“另类的尴尬”与“玻璃口袋”——当代宗教慈善公益的“中国式困境”

作为慈善公益组织中的一名"老资格"成员,宗教慈善组织的主体身份认同的问题和宗教慈善组织的管理问题是始终是当代宗教慈善活动的"中国式困境"。笔者认为在宗教慈善组织主体身份认同方面,可以从宗教慈善的实践模式和文化模式角度来建构宗教性慈善组织的身份认同模式;而增强公信力,形成"玻璃口袋"效应是宗教慈善公益组织最具优势的发展动力。     

Evaluation of the school-based smoking-prevention program "BE smokeFREE"

This article examines the impact of the school-based smoking-prevention program "BE smokeFREE" on adolescent smoking. A national representative sample of 99 schools (195 classes, 4,441 students) was used when the intervention started in November 1994. Schools were allocated to one of four groups: a comparison group (A) and three intervention groups (B, C, and D). Group B received the most comprehensive intervention. A baseline (autumn 1994) and three follow-up data collections (1995, 1996, and 1997) were conducted. There were no significant differences in smoking habits among the four groups at baseline. The smoking habits in the group that was involved in the most comprehensive intervention (group B) changed more favourably than those of students in the comparison schools over the three follow-up data collections. At the third follow-up, the proportion of students smoking weekly or more in the comparison group was 29.2%, compared with 19.6% in the model intervention group. The two less comprehensive interventions (no teacher in-service courses in group C, and no involvement of parents in group D) appeared to be less effective than the model intervention. Multilevel multiple logistic regression analyses, comparing changes in smoking habits between students in group B with those among students in the comparison schools, confirm the conclusion that the comprehensive intervention was the most effective. This school-based intervention, based on a social influence approach, proved to be effective at reducing smoking rates among participants.     

The "psychosomatic family" model: an empirical and theoretical analysis

Evolution of the Family Systems Paradigm has been constrained by the dichotomy between theory building and empirical research. This article integrates these two domains by presenting a theoretical analysis of the "psychosomatic family" model as it informs and is informed by an empirical research project. Forty families of children with Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and functional recurrent abdominal pain syndrome (RAP) were rated during standard, videotaped family interaction tasks, lunch, and interview. Laboratory scores of disease activity were associated with triangulation, marital dysfunction, and total "psychosomatic family" scores. Disease activity was not significantly correlated with enmeshment, overprotection, rigidity, conflict avoidance, or poor conflict resolution. Thus, the marital/triangulation and enmeshment/overprotection/conflict clusters may be subcomplexes of the "psychosomatic family" complex. CD, UC, and RAP groups differed in the relations among particular family patterns and disease activity. A heuristic family-psycho-somatic model is presented to facilitate future research.     

"Enmeshment" and the Too Richly Cross-Joined System

This paper traces out a connection between Minuchin's concept of an "enmeshed" family and Ashby's discussion of the problems inherent in a system in which all the parts are tightly interlocked. Adaptiveness to change in such a system will depend on the possibility for the joins between parts to become temporarily inactive. This observation supports maneuvers in family therapy that emphasize the creation of boundaries between subsystems, differentiating individuals from one another, and blocking customary sequences of interaction.     

"Don't lock me out": life-story interviews of family business owners facing succession

This qualitative study used a grounded theory methodology to analyze life-story interviews obtained from 10 family business owners regarding their experiences in their businesses with the goal of understanding the complexities of family business succession. The grounded theory that emerged from this study is best understood as a potential web of constraints that can bear on the succession process. Coding of these interviews revealed four key influences, which seem to have the potential to facilitate or constrain the family business owner's approach to succession. Influence 1, "The business within," captures intrapsychic dynamics of differentiation and control. Influence 2, "The marriage," addresses how traditional gender roles shape succession. Influence 3, "The adult children," examines the role of having a natural (accidental, organic, passively groomed) successor. Influence 4, "The vision of retirement," captures the impact of owners' notions of life post-succession. Family therapists frequently encounter family systems in which the family business is facing succession. Even if succession is not the presenting problem, and even if the business owner is in the indirect (rather than direct) system, this research reminds clinicians of the importance of the family's story about the family business. Therefore, clinical implications and recommendations are included.     

"Psychobiology"

The term psychobiology is often used to refer to various biological approaches to psychology that have emerged in the 20th century. The term generally has been used to locate an approach with respect to both disciplines, sometimes in an effort to distance the author from psychology as a whole. When viewed in broad historical perspective, however, it is seen that more often the word has been used to designate a number of very different forms of opposition to the excessive reductionism characteristic of many biological approaches to psychology. "Psychobiology' represents a family of attempts to incorporate biological perspectives in the study of dynamic processes in whole, integrated, adapted, and organized organisms, not to reduce complex, dynamic relationships to physiological processes.     

