bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Goal Attainment Scaling
Authors: Cytrynbaum Solomon , Ginath Yigal , Birdwell Joel , Brandt Lauren
Published: March 2007

Available published and unpublished studies on Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), cur rently the most popular outcome evaluation technique in the human sciences, were cri tically reviewed. Forty-one of ninety-one initial studies, which met minimal criteria of completeness of information reported and quality of research, were subjected to in-depth review. Conclusions were rather mixed and somewhat discouraging. The proliferation m the use of GAS as an evaluative technique has been accompanied by serious procedural and methodological problems. Despite numerous studies, the reliability and validity of GAS remain questionable. More optimistically, GASprocedures can serve a useful educa tional and intervention function, particularly in mental health settings, and patient in volvement in the goal-setting process as defined by GAS seems to enhance therapeutic effectiveness.
Social Program Costs
Authors: Doherty Neville , Crakes Gary
Published: March 2007

In many social models research and operational activities occur simultaneously; consequently the costs of these activities can be confounded, with the result that reported costs may not accurately represent real operational costs. This article describes a method for separating research and operational costs, and applies it to a program for the elderly in which the staff was involved in both research and operational activities. Hypothetically, with research costs eliminated, costs of care are reduced by over $16.00 per client. This saving translates into an increased case-load of 119 clients or a reduction of 1.35 staff members.
Paradigmatic Choices in Evaluation Methodology
Authors: Heilman John G.
Published: March 2007

Some writers state that experimental research mustform the core of all evaluation. Others counter that experrmental studies tend not to be used, and urge reliance on more subjective and process-oriented research methods. If we accept the premise that the "hard-science" and "anthropological" approaches are truly paradigms of evaluatron research, the resultant issue is which approach to use m specific cases. The present report rejects the "competing paradigms" thesis, and argues that there is a solid middle ground. It suggests why that ground should be used, and considers how the two approaches can be mixed to surt particular research settings .
Choosing and Interpreting a Metric for Data Analysis
Authors: Nelson James F.
Published: March 2007

The article examines the role that the scale of the criterion variable plays in the development and interpretation of univariate models. The discussion begins by reviewing several exploratory data analysis techniques that use relationships between spread and location parameters to suggest power transformations of the criterion vanable. Data from a study of pretrial release illustrate the techniques. An examination of residuals is shown to complement the search for a good transformation. The effect that independent or carrier variables have on untransformed criterion variables is examinedfor power, logit, and arcsin transformations of the criterion variable. The discussion shows how various transformations imply different relationships between criterion and carrier variables. Inverse transformations are bnefly discussed.
Evaluation of Perinatal Services
Authors: Strobino Donna M. , Chase Gary A. , Salim Joan H. , Cornely Donald A.
Published: March 2007

A design for evaluating the impact of perinatal projects is developed using social area analysis. Social area analysis permits the simultaneous investigation ofproject effects and concomitant variation by two approaches. The typology approach enables grouping of similar social areas and, within the groupings, comparison of perinatal outcomesfor areas with and without a project. Areas aggregated by presence or absence of a project can also be examined by investigating the effect of the social environment on outcomes. A preliminary example of the typology approach provides support for the application of social area analysis in evaluating the Improved Pregnancy Outcome Project.
Evaluating the Outcomes of Human Service Programs
Authors: Neigher William D. , Schulberg Herbert C.
Published: March 2007

Measuring client and program outcomes in human services remains as difficult as it is controversial. In the context of changing public funding in many social programs, we offer an assessment of current problems facing outcome evaluation as conceptualized in legislation, as practiced at the agency level and from a systems perspective. The article points out that while research and evaluation are clearly interdependent functions, they operate with differing value, resource, and reward systems when program outcome performance is assessed. We argue for a new balance of effort between the prospective validation of social welfare programs (research) and retrospective program analysis (evaluation).
Evaluation Findings in Education and Social Work Textbooks
Authors: Leviton Laura C. , Cook Thomas D.
Published: March 2007

Evaluation findings will probably make a long-term contribution to the improvement of social services and programs when they are cited in the textbooks used to train human services professionals. Although there was some variability, evaluations were nonetheless cited with reasonable frequency in a sample of introductory and advanced text books in social work and education. The citations referred to evaluations of national policies, national programs, local projects and project elements, and there were also citations concerning evaluation methods. Both social work and education texts cited findings on programs and project elements the most. Compared to social work texts, education texts cited significantly more program outcome findings; social work texts tended to cite more references dealing with recipient characteristics.
How Does Technological Change Affect Health Care Expenditures?
Authors: Geweke John , Weisbrod Burton A.
Published: March 2007

