HUMAN SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITY–COMMUNITY COLLABORATION: PERCEPTIONS OF HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY WORKERS

According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, in 1998 the 65-74 years age group (18.4 million) was eight times larger than in 1900, the 75-84 years age group (12 million) was 16 times larger, and the 85 and older years age group (4 million) was 33 times larger. It is anticipated that if this trend continues, by 2030, there will be about 70 million older American persons, more than twice their number in 1998. To meet the needs of the older population, governments, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and other groups will have to continue to work on how to increase availability, accessibility, and adequacy of community-based services. One approach will be to encourage community collaboration and partnerships. Funding agencies have encouraged university-community collaboration in recent years. However, none of the studies reviewed for this paper addressed the need for the type of university-community collaboration that our study deals with (i.e., university-community agency collaboration). In particular, our study investigates human service agency workers' perceptions of the availability, accessibility, and adequacy of services to the elderly in Northwest Ohio, and how collaboration with a university can improve service delivery to consumers. The findings of the study provide a general indication of trends, experiences, and problems common to these agencies. The findings also suggest that agency workers do not necessarily have a negative perception of university-community agency collaboration, rather many do not understand how such collaborations will improve services to consumers. Recommendations regarding how to enhance university-community collaborations are made.     

‘Bowing from the heart’: An investigation into discourses of professionalism and the work of caring for students in further education

Since their incorporation in 1993, further education (FE) colleges in England have been responsible for their own staffing and, faced with funding constraints as well as recruitment and retention targets, some have introduced a new category of staff referred to here as ‘learning support workers’ (LSWs). Though their employment conditions and specific duties vary considerably, LSWs' work often includes providing individual care for students. In this small‐scale study, using semi‐structured interviews, the perceptions of some teachers and LSWs about the nature of their relationships with each other and with students are investigated. The study is set broadly in the context of debates about the impact of public sector reform on FE colleges and teachers. A discourse analysis approach is adopted in discussion of the data. The authors conclude that although they are differently positioned in relation to traditional discourses of professionalism, both teachers and LSWs are perceived to be carrying out what Hochschild termed ‘emotional labour’. The contradictory nature of emotional labour is also highlighted. Some of the implications of employing a new group of workers in FE are discussed.     

A comparison of the agreement,internal consistency,and 2-day test stability of the InBody 720, GE iDXA,and BOD POD® gold standard for assessing body composition

The study compared the agreement, internal consistency, and measurement stability of the GE iDXA, BOD POD, and InBody 720. Body composition of 43 men and 37 women (31.4 ± 10.7 years; 90% Caucasian and 10% other) was assessed in triplicate using each method over two different days. Mean percent body fat (% BF) of the participants was different for all three machines (27.6 ± 10.0% [GE iDXA)] 25.6 ± 10.4% [BOD POD], and 21.3 ± 10.6% [InBody 720]; p < .05). The coefficient of variation for same day repeated measures was 1.06% (GE iDXA), 3.29% (BOD POD), and 2.97% (InBody 720). The coefficient of variation for 2-day repeated measures was 1.81% (GE iDXA), 4.61% (BOD POD), and 4.24% (InBody 720). The difference between the GE iDXA and BOD POD was within acceptable variability, while the InBody 720 significantly underestimated % BF. The internal consistency was highest for the GE iDXA, followed by the InBody 720, and then the BOD POD.     

Ethics and paediatric exercise science: Issues and making a submission to a local ethics and research committee

Research with children presents issues beyond those normally encountered in adult exercise science research. This paper explores the specific ethical issues that are encountered when conducting paediatric research in the exercise sciences. We identify the historical, moral and philosophical underpinnings of ethical conduct. The issue of consent and children's ability to provide informed consent is discussed, as is the nature of therapeutic and non-therapeutic research. Finally, we examine the information that is required by a local ethics and research committee and provide guidance material to help in the formulation of an application to such a committee.     

The Correspondence Principle and the 1988 Education Reform Act

This article applies the correspondence thesis devised by Bowles and Gintis (1976) to the 1988 Education Reform Act. Theoretical shortcomings of the thesis are identified, and a reformulated version is suggested which incorporates resistances into the analysis of the education system. More limited claims for the thesis are posited. The Education Reform Act is then explored with reference to the revised correspondence principle. Building on the work of previous theorists, it is argued that we may be seeing shifts to post-Fordist education, although contradictions and tensions in this movement are identified. It is suggested that the quasi-market in education is to some extent a change in the legitimating processes of reproduction, rather than a change in what is being reproduced.     

Socioeconomic status and receptive vocabulary development: Replication of the parental investment model with Chilean preschoolers and their families

Drawing on the first wave of data from the Chilean Longitudinal Study for Early Childhood the current study examined the relation between family socioeconomic status (SES) and children's receptive Spanish vocabulary, and whether these relations were mediated by physical features of the home environment, parent–child interactions, and participation in center-based child care. The results of path analyses (n = 1589) estimating direct and indirect effects of SES on children's receptive vocabulary test scores provided evidence of partial mediation through indices of standard of living and parents’ level of cognitive and linguistic stimulation in the home. This study is among the first to replicate with a non-U.S. sample, a well-established linkage among SES, family-level conditions and processes, and young children's language outcomes.     

Print Media

Herbert S. Bailey's The Art and Science of Book Publishing (Harper & Row, $7.95).

Robert J. Glessingts The Underground Press in America (Indiana University Press, $6.50).

Ruth Kent's The Language of Journalism (Kent State University Press, $5.00/1.95)

Harold D. Lasswell and Daniel Lerner's The Prestige Press: A Comparative Study of Political Symbols (Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, $12.00).     

Mathematics Anxiety in Young Children: An Exploratory Study

This study explored the nature of mathematics anxiety in a sample of 106 ethnically and linguistically diverse first-grade students. Although much is known about mathematics anxiety in older children and adults, little is known about when mathematics anxiety first emerges or its characteristics in young children. Results from exploratory factor analysis indicated that mathematics anxiety in first grade is a multidimensional construct encompassing negative reactions, numerical confidence, and worry. Negative reactions were related specifically to foundational mathematical concepts whereas numerical confidence was related specifically to computation skill; worry was not related to any outcome. Levels of mathematics anxiety did not differ by sex or language background. Overall, negative reactions and numerical confidence were found to be the most salient dimensions of mathematics anxiety in this sample.