bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Work Alienation in the Textile Industry
Authors: LEITER JEFFREY
Published: March 2007

In his 1964 study, Alienation and Freedom, Robert Blauner explained unexpectedly low levels of alienation among textile workers in terms of family and community attachments and traditionalism. He used gender as a proxy for these unmeasured attitudes. By analyzing 1980 data, this article assesses change in the level of alienation and investigates the relationship between gender and alienation among textile workers through measures of the factors Blauner assumed to explain the relationship. The data indicate increased powerlessness, social isolation, and self-estrangement, although not to high levels. Gender differences that Blauner described in social isolation and self-estrangement have disappeared. Those in powerlessness have persisted but are not explained by nonwork attachments or traditionalism. The latter attitudes, however, are related to alienation, usually in the direction Blauner assumed.
The Staging of Teachers' Careers
Authors: TALBERT JOAN E.
Published: March 2007

This study assesses the argument that grade-school teachers' work careers are staged by gender-specific career models established in the institutional environment. Data for individuals who were primary-secondary teachers in 1965 and/or in 1970 show the labor force demographics and the individual career patterns predicted by an institutional view of career staging. Research on teachers' career patterns under varying labor-market conditions and on career patterns associated with different kinds of career structures is needed to assess further the argument developed in this article.
Technology and Participation in Japanese Factories
Authors: HULL FRANK , AZUMI KOYA
Published: March 2007

Why are Japanese factories so productive? This article explores the reasons by comparing 50 plants studied in 1972, when the basic patterns of Japanese management were first securely in place. The principal finding of a 1972 survey was largely reconfirmed in a 1983 restudy: The productivity level of plants is correlated not only with technical-economic factors, but also with human relations factors. Both technical-economic and human factors explain equal amounts of variance in productivity. This finding is important because the historical pattern of industrialization in the West has often sacrificed human relations for efficiency. That productivity and employee morale is highest in mass-production plants contradicts Western experience and offers hope that technological advance need not result in alienation of employees. By fully utilizing their human resources, Japanese factories have succeeded in mass producing goods of low cost and high quality. One method commonly used was quality circles. Surprisingly, the more workers attributed influence to managers, instead of vice versa, the more productive the factory. Thus participation in Japanese factories seems to occur in a more modern hierarchical framework than advocated in the Western model of worker democracy.
The Japanese Management Model
Authors: WOOD STEPHEN
Published: March 2007

A distinctive element of the Japanese management model is the greater role given to workers' knowledge. For some, this may simply be a further example of the expropriation by management of workers' skills and hence the perfection of Taylorism. For others it may indicate yet again the continual failure of Taylorism. In this perspective the Japanese management would simply be making explicit what is going on anyway, that is, the exercising of tacit skills. Can the involvement of workers in job design under the Japanese model then be treated as one of its distinguishing features? It is suggested in this article that Japanese workers' participation is distinctive insofar as it explicitly involves them in industrial engineering. The precise meaning and distinctiveness of this involvement derives from the wider innovations in production management, such as just-in-time (Kanban) and the continuous learning program (Kaizen), as well as other aspects of Japanese personnel practice. Such innovations have reversed certain features of conventional production management, but not the central tenets of mass production. The abolition of buffer stocks, centralized quality control, and the sovereignty of the industrial engineer have all been questioned within Japanese concepts. The article concludes by drawing out the implications of their development for a number of areas of theoretical concern, including conceptions of tacit skills, flexible specialization, and autonomy.
Gender and Work Orientation
Authors: de VAUS DAVID , McALLISTER IAN
Published: March 2007

There is considerable disagreement about the extent, direction, and causes of gender differences in work values and job satisfaction. In part, these inconsistencies reflect the different samples, measures, and methodologies of various studies. To overcome these problems, this article uses closely compatible data from nine Western European countries to examine the extent of gender differences on three aspects of work orientation and to test three explanations for the differences that emerge. The results show that gender differences are small and vary according to the country and the aspect of work orientation under examination. Of the three models tested—the job, family, and social characteristics models—only the former helps to explain gender differences and then only in terms of job satisfaction. The data therefore cast doubt on the existence of gender differences in work values and job satisfaction. The results also question current explanations for the supposed differences between men's and women's work orientation.
Eliot Freidson's Contribution to the Sociology of Professions
Authors: BRINT STEVEN
Published: March 2007