The expenditure consequences of the drug cimetidine for the period 1977-1979 are investigated. Using Medicaid data for the State of Michigan, it is found that expenditures for the first year of treatment of duodenal ulcers are reduced between 26% and 70%. The methodology employed can be applied to the assessment of other medical technologies.
Evaluation and the Logic of Recommendations
Authors: Royce Sadler D.
Published: March 2007

It is common practice to associate recommendations for program improvement with evaluation reports. In this article, several classes of recommendations are identified, and aspects of one class are explored in some detail. Consideration is given to certain logical, methodological, and practical issues relating to the derivation of recommendations that specify remedial actions. It is argued that formulating sets of such recommendations generally takes place in environments characterized by indeterminacy, a point that is not sufficiently recognized. The conclusion is reached that evaluation and radical program redesign probably ought to be kept separate.
The Effect of Regionalization On Infant and Early Neonatal Mortality
Authors: Mandell Marvin B.
Published: March 2007

Regionalization ofperinatal care is widely assumed to be an effective means of improving pregnancy outcomes. However, due to limitations of the research designs employed in previous studies aimed at empirically confirming this conventional wisdom, strong evidence concerning the impact of regionalization on pregnancy outcomes is still lacking. In this article an interrupted time-series design is used to assess the impact of regionalization of perinatal care on infant and early neonatal mortality in Central New York. The analysis indicates that regionalization has had a statistically significant, grad ual permanent impact on both infant and early neonatal mortality.
Lessons From the Delaware Dislocated Worker Pilot Program
Authors: Bloom Howard S.
Published: March 2007

This article presents lessons learned from an innovative employment and training program for dislocated workers—persons who have lost stable, long-term jobs due to changing technology and/or increased international competition. Because the program was conducted as a randomized experiment, it was possible to obtain unbiased estimates of its impact as well as considerable information about its implementation. The article provides specific information about program design and serves as a prototype for how social experimentation can be used by state and local governments. In addition, the article illustrates how qualitative and quantitative information from process and impact analyses can be integrated to provide a richer picture of the program experience than would be possible otherwise.
Attitude Change
Authors: Senf Janet H. , Aickin Mikel , Bauman Kay A. , Allender James R.
Published: March 2007

Measurement of attitudes before and after an educational intervention generally reflects both the impact of the session and the fact that the best predictor of attitudes after the session are attitudes before the session. Statistics currently available provide contradictory information; both measures of association and measures of difference are statistically significant. Current tests of the significance of change either have restrictive assumptions or do not take into account people who do not change. A new measure is proposed which incorporates information on amount and direction of change. Delta is calculated from a contingency table of the pre-and postmeasurements. It ranges from + 1, signifying that everyone changed in one direction to -1, that is, everyone changed in the opposite direction, and becomes 0 when there is perfect correlation in scores or equal change in both directions. Delta is useful in assessing which attitudes have been most influenced by the educational intervention.
A Multivariate Logit Analysis of the Outcomes of Arbitration Decisions in British Columbia
Authors: Holmes Richard A. , Rogow Robert , Maynes S. Stuart
Published: March 2007

A major conclusion drawn from this study is that bivariate estimates of the probability of management or union wins in grievance arbitration cases can be seriously in error as a result of the failure of these estimates to adjust for the effects of variables not included in the bivariate comparison. In this analysis of 1,815 arbitration cases occurring in British Columbia in the 1982 to 1985 period, bias is identified in the bivariate estimates of the probability of management wins by industry and issue. In addition, from application of a multivariate logit model, the study estimates the effect on arbitration outcome of industry, union size, union arbitration proneness, issue, arbitration experience, union occupation, and year. Similarities to and differences from the findings of previous studies are identified.
Women and HIV/AIDS Research
Authors: Levine Carol
Published: March 2007

Despite the prevalence of HIV disease among women, drug trials to date have enrolled mostly men. In drug trial recruitment, HIV-infected women typically suffer quadruple jeopardy: first, they may be excluded because they are either potentially or actually pregnant; second, they may be excluded because they are members of minority groups and lack access to the health care system and to research institutions; third, they may be excluded because they are drug users and are presumed to be noncompliant subjects; fourth, they may be excluded because most of the trials so far have focused on AIDS itself, and many of the women have been infected recently and have not developed a clinical diagnosis ofAIDS. Efforts to enroll women in HIV/AIDS drug trials must surmount the barriers of the regulatory system; the resk-avoidance practices of the pharmaceutical industry; the lack of access to the health care system; the suspicion of many minority communities, based on past abuses, that research presents risks but no benefits; and the needs of women for child care and transportation in order to participate. Women should not be categorically excluded from research, but there may be special, very limited circumstances in which exclusion of pregnant women may be justified.
Factors Influencing the Use of Health Evaluation Research in Congress
Authors: Boyer John F. , Langbein Laura I.
Published: March 2007

