Community Support (community + support)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


The relationship of military imposed marital separations on maternal acceptance of pregnancy,,§

RESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 3 2008
Karen L. Weis
Abstract The effect of military deployment and perceived availability and source of community support on women's acceptance of pregnancy were examined in each trimester of pregnancy at four military bases. The sample was 503 primigravida or multigravida women eligible for care in the military medical system. Military deployment and community support had a statistically significant effect on pregnancy acceptance. Gravidas with deployed husbands had higher conflict for accepting pregnancy than gravidas without deployed spouses. Community support had a significant positive effect on pregnancy acceptance. Women perceiving support predominantly from off-base versus on-base communities had significantly higher conflict with acceptance of pregnancy. Findings point to improved maternal acceptance of pregnancy with paternal presence and community support in the event of military deployment. Published 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 31:196,207, 2008 [source]


Rurability: Community support for rural families managing acquired brain injury

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 5 2008
James Huntley
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


FAMILY COURTS-20 YEARS AFTER REFORM

FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 3 2002
Social Change: Address to the Conference of the Family Courts of Australia, The Family Court, at Sydney, on Thursday 26 July 200
The Rt. Hon. Dame Elias discusses the changes the people of Australia and New Zealand have seen and can expect from their respective family courts. She goes on to say that if judges of the family court are to play a more positive role in society, they need to stay abreast of what is happening with current legal trends as they relate to the "best interest of the child" standard, equal rights (especially between genders), and changing international trends in family law. The Chief Justice also addresses problems concerning lack of legal aid funding and an increase in unrepresented litigants. The Chief Justice explains that these issues and problems can best be dealt with through legislative reform as well as family court reform. Where there is an influx of additional resources better preparing judges to deal specifically with those seeking justice in the family court, these additional resources should also lead to a greater general understanding of current trends in the community. Chief Justice Elias asserts that without community support, these issues cannot be resolved. [source]


Corporate social performance: Creating resources to help organizations excel

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 2 2008
Bryan Dennis
The most commonly employed theories of corporate social performance (CSP) tend to ignore firm-level processes and structures as sources of competitive advantage. But, by taking a resource-based view (RBV), and by enhancing a firm's capability to engage in socially responsible activities, it can potentially create its own competitive advantages. We examine four major components of CSP,community relations, the environment, diversity, and employee relations. And we show that the ability of a firm to develop its knowledge and skills,as well as policies and implementation plans and procedures,in each of these areas is a potential resource that may in fact provide competitive advantages and higher organizational performance, bringing benefits to both society and the firm. The community dimension evaluates the firm's performance in relationship to philanthropic giving and community support. The environmental aspect considers such firm stewardship activities as pollution prevention, global warming, and recycling. The diversity component measures CSP considering such factors as board member diversity and a firm's hiring, evaluation, training, and promotion policies concerning women and minorities. The employee relations dimension examines such socially responsible human resource practices as innovative employee involvement programs and profit sharing. Together, these capabilities can provide tangible and intangible resources that can provide the firm with competitive advantages. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Formal support of stroke survivors and their informal carers in the community: a cohort study

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 6 2008
Chantal Simon PhD MSc MRCGP
Abstract This cohort study, aims to explore formal care provision to stroke survivors and their informal carers in the community in the UK. An initial cohort of 105 cohabitant carers of first-time stroke patients was recruited while the stroke patient was in hospital. Structured face-to-face interviews were carried out with carers prior to discharge of the stroke patient home, at 6 weeks after discharge, and 15 months after stroke. Questionnaires included measures of psychological health (CIS-R), physical health (self-rated health), social well-being (relationship quality and Sarason's social support questionnaire), handicap of the stroke survivor (Oxford Handicap Scale) and formal community support (amount of formal support and carer satisfaction). Multiple services were involved with most survivor,carer pairs (mean 5.4; range 2,9; SD = 1.7), and 74% of carers were satisfied with formal support provided. Number of services decreased with time (5.5 versus 4.1, t = 4.201, d.f. = 52, P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval: 0.71,2.01) but not time allocated. Using stepwise linear regression, service provision early after discharge was predicted by: level of handicap, recruitment centre, carer self-rated health, number of informal supporters and other care commitments. Satisfaction was predicted by quality of informal support and activity restriction. Fifteen months after stroke, predictors of formal care were: level of handicap, quality of informal support and previous caring experience. Predictors of satisfaction were: quality of the relationship between the stroke survivor and carer, age and mood. Quality of services was good, but carers lacked information, had insufficient help and were not consulted enough. Carer distress is common, yet not currently a factor influencing support provision. Formal care provided adapts with time reflecting the importance of quality of support from friends and family rather than quantity of informal supporters. These factors should be taken into consideration when planning and providing formal support for stroke survivors and their carers. [source]


