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Recurring Themes (recurring + themes)
Selected AbstractsDancing the Foreign Aid Appropriations Dance: Recurring Themes in the Modern CongressesPUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE, Issue 2 2000Lewis G. Irwin In studying changes and continuities in the Congress since the early 1960s, a persistent set of "rules of the game' in the foreign aid appropriations process emerged from the analysis. These rules shape both the foreign aid appropriations process as well as the nature of the relationship between the executive and legislative branches on this issue. Utilizing involved actor accounts and detailed, descriptive case studies of the passage of foreign aid appropriations laws in the early 1960s and 1990s, I argue here that the foreign aid appropriations process is a routinely choreographed political production with important recurring continuities in the modern era. I describe and analyze recurring features of the foreign aid appropriations process that constrain or benefit the various political actors interested in thwarting, advancing, or using the aid program. Furthermore, I argue that from the legislative actors' perspective, the underlying continuities that define the legislative process trump the changes to the process in perceived importance, and that the actors view people, rather than procedure, as the most important determinant of success or failure. [source] On the use of generalized linear models for interpreting climate variabilityENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 7 2005Richard E. Chandler Abstract Many topical questions in climate research can be reduced to either of two related problems: understanding how various different components of the climate system affect each other, and quantifying changes in the system. This article aims to justify the addition of generalized linear models to the climatologist's toolkit, by demonstrating that they offer an intuitive and flexible approach to such problems. In particular, we provide some suggestions as to how ,typical' climatological data structures may be represented within the GLM framework. Recurring themes include methods for space,time data and the need to cope with large datasets. The ideas are illustrated using a dataset of monthly U.S. temperatures. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Immigrant Parents' Concerns Regarding Their Children's Education in the United StatesFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2009Olena Nesteruk A growing body of research suggests that as immigrant families assimilate into U.S. culture, their children's academic achievements and aspirations decline. This article explores possible reasons for this finding from the perspective of immigrant parents from Eastern European countries whose children attend U.S. schools. In-depth, qualitative interviews are conducted with 50 married mothers and fathers who hold professional-status employment. The data are analyzed using open and axial coding approach and three central, recurring themes emerge: (a) Parental Influences: "Education is a must,. The sky is the limit"; (b) The Educational System: "Parental guidance and resources are required"; and (c) Sociocultural Influences: "Everything here is about making money,. But what about our children'" Supporting, illustrative narratives are presented in connection with each theme to explain the perspectives of these immigrant parents on their children's schooling in the United States, and to add other tentative factors for further research into the decline of the children's academic achievement and aspirations with longer residence in the United States. Implications for family and consumer scientists are presented. [source] Local Government Reform In Britain 1997,2001: National Forces and International TrendsGOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, Issue 2 2003Michael Cole This article considers the origins of the local government reform agenda of the 1997 to 2001 Labour government. The analysis identifies a wide range of factors including recurring themes in the debate about local government, market mechanisms, Labour Party politics, the traditions of the British state, the constitutional reform agenda and the international context. This study also develops the notion of shifting constraints to explain this process and the agenda of the current Labour administration. [source] Beyond ,faith-based medicine' and EBMJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 4 2006John De Simone Abstract Rationale, aims and objectives, Longstanding debate on evidence-based medicine (EBM) may have reached a critical saturation point. I briefly report on systematic reviews on the recurring themes in the critical literature. In this context, some criticisms to EBM are substantial and enduring, although convincing arguments to contrast unresolved issues have yet to be produced. Nonetheless, few changes have been adopted and conservative attitudes persist in EBM. Despite its ,success', implementation in practice has been inexorably overshadowed leading to paradoxical shortcomings. This controversial scenario offers a formidable occasion to gain needed insight. The aim of this paper is to attempt a comprehensive analysis by reframing a number of key concerns, while furnishing pragmatic, interdisciplinary solutions for these deep-rooted dilemmas. In the interests of all stakeholders, I seek to promote a concerted effort to resolve conflict and build consensus. Methods, This paper explores a strategically unifying vision of primary care, based on current understanding of practice patterns, having a research-friendly ,common ground' where practitioners' information