This article discusses three major contributions of Eliot Freidson to the sociology of professions: (a) Freidson's work introduces a new concept of the professions rooted in the social organization of labor markets. This concept is far more harmonious with the contemporary situation of professions than any previous effort to conceptualize the differences between professions and other occupations. (b) The work provides an analysis of the spheres of professional control that result from the knowledge monopolies and gatekeeping activities of the professions. In this analysis, Freidson provides a new perspective on the meaning and social consequences of applied knowledge. (c) In a more humanistic vein, the work provides a measured defense of professions in the face of critics who see their powers as unnecessary, harmful, or both. The article concludes by commenting on a paradox suggested by Freidson's work. This paradox concerns the simultaneous strength and weakness of the contemporary professions, their strength as market shelters and their weakness as a status category and as activities connected to the larger political economy.
The Political Economy of Control
Authors: GODARD JOHN H.
Published: March 2007

This article argues that the structural inequality literature lacks a theoretical logic capable of rivaling that of its neoclassical counterpart, and that this, rather than its empirical veracity, has served as the major barrier to its broader acceptance. Accordingly, this article attempts to develop an analytical theory that both provides an alternative logic and can be demonstrated empirically. To do so, it argues (in essence) that the main contribution of a structuralist theory should be to logically demonstrate why and how nonmarket, political factors are of central importance to income determination. It then draws on an organizational theory of the firm in industrial relations developed elsewhere to (a) establish the importance of “political economy” in accounting for variation in the willingness of employers to grant favorable terms of employment, and (b) analyze the data from a unique survey of unionized firms.
Adolescent Work Experience and Family Relationships
Authors: MORTIMER JEYLAN T. , SHANAHAN MICHAEL J.
Published: March 2007

According to Bronfenbrenner (1979, 1986), each individual simultaneously participates in several “microsystems” that influence development, for example, the family, school, peer group, and workplace. Of central concern here is how the increasing prevalence of “youth work” may affect parent-adolescent relationships. The findings of a 3-year study of adolescents (n = 1,000) and their parents (925 mothers, 650 fathers) indicate that youth work has some significant effects on familial relationships. The findings also suggest gender differences in the linkage of youth work and family life.
Flexible Production, Rigid Jobs: Lessons from the Clothing Industry
Authors: TAPLIN IAN M.
Published: March 2007

Contextualized in the debate on the nature of post-Fordism, this study looks at changes in work organization that accompany firm attempts to increase their competitive position. It argues that changes in the technical and social relations of production in a labor intensive industry simply amount to labor intensification. Firms achieve productivity and quality improvements plus manufacturing flexibility by using new technology to deskill or replace skilled workers and by reconfiguring work to maximize work effort by semiskilled workers. These technological changes and work reorganization permit manufacturing flexibility but in ways that resemble modifications of Fordism rather than a new production paradigm.
How Permanent was Permanent Employment?
Authors: CHENG MARIAH MANTSUN , KALLEBERG ARNE L.
Published: March 2007

Using work histories in three Japanese social stratification and mobility surveys, we examined assertions about permanent employment. We measured its extent and estimated the number of employers typical employees would have during their worklife. Our results suggest that macrohistorical events and postwar economic developments affected permanent employment, which differed by firm size and occupations. Mobility differences were most marked among young workers, with white-collar, large-firm workers having the lowest mobility and blue-collar, small-firm workers having the highest. This order was reversed as workers aged, resulting in a similar number of total employer changes over the life for both groups.
The Institutionalization of the Sociology of Work in Latin America
Authors: ABRAMO LAÍS , V. JORGE CARRILLO , DE LA GARZA TOLEDO ENRIQUE , DE PAULA LEITE MARCIA , NOVICK MARTA , SANTIAGO CARLOS ALÁ , DA SILVA ROQUE
Published: March 2007

This overview of the recent intellectual history of the sociology of work in Latin America contextualizes this history in economic globalization and restructuring and political institutions in Latin America. The three-stage intellectual history addresses the development of a Latin American discipline whose theoretical models and empirical research strategies reflect crossnational similarities and variations in work, workers, and workplaces within Latin America and questions the acritical application of European and North American theoretical and research approaches. The analysis also describes the important role of social networks in the institutionalization of the discipline, including the establishment of the Latin American Sociology of Work Association in 1993.
The Impact of the Movement Toward Hemispheric Free Trade on Industrial Relations
Authors: ADAMS ROY J.
Published: March 2007

This article reviews theory and research on the expected impact and observed effect to date of the liberalization of international trade in the Americas on industrial relations. The effect of the movement toward freer trade both on the parties of interest and on research and teaching in the field are considered.
Illicit Prescription Drug Use among Pharmacists
Authors: DABNEY DEAN A. , HOLLINGER RICHARD C.
Published: March 2007

