4,168 research outputs found
Book Review: Coping with the Effects of Deprivation: Development and Upbringing of Romanian Adoptees in the Netherlands, by Catharina Rijk
The “Golden Girls”: A Sociological Analysis Of One Model Of Communal Living For The 21st Century
Does art imitate life? Is that an important explanation for why certain television shows have developed a following, even years after the show moved from prime time to syndication? Beside their entertainment value, what else do we find in the episodes? This paper offers a sociological analysis of a shared housing arrangement as modeled in the popular sitcom, The Golden Girls. The author addresses the question of what it takes sociologically to build a successful, liveable community on the micro level of a single household comprised of four older very different women who decide to share a house by pooling financial and other resources. Through laughs, disagreements, late-night talks over cheese cake, and sometimes tears, Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sofia become like family and discover a much more meaningful and sustaining life together than they had imagined
Adopting Children from U. S. Public Foster Care: A Sociological Analysis with Practical Implications
Adoption has increased in importance as both an exit goal and exit outcome for 20-25% of children in public foster care. Although reunification with parents or another biological relative retains primacy as the first option for permanency planning, the percentage of children actually reunified with a biological family member has decreased by nine percent from 60% to 51%. The author uses data collected by the federal government and reported in AFCARS Reports collected over 16 fiscal years to analyze the principal demographic characteristics of children in U. S. public foster care; examine adoption and reunification as exit goals and outcomes for children in foster care; and link patterns and trends in the data with innovative strategies aimed at improving the effectiveness of the public foster care system in regard to permanency planning and post-placement family wellbeing. Although the AFCARS data analyzed indicate that the U. S. public foster care system has improved in a number of areas, the author takes the position that more can be done both to prevent family disruptions and to support positive permanency planning outcomes. She also advocates improving some existing policies along with developing new proactive strategies
The DaVinci Center For Community Progress: Making The Community More Liveable
There are many innovations, projects, and programs which can make a community more liveable. The elements that they have in common are 1) the vision of the founder (or co-founders), 2) a dedicated connection to the community and populations in which the innovation or project is located, 3) the necessary social skills and contacts of the founder(s) and other key people involved in the innovation, 4) hard work, and 5) funding sources that continue over time to keep the services (or project) going, as well as to add services as needs change. The DaVinci Center for Community Progress, in Providence, RI, is an excellent example of how to make a community more liveable for diverse populations for whom it has provided services since it opened its doors in 1972. The DaVinci Center is a multi-purpose facility based on the settlement house model in regard to many of the services it offers. It differs from the settlement house model in that the DaVinci Center staff does not live at the Center. The Center was co-founded by John DeLuca who has also served as its longtime Executive Director. The content for this article was gathered, in part, through a lengthy, structured interview both authors conducted with John at the Center, a review of written materials produced by the Center, and information provided on the Center’s website
Effects of endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure on zebrafish ovarian follicles
The process of oocyte maturation involves both nuclear and cytoplasmic events that are essential for the production of viable eggs and subsequent fertilization in sexually reproducing animals. In zebrafish, oocyte nuclear maturation (meiotic resumption) is marked by a transition from opaque to translucent ovarian follicles. This transition is called clearing and results from germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and the transformation of vitellogenin into yolk proteins. Oocyte maturation can be perturbed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These EDCs have been broadly shown to interfere with reproductive development. Many herbicides and pesticides used agriculturally act as EDCs. These chemicals can enter aquatic ecosystems via runoff and erosion. To evaluate the effects of EDCs on zebrafish oocyte maturation, zebrafish ovarian follicles were cultured and exposed to various concentrations of either atrazine, 2,4-D, or diazinon. Follicles were evaluated at 2, 3, and 4 hours for size and viability, but clearing was assessed only at 4 hours post-exposure. Atrazine and diazinon significantly reduced follicle clearing at the tested concentrations. No effect was observed with 2,4-D exposure. At low enough concentrations, none of the chemicals produced endocrine-disrupting effects. The results suggest that at or above environmentally relevant concentrations, some EDCs impair oocyte maturation in exposed zebrafish follicles. The results support the need to monitor EDC exposure to prevent harmful effects not only on aquatic organisms, but also on humans and wildlife that are also exposed to these contaminants
Pengaruh Lingkungan Kerja terhadap Kinerja Karyawan pada Bagian Produksi melalui Motivasi Kerja sebagai Variabel Intervening pada PT. Trio Corporate Plastic (Tricopla)
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh lingkungan kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan pada bagian produksi melalui motivasi kerja sebagai variabel intervening pada PT. Trio Corporate Plastic (Tricopla). Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dan populasi yang digunakan sebanyak 52 orang. Sampel yang digunakan menggunakan teknik sampel jenuh dan dianalisis dengan teknik analisis SEM ( Structural Equation Modeling).Dari hasil penelitian dan pembahasan dapat ditarik kesimpulan bahwa Lingkungan Kerja berpengaruh terhadap Motivasi Kerja; Lingkungan Kerja berpengaruh terhadap Kinerja Karyawan; Motivasi Kerja berpengaruh terhadap Kinerja Karyawan; dan Motivasi Kerja terbukti sebagai variabel intervening antara pengaruh Lingkungan Kerja terhadap Kinerja Karyawan
Implications of Self-Other Overlap in Unsuccessful Romantic Relationships
The social psychological concept of self-other overlap describes how identities and cognitive representations of people have a tendency to merge as they become closer to one another. Because greater self-other overlap tends to be associated with such positive characteristics as closeness and intimacy, it has generally been considered a desirable trait in relationships. In a previous study (Bell, 2009), preliminary evidence supported the idea that there may in fact be negative consequences to having higher levels of self-other overlap in relationships with domestic violence, including diminished self-esteem and life satisfaction. The current study expands on Bell (2009) study and examines the implications of greater self-other overlap within three different samples: students currently in a romantic relationship, students that recently ended a romantic relationship, and women from a domestic violence shelter who recently ended a violent relationship
The Challenges and Rewards of Presenting and Publishing Sociological Research on Adoption: An Historical Reflection on Searching for an Audience
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