The Cross-Ethnic Equivalence of Parenting and Family Interaction Measures among Hispanic and Anglo-American Families

Recently there has been concern over the need for developmental research within ethnic minority populations and interest in family processes within, and variability across, ethnic groups. Unfortunately, most of the research using standard scales of family processes has sampled middle-class Anglo-Americans, and the potential absence of cross-ethnic measurement equivalence threatens the validity of the research using these scales with ethnic minority populations. This study reports confirmatory factor analyses and construct validity coefficients for several parenting and family interaction scales among Anglo-American and Hispanic 8-14-year-old children and mothers. The findings indicate that the Children's Report of Parental Behavior Inventory (except the hostile control subscale), the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (open communication subscale only), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II appear to have sufficient cross-ethnic equivalence for English-speaking Hispanic samples. Further, the Family Routines Inventory and the problem communication subscale could benefit from additional scale development.     

The Influence of Ethnic-Racial Identity Developmental Processes on Global Bicultural Competence Development

This study investigated ethnic-racial identity (ERI) developmental processes (i.e., exploration and resolution) as pathways for adolescents to develop global bicultural competence, or the ability to meet heritage and host cultural demands. The sample included 749 U.S. Mexican-origin youth (30% Mexico-born; 51% male) followed from early-to-late adolescence (M_age = 12.79–17.38 years). Longitudinal structural equation analyses revealed that youth’s sequential engagement in ERI exploration and resolution (from early-to-middle adolescence) promoted global bicultural competence in late adolescence. The findings highlight the benefits of achieving clarity about one’s ERI via self-exploration efforts for adolescents’ ability to respond effectively to bicultural demands. This study advances mechanisms via which ERI development may support youth adaptation to multiple cultural systems.     

高等教育国际化的前景展望:动因与现实

作为当今世界不可逆转的趋势,全球化推动了高等教育国际化的进程,促成了高等教育成为国际自由贸易的一个重要组成部分,并使得营利性高等教育部门的影响力不断扩大。由于高等教育的优势资源主要集中在发达国家,少数发达国家主导了高等教育的国际化,并从中获得了大部分的经济利益,而中等收入国家和发展中国家则扮演了高等教育的购买国。最新的研究表明,虽然新的机会和潜在的利益与风险并存,但国际化仍然是未来世界高等教育发展的主要趋势。     

Learning About Baby: What New Mothers Would Like to Know

As part of a larger research project to evaluate a new model of care for first-time mothers in a community health-care setting, this study aimed to identify the preparation and information needs of first-time mothers. All first-time mothers attending a selection of community child health centers in Brisbane, Australia, who presented with no overt risk factors and with a thriving child, were invited to participate in the study. Three months after mothers entered the service, data were collected via telephone survey (N = 151). In addition, focus group interviews were conducted 7–9 months following entry to the service (n = 8). Participants reported seeking information from a variety of sources during pregnancy. Few participants felt well prepared for managing either the physical or emotional experience of early mothering or the essential maternal and child health issues and common problems in the early months. Findings suggest that current approaches to care and education may not meet the needs of first-time mothers. Different approaches are suggested to enhance women's maternal competence during the first few months of becoming a new mother.     

Tracing the changing value of higher education through English prospectuses 1976–2013

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the changing discourses of the value of degrees in prospectuses between 1976 and 2013, chosen due to the massification of higher education and use of the particular marketing tool of prospectuses. This research analysed the messages in prospectuses through the period in four English higher education institutions of different status, to consider how these changes reveal the communication of the value of the idea of a degree in the period. Four topics of the value of a degree were identified as part of the wider literature review: the value of a degree for traditional liberal purposes; as a marker of prestige of the awarding institution; for graduate employment; and for employability. The research finds that while significant change in each institution’s construction of degree value is reflected in the prospectuses, the adjustments in discourse between each set of prospectuses are incremental, and not necessarily possible to link causally to specific governmental policies. Over the period, a re-calibration of the idea of the value of a degree can be tracked towards employment purposes and away from the traditional liberal idea of higher education. However, a review of the most recent marketing materials indicates some shift back towards a re-valuation of traditional liberal values. The analysis contributes a historical perspective on how higher education can suggest markers to understand shifts in the value of a degree, and also draws on literatures that use institutional materials to examine public discourses of value.     

Rejoinder to D. Brent Edwards Jr. and His Interpretation of Our Position on Democratic Education and Social Justice

We review our involvement in social justice movements and projects over the past half-century that led to our understanding of importance of democracy. We contrast our understanding based on our extensive involvement in schools, our record of accomplishments from national and state legislation. e.g., “New Careers” projects, task forces in Australian state schools, to successful inclusion of the excluded into higher education, e.g.,. Upward Bound and HEP with Critical Pedagogy which at least from its most prominent advocates is mostly talk, little action. We contrast our testable democratic theory with clearly articulated principles with Critical Pedagogy efforts to impose “truth.”     

Why a Child Needs a Critical Eye,and Why the Art Classroom is Central in Developing it

It is a common acceptance that contemporary schoolchildren live in a world that is intensely visual and commercially motivated, where what is imagined and what is experienced intermingle. Because of this, contemporary education should encourage a child to make reference to, and connection with their ‘out‐of‐school’ life. The core critical underpinnings of curriculum‐based arts appreciation and theory hinge on educators and students taking a historical look at the ways artists have engaged with, and made comment upon, their contemporary societies. My article uses this premise to argue for the need to persist with pushing for critique of/through the visual, that it be delivered as an active process via the arts classroom rather than as visual literacy, here regarded as a more passive process for interpreting and understanding visual material. The article asserts that visual arts lessons are best placed to provide fully students with such critique because they help students to develop a ‘critical eye’, an interpretive lens often used by artists to view, analyse and independently navigate and respond to contemporary society.     

Effects of previous lateral ankle sprain and taping on the latency of the peroneus longus

The latency of the peroneus longus may be a key factor in the prevention of lateral ankle sprains (LASs). In addition, ankle taping is often applied to help prevent LASs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a previous LAS and ankle taping on the latency of the peroneus longus after an inversion perturbation. Twenty-six participants, including 13 participants with no previous history of a LAS and 13 participants with a history of a single LAS completed the testing. Ankle taping was applied in a closed basket weave technique on one of the two testing days. The latency of the peroneus longus was determined by the onset of muscle activity exceeding 10 SD from baseline activity, after initiation of the 25 degrees inversion perturbation. A significant main effect (p < 0.05) was present for the ankle support condition, with ankle taping causing a significant reduction in latency of the peroneus longus (65.04 +/- 10.81 to 57.70 +/- 9.39 ms). There was no difference (p > 0.05) in latency between the injury groups. Ankle taping, immediately after application, reduces the latency of the peroneus longus among participants with and without a history of a LAS.