deals with the concept and the problem of political competition and collusion with particular reference to democratic accountability and responsiveness. It starts with a discussion of the essence of competitive interaction with respect to other types of conflictual, negotiative or cooperative interactions. The relationship between competition and various conceptions of democracy is then discussed, identifying four independent dimensions: `contestability' (conditions of entry); `availability' (demand's elasticity); `decidability' (the political offer); and `vulnerability' (incumbents' safety of tenure). The paper concludes by discussing the relationships between competitive and collusive pushes in all aspects of political interactions, and criticizing the formal optimized models that fail to see the impossibility of parallel maximization of all dimensions of competition. Competition rests on a vast set of non-competitive preconditions and needs constraining-sustaining conditions, as it is unlikely to be effective in a world of rational, maximizing, selfish independent actors as much as it is in a world of communal closed groups.