Exploitation-The Invisible Hand Guided by a Blind Eye: Confronting a Flaw in Economic Theory

Economics is alone among the social science disciplines in failing to have a sound theory to explain behaviors when people do not act according to their self-interest, that is, with compassion. This has resulted in a fundamental flaw in economic thought. As economies have grown in scale and complexity, there has been a corresponding distancing between consumers and producers. This flaw has revealed itself through a lack of economic structures which bridge this distance, restore a level of intimacy within the economic interaction, and hence facilitate the expression of compassion

Phenomenology and HBSE: Making the Connection

A number of postmodern practitioners have turned to theorists such as Foucault, Derrida, and Wittgenstein to inform their intervention efforts. Yet it may be difficult for the average practitioner, or educator teaching HBSE, to make the connection between these theorists and human behavior. Phenomenology, as a theory of ontology, serves as afundamental theory of the postmodern paradigm. As such, phenomenological concepts such as existence and essence, presence and absence, and distinctness and vagueness offer much in illustrating the link between postmodern theories of meaningmaking and intervention efforts seeking change in human behavior

Confronting Oppression not Enhancing Functioning: The Role of Social Workers within Postmodern Practice

This article represents a philosophical hermeneutic endeavor to explore the meaning of oppression as it expresses itself within social work practices based in both modern and postmodern thought. Practices based within the Modern Discourse, drawing from an authority base of scientific expertise, exhibit a disconnect between the goal of enhancing functioning and social work values and concerns such as confronting oppression; this disconnect must be bridged by the social worker. Practices based within the Postmodern Discourse are founded upon the notion of confronting oppressive narratives as their main goal; social work values are an essential component in this process

Anything Goes? Science and Social Constructions in Competing Discourses

This paper examines, then disproves, the claim that social work practices based upon postmodern thought are either anti-science, or at the very least, weak on their respect for and application of scientific knowledge. Postmodern thought does attack the epistemological theory of positivism as well as the correspondence theory of truth. Hence, postmodern social work practices do seek to displace the role that scientific knowledge plays in guiding the helping situation. Rather than diagnosing causes and effects in a problem-solving endeavor, science is used to circumscribe the boundaries within which a postmodern endeavor at consciousness- raising takes place. Describing this new role for scientific knowledge within postmodern practice is the object of this study

“No Shut-off” Policies and Natural Gas Consumption

Many U.S. states have regulations that prevent natural gas utility companies from turning off service to non-paying consumers. The goal of these policies, termed “no shut-off” (NSO) regulations, is to provide a guaranteed minimum level of residential comfort by reducing the marginal cost of consumption to zero for a period of time. This paper employs a difference-in-difference approach applied to residential U.S. Energy Information Administration data to evaluate whether NSO policies generate higher levels of gas usage. Our preferred specifications suggest that activation of a NSO policy increases natural gas consumption by between 4.7–4.8%, resulting in a total increase of between 66 and 67 billion cubic feet of natural gas consumed per winter season in covered states, at a value of as much as $950–970 million annually

The Place of Historical Research in Social Work

This study addresses the incidence, persistence, decline, and marginalization of historical research in social work by examining one indicator of that research, social work dissertations. This study reveals that despite the dominance of other research methods, historical research was a legitimate method for doctoral research in social work, but its use has declined over time. Before World War II historical dissertations were common. Through the 1950s almost 13% of all social work dissertations were historical. In the 1960s and 1970s interest in history as a research method declined, but social welfare history was still a legitimate option for doctoral research. By the 1990s historical research in social work dissertations was almost non-existent. The current state of historical research seems terribly myopic, especially given developments in other social science disciplines and challenges to contemporary social work research

Character In Sallust's Historiae: Sertorius, Spartacus, And Mithridates

This thesis is an examination of the characters of Sertorius, Spartacus, and Mithridates in Sallust's Historiae. The fragmentary state of the Historiae and the general lack of scholarship on Sallust in English and French have left much room for study. Chapter One serves as an introduction to Sallust, his writing, and the state of Sallustian scholarship on the question at hand. Chapters Two, Three, and Four, one dedicated to each figure, attempt to reconstruct as far as possible Sallust's conception of these three men by a close reading of the fragments and then by comparing the fragments with later historians who use Sallust as a source, primarily Plutarch and Appian. The fifth chapter investigates the roles of Catiline and Jugurtha in their respective works as a basis for comparison. The Conclusion, Chapter Six, argues for the individuality of all the figures. Each person does set himself against Rome and reveals the corruption therein, but the precise nature of that role and their dominant characteristics vary. The thesis also suggests the development of Sallust as an historian, since the completely villainous figures of Catiline and Jugurtha give way to the more measured depictions of the Historiae

The Role of Science in Postmodern Practice

Postmodern thought offers a critique to the heavily science-based approaches of the modernist discourse. Such critiques however tend to obscure the role that science has to play in postmodern practices. The current scientific-based modernist approaches faced this similar challenge when they arose in the early 1900s. In the 1800s, social agents did not base their interventions upon scientific authority, but rather, moral authority. While scientific knowledge displaced moral knowledge as the main guide for developing treatment plans, the field of social work did not abandon moral knowledge as useless. Instead, moral knowledge was transformed into a robust code of ethics—and serves the new role of circumscribing the boundaries within which one employs scientific knowledge. The postmodern discourse calls for this same displacement to occur—it seeks to have scientific knowledge circumscribe the boundaries within which an hermeneutic inquiry driven by a critical consciousness guides social work interventions

