Psychological empowerment: Issues and illustrations

Discussed several issues related to psychological empowerment. The thesis of this paper is that the development of a universal and global measure of psychological empowerment may not be a feasible or appropriate goal. I begin by distinguishing between empowerment processes and outcomes. Underlying assumptions are discussed including the notion that empowerment differs across people, contexts, and times. A nomological network that includes intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioral components is also presented. Two examples of psychological empowerment for voluntary service organization members and members of a mutual help organization are described to help illustrate differences in the specific variables that may be used to measure psychological empowerment in different populations and settings.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/117117/1/ajcpbf02506983.pd

Natural Mentors, Mental Health, and Risk Behaviors: A Longitudinal Analysis of African American Adolescents Transitioning into Adulthood

In this study, we tested whether having a natural mentor affected the growth trajectory of health outcomes among adolescents transitioning into adulthood (5 years post‐high school). Participants in this study included 615 African American emerging adults. Outcomes assessed in this study included depressive symptoms, sexual risk behavior, and substance use. We hypothesized that participants who possessed natural mentors would demonstrate greater declines over time across all outcome variables in comparison to their counterparts who did not possess natural mentors. Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling, we found that having a natural mentor was related to less depressive symptoms and less sexual risk behavior over time. The results suggest that natural mentors may protect youth from the negative outcomes associated with the risks they face. Implications of the results for prevention are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/117128/1/ajcp9325.pd

Perturbations of Extremal Kerr Spacetime: Analytic Framework and Late-time Tails

We develop a complete and systematic analytical approach to field perturbations of extremal Kerr spacetime based on the formalism of Mano, Suzuki and Takasugi (MST) for the Teukolsky equation. Analytical expressions for the radial solutions and frequency-domain Green function in terms of infinite series of special functions are presented. As an application, we compute, for the first time, the leading late-time behavior due to the branch point at zero frequency of scalar, gravitational, and electromagnetic field perturbations on and off the event horizon. We also use the MST method to compute the leading behavior of the Green function modes near the branch point at the superradiant bound frequency and show that this behavior agrees with existing results in the literature using a different method.Comment: 34 pages, 1 figure; in v3: version matching the published versio

The Effects of Cumulative Risks and Promotive Factors on Urban Adolescent Alcohol and Other Drug Use: A Longitudinal Study of Resiliency

Resiliency theory provides a conceptual framework for studying why some youth exposed to risk factors do not develop the negative behaviors they predict. The purpose of this study was to test compensatory and protective models of resiliency in a longitudinal sample of urban adolescents (80% African American). The data were from Years 1 (9th grade) and 4 (12th grade). The study examined effects of cumulative risk and promotive factors on adolescent polydrug use including alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. Cumulative measures of risk/promotive factors represented individual characteristics, peer influence, and parental/familial influences. After controlling for demographics, results of multiple regression of polydrug use support the compensatory model of resiliency both cross‐sectionally and longitudinally. Promotive factors were also found to have compensatory effects on change in adolescent polydrug use. The protective model of resiliency evidenced cross‐sectionally was not supported in longitudinal analysis. The findings support resiliency theory and the use of cumulative risk/promotive measures in resiliency research. Implications focused on utilizing multiple assets and resources in prevention programming are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116955/1/ajcp9076.pd

Correlates of Participation in Neighborhood Organizations

Also PCMA Working Paper #32.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/51228/1/462.pd

Transactional Process of African American Adolescents’ Family Conflict and Violent Behavior