This study explores relationships between the use of evaluation research in the legislative setting and a group of factors commonly cited in the literature as influences on use. The study focuses on the health policy area, and data were collected by telephone interviews with 100 congres sional staff members who deal with health policy issues. Although General Accounting Office (GAO) studies were identified more frequently, respondents did not indicate that they were used any more extensively than were other studies. Moreover, GAO studies were not perceived to be any more timely, methodologically credible, relevant, and so on than other studies. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the amount of policy conflict and the relevance of the report to Congress had no independent effect on reported use. The same analysis also indicated that proper timing of a report consistently had a significant effect on the amount of reported use. Clarity also influenced use by members of Congress but not use by staffers themselves. However, methodological credibility independently affected staff use but not use by the members.
Counting the Homeless
Authors: Wright James D. , Devine Joel A.
Published: March 2007

Shelter and Street Night (S-Night) was the recent effort by the U.S. Bureau of the Census to include selected components of the nation's homeless population in the 1990 decennial count. Teams of investigators in five cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and New Orleans) were contracted by the Census Bureau's Center for Survey Methods Research to assist in assessing various aspects of the S-Night enumeration. Each team compiled independent shelter lists that were compared against the Bureau's lists and also undertook experiments to assess the reliability of the enumeration effort. This introductory statement reviews the design features, methods, findings, and recommendations that were common to all five studies presented in a special issue focused on counting the homeless.
Some Equations for Logically Scoring and Logically Indexing Bipolar Items and Variables
Authors: Carifio James
Published: March 2007

The problem of combining interval level "bipolar" data so that every "plus-minus" (or logical) combination produces a unique scale point is a ubiquitous problem faced by both applied and theoretical researchers in the social sciences. To solve an applied research problem recently, a set of equations was developed that combined all "plus and minus" data combinations into unique values and scale points. These equations were tested through computer simulations and empirical tests, and the resulting index scores were approximately interval and linear and easy to use and interpret logically. These equations and findings are reported in this article.
Ethical Principles and Evaluation Standards
Authors: Brown Robert D. , Newman Dianna L.
Published: March 2007

This study asked three questions: (a) What ethical principles are available to guide program evaluators? (b) how do the standards developed by the Joint Committee on Standards match up with ethical principles? and (c) what are the implications for refinement of the standards, training evaluators, and practicing evaluation? Kitchener's five ethical principles: autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and fidelity appear to have relevance for evaluation practice. Although consumers and novices were less likely to reach consensus than were experts, professional evaluators reached consensus in matching the standards to the ethical principles. The results also indicate not all of the Kitchener's principles are fully represented in the standards.
Assessing Leadership and Problem-Solving Skills and Their Impacts in the Community
Authors: Rohs F. Richard , Langone Christine A.
Published: March 2007

A pretest-posttest control group design was employed to assess the leadership and problem-solving skills of participants in a statewide community leadership development program. Quantitative data and analysis revealed that significant changes had resulted from the program. Qualitative data collected after the conclusion of the program revealed how program participants became further involved in their communcties in a variety of ways and on several local issues. The need for evaluation of community leadership development programs to document community impacts is then discussed
Performance Data
Authors: Henry Gary T. , McMillan James H.
Published: March 2007

Performance data need a context to meaningfully interpret the data. One method of providing contextfor an individual unit's performance is to compare it with other similar units. This study compares three methods for selecting similar units: cluster groupings, index groups, and benchmark groups. Each of the three methods is evaluated on a number of criteria, primarily the minimization of within-group variance. Benchmark groups are the best at reducing the variation within the selected groups, and they resist attempts to "label" the groupings. Cluster groups are a close second to benchmarks in the minimization of variability within groups and are considerably easier to compute and administer. However, clustering allows labeling that could stigmatize the groups and threshold effects that might influence judgments about performance. Index groups, while simple, do not perform well on any of the other criteria.
Panel Accretion and External Validity in Adolescent Substance Use Research
Authors: Tebes Jacob Kraemer , Snow David L. , Ayers Tim S. , Arthur Michael W.
Published: March 2007