Possible impact of ADRB3 Trp64Arg polymorphism on BMI in patients with schizophrenia

Background: The beta 3-adrenoceptor (ADRB3) gene Trp64Arg polymorphism has been shown to be associated with obesity as well as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The incidence of overweight and the risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are also increased in major depression and schizophrenia. We hypothesized that the Trp64Arg polymorphism may be associated with increased risk of schizophrenia and depression. Methods: The Trp64Arg was genotyped in 504 patients with schizophrenia, 650 with major depressive disorder (MOD), and 1170 healthy controls. Of these participants, body mass index (BMI) data were available for 125 patients with schizophrenia, 219 with MDD, and 261 controls. Results: No significant difference in genotype or allele distribution was found across the diagnostic groups. No significant difference in BMI was observed between the Arg allele carriers and the non-carriers in the MDD and the control groups. However, patients with schizophrenia carrying the Arg allele had significantly higher BMI (Mean (SD): Arg carriers: 26.5 (6.9), Arg non-carriers: 23.8 (4.3); P=0.019) and a higher rate of being overweight (BMI of 25 or more) compared to their counterparts (Trp/Trp group) (% overweight (SE): Arg carriers: 52.3 (7.5), Arg non-carriers: 32.1 (5.2); P=0.027). Conclusions: We obtained no evidence for the association of ADRB3 Trp64Arg with the development of MDD or schizophrenia. However, the Arg allele was found to be associated with higher BMI and being overweight in patients with schizophrenia. This may imply that genotyping ADRB3 is of clinical use to detect schizophrenic individuals at risk for developing obesity.ArticlePROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 38(2):341-344 (2012)journal articl

Interventions for promoting reintegration and reducing harmful behaviour and lifestyles in street-connected children and young people

Background Numbers of street-connected children and young people run into many millions worldwide and include children and young people who live or work in street environments. Whether or not they remain connected to their families of origin, and despite many strengths and resiliencies, they are vulnerable to a range of risks and are excluded from mainstream social structures and opportunities. Objectives To summarise the effectiveness of interventions for street-connected children and young people that promote inclusion and reintegration and reduce harms. To explore the processes of successful intervention and models of change in this area, and to understand how intervention effectiveness may vary in different contexts. Search methods We searched the following bibliographic databases, from inception to 2012, and various relevant non-governmental and organisational websites: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); MEDLINE and PreMEDLINE; EMBASE and EMBASE Classic; CINAHL; PsycINFO; ERIC; Sociological Abstracts; Social Services Abstracts; Social Work Abstracts; Healthstar; LILACS; System for Grey literature in Europe (OpenGrey); ProQuest Dissertations and Theses; EconLit; IDEAS Economics and Finance Research; JOLIS Library Catalog of the holdings of the World Bank Group and IMF Libraries; BLDS (British Library for Development Studies); Google, Google Scholar. Interventions for promoting reintegration and reducing harmful behaviour and lifestyles in street-connected children and... 2 / 104 Selection criteria The review included data from harm reduction or reintegration promotion intervention studies that used a comparison group study design and were all randomised or quasi-randomised studies. Studies were included if they evaluated interventions aimed to benefit street-connected children and young people, aged 0 to 24 years, in all contexts. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Data were extracted on intervention delivery, context, process factors, equity and outcomes. Outcome measures were grouped according to whether they measured psychosocial outcomes, risky sexual behaviours or substance use. A meta-analysis was conducted for some outcomes though it was not possible for all due to differences in measurements between studies. Other outcomes were evaluated narratively. Main results We included 11 studies evaluating 12 interventions from high income countries. We did not find any sufficiently robust evaluations conducted in low and middle income countries (LMICs) despite the existence of many relevant programmes. Study quality overall was low to moderate and there was great variation in the measurement used by studies, making comparison difficult. Participants were drop-in and shelter based. We found no consistent results on a range of relevant outcomes within domains of psychosocial health, substance misuse and sexual risky behaviours despite the many measurements collected in the studies. The interventions being evaluated consisted of time limited therapeutically based programmes which did not prove more effective than standard shelter or drop-in services for most outcomes and in most studies. There were favourable changes from baseline in outcomes for most particpants in therapy in terventions and also in standard services. There was considerable heterogeneity between studies and equity data were inconsistently reported. No study measured the primary outcome of reintegration or reported on adverse effects. The review discussion section included consideration of the relevance of the findings for LMIC settings. Authors' conclusions Analysis across the included studies found no consistently significant benefit for the 'new' interventions compared to standard services for street-connected children and young people. These latter interventions, however, have not been rigorously evaluated, especially in the context of LMICs. Robustly evaluating the interventions would enable better recommendations to be made for service delivery. There is a need for future research in LMICs that includes children who are on the streets due to urbanisation, war or migration and who may be vulnerable to risks such as trafficking