Exploratory analysis of Chinese-American family caregivers' needs and instructional video on dressing stroke survivors

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 5 2010
Shu-Hwa LinArticle first published online: 18 AUG 2010
Abstract The aims of this project were to explore the needs of family caregivers in the Chinese-American community and to develop training videos for caregivers on dressing stroke survivors. In-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews were used to explore the problems of caregivers of stroke survivors. Forty participants were recruited from Chinese-American communities. Verbatim interview transcripts were coded and analyzed. Four main concerns emerged: the impact and adjustment in lifestyle for family caregivers; lack of social activities and failure to seek community support; physical and mental stress and methods to alleviate stress, such as instruction in heavy lifting and guidance for daily activities, which include dressing. An 18-min video was produced to provide instruction on dressing stroke survivors for those who need this information. Also, this article addresses the lack of social activities and information about community or public services. [source]


Cigarette pack and advertising displays at point of purchase: community demand for restrictions

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 6 2008
Jacqueline A. Hickling
Abstract Tobacco promotion influences tobacco consumption. Traditional forms of tobacco promotion have been heavily restricted in response to the harmful effects of tobacco. Tobacco displays at the point of purchase are increasingly important as a means of communicating brand imagery for the tobacco industry, especially when advertising is restricted at these points. Previous research has demonstrated that children exposed to tobacco advertising at the point of purchase have inflated perceptions of availability, use and popularity of tobacco. Internationally, laws are being debated and implemented to prohibit or restrict the display of tobacco at the point of purchase or put tobacco out of sight. Such measures would reduce tobacco product exposure and, hence, tobacco marketing among youth and the community. In South Australia, a ban on all cigarette advertising at the point of purchase was introduced in 2005. This study was designed to assess community support for restrictions on cigarette displays and advertising at the point of purchase. A telephone survey was conducted with a random sample of 2026 South Australian adults (aged 18 years and over) in July 2005. Overall, 63% of the community approved of a hypothetical total ban on cigarette displays at the point of purchase, with over three-quarters believing this should happen in the next 12 months. A further 24% believed that cigarette displays should be restricted and 82% would approve of a ban on displays in stores that sell confectionary. Only 7% of adult smokers reported making their decision about the brand of cigarettes to buy at the point of purchase and 90% made their decision before they even entered the shop. The results strengthen arguments that cigarette displays are not necessary to maintain brand loyalty or to encourage brand switching of established smokers. Instead, the results make arguments more credible that cigarette displays normalize and promote smoking among young people and may also promote unplanned purchase or increased consumption among less frequent smokers or former smokers. Placing cigarettes out of sight would be unlikely to impact on brand choice for most smokers, who have already made up their mind before they enter the store. [source]


Think globally, act locally: collective consent and the ethics of knowledge production

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 195 2009
Maui Hudson
Ethical review is an integral part of the process of developing research and considering issues associated with the production of knowledge. It is part of a system that primarily legitimises western traditions of inquiry and reinforces western assumptions about knowledge and its benefit to society. Around the world the process of colonisation has excluded indigenous understandings. In New Zealand, M,ori (indigenous) knowledge has been similarly marginalised; this pattern is also reflected within ethical review. M,ori values, while acknowledged, are not yet considered to have equal weight in ethical deliberations. The notion of collective rights and the possibility of developing processes to allow collective consent to be recognised and mandated by ethics committees have been raised by communities but largely ignored by the ethical review system. While kaupapa M,ori researchers espouse the benefits of closer community involvement, policy makers and ethics committees have focused on "consultation" as the mechanism which confirms proof of engagement, the establishment of community support, and the relevance of the project. This article highlights the potential of the concept of collective consent in negotiations between researchers and communities. [source]


Transitioning Residents from Nursing Facilities to Community Living: Who Wants to Leave?

JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008
(See editorial comments by Dr. Rosalie Kane, 165)., pp 16
OBJECTIVES: To examine nursing facility residents' or their legal proxies' perspectives on transitioning out of nursing facilities by assessing residents' perceptions of their ability to live more independently, their preferences regarding leaving the facility, and the feasibility of transitioning with community support. DESIGN: Analysis of survey findings from the California Nursing Facility Transition Screen (CNFTS). SETTING: Eight nursing facilities in southern California. PARTICIPANTS: All chronic maintenance, long-stay residents receiving Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program) were eligible for the study (n=218). Of these, 121 (56%) self-consenting residents or legal proxies were interviewed. No presumptions were made as to which residents were appropriate candidates for transition based on health or functional capacity. MEASUREMENTS: CNFTS contains 27 open- and closed-ended questions on preference, ability, and feasibility of transitioning. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent of residents and proxies believed that the resident had the ability to transition; 46% indicated a preference to transition; and after discussing potential living arrangements and services, 33% thought that transitioning would be feasible. Of those who consented to allow access to their Minimum Data Set 2.0 (MDS) information (n=41; 34% of the sample), agreement in the assessment of preference was found in 39% of cases. CONCLUSION: Transition decisions are complex and include preference, as well as perceptions of the resident's ability to live in a more independent setting and the feasibility of transitioning. Compared with the MDS, the screen identified a higher proportion of residents who want to transition, suggesting that a systematic approach to assessing the complex decision to transition is needed. [source]


Support for religio-political aggression among teenaged boys in Gaza: Part I: psychological findings,

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2010
Jeff Victoroff
Abstract Politically aggressive militant groups usually rely on support from a larger community, although evidence suggests that only some members of that larger community support that aggression. A major subtype of political aggression is that associated with religious differences,or Religio-Political Aggression (RPA). Little previous research has explored demographic or psychological factors that might distinguish supporters from non-supporters of RPA. In an exploratory study, we investigated whether factors previously associated with aggression might correlate with support for RPA in the case of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. During the second intifada, fifty-two 14-year-old Palestinian boys in Gaza completed self-report measures of life events, emotional status, and political attitudes. Teenaged boys who reported family members having been wounded or killed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) expressed greater support for RPA (t(50)=,2.30, P=.026). In addition, boys who felt their group was treated unjustly reported greater support for RPA compared with those who did not (t(50)=,2.273, P=.027). Implications of these preliminary data are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 36:219,231, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Attitudes toward Out-groups and the perception of consensus: All feet do not wear one shoe

JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2008
Anne Pedersen
Abstract Although social perception research has been carried out across a number of diverse domains, to the best of our knowledge, studies have not directly assessed the relationship between attitudes toward the out-group and perceptions of community support for those attitudes. In the present research, we report the findings of a study conducted in Western Australia using data collected from 653 participants from three different locations. The main thrust of our study was the accuracy of beliefs about consensus as it related to attitudes toward two marginalized groups: Indigenous Australians and asylum seekers. With respect to their attitudes toward these two groups, our respondents were placed in seven categories corresponding to their responses to our seven point attitude scales. Three main findings emerged. First, respondents at all seven levels overestimated community support for their views with respect to both Indigenous Australians and asylum seekers. Second, as respondents in both groups became more rejecting, their estimates of community support progressively increased in a linear fashion. Third, respondents in the more negative categories were significantly less accurate in their estimates than those in the more positive categories. How these findings might contribute to programmes designed to reduce prejudice is discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Measuring perceived community support: Factorial structure, longitudinal invariance, and predictive validity of the PCSQ (perceived community support questionnaire)

JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
Juan Herrero
Social support from intimate and confiding relationships has received a great deal of attention; however, the study of the community as a relevant source of support has been comparatively lacking. In this article, we present a multidimensional measure of community support (Perceived Community Support Questionnaire, PCSQ). Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on data from three samples of adult population (two-wave panel: sample 1, N = 1009 and sample 2, N = 780; and an independent sample 3, N = 440), results show that community integration, community participation, and use of community organizations are reliable indicators of the underlying construct of perceived community support. Also, community support is associated with a reduction of depressive symptoms after 6 months, once autoregression is controlled for. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Forensic Investigation of Sex Crimes In Colombia

JOURNAL OF FORENSIC NURSING, Issue 3-4 2007
Nancy B. Cabelus
Victimization by sexual assault has become not only a public health and safety issue but a way of life for many in Colombia. Poverty, gender inequality, and a lack of family and community support contribute to the cycle of sexual violence. Ineffective medico-legal systems have added to a rate of 93% for sex crimes that go without arrest or prosecution in Bogotá, the capital. Collaborative efforts are underway between the United States and Colombian governments to change the criminal justice system and strengthen forensic investigation of sex crimes in Colombia. [source]