This study investigates the relationship of panel accretion to panel attrition and examines its impact on threats to external validity in adolescent substance use research. Panel accretion involves the addition of new participants to a panel design after initial baseline data has been obtained. Accretion occurs in longitudinal studies in which data is routinely gathered on all participants, as is often the case in prevention or epidemiological research on adolescent substance use. Accretion, attrition, and panel findings for three, 2-year panel samples in grades 7 through 9 are examined. The results indicate that accretion and attrition samples have an isomorphic relationship to one another on a range of dependent measures when drawn from the same population. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for adolescent substance use research, the examination of validity threats due to panel bias, and understanding the ecological validity of research findings.
The Irrelevance of Evidence in the Development of School-Based Drug Prevention Policy, 1986-1996
Authors: Gorman D.M.
Published: March 2007

This article examines developments in school-based drug prevention policy and programming since the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. Using data from national surveys and evaluations of school-based programs, it argues, first, that there was really no need for a massive infusion of money into school-based drug prevention in the late 1980s, and, second, that there was little or no evidence to indicate that a "new generation" of effective programs, based on the so-called social influence model, was emerging at this time. Despite the infusion ofresources into school- based prevention efforts, adolescent drug use has risen in recent years. Moreover, evaluations continue to show that the effectiveness of social influence programs is very much in the eye of the beholder. Fundamental questions need to be asked of school-based drug prevention—just as they should be asked of other key components of our current drug control policy.
Meaningful Nursing Research
Authors: Kroeker Kerry A.
Published: March 2007

Dr. Fawcett’s editorial (Western Journal of Nursing Research, August 2000), staunchly criticizes research journals and researchers for their lack of attentiveness to nursing discipline-specific knowledge. She suggests that this lack of attentiveness posits nursing for extinction; in doing so, she raises fundamental questions about the relationship between nursing and nursing science. Despite a plethora of nursing literature, professional nursing remains an intangible concept for many nurses. The author addresses this issue from the perspective of her sense of self as a nurse.
A Measure of Perceived Environmental Uncertainty in Hospitals
Authors: Allred Charlene A. , Hoffman Sharon E. , Fox Dorothy H. , Michel Yvonne
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preliminary psychometric properties of the Perceived Environmental Uncertainty Questionnaire (PEUQ). Environmental uncertainty (EU) refers to times when within the organization unanticipated events and problems occur withfrequency and cannot be predicted by members of the organization due to a lack of critical information. The PEUQ was designed as a measure of EU and was tested with 375 patient-care and nonpatient-care hospital employees. Internal consistency as measured by Cronbach 's alpha was .81. Confirmatory factor analysis supported two of the PEUQ 's hypothesized three factors: state and effect EU. These twofactors accountedfor 61. 1% of the variance in subjects 'level of uncertainty. Factor analysis failed to confirm response uncertainty as a subconstruct of EU. Contrasted group analysis found expected differences in the level of perceived EU between workers on different hospital units (t = -5.02, p < .001). This study provides evidence of the PEUQ s beginning reliability and validity as a measure of EU. Failure to identify response uncertainty as a salient subconstruct of EUwarrantsfurther exploration. The design of nursing care delivery structures (NCDS) to minimize EUfirst requires a means to measure hospital units' EU. The establishment of the PEUQ's psychometric soundness is antecedent to measuring EU and improving the efficacy of our NCDS.
The Use of the Diary as a Data Collection Technique
Authors: Ross Margaret M. , Rideout Elizabeth M. , Carson Mary M.
Published: March 2007

The initiation of a research project requires many decisions, not the least of which is the selection of a method for data collection. This decision is, in large measure, guided by the nature of the research question which generally prescribes the selection of a strategy for data collection from among an array of possible alternatives. This article addresses the use of a diary for data collection. Although diaries have traditionally been used in social science and health research, their use in nursing research is more recent. The article begins with a brief discussion of the rationale for using the diary to gather data in a study of personal and professional care giving. A brief review of the use of diaries in previous studies follows, along with a description of the use of a diary in the caregiving study and a discussion of the possible threats to high quality data as well as measures used to ensure the collection of high quality data The article concludes with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the diary andmakes recommendations regarding its use in nursing research.
A Descriptive Study of Nurse Managers and Leadership
Authors: Manfredi Claire M.
Published: March 2007

This descriptive study was designed to examine the leadership activities of nurse managers. Through the use of an open-ended questionnaire, 42 nurse managers were asked to describe how they operationalized seven leadership concepts identified through a literature search: goals, change, influence, power, growth, mentoring, and vision. Findings indicate that the leadership activities described by the nurse managers were congruent with the descriptions in the leadership literature. Given the complex nature of the role of the nurse manager, leadership skills are essential for survival.
Decisions to Have a Baby by HIV-Infected Women
Authors: Sowell Richard L. , Misener Terry R.
Published: March 2007

