Incorporating Ethics Holistically: A Case Study in Research Methods Courses for Undergraduates

Ethical awareness and research integrity are quintessential elements that should not miss from the training of future social science professionals. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine how ethics are taught by faculty and learned by students using a case study of faculty teaching a two-course research sequence for undergraduate Sociology majors at a large public university in southeastern USA. Beyond the protection of human subjects, we discuss how ethics need to be considered in every phase of the research process (sampling, data collection, data storage, analysis, reporting of research findings, and conflict of interests). This paper exposes the need to establish a community of faculty focused on integrating the highest ethical standards of research in their research methods courses, not only to train great researchers, but also to prepare students for future professional careers

Suburban Poverty: Barriers to Services and Injury Prevention among Marginalized Women who Use Methamphetamine

Objective: This paper aims to identify the needed healthcare and social services barriers for women living in suburban communities who are using or have used methamphetamine. Drug users are vulnerable to injury, violence and transmission of infectious diseases, and having access to healthcare has been shown to positively influence prevention and intervention among this population. Yet little is known regarding the social context of suburban drug users, their risks behaviors, and their access to healthcare.Methods: The data collection involved participant observation in the field, face-to-face interviews and focus groups. Audio-recorded in-depth life histories, drug use histories, and resource needs were collected from 31 suburban women who were former or current users of methamphetamine. The majority was drawn from marginalized communities and highly vulnerable to risk for injury and violence. We provided these women with healthcare and social service information and conducted follow-up interviews to identify barriers to these services.Results: Barriers included (1) restrictions imposed by the services and (2) limitations inherent in the women’s social, economic, or legal situations. We found that the barriers increased the women’s risk for further injury, violence and transmission of infectious diseases. Women who could not access needed healthcare and social resources typically used street drugs that were accessible and affordable to self-medicate their untreated emotional and physical pain.Conclusion: Our findings add to the literatureon how healthcare and social services are related to injury prevention. Social service providers in the suburbs were often indifferent to the needs of drug-using women. For these women, health services were accessed primarily at emergency departments (ED). To break the cycle of continued drug use, violence and injury, we suggest that ED staff be trained to perform substance abuse assessments and provide immediate referral to detoxification and treatment facilities. Policy change is needed for EDs to provide the care and linkages to treatment that can prevent future injuries and the spread of infectious diseases. [West J Emerg Med. 2011;12(3):284-292.

Drug Use Trajectory Patterns among Older Drug Users

To better understand patterns of drug use trajectories over time, it is essential to have standard measures of change. Our goal here is to introduce measures we developed to quantify change in drug use behaviors. A secondary goal is to provide effective visualizations of these trajectories for applied use. We analyzed data from a sample of 92 older drug users (ages 45 to 65) to identify transition patterns in drug use trajectories across the life course. Data were collected for every year since birth using a mixed methods design. The community-drawn sample of active and former users were 40% female, 50% African American, and 60% reporting some college or greater. Their life histories provided retrospective longitudinal data on the diversity of paths taken throughout the life course and changes in drug use patterns that occurred over time. Bayesian analysis was used to model drug trajectories displayed by innovative computer graphics. The mathematical techniques and visualizations presented here provide the foundation for future models using Bayesian analysis. In this paper we introduce the concepts of transition counts, transition rates and relapse/remission rates, and we describe how these measures can help us better understand drug use trajectories. Depicted through these visual tools, measurements of discontinuous patterns provide a succinct view of individual drug use trajectories. The measures we use on drug use data will be further developed to incorporate contextual influences on the drug trajectory and build predictive models that inform rehabilitation efforts for drug users. Although the measures developed here were conceived to better examine drug use trajectories, the applications of these measures can be used with other longitudinal datasets

A Third Model of Triangulation: Continuing the Dialogue with Rhineberger, Hartmann and Van Valey

In an article in this journal, Rhineberger, Hartmann, and Van Valey (2005), discussed the mixed methods approach known as triangulation, arguing that the meaning and uses of triangulation need to be consistently applied and more adequately described in published articles. The authors presented two models of triangulation found in their extensive literature review. In this paper, I review triangulation designs used in applied research and propose a third and distinct model called the “iterative model.” This model employs triangulation to gain increasing clarity and understanding of the complex issues involved in applied social research. Clearly defined and collectively understood models of triangulation help applied researchers better integrate triangulated sources and convey their methods across disciplinary boundaries

Research Methods Addendum

No abstract is currently available

\u27Hell I’m an Addict, but I Ain’t No Junkie:\u27 An Ethnographic Analysis of Aging Heroin Users

Although the number of drug users over the age of 35 is growing at a faster rate than other age groups, a gap in knowledge of how people age with drug use remains. This study focuses on heroin users who were born between 1945 and 1965, the baby boom cohort. Based on questionnaires and in-depth interviews with 38 active heroin users in Atlanta, Georgia, variations in their heroin use were explored through modified grounded theory methods, including constant comparison. Numerical and narrative data revealed a typology of active heroin users who are members of the baby boom generation. The two salient dimensions of the typology are the level of control over heroin use and the users’ social roles, specifically the status the users allocated to their social role as a heroin user. The typology includes: 1) controlled occasional users; 2) weekend warriors; 3) habitués; 4) marginal users; 5) problem addicts; 6) using dealers/runners; 7) using hustlers/sex workers; 8) junkies; and 9) relapsing addicts. Increased insight into the heterogeneity among current baby boomer heroin users is relevant when designing comprehensive prevention and intervention programs

Intergenerational Memories of Life in a Cult: A Life Course Analysis

A dearth of literature exists about the effects of former cult involvement on family relationships. This study employed the narrative method to explore the experiences of women and children who are former members of the Children of God. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 middle-aged women and 12 young adults and used a life course perspective to focus on generational differences. Our examination reveals how members of 2 generations remember the lived experience of cult involvement. Abuse issues and separation from family emerged as the most influential post-cult effects. The results presented here may help former members and those who work with them to better understand how these experiences affect family relationships