Recommendations for Sexuality Education for Early Adolescents

JOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 3 2006
Kristin Haglund
Objective:, To determine community support and identify appropriate learning methodologies, parameters of delivery, and intervention content. Design:, Qualitative descriptive study in which participants were interviewed in a semistructured format. Data were analyzed thematically. Setting:, An urban pediatric primary care clinic from which youths and parents were recruited. Participants:, Ten youths, 10 parents, and 10 community members. Community members included professional and laypersons who had experience in working with early adolescents or in working with children of any age on sexuality issues. Overall, most participants were female (67%) and African American (67%). Results:, Descriptions of early adolescents' knowledge of sexuality, participants' support for sexuality education for early adolescents, recommendations for education content, and preferred methods for education delivery. Conclusion:, The participants supported comprehensive sexuality education for early adolescents. They believed that it would help youths to be abstinent, would provide some protection from sexual abuse, and would prepare them to practice safer sex in the future. JOGNN, 35, 369-375; 2006. DOI: 10.1111/J.1552-6909.2006.00048.x [source]


Mental health crisis and respite services: service user and carer aspirations

JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2009
C. LYONS phd msc pg cert rnt dpsn rmn teacher's cert
There is emerging evidence that crisis resolution services can provide alternatives to hospital admission, reducing demand on inpatient beds. Following a public consultation exercise in Lancashire (England), a team of nurses undertook a study, using interactive research methodology, to gain an understanding of how users and carers define a crisis and what range of crisis services, resources and interventions service users and carers thought would help avoid unnecessary hospital admission. Data collection comprised postal questionnaires and 24 group meetings with service users and carers, which were held during 2006. Data were analysed, and seven themes were identified: (1) definitions of a crisis; (2) access to services; (3) interventions; (4) range of services required (before, during and after crisis); (5) place of treatment; (6) recovery and rehabilitation; and (7) community support. We conclude that expressed preferences of service users and carers for pre-emptive services that are delivered flexibly will present a challenge for service commissioners and providers, particularly where stringent access criteria are used. Home-based pre-emptive services that reduce the need for unnecessary hospital treatment may avoid progression to social exclusion of service users. [source]


Becoming a success story: how boys who have molested children talk about treatment

JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2003
L. LAWSON PhD RN
This grounded theory study was designed to generate a mid-range theory of treatment from the perspective of boys who have molested children and undergone outpatient treatment. Data included information from seven boys' charts, their written responses to open-ended questions, and audio-taped interviews. The interviews generated a series of statements reflecting the boys' experiences in treatment, which were analysed by the constant comparative method. The basic social process of treatment was ,becoming a success story'. The structural elements of becoming a success story included relapse prevention, compliance and decision-making. The boys integrated these structural elements by talking to people they trusted, listening to what people said, and using what people said to help them do what was right. Becoming a success story took place in a context of family and community support. In its current form, this theory of treatment success can be used in practice to monitor progress through treatment. [source]


E-campaigning: what it is and how to do it

JOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, Issue 1 2003
Ed Grefe
Abstract Building community support for a candidate or a cause has traditionally been the essence of grass roots advocacy within the issues management process. And while political decisions in democracies are still made by the establishment, increasingly voters are expressing their views between elections on how an issue should be settled,and those who seek to retain political power are listening and responding. Corporations now need to adopt these tactics to show community support and to gain a legitimate seat at the table when decisions are made. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications [source]


Alcohol Use Among Rural Middle School Students: Adolescents, Parents, Teachers, and Community Leaders' Perceptions*

JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 2 2009
Laura DeHaan PhD
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND:, Although rural adolescents use of alcohol is at some of the highest rates nationally, rural adolescent alcohol use has not been studied extensively. This study examines how community attitudes and behaviors are related to adolescent drinking in rural environments. METHODS:, Data were gathered in 22 rural communities in the Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming). Surveys were collected from 1424 rural sixth- to eighth-grade adolescents and 790 adults, including parents, teachers, and community leaders. Census data were also collected. RESULTS:, Drinkers differed from nondrinkers by the following factors: higher perceptions of peer, parental, and overall community drinking, as well as lower levels of parental closeness and religiosity. Factors distinguishing binge and nonbinge drinkers were increased drinking to reduce stress, drinking to fit in, perceptions of peer drinking, and perceived lack of alternatives to drinking. Parents were significantly less likely to perceive adolescent alcohol use as a problem than other community adults; school officials were most likely to perceive it as a problem. Parental perceptions were also the least correlated to actual adolescent use, while adolescent perceptions were the most highly correlated. CONCLUSIONS:, Community fac tors such as overall prevalence of drinking, community support, and controls against drinking are important predictors of reported use in early adolescence. School officials were more likely to view adolescent alcohol use as a problem than were parents. School officials' perceptions of adolescent use were also more related to actual adolescent use than were parental perceptions of adolescent use. [source]


Community Social Responsibility and Its Consequences for Family Business Performance,

JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008
Linda S. Niehm
Family-centered businesses may have unique perspectives of socially responsible behavior due to family involvement and ties to the community. This research explored the antecedents and consequences of community social responsibility (CSR) for family firms operating in small and rural markets. Using a national sample from the 2000 wave of the National Family Business Survey (NFBS), researchers profiled family business operators' (n = 221) to determine if their CSR orientation contributed to family business performance. Enlightened self interest and social capital perspectives provide a framework for elaborating the role of CSR in sustaining family businesses in changing small communities. Results indicate that three dimensions, commitment to the community, community support, and sense of community, account for 43 percent of the variation in family business operators' CSR. Size of the business was significantly related to family firms' ability to give and receive community support. Further, commitment to the community was found to significantly explain perceived family business performance while community support explained financial performance. Findings suggest that socially responsible business behaviors can indeed contribute to the sustainability of family businesses in small rural communities. [source]


A Model of Community,Based Venture Capital Formation To Fund Early,Stage Technology,Based Firms

JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2002
Howard Van Auken
This paper suggests a model of capital formation that concurrently establishes a mechanism to fund early,stage technology,based firms and meets the economic development needs of rural communities. Investors in a community capital investment fund can gain high rates of return on investment while firms realize all of the benefits associated with the investment, community support, and expanded network. The model includes factors associated with the community environment (community,based factors that impact community members' participation) and external support environment (factors that facilitate the accumulation of investment capital within a community). The result of a community effort can be an environment in which members of the community contribute to an investment fund, cooperate in attracting firms, and provide networking assistance to new business owners. Communities benefit through job creation and economic stability. Community members benefit through wealth creation. [source]


Social networks and community support: Sustaining women in need of community-based adult education programs

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT & CONTINUING EDUCATION, Issue 122 2009
Velmarie L. Albertini
This chapter focuses on women in need of community education programs, specifically general educational development (GED), English as a second language (ESL), adult basic education (ABE), and workforce development. The author explores social networks and learning programs necessary for facilitating the transition of this group of women to sustainable employment. [source]


Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Children After Hurricane Katrina: Predicting the Need for Mental Health Services

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2009
Howard J. Osofsky MD
The purpose of this study was to examine factors related to the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms in children and adolescents after Hurricane Katrina. It was hypothesized that a positive correlation would exist between trauma exposure variables and symptoms indicating need for mental health services experienced 2 years after Hurricane Katrina. Specifically, the authors hypothesized that experiences associated with natural disaster including personal loss, separation from family and/or community, and lack of community support as well as previous loss or trauma would be related to increased symptomatology in both children and adolescents. This study included 7,258 children and adolescents from heavily affected Louisiana parishes. Measures included the Hurricane Assessment and Referral Tool for Children and Adolescents developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN, 2005). Results were generally supportive of our hypotheses, and specific exposure and demographic variables were found to be strongly related to posttraumatic stress symptoms in children and adolescents. [source]


The relationship of military imposed marital separations on maternal acceptance of pregnancy,,§

RESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 3 2008
Karen L. Weis
Abstract The effect of military deployment and perceived availability and source of community support on women's acceptance of pregnancy were examined in each trimester of pregnancy at four military bases. The sample was 503 primigravida or multigravida women eligible for care in the military medical system. Military deployment and community support had a statistically significant effect on pregnancy acceptance. Gravidas with deployed husbands had higher conflict for accepting pregnancy than gravidas without deployed spouses. Community support had a significant positive effect on pregnancy acceptance. Women perceiving support predominantly from off-base versus on-base communities had significantly higher conflict with acceptance of pregnancy. Findings point to improved maternal acceptance of pregnancy with paternal presence and community support in the event of military deployment. Published 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 31:196,207, 2008 [source]