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109569/1/jora12056.pd

Orbis/urbis latino: “Hispanics” in U.S. cities

This text explores the effects of U.S. cities on Latinos and of Latinos on the cities. We argue that the mediation of varied urban spaces is important to shifting patterns of Latino development in which distinct Latino and Latin American populations come to achieve some differential unity as “Latinos” and begin to impact other groups and the overall societies in which they live. The essay focuses on Latinization as the impact of Latinos on the values of other people and on cities and urban processes; our goal is to establish the bases for understanding Latinization as the story of the struggles of a heterogeneous community subject to worldwide forces. In the future, Latinos will face constant efforts to maintain original cultural identifications while they adapt to new local and global processes. Without radical changes, a growing mass of unskilled, poorly educated and semi-literate workers will be immersed in a technologically advanced and capital-intensive society. Latinized cities are the spaces wherein reside possible positive dynamics that may change the scenario.Este texto explora los efectos de las ciudades de Estados Unidos sobre los latinos y de los latinos sobre las ciudades. Nuestro argumento es que la mediación de variados espacios urbanos es importante para comprender los patrones cambiantes de desarrollo latino en los cuales distintas poblaciones latinas y latinoamericanas alcanzan alguna unidad diferencial como “Latinos” y empiezan a impactar a otros grupos y a las sociedades en donde viven. El ensayo subraya “la latinización” como el impacto de los Latinos sobre los valores de otra gente y sobres los procesos urbanos que caracterizan las ciudades; nuestra meta es establecer las bases para entender la latinización como la historia de las luchas de una comunidad heterogénea sujeta a fuerzas mundiales. En el futuro, los latinos van a enfrentarse a esfuerzos constantes por mantener sus identificaciones culturales mientras que se adaptan a nuevos procesos locales y globales. Sin cambios radicales, una población creciente de trabajadores de preparación inadecuada estará inmersa en una sociedad tecnológicamente avanzada. Las ciudades latinizadas son los espacios en donde residen las posibles dinámicas positivas que pueden alterar el escenario

Research Methodology: An Innovative Approach to a Venerable Course

This paper outlines a number of innovations that we have recently implemented in the Research Methodology Course at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. Consistent with the goals of evidence-based medicine, evidence-based public health, intrinsic motivation, and phase 4 (T4) translational research, we have placed the emphasis on enhancing the students’ desire to learn—and more specifically on their desire to learn rigorous methods for conducting useful research that delivers practical benefits in a straightforward manner. A dozen innovations, along with some preliminary outcomes, are outlined in detail. Clin Trans Sci 2010; Volume 3: 309–311Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79360/1/j.1752-8062.2010.00239.x.pd

Empowerment theory, research, and application

This introduction to the special issue briefly reviews the meaning and significance of the empowerment concept and problems associated with the proliferation of interest in empowerment. We identify some of the topics not included in this issue and relate those to the many broad and diverse areas of psychological empowerment theory and community‐based research and intervention that are covered. We present synopses of each article along with some of the themes and lessons cutting across the frameworks, studies, and applications. These include a wide diversity of settings, fairly representative of empowerment interventions, and, at the same time, improved clarity (if not unanimity) of definitions and measurement, which has been a problem in much empowerment research and intervention.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/117200/1/ajcpbf02506982.pd

Orbis/urbis latino: “Hispanics” in U.S. cities

This text explores the effects of U.S. cities on Latinos and of Latinos on the cities. We argue that the mediation of varied urban spaces is important to shifting patterns of Latino development in which distinct Latino and Latin American populations come to achieve some differential unity as “Latinos” and begin to impact other groups and the overall societies in which they live. The essay focuses on Latinization as the impact of Latinos on the values of other people and on cities and urban processes; our goal is to establish the bases for understanding Latinization as the story of the struggles of a heterogeneous community subject to worldwide forces. In the future, Latinos will face constant efforts to maintain original cultural identifications while they adapt to new local and global processes. Without radical changes, a growing mass of unskilled, poorly educated and semi-literate workers will be immersed in a technologically advanced and capital-intensive society. Latinized cities are the spaces wherein reside possible positive dynamics that may change the scenario.Este texto explora los efectos de las ciudades de Estados Unidos sobre los latinos y de los latinos sobre las ciudades. Nuestro argumento es que la mediación de variados espacios urbanos es importante para comprender los patrones cambiantes de desarrollo latino en los cuales distintas poblaciones latinas y latinoamericanas alcanzan alguna unidad diferencial como “Latinos” y empiezan a impactar a otros grupos y a las sociedades en donde viven. El ensayo subraya “la latinización” como el impacto de los Latinos sobre los valores de otra gente y sobres los procesos urbanos que caracterizan las ciudades; nuestra meta es establecer las bases para entender la latinización como la historia de las luchas de una comunidad heterogénea sujeta a fuerzas mundiales. En el futuro, los latinos van a enfrentarse a esfuerzos constantes por mantener sus identificaciones culturales mientras que se adaptan a nuevos procesos locales y globales. Sin cambios radicales, una población creciente de trabajadores de preparación inadecuada estará inmersa en una sociedad tecnológicamente avanzada. Las ciudades latinizadas son los espacios en donde residen las posibles dinámicas positivas que pueden alterar el escenario