On average, pharmacists spend six years in college studying the intricacies of prescription medicines and their effects on the human body. Upon graduation, they embark on a career where their expertise and familiarity with the proper use and dangers of prescription drugs continuously grows. Despite this wealth of experience, some pharmacists become prescription drug abusers. The present analysis uses interview data obtained from 50 recovering drug dependent pharmacists to understand the process by which these professionals come to abuse the tools of their trade. Ironically, the data show several ways in which the individuals' knowledge and expertise may actually contribute to progressive prescription drug abuse. The authors argue that being and becoming a pharmacist presents a paradox of familiarity wherein technical knowledge and opportunity, in the absence of proper appreciation of the risks of substance abuse, can delude pharmacists into believing that they are immune to prescription drug abuse.
Viscoelastic/Damage Modeling of Filament-Wound Spherical Pressure Vessels
Authors: Hackett Robert M. , Dozier Jan D.
Published: March 2007

A model of the viscoelastic/damage response of a filament-wound spherical vessel used for long-term pressure containment is developed. The matrix material of the composite system is assumed to be linearly viscoelastic. Internal accumulated damage based upon a quadratic relationship between transverse modulus and maximum circumferential strain is postulated. The resulting nonlinear problem is solved by an iterative routine. The elastic- viscoelastic correspondence principle is employed to produce, in the Laplace domain, the associated elastic solution for the maximum circumferential strain which is inverted by the method of collocation to yield the time-dependent solution. Results obtained with the model are compared to experimental observations.
The Effect of Testing Methods on the Shear Strength Distribution in Laminated Composites
Authors: Chang Fu-Kuo , Jian Mao Tang  , Peterson Douglas G.
Published: March 2007

An experimental investigation was performed to study the effect of testing methods on the in situ shear strength distribution in fiber-reinforced laminated composites. T300/976 Graphite/Epoxy cross-ply laminates were used in the tests, and rail shear, Iosipescu, and short beam shear fixtures were selected for measuring the shear strengths. The results strongly indicate that the interlaminar shear strength measured from the short beam shear test has no correlation with the inplane shear strengths measured by the other two methods. The rail shear and losipescu fixtures provide, in general, consistent results in the measurement of the inplane shear strength. However, the consistency between the results of the two test methods strongly depends on the ply orientation of the test specimens. As shown in the paper, the resultant differences in inplane shear strengths measured from the two test methods could be as much 50%. These differences can be attributed to the in terlaminar stress distributions along the free edges of the specimens. Overall, the losipescu shear fixture produced lower shear strengths than the rail shear fixture.
Effects of Coating Treatments on the Mechanical Behavior of Wood Fiber-Filled Polystyrene Composites. II. Use of Inorganic Salt/Polyvinyl Chloride and Isocyanate as Coating Components
Authors: Maldas D. , Kokta B.V.
Published: March 2007

The performance of various coated chemithermomechanical pulp-filled polystyrene composites has been judged by evaluating the mechanical properties of the composite materials. When fibers were coated with only polymers, e.g., polystyrene or PVC, or a mixture of polymer and Na-silicate, the performance of the composites is re vealed to be very poor. But when an isocyanate (coupling agent) was used along with the above compositions, mechanical properties improved compared to those of both the origi nal polymer and non-treated composites. PS 525-based composites showed better perfor mance compared to PS 201-based composites as far as mechanical properties (other than impact strength) were concerned. Impact strength of PS 201-based composites improved the most compared to even that of the original polymer when silicate along with isocyanate were used as a coating component of the fiber.
Fracture Mechanics of Unidirectional Composites
Authors: Nairn John A.
Published: March 2007

A new approach to the fracture mechanics analysis of unidirectional com posites has been formulated. First, using the shear-lag model, we obtained an approximate stress-analysis for composites containing cracks and longitudinal splits. From this new stress analysis, we derived expressions for the energy release rate due to both self-similar crack propagation and to longitudinal splitting. The new expressions are easy to use. Be cause material heterogeneity, material anisotropy, finite width effects, and various possible failure modes are all specifically taken into account, we suggest that these new expressions should replace conventional fracture mechanics for analyzing fracture data in unidirec tional composites. Experimental work has verified that the new expressions fit experimen tal data significantly better than conventional fracture mechanics expressions.
Low and High Strain Rate Experiments on Model Kevlar-Epoxy Microcomposites
Authors: Gilath I. , Eliezer S. , Gazit Y. , Barnea N. , Wagner H.D.
Published: March 2007

Fracture modes at low and very high strain rate impact experiments were studied using model unidirectional composites. The model microcomposites consist of a set of single fibers embedded in an epoxy film such that the interfiber distance, number of fibers, interface and resin properties can be controlled.
Coir-Glass Intermingled Fibre Hybrid Composites
Authors: Pavithran C. , Mukherjee P.S. , Brahmakumar M.
Published: March 2007

