Mixed marriages and transnational families in the intercultural context : a case study of African-Spanish couples in Catalonia, Spain

Premi a l'excel·lència investigadora. Àmbit de les Ciències Socials. 2008One of the consequences of international migration and the permanent settlement of immigrants in southern EU countries is the growing number of inter-country marriages and the formation of transnational families. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, this article examines patterns of endogamy and exogamy (i.e. marriage within/outside a particular group or category) among African immigrants in Catalonia, focusing on bi-national Senegalese- and Gambian-Spanish couples. Socio-demographic profiles, transnationality, the dynamics of cultural change or retention, and the formation of transcultural identities are explored. The evidence presented suggests that social-class factors are more important than cultural origins in patterns of endogamy and exogamy, in the dynamics of living together and in the bringing-up of children of mixed unions. Such a conclusion negates culturalists' explanations of endogamy and exogamy while, at the same time, emphasising the role of social actors as active subjects in these processes. I further argue that mixed couples and their offspring deal-to a greater or lesser extent-with multiple localisations and cultural backgrounds (i.e. here and there), rather than experiencing a 'clash between two cultures'. Therefore, it would be a mistake to pretend that multicultural links do not exist and that they cannot be revitalised and functional. The paper starts and ends by addressing the complexities of processes of interculturalism, resisting an interpretation of hybridity and segregation as contradictory or exclusive realities

Soccer-specific reactive repeated-sprint ability in elite youth soccer players

Repeated-sprint ability is an important physical prerequisite for competitive soccer and deviates for players in various stages of growth and development. Thus, this study investigated reactive repeated-sprint ability in elite youth soccer players in relation to maturation (age at peak height velocity) and its association with performance of other physical tests. Elite male youth players from an English Premier League academy (U12, n = 8; U13, n = 11; U14, n = 15; U15, n = 6; U16, n = 10; U18, n = 13) completed the Reactive Repeated-Sprint Test (RRST; 8 × 30-m sprints with 30-s active recovery), and other physical tests including the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2), Arrowhead Agility Test, Counter Movement Jump Test with Arms (CMJA), in addition to 10-m and 20-m straight-line sprints. RRST performance (total time across eight sprints) progressively improved from U12 to U16 (P 0.05; ES: <0.3). Correlation magnitudes between performance on the RRST and other tests were trivial to moderate for the Yo-Yo IR2 (r=-0.15-0.42), moderate to very large for the Arrowhead agility test (r=0.48-0.90), moderate to large for CMJA (r=-0.43-0.66) and trivial to large for 10- and 20-m sprints (r=0.05-0.61). The RRST was sensitive at tracking maturation trends in elite youth players, although performance improvements were not as marked from 15-16 years of age. RRST performance correlates with several physical qualities decisive for competitive soccer (agility, speed, power and aerobic endurance)

Teaching the clinical encounter in psychiatry: a trial of Balint groups for medical students

Objective: Balint groups are being trialled as a method to facilitate understanding of the relational aspects of student encounters with psychiatric patients. This paper reports on the establishment, processes and trends in the student evaluations of these groups. Method: The groups have been introduced as part of the medical student curriculum at a tertiary referral hospital. In six of the eight weeks of the clinical rotation in psychiatry, students meet in a group led by the authors, to discuss relational aspects of their interactions with patients. Ten third-year postgraduate medical students participate in the group each rotation. The educational value of each meeting and the group overall is assessed using questionnaires. Results: The groups tended to be rated positively by the participants. However, students were less certain of the relevance to their clinical practice. Vignettes demonstrating aspects of group process are presented in the context of the leaders' experiential account. Conclusions: Short-term clinical reflection groups can be effectively implemented for medical students in a hospital environment. These groups have the potential to support students in the process of learning to work in doctor-patient relationships, but may encounter significant challenges necessitating adaptation of method and process to context