Assessing ecological changes in and around marine reserves using community perceptions and biological surveys

AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 4 2010
M. Yasué
Abstract 1. Well-enforced partial or total no-fishing zones (collectively known as marine protected areas, or MPAs) can help restore degraded coral reefs and enhance fish populations. 2. A comparison was made of community perceptions of ecological changes in an MPA with concurrent scientific data on these changes in the same MPA. Such analyses are particularly important in community-based MPAs where local support is a key determinant of ecological success. 3. The no-take MPA in question was initially launched in partnership with the community in 1995 and formalized in 1998. The perceptions data come from interviews with community members in 1999 and 2004, the biological data come from underwater visual censuses of the MPA from 1998 to 2004. 4. Community members perceived more fish within the MPA and slight increases in catch outside the MPA. In contrast, fish censuses showed a high degree of stochastic variation and only minor increases in fish abundance, size and diversity in and around the MPA between 1998 and 2004. 5. Possible explanations for these discrepancies include different temporal, spatial or species frames of reference and/or limitations to the biological survey technique. Other options include wishful thinking, external influences, a desire to please, or confounding with other benefits. 6. This study demonstrates some of the strengths and weaknesses of community perceptions and biological data. In order to improve our understanding about the changes that occur over time in an MPA and engender community support for the long-term viability of MPAs, it is important to develop diverse and efficient monitoring schemes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The Gudaga Study: establishing an Aboriginal birth cohort in an urban community

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 2010
Elizabeth Comino
Abstract Objective: This paper describes the establishment of the Gudaga Study, an Aboriginal birth cohort in south-west Sydney, and our approach to follow-up of participants. The Study describes the health, development, and services use of Aboriginal infants and their mothers. The research team works closely with the local Aboriginal community to implement the research. Methods: All mothers in the maternity ward of an urban hospital were surveyed to identify mothers with an Aboriginal infant. These and some additional mothers identified through other networks were recruited to the study. Results: The number of mothers were surveyed was 2,108. Mothers of Aboriginal infants were younger (25.3 years compared to 28.4 years, p<0.001), less likely to be married (16.1% cf. 58.4%, p<0.001) and to have completed school (63.2% cf. 77.8%, p=0.002) than mothers of non-Aboriginal infants. Of 155 identified mothers of Aboriginal infants, 136 were recruited and 23 through other networks. At 12 months, 85.5% of infants were followed up. Conclusions: This study, to our knowledge, is the first cohort study of this kind on the eastern seaboard of Australia. The study has strong community support and follow-up, contrary to views that Aboriginal people are reluctant to participate in research. These data have national and regional significance. [source]


Decades of Disillusion: Reappraising the ALP-ACTU Accord 1983,1996

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICS AND HISTORY, Issue 4 2007
Geoff Dow
In this article we review the Accord between the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), in order to address current uncertainty over the role of unions in politics, particularly in the face of both the Coalition Government's 2006 industrial relations legislation and the ALP's apparent repudiation of the country's longstanding institutional leverage over wages and non-wage policies. The Accord exemplified an explicitly corporatist union strategy and it initially attracted extensive and hostile commentary. However, discussion of the experiment, together with other tripartite approaches to policy formation, has waned in recent years, perhaps suggesting that it was a tactic whose time has passed. Reviewing some major criticisms, we argue that critics have dismissed the Accord too hastily. Although serious problems with the Accord process are acknowledged, the articulation of a broad program of social democratic initiatives is always likely to retain support on the political left. Despite changes in union density and workforce composition, the union movement still possesses capacity to mobilise community support and develop a principled program. [source]


PACT: A Collaborative Team Model for Treating High Conflict Families in Family Court

JUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009
Joe H. Brown
ABSTRACT This article describes a court-community model program for high conflict divorced families that is designed to reduce the level of inter-parental conflict including: a) child exposure to inter-parental conflict; and b) the frequency of re-litigation over residential arrangements and parenting plans. The six-session (16-hour) program combines conflict resolution and group/community support. The program provides a "Personal Support Team" and "Personal Plan of Action" to help each parent control emotions and maintain agreement. The results of research conducted to explore the effect of the program on level of triangulation and inter-parental conflict, as well as the frequency of re-litigation over parenting plans, residential arrangements, and parenting time are reported. [source]