The aim of the investigation is to evaluate the enhancement in the proper ties of coir-polyester composites by incorporating glass as intimate mix with coir. Addi tion of relatively small volume fraction (0.05) of glass enhances the tensile strength by about 100%, flexural strength by more than 50 % and impact strength by more than 100 % . Coir-glass intermingled hybrid composites (CGP) absorb moisture 4 to 5 times less than that of coir-polyester composite (CRP) on immersing in boiling water for 2 hrs and the former thereby shows considerably better resistance to weathering. It has also been ob served that CGP core-GRP shell laminates possess better flexural and interlaminar shear strength compared to that of CRP core-GRP shell laminates containing equivalent volume fractions of the fibres as in the former.
The Formation and Propagation of Matrix Microcracks in Cross-Ply Laminates during Static Loading
Authors: Siulie Liu  , Nairn John A.
Published: March 2007

Recently, a variational mechanics analysis approach has been used to de termine the thermoelastic stress state in cracked, cross-ply laminates (Nairn, J. A. 1989. J. Comp. Mat. , 23:1106). The analysis included a calculation of the energy release rate due to the formation of a microcrack in the 90° plies. This paper describes a series of ex perimental results on a wide variety of composite material systems and of cross-ply layups of generic type [0m,/90n]s. The variational mechanics energy release rate analysis can be used to predict all features of the experimental results and to draw some new conclusions about the progression of damage in cross-ply laminates. The recommended experiments are to measure the density of microcracks as a function of applied stress. Such results can be fit with the energy release rate expression and used to measure the microcracking or intralaminar fracture toughness. The measured microcracking fracture toughnesses are: Hercules AS4/3501-6-240 J/m2, Fiberite 934/T300—690 J/m2, DuPont Avimid® K Polymer/IM6-960 J/m2, Fiberite 977-2/T300-1800 to 2400 J/m2, and ICI PEEK/AS4- 3000 J/m2. Experiments that measure only the stress to initiate microcracking are specifically not recommended because they do not give an accurate measure of the micro cracking fracture toughness.
Rotative Polarization System of Millimetric Wave for Detecting Fiber Orientation in CFRP
Authors: Urabe Kei
Published: March 2007

A new system for nondestructive and contact-free detection of fiber orien tation in fiber reinforced composites such as CFRP was devised using 35 GHz millimetric wave. In this system, by rotating the polarization of the wave and compensating it after passing through the sample, changes of anisotropy caused by changes in fiber orientation of unidirectional CFRP or carbon fiber prepreg can be easily and efficiently checked. Scanning detection of fiber direction and of fiber misorientation are also possible with high sensitivity. Results of measurements with successful sensitivity are shown for several kinds of unidirectional samples with artificial fiber misorientations.
The Interlaminar Stresses at Straight Edges in Composite Laminates
Authors: Jen M.-H.R. , Hsu J.M. , Kau Y.S. , Kao P.W.
Published: March 2007

Delammation is an important failure mode for anisotropic composite lami nates. And interlaminar stresses are recognized to play a major role causing delamination. However, the features of anisotropically generalized plane stress theory are utilized to determine interlaminar stresses. Based upon the theory of anisotropy and boundary layer effect, stress shapes are chosen such that the equilibrium equations, the corresponding boundary conditions and traction continuity in the interface are satisfied. The parameters of α and X in the stress expressions are then calculated by requirement of stress integral equilibrium. Several composite laminates, such as cross-ply [0/90]s, angle-ply [±45], and ARALL (Aramid Reinforced Aluminum Laminates), are analyzed. The obtained predic tions are in good agreement with previous analytical and numerical results. The order of singularity of boundary-layer effect at the free edge is compared closely to the results in the literature.
Experimental Investigation of Fatigue of Cracked Aluminium Specimens Repaired with Fibre Composite Patches
Authors: Nahas M.N.
Published: March 2007

Standard notched fatigue test specimens are subjected to cyclic loading conditions to a number of cycles enough to initiate cracks and then the specimens are repaired with fibre-reinforced composite patches to investigate the influence of the repair on their fatigue life. It is found that the repair provides longer life for the test specimens, and substantial reduction in the stress intensity is achieved.
Mutual Influence about Stress Concentration of Holes in Composite Plates
Authors: Yeh Hsien-Yang , Minh Duc Le
Published: March 2007

Stress functions for anisotropic plates, containing three holes and sub jected to plane stress loading condition, were derived using complex variables and super- positioning the solutions of one and two hole plates. MacLaurin series expansion was used to calculate the stresses around the contour of the openings. Effects of openings' sizes, shapes, and relative positions on stress concentration factors were investigated. Results in dicated that adjacent holes may be ignored if the distance between the center of the open ings is at least five times the length of the major axis of the openings. Also, the stress con centration factor (SCF) of a circular hole, located between the larger and a smaller hole, was affected more by the presence of the larger hole. For an elliptical hole located between an elliptical hole and a circular hole, the circular hole exerted more influence on the SCF of the elliptical hole when the plate was under vertical tension. Under biaxial tension, the other elliptical hole had greater influence on the SCF of the center elliptical hole. When the holes were arranged in triangular pattern, the SCF decreased as the angle between the holes increased. By reducing the ratio of the major and minor axis of the elliptical holes, the influence between cracks was also studied.
Microwave Dynamic Dielectric Analysis of Curing Neat Resins
Authors: King Ray J. , Werner Michael J. , Mayorga Guillermo D.
Published: March 2007