needs may be met. In addition, an analysis of existing problems identifies underlying ,root causes'. Moreover, I expediently reframe crucial matters by focusing on EBM, more than as a paradigm, as an organisation, hence amenable to a variety of cross-disciplinary analyses and solutions. Finally, recent state-of-the-art reviews on implementation and dissemination research are cited for the pertinent implications for study design and practice. Results, Present policies and influential testimonials on behalf of EBM encounter the pitfalls of hindering learning and progress through defensive attitudes and mechanisms. Current study designs and evaluation criteria must strive to adapt to real-world settings, rather than vice versa. Conclusions, The arguments exposed herein alter the terms of the debate on EBM and may outline a basis for initiatives with conflict-resolution and consensus-building scopes. [source] Joseph Jastrow, the psychology of deception, and the racial economy of observationJOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, Issue 2 2007Michael Pettit This article reconstructs the recurring themes in the career of Joseph Jastrow, both inside and outside the laboratory. His psychology of deception provides the bridge between his experimental and popular pursuits. Furthermore, Jastrow's career illustrates the complex ways in which scientific psychology and pragmatist philosophy operated within the constraints of a moral economy deeply marked by notions of "race." Psychological investigations of deception were grafted onto two of the human sciences' leading tools: the evolutionary narrative and the statistical analysis of populations. Such associations abetted the racialization of the acts of deceiving and being deceived. These connections also were used to craft moral lessons about how individuals ought to behave in relationship to the aggregate population and natural selection's endowment. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The ecology of information: an overview on the ecological significance of making informed decisionsOIKOS, Issue 2 2010Kenneth A. Schmidt Information is characterized as the reduction of uncertainty and by a change in the state of a receiving organism. Thus, organisms can acquire information about their environment that reduces uncertainty and increases their likelihood of choosing a best-matching strategy. We define the ecology of information as the study of how organisms acquire and use information in decision-making and its significance for populations, communities, landscapes and ecosystems. As a whole, it encompasses the reception and processing of information, decision-making, and the ecological consequences of making informed decisions. The first two stages constitute the domains of, e.g. sensory ecology and behavioral ecology. The exploration of the consequences of information use at larger spatial and temporal scales in ecology has lagged behind these other disciplines. In our overview we characterize information, discuss statistical decision theory as a quantitative framework to analyze information and decision-making, and discuss potential ecological ramifications. Rather than attempt a cursory review of the enormity of the scope of information we highlight information use in development, breeding habitat selection, and interceptive eavesdropping on alarm calls. Through these topics we discuss specific examples of ecological information use and the emerging ecological consequences. We emphasize recurring themes: information is collected from multiple sources, over varying temporal and spatial scales, and in many cases links heterospecifics to one another. We conclude by breaking from specific ecological contexts to explore implications of information as a central organizing principle, including: information webs, information as a component of the niche concept, and information as an ecosystem process. With information having such an enormous reach in ecology we further cast a spotlight on the potential harmful effects of anthropogenic noise and info-disruption. [source] Arab American Adolescent Perceptions and Experiences with SmokingPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2003Anahid Kulwicki R.N., D.N.S. Abstract The purpose of this pilot study was to gather information on Arab American adolescent tobacco use behavior. This information was used to modify the Project Toward No Tobacco Use cessation program so that it would reflect the cultural values of Arab American youths. Focus group interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from 28 Arab American adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 years. The number of participants in the focus groups ranged from three to eight; four sessions were conducted. A moderator, fluent in Arabic and English, facilitated the group's interactions. Each group addressed five interview questions. Discussions were audiotaped and transcribed with the expressed permission of study participants. Qualitative analysis consisted of careful reading of the transcripts and of the field notes for the purpose of identifying recurring themes around tobacco use. Those that emerged were Being Cool; Being able to "Nshar ma'a al shabab" (hang out with the guys); Present Orientation; Smoking feels good, tastes good, and keeps your mind off trouble; Availability and Accessibility of tobacco; and Barriers to Smoking Cessation Programs. The results of the focus group discussions provided valuable information about the tobacco use perceptions and behaviors of Arab American adolescents and the youths' need for a culturally relevant smoking cessation program. [source] Sound and American ReligionsRELIGION COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5 2009Isaac A. Weiner Americans of diverse religious backgrounds have striven to hear God's voice or to respond to the call of other suprahuman forces. Yet despite increased attention to visual and material culture, religious studies research mostly has been deaf to the sounds of American religious life and to the significance of hearing as a spiritual practice. This essay explores the theoretical and methodological roots of this disciplinary deafness and offers theoretical resources from fields such as social history, anthropology, acoustic sciences, and phenomenology. It reviews recurring themes in research on sound and American religions,especially related to the role of music in constructing identity and difference,and suggests directions for further research, including the need to attend to how sound mediates contact among diverse religious communities. This essay encourages scholars to become more attuned to the sonic world of American religious life. [source] Serious case reviews: learning to use expertiseCHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 3 2005Marian Brandon Abstract While undertaking an analysis of 20 serious case reviews for the Welsh Assembly Government, the authors became aware of important, largely unexplored, practice issues with implications for training, service delivery and the role of the lead professional. The reviews were studied using a ,layered reading' methodology to ensure that emerging themes were grounded entirely in the reports. In looking beyond the familiar recurring themes and practice failings, findings emerged about the use of expertise in its widest sense. The need for more skilled use of expertise was identified, from external specialists and child protection specialists, and from children, siblings and parents. Professionals from agencies who contribute less routinely to the process of safeguarding children should be consulted as experts and be empowered to play a fuller part. Consultation could often be used prior to, or in place of referral. The barrier to the collation and analysis of relevant information often appeared to be a failure to recognize and understand expertise rather than a lack of communication as often postulated in review reports. Skilled use of expertise and consultation in a coordinated manner could result in more rigorous assessments and promote greater professional trust, confidence and challenge. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Emotional issues after kidney transplantation: a prospective psychotherapeutic studyCLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 6 2002Lyndsay S Baines Abstract:,Background:, Negative emotional states are the single most influential factor in determining quality of life after a successful kidney transplant. We designed a prospective study using psychotherapeutic principles to understand and intervene in emotional issues in adult recipients of first cadaver kidney transplants. Methods:, Forty-nine recipients of first cadaver kidney transplants were subjected to 12 sessions (at weekly intervals) of psychotherapy within 3 months of receiving their transplant. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was utilized as a measure of change in emotional state, pretherapy, at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. A higher score on BDI was suggestive of psychological dysfunction. In the first instance, data was analysed within a quantitative framework, by virtue of the BDI. In the second instance, data was considered in terms of recurring themes described by patients during psychotherapy and was analysed qualitatively. In the third instance, both qualitative and quantitative data was considered in terms of individual patient's ability to achieve some feeling of having implemented some social, relational and vocational equilibrium into their everyday life. Recipients of live kidneys, paediatric transplants and patients who received more than one transplant were excluded, as emotional issues are different in this cohort of patients. All patients have completed 1 yr of follow up. None of the patients were on antidepressant medication before or after therapy. Results:, This is an ongoing study in which we are comparing individual vs. group therapy vs. controls (who receive no therapy). The total number of patients recruited will be 120 and the final report will be available in 2003,04. The results reported in this paper form the 49 patients in the individual arm of the study. All the patients in our study happened to be white people. There was significant improvement in the BDI scores following therapy. The mean score was 26.3 ± 7.9 before and 20.5 ± 8.8 after therapy (p = 0.001); the lowering of the scores remained sustained at 12 months. Multivariate analysis of age, gender, employment status, duration of dialysis (if in dialysis for more than 3 yrs) and psychotherapy given before transplantation did not affect the results of our study. For the qualitative aspect of the study, we grouped the emotional problems as expressed by the patients into three recurring themes (i) fear of rejection, (ii) feelings of paradoxical loss post-transplant despite having received a successful transplant and (iii) the psychological integration of the newly acquired kidney. Conclusions:, Psychotherapeutic intervention was an effective means of addressing emotional problems in recipients of kidney transplants. The recurring themes as identified above provided a baseline for psychotherapeutic exploration and resolution of these issues. Successful resolution of these issues was associated with lower BDI scores and the redefinition of normality in daily living post-transplant. [source] | |||||||||||||