Counselling the retrenched workers in Nigeria

Worker retrenchment on a massive scale was introduced in Nigeria by the Military Government a few months after the overthrow of the civilian regime at the close of 1983. It was regarded as one of the short term measures to resuscitate the depressed economy through the reduction of overhead costs. Paradoxically, mass retrenchment of workers has brought about devastating side effects such as an insidious inflammation of psychosocial problems that call for psychotherapeutic activities by counsellors.The retrenchment effect has been most experienced by ethmic minorities, the poor and less educated Nigerians. A sample of 500 retrenched workers has revealed a variety of devastating psychosocial effects such as deteriorating self-esteem, general irritability, stomach ulcers, a tendency to commit crimes, high blood pressure and heart diseases, financial emaciation and depression. Counselling strategies such as vocational counselling, rational counselling and educational counselling for minorities have been recommended.Paper presented at IRTAC 1985, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands, July 15–19, 1985.     

Working Towards Building Cultures of Peace: A Primer for Students and New Professionals

As the counseling profession moves into the 21st century, counselors and psychologists are increasingly expanding their roles in the reduction of violence across settings. For students and new professionals, this new horizon of needs and opportunities can create some role confusion as traditional direct service functions of individual and group therapy are evolving into indirect services that focus on broader interventions to help create peace. This article seeks to contribute a foundational guide for readers interested in peace psychology. The article provides a brief overview of the peace psychology movement, current trends, and informational sources. It reflects on factors that influence the decision to get involved and provides possible ways to participate in social action, as well as citing a personal example of how one student got involved in building cultures of peace within an international setting.     

On Defining and Developing Literacy across Communities

The paper attempts to raise a few issues relating to the task of defining and operationalizing literacy and literacy development across communities with diverse socio-economic profiles. In particular, the following concerns are raised: (1) Can literacy development be assessed using one set of domains, given that the domains of literacy practices vary across cultures? (2) Does the acquisition of literacy skills mean the same thing to people across different communities? (3) Does illiteracy have the same consequences for people in different communities? (4) Is the process of literacy acquisition and development the same across diverse communities? The paper underscores the importance of considering the diverse socio-economic patterns in different communities in trying to determine present levels of literacy development and in proposing programs to increase levels of literacy skill. It also proposes using the level of community (in addition to the macro-level of nation-state and the micro-level of individual) in analyzing matters relating to literacy development.     

“Don’t give up on me”: critical mentoring pedagogy for the classroom building students’ community cultural wealth

This one-year ethnographic case study focused on students of color from a West Coast High School who faced a variety of academic challenges. Collectively, they shared perspectives on school improvement, and among the recommendations was the importance of mentorship in the classroom to develop students’ aspirational, navigational, and informational capital for academic resiliency, high expectations, and success. This article highlights the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, such as students and teachers, on the qualities of mentorship practices. Using these data, a framework was developed to promote mentoring as an interrelated process in classroom instruction to ignite a new perspective on school reform. In this particular context, this study concludes that these students of color viewed mentorship as a critical component that was often missing in their high school careers. In an effort to improve students’ experiences in the classroom, this article argues that teachers must develop critical mentoring skills, beyond what is traditionally considered as mentoring services, as a pedagogical tool to assist students to overcome their academic challenges and achieve school success.     

Rethinking the status of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in rural and urban areas of South Africa

This study documented the current status and determined the need for early childhood care and education in South Africa, including an assessment of the training needs of childminders and other individuals interested in working with young children in rural and urban areas of South Africa. The sample included 373 African men and women representing a range of occupations and different levels of education. The study employed primarily quantitative methodology, specifically a survey. The findings suggest that families and community members who have in the past responded to the needs of young children can no longer meet these needs due to social and economic dynamics. Respondents from both rural and urban settings perceived training, training centers, infrastructure, and the integration of African culture in early childhood education to be compelling needs. Programmatic and policy recommendations based on the interviews and observations are made.     

我国高等体育专业人才培养现状与存在的问题及其对策研究

采用文献法、问卷调查法和统计分析法 ,对我国高等体育专业人才培养现状与存在问题进行了综合研究 .结果表明 ,我国高等体育专业存在的问题主要有 :专业设置偏少 ,不能满足市场需求 ;课程设置已不能适应社会对人才需求的发展 ,教师人员结构不合理 ;学校用于教学、科研、培训和福利的经费不足等 .对此 ,必须调整课程设置 ,培养体育通才 ,扩大研究生招生规模     

Rocking of a rigid block freestanding on a flat pedestal

The seismic protection of objects contained within museums is a topic of great interest, especially with reference to how they are displayed or stored. This problem is the same as that of a large class of non-structural components, such as mechanical and electrical hospital and laboratory equipment that could lose their functionality because of earthquakes. Statues and ceramics simply supported on the floor represent a significant set of case. In some cases, like the Bronzes of Riace, isolation systems have been developed. However, in general museum exhibits are not equipped with devices capable of mitigating the oscillations induced by possible earthquakes. The case study of a marble statue placed on a freestanding squat rigid pedestal is examined. The system of algebraic differential equations governing the problem has been derived and included in an ad-hoc numerical procedure. It is shown that the insertion of a squat rigid body with low frictional resistance at the lower interface with the floor, and high frictional resistance at the upper interface with the artifact significantly reduces the amplitude of the rocking response. As a result the artifact rocks without sliding on the rigid base that slides without rocking with respect to the floor. The numerical analysis performed can be a tool to help in the choice of the optimal friction values in the surfaces of the flat block, designed as a simple isolation system.     

“The Day That Changed My Life,Again”: The Testimonio of a Latino DACAmented Teacher

This article, based on the testimonio of a Latino DACAmented teacher, underscores the impacts and benefits of immigration policies for individuals and their communities. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has benefitted about 750,000 people; most have used the benefits to pursue higher education and to enter public service careers, including teaching and nursing. Mr. Juárez’s testimonio walks us through his educational trajectory and current role as an educator. This testimonio contributes to current debates and struggles demanding the new U.S. presidential administration to maintain DACA. As researchers, we urge students, educators, policymakers, and the incoming administration to listen to the testimonios of DACA beneficiaries prior to making hasty decisions that will have dire consequences for individuals, families, and the nation, as a whole.