Microwave reflection resonator sensors have been developed to monitor the complex, dynamic, in situ real and imaginary dielectric permittivity (ε* = ε'd - jε"d) of thermoset polymer matrix composites and thermoplastics. These reusable and noninvasive sensors are conformably mounted in the autoclave mold in such a manner that the EM fields are strongly coupled to the resin. Tracking of (ε'd, ε" d) during the cure provides in formation about the chemical kinetics, resin viscosity, rigidity, porosity and relative cure index. The sensor is readily adjustable for optimum coupling to the type of material being tested. The existing sensor is rated for temperatures up to 250°C (480°F), but this can be extended to higher temperatures. The technique has been beta-tested in a commercial laboratory over a 9-month period, and is complementary to other analysis techniques such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). A prototype software and electronics package has been developed to support the sensor. This paper focuses on the testing of neat epoxy resins.
Global / Local Interlaminar Stress Analysis of a Grid-Stiffened Composite Panel
Authors: Wiggenraad J.F.M. , Bauld N.R.
Published: March 2007

This article describes a global/local procedure for the computation of the interlaminar stress components at the skin-wrap, skin-core, and wrap-core interfaces for an advanced-concept stiffened panel. The procedure consists of a global model of two- dimensional shell elements that is used to design a grid-stiffened panel with blade-type stiffeners, a local model of three-dimensional solid elements that is used to compute in terlaminar stress components, and a scheme devised to assign displacement boundary con ditions for the local model that are based on displacement and rotation data of a few nodes of the global model.
Active Adhesion Concepts for In-Orbit Structural Construction
Authors: Park K.C. , Natori M.C.
Published: March 2007

A contmuum-based theory of active adhesion contact-impact is presented for the in-orbit assembly of structural elements. The present theory assumes the manufac turability of active adhesion elements by piezoelectric or similar materials. It is shown that the block bonding characteristics, while resisting block debonding which is observed for example in glass-polyurethane bonding, can offer an effective alternative to optimal control-based impact surge force mitigation strategies as many non-smooth control prob lems are difficult to synthesize and implement. Design concepts that utilize a combined serial/parallel bonded and debonded active adhesion elements made of cascaded piezoelectric devices are offered.
Outgassing Phenomenon in Reaction Injection Molded Parts
Authors: Mielewski D.F. , Anturkar N.R. , Bauer D.R. , Trevino L.
Published: March 2007

Three stages involved in the RIM process are impingement mixing of di isocyanate and polyol, filling and curing in the mold, and postcuring in a separate oven to achieve complete conversion of diisocyanate. Traces of water in the polyol react with diiso cyanate, and generate CO2 in a side reaction during mold filling and curing. It may not be possible to postcure the RIM part immediately after curing. During that period, known as floating time, moisture in ambient air reacts with residual diisocyanate generating addi tional CO 2. Part of the CO2 diffuses out during the floating period, and the remaining CO2 evolves during postcuring. If these gases are not completely removed from the part during postcuring, they can "pop up" on the surface in the paint baking oven, creating unaccep table surface quality. This phenomenon is called "outgassing," and is investigated in this work.
Failure Prediction of Fibre-Reinforced Materials with Neural Networks
Authors: Labossière P. , Turkkan N.
Published: March 2007

Neural networks can be used to predict failure of anisotropic materials under any loading condition, provided that sufficient expenmental data were initially available for the system to "learn" the rules. An example failure envelope for a typical fibre-reinforced material is obtained using this method.
Information System Design and Implementation: Strategies for Success
Authors: Pollack Gail R.
Published: March 2007

Agency managers depend upon reliable data for planning, evaluation and funding accountability. Since changes in data requirements are unpredictable, output flexibility must be a goal of information system design. This process is often frustrating and costly as the desire to be all-inclusive may lead to an impractical solution. Successful design and implementation require clear articulation of objectives, ongoing communication with and involvement of all levels of staff, and a supportive organizational climate.

