Open Access Theses - Social Sciences and Humanities - 2010 and earlier
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PublicationCorporal punishment and externalizing behaviors in toddlers: positive and harsh parenting as moderators( 2013)Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sandra Stith and Jared Durtschi / Controversy still exists in whether parents should or should not use corporal punishment to discipline their young children. The aim of this study was to investigate whether corporal punishment when the child was two years old predicted child externalizing behaviors a year later, and whether or not this association was moderated by parents’ observed positivity and harshness towards their child. A total of 218 couples and their first born child were selected for this study from the Family Transition Project (FTP) data set. Findings indicated that frequency of fathers’ corporal punishment when the child was two years old predicted child externalizing behaviors a year later, while controlling for initial levels of child externalizing behavior. Also, it was found that observed positive parenting and observed harsh parenting moderated the relationship between corporal punishment and child externalizing behaviors. These results highlight the importance of continuing to examine the efficacy of a commonly used form of discipline (i.e., corporal punishment). Furthermore, this study suggests that the parental climate in which corporal punishment is used may also be important to consider because parental positivity and harshness attenuate and amplify, respectively, the association of corporal punishment with child externalizing. Implications for family therapy are offered.
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PublicationWork-sharing for a sustainable economy( 1900)"Achieving low unemployment in an environment of weak growth is a major policy challenge; a more egalitarian distribution of hours worked could be the key to solving it. Whether worksharing actually increases employment, however, has been debated controversially. In this article we present stylized facts on the distribution of hours worked and discuss the role of work-sharing for a sustainable economy. Building on recent developments in labor market theory we review the determinants of working long hours and its effect on well-being. Finally, we survey work-sharing reforms in the past. While there seems to be a consensus that worksharing in the Great Depression in the U.S. and in the Great Recession in Europe was successful in reducing employment losses, perceptions of the work-sharing reforms implemented between the 1980s and early 2000s are more ambivalent. However, even the most critical evaluations of these reforms provide no credible evidence of negative employment effects; instead, the overall success of the policy seems to depend on the economic and institutional setting, as well as the specific details of its implementation."
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PublicationDaily living and coping strategies in insulin-dependent diabetics : diagnostic reasoning in nursing( 1990)Within a defined geographical area, all patients, 192 in total, with insulin- dependent diabetes of at least 2 years' duration and free from long-term diabetic complications were identified. Their experiences of the influence of the disease on daily living, tedium, and smoking habits were evaluated using a questionnaire and related to metabolic control. A case-referent study concerning smoking habits among 25 patients with good, and 25 with poor metabolic control was performed. The influence of mentruation on metabolic control was studied among 20 diabetic women and 20 healthy controls. Coping strategies and their outcomes were studied among 20 patients, using the interview technique. Among those with unsatifactory metabolic and/or emotional outcomes, plans for nursing intervention were agreed on, using diagnostic reasoning. Only a minority of the patients reported that the disease caused them considerable problems in their daily lives. The greatest problems occurred in connection with regularity in daily life, diet management, and exercise. Patients with good metabolic control (HbAic<6.7) had a higher number of hypo-glycemic cornata (7 vs 1, p<0.001). Patients with poor metabolic control (HbAic>9.0) reported more often that they were smokers (pcO.Ol) and the women fertile aged in this group more often reported problems with metabolic control during menstruation (p<0.05). Twenty-nine (18%) were defined as suffering from tedium. There was a higher proportion (NS) of high tedium scores among patients in both good and poor metabolic control groups than in those with intermediate metabolic control. Sixty (31%) of the patients were smokers, prevalence of smoking increased significantly with increasing HbAic- levels (17.5% among patients with the best metabolic control, 47.5% among those with the worst metabolic control). In the case referent study exposure to smoking was found to be significantly more common among those with poor control (odds ratio 6.0). No systematic change in metabolic control during the menstrual cycle could be found. Problem-solving coping strategy based on the monitoring of blood glucose in combination with sensitivity to signs of actual blood glucose level and logical reasoning, was found to have the best coping outcome, both regarding metabolic control and well-being. The results are summarized in a model for diagnostic reasoning in nursing