As the epidemiologic picture of HIV changes to include increased numbers of women of childbearing age, particularly those of African American heritage and thosefrom rural southern cultures, those who provide services to these women need to understand the processes used by HIV-infected women to make reproductive decisions. Focus-group data with subsequent content analysis were used to discover themes surrounding pregnancy decisions among 22 women in two predominantly rural southeastern states. The results both validated and amplified previous findings and added new perspectives. The analyses revealed six overarching themes: spiritual and religious beliefs, knowledge and beliefs about HIV: previous experience with childbearing attitudes offamilies and sex partners, personal health, and intrapersonal motivation to have a baby.
Social Support and Network Conflict in Firefighters and Paramedics1
Authors: Beaton Randal D. , Murphy Shirley A. , Pike Kenneth C. , Corneil Wayne
Published: March 2007

The relationship(s) between self-rated social support network conflict (both at work and off-work) and self-report measures of occupational stressors, job satisfaction, and health outcomes were examined in samples of currently employed professionalfirefighters (n = 1, 730) and paramedics (n = 253). In both samples, perceived social support and network conflict at work were more strongly correlated with job satisfaction and work morale, as well as a measure of their appraised occupational stressors, than with their comparable home (off-work) satisfaction/conflict ratings. The path analysis generated suggested that, with only one exception, social support and relational conflict in the combined respondent sample could be conceptualized as direct sources of stress influencing the respondents' appraisal of their occupational stressors. The path model further suggested thatfirefighter/paramedics' appraisal of their occupational stressors mediated the network variables' influences on self-reported job dissatisfaction and stress symptom health outcome measures.
Evaluation of Two Nondieting Interventions for Obese Women
Authors: Ciliska Donna
Published: March 2007

A randomized trial was conducted to see if there could be effective alternatives to dieting for obese women. It compared a 12-week (I h/week) education intervention, a 12-week (2 h/week) psychoeducational intervention, and a control group on self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and restrained eating of obese women. Secondary variables of interest were social adjustment, symptoms of depression, scores on bulimia, and drive for thinness, weight, and blood pressure. Complete data were available at pre- and posttest time for 78 women. A MANCOVA indicated that the psychoeducation group improved over the control group on self-esteem, restraint, and body dissatisfaction. The education group did not differ statistically from the control group at posttest. Means of weight and blood pressure did not change. A nondieting approach can be beneficial to the emotional health of obese women without changing weight and blood pressure risk factors for other morbidity.
Measuring the Intervention in Effectiveness Research
Authors: Sidani Souraya
Published: March 2007

Inconsistent implementation of the intervention in thefield setting presents a threat to the validity of the conclusions of an effectiveness study. Inconsistent implementation results in variability in the actual dosage of the intervention received by the participants, which leads to variability in outcomes achievement and, consequently, to Type II error. This article discusses the methodological implications of inconsistent intervention implementation and advances a strategy as a solution to this problem. The strategy proposes to quantify the dosage of the intervention as a continuous variable and to use this variable in the statistical analysis. The benefits of this strategy are illustrated with an empirical example from the Self-Help Intervention Project.
Actual and Ideal Professional Support for African American Family Members
Authors: Waters Catherine M.
Published: March 2007

The purposes of this study were to describe and compare, specifically, African American family members of critically ill adults'perceptions of the professional support they would like (ideal) to receive with the professional support they received (actual)from critical care nurses. The Professional Support Questionnairefor Critical Care Nurses Working With Family Members (PSQ) was administered by mail or telephone to 36 African American family members. The PSQ consists of three domains of support-information, comfort, and assurance. Paired t-test analyses indicated there were differences between the descriptions of professional nursing support expected (ideal) byfamily members and the professional support provided (actual) bycriticalcare nurses. Although there was not an absence of professional nursing support, the degree andfrequency to which African American family members wanted nurses to support them were not comparable to the support that nurses provided them.
The Emergence, Transformation, and Disintegration of Alternative Radio in Taiwan: From Underground Radio to Community Radio
Authors: Ke Shun-Chih
Published: March 2007

This article draws on the various perspectives of alternative radio and provides an example of how an alternative radio section emerges from a society (in this case, Taiwan) and the impact it has. This article uses four underground community radio stations as a case study to explore the emergence of alternative radio and to examine the processes of its transformation and disintegration. The original empirical research reported in this article is mainly based on the fieldwork data collected by a variety of methods between June and August 1998. It examines the aims, organization, financing and the outputs of radio stations; eventually, the case is made that the factors that cause the transformation of alternative radio are the intervention of the state, the invasion of economic market from outside, and the lack of community identity from within.
Joining Their Betters Rather than Their Own: The Modern/Postmodern Rhetoric of Jewish Fundamentalist Preachers
Authors: Bekerman Zvi , Neuman Yair
Published: March 2007