One community agency serving frail elderly identified the need for an integrated information system. Structural considerations affecting the design process included the agency's decen tralized nature, multidisciplinary treatment teams and the existence of multiple information systems. Although common frustrations were experienced early in the process, later strategies led to successful implementation of the system's first phases, intake and case tracking. Other results have included meaningful management reports, uniform definitions multipurpose record-keeping forms and improved communication among staff.
Aging Advocacy: The Cozy Triangle's Hesitant Angle
Authors: St. Angelo Douglas
Published: March 2007

Advocacy efforts by local administrators—mandated by federal law—is the focus of this report. Data were collected from selected Florida communities. Cluster analysis was utilized to select the communities; surveys and site analysis provided the data. Even though Florida has a highly visible senior population and a disproportionate share of the nation's elders, local policy advocacy by and on behalf of seniors was not found to be very in tense. A survey among older persons suggested that senior political orientations were important to this lack of intensity. One potential exception to these findings is noted and described.
The Hispanic Elderly: A Socio Historical Framework For Public Policy
Authors: Maldonado David
Published: March 2007

Ethnic diversity is at the core of the American experience; from its birth the American nation has been multi-ethnic. The diverse Hispanic populations have been significant elements in the cultural history of this nation. Because of initial conquest and subseguent discrimination, Hispanics have been subjected to minority status and limited means to national resources. Older Hispanics are products of the pre-Civil Rights era and enter old age with all the social and physical consequences of an historical period of discrimination and segregation. They are, therefore, among the most vulnerable of the older population and at a risk in light of the non service strategies emerging on the national scene.
Older Volunteers' Perceptions of Impacts of Volunteering on Their Psychological Well-being
Authors: Newman Sally , Vasudev Jyotsna , Onawola Roland
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the impacts of the school volunteer experience as perceived by older volunteers. Data were gathered from 180 volunteers through the use of a Likert-type questionnaire and an open-ended interview. The data analysis yielded the following findings. The volunteer experience was perceived as providing a meaningful structure for the older persons' lives, as enriching their lives and as helping them to overcome personal trauma. These findings suggest that older persons' well-being could be improved by providing them with structured activities involving social responsibility.
Consequence of Patient Accident Reports for the Frail Elderly
Authors: Catchen Harvey
Published: March 2007

The study employs the "labeling" framework to study accidents among elderly patients in an acute care hospital. A content analysis of 392 accident report descriptions was conducted and 51 elderly accident victims were interviewed. In addition, case records of 39 restrained elderly patients were examined. The content analysis revealed that most descriptions contained too little information to determine whether an accident had taken place. Most patient accidents described in these reports appear to be relatively insignificant events in which patients were not injured. Patients'versions of their accidents were generally consistent with the accident report descriptions. Accidents among elderly patients appear to be associated with a cycle of stigmatization and restraint.
The Regulation of Home Health Care Quality
Authors: Harrington Charlene , Grant Leslie A. , Ingman Stanley R. , Hobson Sherry A.
Published: March 2007

This descriptive study examined state regulatory activities for home health agencies in California and Missouri. In California, the state survey agency was increasingly unable to meet its annual survey requirements. Missouri's survey agency was able to remain current with its survey activities. Neither state used enforcement actions to any great extent for those facilities with problems to any great during the 1983 to 1988 period. Regulatory activities for home health agencies were not given a high priority in either state, and many barriers to the effective regulation of agencies were identified. This study suggests that additional research should be directed toward the study of state regulation and its relationship to quality of home health care.
Medicaid's Effect on the Elderly: How Reimbursement Policy Affects Priorities in the Nursing Home
Authors: Abend-Wein Marjorie
Published: March 2007

This article examines the social impact of Medicaid policy on the elderly in long-term care and identifies a previously unrecognized problem produced by Medicaid in New York State. Recent fieldwork in proprietary nursing homes in New York City shows that this state's Medicaid system results in a selection hierarchy on admissions and within nursing homes not only in terms of sponsor of payment but also in value, based on residents' functional level. Specifically, New York State Medicaid's Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs II) system is responsible for a new and startling phenomenon in long-term health care of the elderly: the creation of "minihospitals" in lieu of traditional skilled nursing facilities. This problem indicates the complex ways in which reimbursement policy drives priorities in nursing homes and creates unintended negative outcomes. In light of this consideration, various policy alternatives to Medicaid that would improve the plight of the elderly in long-term care are suggested and evaluated.
The Quality of Home and Community-Based Services
Authors: Beaulieu Joyce E.
Published: March 2007

The quality of long-term home health services is particularly difficult to study because of (a) the multidimensionality and chronicity of patients' needs, (b) the complexity of and the number of social and health-related services provided, (c) the isolation of care in individual homes, and (d) the lack of norms and standards on which to base judgments. A study was undertaken of the quality of care received by two client groups receiving home- and community-based services, in which some of these difficulties were addressed An expert committee of home health practitioners wrote criteria for process and outcomes of care based on local norms of practice. Applying these criteria to the care received by the study groups, the committee found a high degree of quality of care. Specific problems identified m the care were a lack of appropriate case management and poor chart documentation. In most cases, if good care was received, the client experienced good outcomes.
Cost-Sharing and the Future of Fees for Service for Frail Elders in State Programs
Authors: Rothman Max B.
Published: March 2007