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PublicationIntegrity promoting care of demented patients( 1992)The purpose of the thesis was to investigate if integrity promoting care improves functions in demented patients over time. The Erikson (1982) theory of ”eight stages of man” was used as a basis for training of staff in a three-month intervention study (I-VI) at a nursing home ward. A collective living unit where staff had had support in the performance of the delivery of care was also evaluated and compared with a nursing home in a long-term study (VII). Patients, relatives, staff, and the environments were investigated. Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of somatostatin increased, and reduction of distractability, anxiety and confusion was seen in the intervention group (I) in contrast to controls. In the collective living group (VII) EEG activities indicated a reduction of supposed dementia induced changes. Better motor and social ability, some improved intellectual ability, more alertness and reduced signs of depression were seen (I, II, VII). Patients expressed more autonomy (IV, VII) and initiatives (II-VII) and showed a lot of competence (V) in conversations. Five patients (V) showed patterns of behaviour which seemed to reflect life-long characteristics in spite of their severe dementia. The improvement in the patients' functions can be attributed to the physical environment and the integrity promoting care, since the medical treatment of the patients remained unchanged. In the thesis medical, psychological, and nursing sciences were connected in a complementary process. The results were congruent, and indicate that patients in the care of staff who had had training and support, declined less than controls. /
S. 1-61: sammanfattning, s. 63-184: 7 uppsatser
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PublicationThe orientation of the American foreign policy establishment toward Communism in the Third World( 1973)"This study has been an attempt to describe and project trends in the perceptions of key American foreign policy-makers with respect to ""Communism"" in the Third World. In order to expedite matters, it focuses specifically on the verbalized concerns of the Presidency and the State Department with various Communist agents operating in Latin America, Asia and Africa. The period covered by the study spans from 1960 to 1971. An overriding purpose has been to measure as objectively and systematically as possible what in the past has generally been left to subjective impression. The questions guiding the research are listed as follows: (1) During the past decade what changes have occurred in American assessments of the Communist threat to the Third World? (2) Which agents of Communism (e.g., Communist China, International Communism or the Viet Cong) are perceived to be the most threatening to American and Third World interests? (3) Which Third World targets of Communism (e.g., Latin America, Asia or Africa) are most strongly threatened? (4) What are the projected or feasible directions of these American preoccupations for the early 1970s? (5) How closely do Presidential and State Department assessments of the agents and targets resemble each other? In order to respond to these questions thereby analyzing the perceptions or verbal preoccupations of the designated decisional units regarding Third World Communism, a manual form of content analysis was utilized. Indicators were developed by means of a procedure based on the Stanford Political Dictionary developed by Holsti, and associates. This tool is designed to investigate psycho-political factors of state behavior incorporating the normative (good-bad), potency (strong-weak) and behavior (active-passive) dimensions of the semantic differential. The data was gathered from (1) Public papers of the President, 1960-1968; (2) Weekly Compilations of Presidential Documents, 1968-1971; and (3) The Department of State Bulletin, 1960-1968. From a general perspective, the data reveals that the perceived Communist threat to the Third World gains intensity beginning in 1960 and continuing until 1967 or 1968. At this point an overall decline in concern emerges. In some cases this change in perception occurred as early as 1963. The study analyzed American preoccupation with what was termed general manifestations of Communism: International (Communism perceived as an international, monolithic conspiracy), National (embracing national based agents such as the Soviet Union or Cuba) and the Internal Communism (Communist phenomena emerging and operating within nations). It showed that International Communism has almost been erased as a threat in the eyes of the Presidents and State Department. Their greatest concern is directed toward national Communist entities. Concern with Internal Communism increased during the period. However until 1964, American preoccupation with the international manifestation had been greater than it had been with the internal or national aspects. With the exception of North Vietnam, the Communist nations (the Soviet Union, Communist Chine, Cuba, and North Korea) gave rise to relatively inconsistent, less intense preoccupations from the decisional units. As the period (1960 to 1971) closes, the ranking of Communist nations from the most threatening to the least is (1) North Vietnam, (2) Communist China, (3) the Soviet Union, (4) North Korea and (5) Cuba. But which Third World continents do Americans feel are most threatened by Communist agents? The data indicates that the concern is greatest for Asia and least for Africa, with Latin America ranking in the middle. In comparing the decisional unit preoccupations with Communist agents, the Presidency tends to view them as more threatening to American and Third World interests. However, relative to the Third World targets, the Presidency and the State Department display very little difference."