Although fundamentalism would like to portray itself as devoted to the monologic voice of past tradition, it is the modern-laden rhetoric that reconstructs its traditional image, and through this stance constitutes its identity. In this study, while analyzing speeches of ultra-orthodox Jewish preachers, the authors present the dialogical notion of fundamentalism. More specifically, the article aims to show that although the fundamentalist preachers portray themselves as embedded in a fixed cherished past, it is the modern/postmodern dialogue that constitutes their identity.
From Yellow Peril through Model Minority to Renewed Yellow Peril
Authors: Shim Doobo
Published: March 2007

This study is a historical analysis of Asian American portrayals in entertainment media and a contextualization of their meaning in society. The general nature of Asian stereotypes and the racial formation projected in those stereotypes are examined. With knowledge of this history, the recent renewed propensity to depict Asians as “illegalists” will be understood more clearly.
The Interpretive Community and Reform: Public Journalism Plays Out in North Carolina
Authors: Brewin Mark
Published: March 2007

This article is an analysis of news reports and opinion pieces written about the news consortium that covered the 1996 senatorial and state governor races in North Carolina. The author argues that although critics and supporters of the consortium disagreed about whether it resulted in good or bad journalism, they agreed on a more fundamental understanding as to how a free press works in a modern democracy. The analysis suggests that an overreliance on traditional models of both journalism and communication more generally caused confusion in the North Carolina case among public journalism's defenders. If the assumptions of communication inherent in these models remain unexamined, the changes that public journalism reforms produce within the American journalistic community will probably be quite limited.
Beyond “Separate Spheres”: Feminism and the Cultural Studies/Political Economy Debate
Authors: McLaughlin Lisa
Published: March 2007

When scholars debate the theoretical, methodological, and political differences between cultural studies and political economy through allusions to feminist sites of conflict such as “separate spheres” and “the unhappy marriage,” this is also indicative of the scholarly population inhabiting each approach, with the greater number of Western feminists pursuing cultural studies and neglecting political economy. In recognizing the feminist influence in the development of cultural studies, it is also important to acknowledge that this implicates feminism in an approach that often overcompensates for traditional Marxism's determinism and neglect of cultural experience by ignoring the structural constraints imposed by political and economic realities. This article traces the developments between feminism and Marxism and cultural studies and political economy, suggesting that the answer to the problem of separate spheres is not to populate one sphere at the expense of the other. Rather, what is needed is a feminist political economy that reconciles the insights of “the politics of representing the Other” with a much-needed material dimension that only a political economy approach can provide.
Racism and the discipline of social policy: a critique of welfare theory
Authors: Williams Fiona
Published: March 2007

Most social policy texts make only marginal, if any, reference to racism in the welfare state, or the experiences and struggles of Black people. Welf are theory likewise has failed to take account of major theoretical work on 'race' and class. Full acknowledgement of these issues is not only essential to any pro gressive welfare strategy but also poses major challenges to existing welfare thinking. These challenges are explored here and a tentative framework of analysis is offered for understanding the historical and contemporary relationship between "race', racism and the welfare state.
Marginality, youth and government policy in the 1980s
Authors: Chapman Tom , Cook Juliet
Published: March 2007

The concept of marginality is increasingly used in the field of social policy, albeit often without a great deal of further clarification. It is argued here that the anti-egalitarian tendencies which underpin the welfare ideology of the New Right inevitably lead to an amplification of feelings of stigmatisa tion and exclusion as particular groups become detached from mainstream consumer society. Some of the theoretical dimensions of marginality are outlined, and are examined in the context of recent policy developments which affect one particular social group, namely young people. The publicly stated claims for work experience schemes and board and lodg ings regulations are examined in relation to the evidence of their red ef fects. The evidence indicates that both policies have distinct marginalising tendencies. Finally, it is posited that unless a radical shift takes place in political ideology, the concept of marginalisation is likely to become a per manent fixture in the lexicon of academic social policy.
The concept of social exclusion and the new Durkheimian hegemony
Authors: Levitas Ruth
Published: March 2007

