Death counseling and human development: issues and intricacies

Death counseling as a specialized service appeared in the 20th century in response to new needs for assistance with death-related crises and transitions. Significant experiences with death and dying can be viewed as maturational crises through which people learn to cope with themselves during adversity and change. Because these experiences have a significant impact on developmental tasks in childhood and adult life, the death counselor needs to be knowledgeable about human development across the lifespan and sensitive to the problems of communication across differences in age, sex, culture, and cohort experiences. Knowledge about the impact of different death-related experiences on individuals, families, and providers is also essential for understanding the disruptive effects of these events on persons and groups. Yet helping others by death counseling requires more than knowledge alone. It must be based on goals reflecting the integrity of those involved.     

Effects of argumentation on group micro-creativity: Statistical discourse analyses of algebra students’ collaborative problem solving

The micro-time context of group processes (such as argumentation) can affect a group’s micro-creativity (new ideas). Eighty high school students worked in groups of four on an algebra problem. Groups with higher mathematics grades showed greater micro-creativity, and both were linked to better problem solving outcomes. Dynamic multilevel analyses of the groups’ 2951 turns of conversation statistically yielded 53 watersheds (breakpoints) that separated 36 high micro-creativity time periods from 37 low ones. Group member actions within the last two speaker turns also influenced micro-creativity. Compared to agreements, recent disagreements yielded 11% greater micro-creativity. Students who behaved rudely (rude disagreements, commands) showed less micro-creativity (−15% and −9%) than those who behaved politely (polite disagreements, questions/statements). In a special case, after a wrong idea, rude rather than polite disagreements raised groupmates’ micro-creativity (+60%). Teachers might encourage students to evaluate ideas carefully, speak politely, and avoid impulsive responses to rude behaviors.     

Belief correlates of perceived addiction in young smokers

Results from a survey of smoking prevalence and smoking beliefs among 10,579 pupils from 10 co-educational comprehensive schools from the Bristol conurbation suggest that there is more to adolescent smoking than a vulnerability to peer group pressure. Those adolescents who saw themselves as more addicted, those who anticipate more difficulty in stopping and/or reported more craving for cigarettes had more «external control» beliefs about their health, emphasized to a greater extent intrinsic enjoyment and the calming effect of smoking and rejected ideas that smoking by young people is motivated by the desire to look grown up or feel important. Young smokers appear to attribute their behaviour to the intrinsic benefits of smoking itself rather than to external pressure or to the desire to conform to peer group norms. The implications of these findings for health education programmes are discussed.     

多例猪流感未见发热症状

许多猪流感患者,即便病情严重,但也没有发热症状,新病毒的这一奇怪特性可能会增加控制疫情的难度。美国前沿流行病专家上周于墨西哥检查了若干病例后如是说。发热是流感的显著特征,通常是发病时体温骤升至华氏104°（合摄氏40°）。由于许多传染病专家将发热视为流感最重要的症状,有无发热症状是检查病人的关键。     

National or global: The mutable concepts of identity and home for international school students

This article examines a selection of responses about identity and belonging among students in an international school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who must often move from one continent to another because of the nature of their parents?? work. A review of the literature highlights some of the issues these students face within an international school community, including social, psychological, and academic difficulties. The students were interviewed about their nationalities, their sense of belonging, and their thoughts about the future. Their responses were video-recorded and analyzed by thematic groupings. Initial findings indicate three distinct groups of students: those who know exactly which country they come from, those who are not sure, and those who feel an attachment to a global rather than a national identity.     

‘There are lots of different kinds of normal’: families and sex education – styles,approaches and concerns

This paper reports on qualitative research with Australian parents concerning their attitudes to sexuality and relationships education, both at home and in school. A wide range of values and attitudes were represented among parents in this study. Regardless of the varying approaches parents used, all participants expressed a desire for their children to be well informed about sex, sexual health and relationships, yet many felt inadequate to the task of providing high-quality sex education to their children. Some participants blamed this lack of confidence on their own limited education about sexuality. Their main concern was to ensure that their children are safe and that when they do become sexually active their experiences of sex are positive. Most participants saw sex education as primarily their responsibility, with school sex education as an important adjunct. They wanted to be well informed about the timing and content of school programmes for their children, and to be assured that those educators who will be teaching their children about sexual health have the skills and qualifications to do their job well, while remaining sensitive to the diversity of values among students and their families. While most parents who participated in the research supported sexuality education in schools, they did so with reservations. In particular, they wanted schools to take an active role in communicating with them about the content of sexuality education programmes and be open to meeting with those parents who expressed concerns.     