Although Congress has rejected the concept of mandatory cost-sharing under the Older Americans Act, many states already use client fee systems under state-funded home and community-based services programs. This research included a survey of actual state experiences and a review of earlier studies. States are compared on issues concerning policy and experience with fee systems, including income verification, fee schedules, termination policies, and costs of administration. Although policy and practice differ markedly across states, certain states are close to operationalizing comprehensive policies in this area. The author concludes that there is a need to conduct additional state-level demonstrations that address policy issues identified in the research. Evaluation research is needed to determine program effectiveness and efficiency, particularly concerning whether cost-sharing increases the amount of services available and ensures a high level of services to minorities.
Informal Home Care for Frail Black Elderly
Authors: White-Means Shelley I.
Published: March 2007

Inadequate financial resources to cover the cost of long-term care services is common among chronically disabled elderly. For many elderly, particularly Blacks, family caregivers are the primary source of long-term care, including medical services and all types of informal assistance. Using national data from Mathematica Policy Researchers' National Long Term Care Demonstration Project, this article identifies descriptive and unique characteristics of informal caregivers to the frail Black elderly. The analysis indicates a fundamental role of nonimmediate family members in the care of Black elderly. The employment status, living arrangements, education, and marital status of the caregiver, as well as the disability level of the elderly care recipient are key factors that influence the number of hours of informal care provided. Extensive hours spent in providing informal care are associated with a reduction in leisure time and physical and emotional strain for caregivers. The article concludes with policy suggestions pertaining to the use of consistent definitions of family by policymakers and the population they desire to serve, equitable tax policy, and family leave policy.
Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms Among Black and Hispanic Frail Elders: A Sociocultural Perspective
Authors: Mui Ada C.
Published: March 2007

This study examined the sources of depressive symptoms experienced by frail Black and Hispanic elderly persons experienced in terms of life strain/stresses and coping resources. Overall, results indicate that women in both groups express more depressive symptoms than do men; and Hispanic elders report more depressive symptoms than do Black elders. Common predictors for the two groups were being female, greater numbers of physical illnesses, poor perceived health, more perceived unmet needs, and less sense of control in life. Unique predictors for the Black elders were a higher level of impairment in instrumental activities of daily living, loss of a significant other, involuntary relocation, and fewer formal care providers. For Hispanic elders, the unique predictor of depressive symptoms was few informal helpers.
Care or Control: Barriers to Service Use by Elderly People
Authors: Baker Dorothy I. , Pallett-Hehn Phyllis
Published: March 2007

This article presents descriptive findings from a 3-year project that examined barriers to receiving effective health care service from the viewpoint of elderly people living in an inner city. The convenience sample consists of 38 elderly people identified by clinicians providing hospital and community care as at risk of institutionalization. Based on the elderly persons' descriptions of their problems, these clinicians developed innovative strategies for making the service delivery system more responsive. Individual situations were reviewed retrospectively to identify trends in the types of barriers to effective service delivery. McKnight's paradigm, contrasting human interactions in a control model to those where participation occurs by consent, was found useful in conceptualizing barriers to effective care, as exemplified by these individual situations Previous care, which the elderly people perceived as controlling, contrasted sharply with their expectations for full participation in the definition of both problems and solutions. Thus clmical practice and the research focus of the project evolved to offer elderly people assistance in ways that facilitated their full participation.
An Examination of the Effects of Self-Rated and Objective Indicators of Health Condition and Economic Condition on the Loneliness of Older Persons
Authors: Mullins Larry C. , Smith Roxenne , Colquitt Rachel , Mushel Mary
Published: March 2007

Examined is the experience of loneliness as it relates to selected health conditions and selected economic conditions. The effects on loneliness of age, gender, marital status, number of sons, number of daughters, number of male friends, and number of female friends also were examined and controlled. Results are based on a sample from the Senior Citizens Nutrition and Activities Program in Hillsborough County, Florida. An analysis of covariance showed that greater loneliness was expressed by those older persons who were male, had fewer female friends, and had fewer male friends. Among the main effects, poorer self-rated health, less adequate self-rated economic condition, and being in poverty were related to greater loneliness. The interactions between the main effects variable were unrelated to loneliness. The research sheds new light on the influence on loneliness of older persons' health and economic condition, and of selected demographic and interpersonal relationship variables.
Implementation and Impact of the Patient Self Determination Act: Preliminary Survey and Proposals for Change
Authors: Glick Henry R. , Cowart Marie E. , Smith John Donald
Published: March 2007