This article argues that the concept of social exclusion, which was orig inally developed to describe the manifold consequences of poverty and inequality, has become embedded as a crucial element within a new hegemonic discourse. Within this discourse, terms such as social co hesion and solidarity abound, and social exclusion is contrasted not with inclusion but with integration, construed as integration into the labour market. The paper analyses the operation of this discourse in recent pol icy documents from the European Union and the Borrie Report, as well as in the work of Will Hutton. The discourse is described as fundamen tally Durkheimian because it treats social divisions which are endemic to capitalism as resulting from an abnormal breakdown in the social co hesion which should be maintained by the division of labour. The article argues that, within this discourse, the concept of social exclusion oper ates both to devalue unpaid work and to obscure the inequalities between paid workers, as well as to obscure the fundamental social division be tween the property-owning class and the rest of society.
Gender, poverty and empowerment
Authors: Andersen John , Larsen Jørgen Elm
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the 'feminization of poverty' and the hypothesis that women in Danish society are at greater risk of experiencing relative poverty (lack of resources) than men, while social disintegration and dis empowerment—social exclusion—are increasingly problems for men. On the social and personal level, women are often more capable than men of developing new life strategies, and women have created a number of 'empowerment bases' in the Danish welfare state, for example, daytime folk high schools and local social experimental projects.
Vocabularies of citizenship and gender: the Netherlands
Authors: Bussemaker Jet
Published: March 2007

This article explores Dutch history and current political and academic debates in relation to citizenship and gender. It notes a change in the citizenship discourse from communitarian citizenship virtues in the 1950s via citizenship rights in the 1980s to labour market participation as a condition of citizenship in the 1990s. The latter period also sees a flirtation by academics and some politicians with civic republicanism, emphasizing the importance of political participation. In this debate, however, the issue of the low participation of women in decision-making organizations and processes is usually not addressed. Recently, a return to a communitarian discourse can be noted with the question of social cohesion as its central focus.
Self-Representation
Authors: Bangerter Adrian
Published: March 2007

One way of implementing self-presentational goals in conversation can be termed self-representation (SR); that is, explicitly referring to attributes, actions, or qualities of the self. SR is studied as a form of self-disclosure. Studying spontaneous SR in natural discourse implies analyzing how the self is introduced into talk previously focused on another topic. Descriptive analyses of cases from the present corpus focus on describing SR sequences and explaining them according to the interactional circumstances of their production. Three forms are discussed: (a) elicited SR, where predetermined questions on the interview agenda lead to more talk about oneself; (b) emergent SR, which is a response to an unforeseen conversational situation; and (c) strategic SR, where self-talk can be attributed to a conversational goal on the part of the narrator. Discussion focuses on the nature of SR as a sensitive topic and related implications of the data for interview methodology.
The Power-Emotion Relationship in Discourse
Authors: Thimm Caja , Kruse Lenelis
Published: March 2007

This study examined the verbal production of spontaneous expressions of emotional states, and focused on differences in verbal behavior for subjects holding different hypotheses about the status of their interactional partner. Structured telephone interviews of 41 female students about their studies in psychology were conducted by a male stooge, who was represented either as a fellow first-year student or as a professor. Results revealed significant differences between conditions, particularly with respect to the amount, type, and placement of emotional expressions, as well as differences in the use of markers of social power. Less self-disclosing topics were more typical of the unequal status situation, whereas in the equal status condition there was more metacommunication, student talk, personal topics, and direct and indirect signals of affective states. These results indicate that students regard their emotional input as an important part of their interactions with equal-status partners.
Mapping the Range of Information Contained in the Iconic Hand Gestures that Accompany Spontaneous Speech
Authors: Beattie Geoffrey , Shovelton Heather
Published: March 2007

This study tested McNeill’s theory that the iconic gestures that accompany speech in everyday talk convey critical information in interpersonal communication. Using a structured interview to measure the amount of information respondents receive from clause-length clips depicting aspects of a cartoon story, we discovered that when respondents could see the iconic gestures as well as hear the speech they received significantly more accurate information about those aspects of the original story depicted in the clips than when they just heard the speech. We also discovered that it was only with respect to certain semantic categories, namely, the relative position and the size of objects, that the beneficial effect of gestural communication was significant. We then considered in detail how specific attributes of actions and of objects are communicated via the iconic representation within individual gestures. Lastly, we discuss the implications of these findings for models of human communication in this area.
The Child's Voice in School Choice
Authors: Carroll Steven , Walford Geoffrey
Published: March 2007

This article reports upon a study based upon a series of interviews with parents drawn from contrasting socio-economic areas which attempts to explore the diversity of roles which children are seen to play in the process of choosing a secondary school. The authors found considerable variation in the level of engagement with the choice process, with some families actively `playing the market', while others were relatively passive. While the child's voice was more likely to be heard when the family had a `passive' relationship with the market, the relationship between parent and child was found not to be a straightforward one and reflected, at most, only partially the differing social and cultural constructions of the concept of choice between the two socio-economic groups. As such the article challenges a number of received wisdoms which have become entrenched in recent times.
Foucism, Marxory & Histault: A Critical Appraisal of Poster's Foucault, Marxism and History: Mode of Production versus Mode of Information
Authors: O'Brien Martin
Published: March 2007