Historical overview of inpatient care of mental patients who are deaf

A review of published studies of deaf mentally ill inpatients is reported. While there are conflicts in the findings of some of the studies, several generalizations seem fairly universal across countries and time periods. For example, the data indicate a greater overall prevalence of mental illness in the deaf population than in the general population as a whole, based on the relative number of each group who are patients in psychiatric hospitals. In general, deaf patients have longer hospital stays. Characteristics symptoms leading to hospitalization of deaf people tend to be different from those of hearing patients. It was thought by most investigators that restriction of sign language use in schools was one reason for these differences. For both hearing and deaf inpatients, dual diagnosis (mental illness and substance abuse) is far more common today than in years past. All investigators found frequent misdiagnoses among deaf patients. The paucity of research on deaf inpatients over the last 2 decades is noted.     

Where have they gone? Issues in transition and progression for special school leavers

This paper reports on semi-structured interviews with 76 former special school students now aged between 16 and 25. These young people were 'disadvantaged' rather than 'disabled' and many were experiencing 'fractured' transitions from school. Although they were more positive about their schools than similarly disadvantaged peers who had attended mainstream provision, they nonetheless raised concerns about the quality and usefulness of their experiences. On leaving school they had, in many cases, moved from one unsatisfactory activity to another, without any obvious signs of progression. They displayed a high level of purposefulness but lacked personal and social resources to support their progression within somewhat unsupportive structures. The paper argues that an exclusive focus on transition from school is inadequate and that young people may need support well after this point, possibly from the Connexions service. It also suggests that the notion of 'resilience' may have more to offer than traditional special education discourses.     

To risk or not to risk it: student (non‐)engagement with seen examination questions

This case study explores students’ perceptions of seen examination questions about topics not covered by the formal curriculum of a final‐year economics module and of the associated group support sessions. Eight semi‐structured interviews with a total of 13 students were analysed. Contrary to expectations, learners taking a strategic approach to the module were not attracted by the seen questions. The uncertainty of an unfamiliar assessment format and the prospect of undertaking independent research and group work were perceived as involving more risks than the familiar unseen examination. Take‐up for the seen examination questions was low, and the students who did not answer a seen question tended to make workload considerations as well as concerns about group work for assessment purposes responsible for their decision. Despite not participating in the group support sessions, a few students researched the seen question in conjunction with trusted fellow students or on their own. The students who answered a seen question enjoyed the autonomy which the seen exam questions provided, while other students were critical of the way in which their autonomy might be externally controlled. The study provides insight into the impact of assessment on risk taking and students’ perception of risk associated with this type of assessment.     

EMDR在印度

2001年1月印度地震后,40名经过培训的EMDR治疗师援助了1600多人。儿童与成人均出现了PTSD的症状,但未发现人格解体症状。通过分析儿童的画可了解创伤对他们的影响,创伤越严重、丧失越多,个体的情绪就起伏越大,在那些较完整的较大的居民区,存在进一步被毁的威胁,在他们中间不安全感高于那些受破坏较大的地区。     

Drawing a computer scientist: stereotypical representations or lack of awareness?

ABSTRACT

Stereotypes people hold about computer scientists contribute to underrepresentation in computer science. Perceptions of computer scientists have historically been linked to males and a “nerd” culture, which can lead to lack of interest, particularly for girls. This article presents two studies conducted with two groups of middle schoolers: those who attended our programming camp (Study One) and those who did not (Study Two). After analyzing participants’ drawings and two survey questions we found that perceptions youth holds about computer scientists may be improving. Additionally, we found that males (versus females) and those youth who did not attend our camp (versus those who did) tended to have more stereotypical perceptions of computer scientists. With this article, we contribute to the literature on CS stereotypes by examining both positive and negative representations youth had about computer scientists. We also cast light on the lack of awareness about this profession among the youth of this age.     

Violence in schools and representations of young people: a critique of government policies in France and England

This paper examines media discourses in France and in Britain relating to young people, violence and disaffection in schools, setting these within the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which emphasises young people’s participation rights. It analyses policy initiatives developed since 1997 in each country to address concerns about young people, disaffection and violence, examining these in the light of research evidence. It considers how public policies are variously shaped by research findings and by media representations. In France, attempts to reduce violence in schools have been accompanied by recognition that schools structurally produce disaffection and violence. In England there has been a shift in policy discourses. In 1997 the primary emphasis was social inclusion, but greater weight has since been given to the need to combat crime. (Male) youth disaffection is linked to crime. Policies addressing standards and achievement have been prioritised over policies to combat social exclusion. In both countries researchers and the media give particular attention to urban communities where minority ethnic communities live. Individual schools are labelled as failing and large numbers of young people are excluded or marginalised. In both countries minority ethnic students are over‐represented among those formally excluded from mainstream education and in the least popular, most stigmatised, schools and classes. Violence and disadvantage are effectively institutionalised. Discourses in each country are racialised and disaffection is associated with minorities. Yet both countries offer universalist rather than targeted policy responses. Opportunities for student participation in school decision‐making are limited.     