To promote advance medical directives, which the U.S. Supreme Court encouraged in Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health, Congress enacted the Patient Self Determination Act (PSDA). The law requires various medical facilities to inform patients of their rights under state law to execute advance medical directives. Results from in-depth interviews with hospital and nursing home administrators, however, reveal that although the law has been implemented, it is having little practical effect on patients and residents. Other requirements of the law also are being carried out with different amounts of energy. A different orientation for policymakers, medical institutions, and adult consumers to the right to die may be more effective than the current law.
Implementation of the Patient Self-Determination Act: A Comparison of Nursing Homes to Hospitals
Authors: Zwahr Melissa D. , Park Denise C. , Eaton Thomas A. , Larson Edward J.
Published: March 2007

The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) requires all health care facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds to provide information about advance directives and the right of patients to refuse medical treatment. Administrators of 155 nursing homes in the state of Georgia completed surveys to assess implementation practices employed to comply with the PSDA mandates, knowledge of the law, and perceived effects of the passage of the PSDA. Responses from nursing home administrators were summarized, reported, and compared to results obtained from Georgia hospitals. Important differences were discovered. Nursing homes routinely provide more types of information to residents and spend more time with residents explaining relevant information than do hospitals, but hospital administrators demonstrated better knowledge of the PSDA and state law than nursing home counterparts. The implications of findings regarding the implementation of the PSDA and its overall effectiveness are discussed.
Institutionalization: A Continuation of Family Care
Authors: Stull Donald E. , Cosbey Janet , Bowman Karen , McNutt William
Published: March 2007

It is often assumed that with institutionalization comes an end to family caregiving. The goal of this study is to show that family caregiving continues even after institutionalization of the care recipient. The data come from 81 families who institutionalized their elders. The findings indicate that families remain involved in the care of the elder after institutionalization, although to a lesser degree and in different ways. Involvement in personal care tasks is reduced, not termi nated ; involvement in the specialized needs of the elder, such as their financial and legal concerns, continues, along with the new role of advocacy. The effects of caregiving are still felt by the primary caregiver, as are the effects of institutionalizing the care recipient.
Examining Attitudes Toward the Homecare Suite: A New Housing Alternative for Elders
Authors: Altus Deborah E. , Mathews R.Mark , Kosloski Karl D.
Published: March 2007

For a housing option to be viable on the continuum of long-term care, it needs the approval of professionals (who would recommend it) and caregivers (who would use it). The purpose of this study was to compare attitudes of these important audiences toward the Homecare Suite—a private, fully accessible, modular apartment that families who wish to care for their elders at home can temporarily install in their garages. Results showed that professionals were signifi cantly more favorable toward the Homecare Suite than were caregivers, whereas caregivers with elders living in the community were more receptive than were caregivers with institutionalized elders. This preliminary evaluation suggests that this housing innovation is deserving offurther study.
Criminal Justice Education: Substance or Style?
Authors: Fabianic David
Published: March 2007

The growth and development of criminal justice education has resulted in a substantial investment of time, human resources, and money. Criminal justice educators make many assumptions about their objectives, competencies, and effectiveness in higher education, and it is important for them to respond to fundamental challenges regarding their activities and the premises upon which they construct criminal justice education programs. Much of the future character of criminal justice as an academic discipline will depend on the manner in which educators address the question of quality in higher education. Therefore, confronting the difficult problem of establishing the value of criminal justice education is appropriate.
Legal Services and Materials for Line Personnel, Administrators and Offenders in United States Prisons: An Update
Authors: Holbert Fred , Cada James A.
Published: March 2007

U. S. Courts in recent years have been rejecting the "hands off doctrine" and getting involved in civil suits and writs filed by prison inmates. As a result more and more inmates are becoming legally active and increasingly knowledgeable of Substantive and procedural law.

This study is an effort to see what the reaction of U. S. prison acdministrators is to inmate legal activism.

A survey of 329 state prison adlmiinistrators addressed such issues as: institutional comlpliance wdith significant court decisions regarding inmate legal services and materials, sources of legal counselor administrators, line staffand inmates and the effects of the above e variables on the numbers of inmate suits filed and judgments entered in favor of inmates.
Are Police Officers Cynical?
Authors: Lester David
Published: March 2007

The cynicism scale devised by Arthur Neiderhoffer was examinedfor its reliability and validity in order to see whether criticisms of the scale should be taken seriously'. The test-retest reliability of the scale was satisfactory and the item-total correlations were all statistically significant. However, the scale does appear to be heterogeneous, and a factor analysis identified seven factors. The cynicism scale appeared to have a good degree of concurrent and construct validity since the more cynicalpolice officers saw humans as less trustworthy and less altruistic on Wrightsman's Philosophy of Human Nature Inventory. They were less satisfied with their jobs and more anomic on Srole's anomie scale. It was concluded that Neiderhoffer's cynicism scale meets acceptable criteria for reliability and validity and thus is appropriatefor use as a measure of police cynicism.