Optimizing the Informal Curriculum: One Counselor Education Program Model

An annual project involving students and faculty in a collaborative, 6-month planning process that culminates in a half-day program with both didactic and experiential components is presented as a model for creating powerful learning experiences external to the classroom

Wellness of Counselor Educators: An Initial Look

This study with 180 counselor educators showed that, overall, educators appeared to have high levels of wellness. However, differences related to academic rank, children in the home, gender, and marital status were found. Perceived stress and number of children were found to have a negative impact on wellness. Implications for wellness are discussed

Measuring Anti-Americanism in Editorial Cartoons

Objective- Anti-Americanism has been subjected to minimal statistical analysis. Further, scant attention is paid to what constitutes anti-Americanism for Americans. The objective of this article is to measure Americans' perceptions of anti-Americanism. Methods- Using a range of quantitative methods, including Pearson's correlation coefficient, Shannon's entropy measure, and Cohen's d statistics, we measure students' evaluations of editorial cartoons after 9/11. Twin measures of message and equity, along with participant and cartoon variables, are used to calibrate anti-Americanism in Spanish and U.S. editorial cartoons. Results- Our results indicate that message ratings, that is, anti- or pro-American, were more dependent on the nature of the cartoons than of the participants. White males rated these editorial cartoons as more equitable than other participants. The study shows that Spanish cartoons were rated significantly more anti-American. Conclusion- The article concludes that the use of U.S. icons is key to seeing anti-Americanism, along with gender, race, and origin of cartoon

Anti-Americanism, Political Cartoons, and a Socio-Geographic Imagination: An Invitation to Further Work

This research note synopsizes previous studies to present future directions for the measurement of anti-Americanism within the United States and comparatively. We explain new vectors in our research design and posit new hypotheses for future research. The note highlights the importance of cross-national investigation of anti-Americanism, and suggests some methodological considerations in that endeavor

Counselors' Attributions of Blame Toward Female Survivors of Battering

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a social problem that affects roughly 5.3 million women in the U.S. each year, accounts for 1,300 deaths, and often results in a number of physical and mental health consequences. Many women seek counseling as a way to find relief from the symptoms of the abuse they have endured. Previous research indicates that women seeking counseling after facing intimate partner violence victimization have reported experiencing counseling resources as inadequate or blaming. In the current study, counselors (N = 122) were surveyed regarding their gender role attitudes, ambivalent sexism, training in family violence, and attributions of blame toward women who have been battered. The regression analysis suggested that 16% of the variance in blame attributions was accounted for by gender role attitudes and ambivalent sexism. Study findings provide directions for future research and implications for practicing counselors

Postpartum Prolapsed Leiomyoma with Uterine Inversion Managed by Vaginal Hysterectomy

Background. Uterine inversion is a rare, but life threatening, obstetrical emergency which occurs when the uterine fundus collapses into the endometrial cavity. Various conservative and surgical therapies have been outlined in the literature for the management of uterine inversions. Case. We present a case of a chronic, recurrent uterine inversion, which was diagnosed following spontaneous vaginal delivery and recurred seven weeks later. The uterine inversion was likely due to a leiomyoma. This late-presenting, chronic, recurring uterine inversion was treated with a vaginal hysterectomy. Conclusion. Uterine inversions can occur in both acute and chronic phases. Persistent vaginal bleeding with the appearance of a prolapsing fibroid should prompt further investigation for uterine inversion and may require surgical therapy. A vaginal hysterectomy may be an appropriate management option in select populations and may be considered in women who do not desire to maintain reproductive function

Strengthening community-level understanding of and responses to intimate partner violence using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Purpose – Recently, there has been increased attention to community- and neighborhood-level influences on rates and experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to geographically analyze these influences in order to enhance community-level understanding of and responses to IPV. Design/methodology/approach – The authors review existing literature supporting the needs for this level of analysis, and then they present eight steps for researchers and practitioners to use when applying GIS to analyze IPV. Findings – This is a conceptual paper. Research limitations/implications – This paper offers researchers and practitioners suggested strategies for using GIS analyses to examine community-level influences on IPV in future research. Practical implications – The practical implications of using GIS analyses are discussed, including ways that the findings of these analyses can be used to enhance community-level resources to prevent and respond to IPV. Social implications – This innovative, interdisciplinary approach offers new insights into understanding and addressing IPV at a community level. Originality/value – To date, there has been minimal research used to apply GIS analyses to the problem of IPV in communities. This paper presents a framework for future researchers and practitioners to apply this methodology to expand on community-level understanding of IPV