生命因结束而走向永生——试论司马迁笔下舍生择死者群像的审美意蕴

从<史记>的著史宗旨等角度对司马迁笔下部分不合常情的舍生择死者形象进行了艺术上合理化的探讨,认为不能拘泥于人之常情与历史细节的真实而应该从艺术赏析角度理解司马迁对他们的塑造,并分析了这类人物形象与司马迁内在意识的关系及其客观呈现的精神意蕴.     

AN INTERVENTION TO REDUCE FEAR OF FALLING AND ENHANCE ACTIVITY: WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO BENEFIT?

The reasons for sources of inactivity among older adults can be both physical and psychological. Fear of falling is a common psychological source of restricted activity. The efficacy of a group intervention to reduce fear of falling and associated activity restriction was established in a randomized controlled trial by the authors and their colleagues. The objective of this analysis was to investigate who was most likely to benefit from this intervention. Data from baseline and 12-month follow-up were used to identify predictors in change of two targeted attitudes - fear of falling and ability to manage falls - that were considered to precede change in activity level. The predictors of the two outcomes were similar. Subjects who reported less physical and social dysfunction, more concerns about falling, and greater self-efficacy in doing something about their concerns were most likely to benefit from the intervention. Men were more likely than women to achieve greater ability to manage falls. These findings can be used to target the intervention to persons in greatest need or to modify the intervention to better meet the needs of others.     

美国死亡教育发展概况

死亡教育(Death Education)是探讨与死亡相关主题的教育活动。在美国,从上个世纪50年代就开始正式兴起,最初是在大学中开设相关课程,并逐渐由大学扩展到中小学,由学校而进入社会。目前,已成立了多种相关的学术机构,各种普及性书籍、期刊、音像制品也大量发行。死亡教育在美国已经进入稳定发展阶段。本文着重介绍美国死亡教育的发展简史以及死亡教育的重要性、目标、内容、实施等内容。希望这些内容可以引起我国教育界对死亡教育的重视。     

Student evaluation of instruction: What can be learned from students’ written comments?

Extensive research has been done on student ratings of instruction on closed-ended questionnaires, but little research has examined students’ written responses to open-ended questions. This study investigated the written comments of students in 198 classes, focusing on their frequency, content, direction, and consistency with quantitative ratings on closed-ended items. Results indicated that about 45% of the students wrote comments. Comments were more often positive than negative and tended to be general rather than specific. Written comments addressed dimensions similar to those identified in the closed-ended items, but they also related to unique aspects of the courses as well.     

文化学习与幼儿教育

幼儿应该学什么?什么时候开始学?如何才能学得好?我怎样才能知道我已经回答了上述三个问题?第一个问题主要是关于课程的目标与目的,第二个问题是关于如何看待儿童长远发展问题,第三个问题是关于如何贯彻课程计划,第四个问题是关于评估。这四个问题是所有打算制定幼儿教育课程的人必须回答的。本文对这四个问题作了初步讨论。     

When a Culture Takes a Trip: Evidence of Heritage and Enculturation in Early Conceptions of Art

This study in social cognition has been focused on exploration of ways in which cultural contexts shape formation of knowledge about art in early childhood years. Focusing of the connotative rather than denotative meanings of the term art, this study was designed to examine how this concept functions in a variety of cultural contexts. The method of structured interviews was used to elicit answers of four- and five-year-old children in Canada, France, and Taiwan to questions regarding the nature of art and its salient characteristics. In particular, this study addressed questions about portability of culture and the effects of heritage and enculturation in the formation of social knowledge among individuals whose cultural identity is negotiated in the context of a ‘transplanted’ culture. Responses of francophone children in the Canadian province of Quebec were contrasted with those of their French counterparts, as well as their Canadian peers from European ancestry other than French living in the province of British Columbia. Similarly, responses of interviewees in Taiwan, ROC were compared to the reported beliefs about art of young Chinese-Canadians. The results of this study bring support to the theory of modified cultural pluralism that emphasizes the interplay between the original cultural beliefs and values and those prevalent in the societies that become new home for a transplanted culture. Implications of the study findings to art education are discussed. Research reported in this paper has been supported by a grant from the Social Studies and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the France-Canada Accord.