The application of a `Foucaultism' to contemporary critical analysis is by no means an easy task and Poster's book contains many valuable insights into the functioning of Foucault's work — particularly as it relates to modern Marxisms — within critical theory. Yet there remain a number of important themes which Poster appears merely to gloss over (eg, the precise nature of `historicity', the relation between the dialectic and reason, etc) providing no solution to the dilemmas thrown up by grounded theory attempting to work within the field of a discursive analysis. The aim of this paper is to shed some light on the particular nature of `history' as it appears in Marx and in Foucault and to indicate some of the main characteristics of Foucault's analytical tools. The logic of the paper follows the logic of Poster's book, dealing with Marx first, Foucault second, and closes with an examination of some analytical implications of adopting a discursive/genealogical approach to the study of contemporary social phenomena.
On the Sociology of the Family
Authors: Simmel Georg
Published: March 2007

In this 1895 article on the sociology of the family, Simmel locates the study of the family within contemporary sociology. Utilizing current ethnographic material, Simmel seeks to counter simple evolutionary assumptions about the development of the family, in favour of recognition of the variety of its early forms. Arguing that the family emerged from the relation between mother and child, Simmel examines the relationships between private property and monogamy as well as other economic aspects of the family and the position of women.
Zygmunt Bauman
Authors: Smith Dennis
Published: March 2007

Zygmunt Bauman has used his `outsider' position to explore the defining boundaries of our world and help shape a discourse which allows communication across these boundaries. In this spirit he has investigated: sociology and culture; capitalism, socialism and class; and modernity and postmodernity. Bauman has argued for an emancipatory sociology which takes full account of what ought and ought not to be, what human beings hope for and fear, and the need to give people intellectual tools to make use of their freedom. Applying the strategy of the `hermeneutic circle', he has examined capitalist and socialist regimes from a range of vantage points. He has also identified the challenges we all now face as inhabitants of the half-ruined structures created by modernity's failed ambitions. Bauman has confronted these challenges in the last decade by focusing on the evils of modern bureaucracy as epitomized by the Holocaust, the inescapability of each individual's responsibility for his or her own moral choices, and the potential for an open and self-critical dialogue between sociologists and their fellow citizens.
Community and Economy
Authors: Adkins Lisa
Published: March 2007

In recent social theory, there has been an emphasis on the emergence of non-market, non-cash nexus or what are sometimes referred to as `traditional' forms of organization in the economic sphere. These are sometimes represented as vital to innovation and as constituting the cutting edge of socioeconomic change. In this article, my concern is to interrogate these new modes of organization. Its main argument is that such traditional forms may go hand in hand with a retraditionalization of gender in terms of employment. The innovation and creativity associated with such new economic formations is therefore called into question.
Pure Fiction: An Infallible Guide To Meeting National Standards 2
Authors: Bale David
Published: March 2007

In the second of three satirical episodes (Performing, Storming and Re-norming), David Bale describes how all the other members of his 'super-team' eventually came to terms with and then embraced the Home Office's enforcement decree.
"Bedfordshire"
Authors: Dawtry Frank
Published: March 2007

[ Considerable interest has been aroused by what has come to be known as the " Bedfordshire Case" and the following notes summarise the situation]
On What Grounds?
Authors: Pinder Richard
Published: March 2007

In the December 1981 edition we printed an article on 'Young Rastafarians and the Probation Service'. The authors drew attention to the extent of changes in understanding and practice which were needed if the Service was to be seen as other than irrelevant or hostile to young blacks.

Here, we publish an account of unorthodox work by one probation officer, who has been struggling to negotiate the establishment of practice, acceptable to his black clients and his employers.
Trouble Through Drink: A probation response to drink related offenders
Authors: Goodman Paul , Scott John
Published: March 2007

The association of drinking with offending is one familiar to probation officers. Agencies and organisations in the area of alcohol abuse have been critical of the lack of a positive approach by POs to assisting offenders with drink problems. Here the authors outline the philosophy and practice of a structured approach to dealing with such offenders.
Re-Thinking 'Sentenced to Social Work?'
Authors: Blake Barbara , Godson David
Published: March 2007

Responding to recent criticism of 'Sentenced to Social Work?' the authors review the arguments for and against non- treatment models of probation practice and conclude that these can be developed to promote fairness, consistency and self-determination without sacrificing social work help itself.