Toward a Conceptual Framework of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: An Overview of the Conceptual and Theoretical Literature

The United States is a diverse country with constantly changing demographics. The noticeable shift in demographics is even more phenomenal among the school-aged population. The increase of ethnic-minority student presence is largely credited to the national growth of the Hispanic population, which exceeded the growth of all other ethnic minority group students in public schools. Scholars have pondered over strategies to assist teachers in teaching about diversity (multiculturalism, racism, etc.) as well as interacting with the diversity found within their classrooms in order to ameliorate the effects of cultural discontinuity. One area that has developed in multicultural education literature is culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP). CRP maintains that teachers need to be non-judgmental and inclusive of the cultural backgrounds of their students in order to be effective facilitators of learning in the classroom. The plethora of literature on CRP, however, has not been presented as a testable theoretical model nor has it been systematically viewed through the lens of critical race theory (CRT). By examining the evolution of CRP among some of the leading scholars, the authors broaden this work through a CRT infusion which includes race and indeed racism as normal parts of American society that have been integrated into the educational system and the systematic aspects of school relationships. Their purpose is to infuse the tenets of CRT into an overview of the literature that supports a conceptual framework for understanding and studying culturally relevant pedagogy. They present a conceptual framework of culturally relevant pedagogy that is grounded in over a quarter of a century of research scholarship. By synthesizing the literature into the five areas and infusing it with the tenets of CRT, the authors have developed a collection of principles that represents culturally relevant pedagogy

Brothers leading healthy lives: outcomes from the pilot testing of a culturally and contextually congruent HIV prevention intervention for black male college students

We used a treatment group-only design to pilot test a newly developed intervention to increase condom use among higher risk heterosexually active African American/black male college students. A community-based participatory research partnership developed the intervention called Brothers Leading Healthy Lives. Following an initial screening of 245 men, 81 eligible men were contacted for participation. Of the 64 men who agreed to participate, 57 completed the intervention and 54 of those completed the 3-monthfollow-up assessment, for a 93% completion rate. Results show significant changes between the baseline and 3-month follow-up assessments in behavioral outcomes, including reductions in unprotected sex, increase in protection during last intercourse, and fewer condom use errors. Most potential mediators (knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and condom use self-efficacy) also changed significantly in the expected direction. These demonstrated changes provide good evidence that men exposed to this intervention will see changes that reduce their risk for HIV

Predictors of Congruency between Self-reported Hypertension Status and Measured Blood Pressure in the Stroke Belt

Background: Few studies have comprehensively investigated the validity of self-reported hypertension (HTN) and assessed predictors of HTN status in the stroke belt. This study evaluates validity self-reporting as a tool to screen large study populations and determine predictors of congruency between self-reported HTN and clinical measures. Methods: Community Initiative to Eliminate Stroke project (n = 16,598) was conducted in two counties of North Carolina in 2004 to 2007, which included collection of self-reported data and clinical data of stroke-related risk factors. Congruency between self-reported HTN status and clinical measures was based on epidemiological parameters of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. McNemar’s test and Kappa agreement levels assessed differences in congruency, while odds ratios and logistic regression determined significant predictors of congruency. Results: Sensitivity of self-reported HTN was low (33.3%), but specificity was high (89.5%). Prevalence of self-reported HTN was 16.15%. Kappa agreement between self-report and clinical measures for blood pressure was fair (k = 0.25). Females, whites, and young adults were most likely to be positively congruent, whereas individuals in high risk categories for total blood cholesterol, low density lipoproteins, triglycerides, and diabetes were least likely to accurately capture their HTN status. Conclusion: Self-report HTN information should be used with caution as an epidemiological investigation tool