It Seems to Me: Selected Letters of Eleanor Roosevelt

One of the most important women of the twentieth century, Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) was also one of its most prolific letter writers. Yet never before has a selection of her letters to public figures, world leaders, and individuals outside her family been made available to general readers and to historians unable to visit the archives at Hyde Park. It Seems to Me demonstrates Roosevelt\u27s significance as a stateswoman and professional politician, particularly after her husband\u27s death in 1945. These letters reveal a dimension of her personality often lost in collections of letters to family members and friends, that of a shrewd, self-confident woman unafraid to speak her mind. In her letters, Roosevelt lectured Truman, badgered Eisenhower, and critiqued Kennedy. She disagreed with the Catholic Church over aid to parochial schools, made recommendations for political appointments, expressed her opinion on the conviction of Alger Hiss. Some letters demonstrate her commitment to civil rights, many her understanding of Cold War politics, and still others her support of labor unions. As a whole, this collection provides unique insights into both Eleanor Roosevelt\u27s public life, as well as American culture and politics during the decades following World War II. Leonard C. Schlup, a professional historian who lives in Akron, Ohio, has written numerous articles and essays for historical dictionaries and encyclopedias. Donald W. Whisenhunt, professor of history at Western Washington University, is the author of Poetry of the People: Poems to the President, 1929-1945. Roosevelt’s writings demonstrate her significance as a stateswoman and professional politician. They also reveal a dimension of her personality often lost in collections of letters to family members and friends—that of a shrewd, self-confident woman unafraid to speak her mind. —Appalachian Quarterly Schlup and Whisenhunt’s annotated selections span 50 years but deliberately emphasize the period after FDR’s death. . . . Correspondents included Churchill, Averell Harriman, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, and Martin Luther King Jr. Forthright, savvy, and deeply opposed to oppression in all forms, Roosevelt tackled everything from conflicts in the Middle East to school funding to racism. —Booklist They show that ER did not withdraw from the public scene after FDR died but rather became even more outspoken in her support of rights for minorities and women and in the pursuit of world peace. —Bowling Green Daily News The first comprehensive collection of her letters to public figures, world leaders, and individuals outside her family. —Feminist Academic Press Relatively little has been published about Roosevelt\u27s life as a public figure after her husband Franklin’s death in 1945. It Seems to Me helps correct this imbalance. . . . A valuable source of primary material and a fascinating read. —Florida Historical Quarterly Develops a new appreciation of the range and depth of Eleanor Roosevelt’s knowledge of public affairs. —J. William T. Youngs The first volume of her letters to political leaders. . . . Superbly introduced and footnoted for the general reader to gain insight into the public persona that Roosevelt created for herself during the second half of her productive life. —Library Journal Begins to fill the gap in the scholarship and can help draw attention to her political vision and the courage she took in defense of democracy. —Maryland Historical Magazine These letters trace the development of her thoughts on a multitude of issues and show Roosevelt as a stateswoman and professional politician. —McCormick (SC) Messenger Provides a more direct approach to Roosevelt’s place in public life, while at the same time providing additional information about her personality and values. —New Deal Offers many profound insights into the thoughts, character and nature of this esteemed American woman. —Salem (OH) News Roosevelt’s letters reflect her insights, courage and determination. —Tucson Daily Starhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_united_states_history/1110/thumbnail.jp

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

A randomised controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a human rights based approach to dementia care in inpatient ward and care home settings

BackgroundAlthough it is widely recognised that adopting a person-centred approach is beneficial in the care of people living with dementia, a gap remains between the rhetoric and the reality of quality care. Some widely adopted care practices can result in the personhood of this group being threatened and their human rights being undermined.ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of applying a human rights based approach in dementia inpatient wards and care homes on the quality of care delivered and the well-being of the person living with dementia.DesignA cluster randomised design was employed to compare the impact of implementing a human rights based approach intervention (i.e. training, applying the ‘Getting It Right’ assessment tool and receiving booster sessions) at 10 intervention sites with 10 control sites.SettingEight NHS dementia inpatient wards and 12 care homes in the north-west of England.ParticipantsPeople living with dementia who were residing on dementia inpatient wards or in care homes, and staff working at these sites. The aim was to recruit 280 people living with dementia.InterventionsA sample of staff (an average of 8.9 per site) at each of the sites was trained in a human rights based approach to care, including the application of the ‘Getting It Right’ assessment tool. The tool was then introduced at the site and monthly booster sessions were delivered.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome measure used in the research was the Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease scale to assess the subjective well-being of the person with dementia. Secondary outcome measures included measures of the quality of care provided (dementia care mapping) and direct measures of the effectiveness of the training in increasing knowledge of and attitudes towards human rights. The study also included an economic evaluation utilising the EuroQol-5 Dimensions, three-level version, and the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit measure.ResultsThe study recruited 439 people living with dementia: 213 to the intervention arm and 226 to the control arm. Primary outcome data were analysed using a linear mixed model. There were no significant differences found in the reported quality of life of residents between the control and intervention groups after the intervention [F(1,16.51) = 3.63;p = 0.074]. The mean difference between the groups was 1.48 (95% confidence interval –7.86 to 10.82).ConclusionsDespite the fact that the training increased staff knowledge of and positive attitudes towards human rights, and although there were some changes in staff decision-making strategies in clinical situations, there was no change in the quality of care provided or in the reported well-being of people living with dementia in these settings. This led to questions about the efficacy of training in bringing about cultural change and improving care practices.LimitationsThere was limited uptake of the training and booster sessions that were integral to the intervention.Future workFuture work could usefully focus on understanding the difficulty in translating change in attitude and knowledge into behaviour.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN94553028.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research programme and will be published in full inHealth Services and Delivery Research; Vol. 6, No. 13. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.</jats:sec

Eleanor Roosevelt's Christmas Book ; including her own descriptions of Christmas at Hyde Park and the White House, together with her original story Christmas and her favorite selections of prose and verse devoted to the Christmas season

xi, 338 p. ; 24 cm

Envelope, 1939 Apr. 25, Washington, to George Palmer Putnam, Hollywood, Calif.

Envelope, Eleanor Roosevelt to George Palmer Putnam, April 25, 193

Letter, 1935 March 12, Washington, to Amelia Earhart

Letter, Eleanor Roosevelt to Amelia Earhart, regarding press reports that Earhart had not gotten enough to eat when staying at the White House, March 12, 193

Eleanor Roosevelt to Frances Goodrich, 1933

This letter to Frances Goodrich was written by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt on December 8, 1933. In this letter, Roosevelt expresses her appreciation for a quilt that she had seen at a Southern Highland Handicraft Guild exhibition on Mountain Handicrafts that was featured at the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, D.C. Many items from the Guild's Allanstand Cottage Industries were exhibited which may be why Roosevelt's assistant, Miss Shanks, made the connection to Goodrich. It is unlikely that Goodrich made the quilt herself, but instead had a hand in reviving the market for the quilt and encouraging its creation. This is one of several notes that Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, wrote to crafts people in the Appalachians during this time period