When the Woman Presents Herself as "the Patient"

The thesis of this paper is that women are delegated by their families, by sociocultural norms and stereotypes, and by the psychotherapeutic community to perform in the role of patient. In many cases women are diagnosed, labeled and treated for supposed intrapsychic difficulties without adequate consideration of the relationships of the woman's social system to the dysfunction. This acceptance of the notion of intrapsychic causation in the woman, while ignoring the larger family system, grows out of a cultural world view which stresses individual self-determination is economically rewarding for the therapeutic community (two-thirds of the client population is female), it does a disservice to the woman and her family. A societal myth is perpetuated of the women as the "problem-bearer" and the one who is "sicker" or "crazier" than others in her family. The woman's symptoms need to be viewed as having interpersonal reality; symptoms are tactics of communication not mythological internalized driving forces with special attraction to the female psyche. An attempt will be made to outline how therapists may unwittingly collude in perpetuating the myth of individual dysfunction in the woman. Ideas are presented for viewing the woman's request for service as an attempt to solve a systemic problem and how therapists, by recognizing the function of the symptom in the woman's social system, can help the woman better define and solve the problem.     

The emergence of "family integrity" in later life

In contrast to the rich and abundant literature on the early stages of the family life cycle, there are relatively few theoretical accounts of family developmental processes in the second half of life. In an effort to address this imbalance, we introduce the concept of "family integrity" to refer to the ultimate, positive outcome of an older adult's developmental striving toward meaning, connection, and continuity within his or her multigenerational family. Subjectively, for the older adult, family integrity may be experienced as a deep and abiding sense of peace and/or satisfaction with his or her multigenerational family relationships, past, present, and future. It is the result of a growing concern for relational closure that typically begins to emerge in mid-life and gains ascendance in later-life. Objectively, at the level of observable relational processes, it is manifest in three interrelated competencies of the family as a system: (a) the transformation of relationships over time in a manner that is dynamic and responsive to the changing life cycle needs of individual family members, (b) the resolution or acceptance of past losses or family conflicts, with the dead as well as the living, and (c) the shared creation of meaning by passing on individual and family legacies within and across generations. As a construct, family integrity involves processes at multiple levels of social organization. At the individual level, it refers to an older adult's inner experience of satisfaction or "completeness" in the context of his or her family relationships. At the family level, it refers to observable relational competencies and transactions that contribute directly to an elder's sense of meaning, purpose, and connection with others. Simultaneously, at the level of culture and society, there are values and rituals that influence whether individuals experience meaning and purpose within the multigenerational family.     

Immediate post intervention effects of two brief youth suicide prevention interventions

This study evaluated the immediate postintervention effects of two brief suicide prevention protocols: a brief interview--Counselors CARE (C-CARE)--and C-CARE plus a 12-session Coping and Support Training (CAST) peer-group intervention. Subjects were students "at risk" of high school dropout and suicide potential in Grades 9-12 from seven high schools (N = 341). Students were assigned randomly to C-CARE plus CAST, C-CARE only, or "intervention as usual." The predicted patterns of change were assessed using trend analyses on data available from three repeated measures. C-CARE and CAST led to increases in personal control, problem-solving coping, and perceived family support. Both C-CARE plus CAST and C-CARE only led to decreases in depression, and to enhanced self-esteem and family goals met. All three groups showed equivalent decreases in suicide risk behaviors, anger control problems, and family distress.     

"Shaping" of frequency discrimination performance using only intrinsic reinforcement.

This experiment compared two modes of practice at a difficult frequency discrimination, i.e., one in which the frequency difference was initially correctly discriminated only 65% of the trials in a two-alternative forced-choice task. One group of Ss (N = 13) was assigned to a progressive-practice group, in which the frequency difference to be discriminated was progressivley changed from a large, easy, difference to the difficult, small, difference. The other group of Ss (N = 13) received the same amount of practice as the first, but all at the difficult discrimination. Only the progressive-practice group improved their discrimination performance. Since no feedback was given, the effect of progressive practice is interpreted as "shaping" Ss' attentional response by virtue of the information provided by the successively more difficult discriminations. This "shaping" process is potentially available as a learning mechanism for other fine discriminations.     

Detrimental therapist-client relationships--beyond thinking of "dual" or "multiple" roles: reflections on the 2001 AAMFT Code of Ethics

This article presents reflections on and a critique of the recent revision of the AAMFT Code of Ethics on the multiple relationship ethical standard. A brief historical overview of terminology and the debate surrounding "dual" and "multiple" relationship ethical rules in marriage and family therapy is provided. The term "exploitation" is also delimited. Ethical principles and a set of standards addressing "detrimental" versus "potentially beneficial" interactions are introduced, deriving from works in other mental health professions. The article recommends: (a) the terms "dual" and "multiple" relationships should be abandoned; (b) the ethical principles underlying the AAMFT Code of Ethics need to be examined; and (c) the debate on the topic of detrimental therapist-client interactions in marriage and family therapy needs to be revisited, especially in light of a "positive ethics."     

Electrophysiological indices of brain activity to "the" in discourse

In a first experiment, we recorded event-related-potentials (ERPs) to "the" followed by meaningful words (Story) versus "the" followed by nonsense syllables (Nonse). Left and right lateral anterior positivities (LAPs) were seen from the onset of "the" up to 200 ms in both conditions. Later than 200 ms following the onset of "the", the left and right LAPs continued for "the" in the Story, but were replaced by a negativity in the Nonse Condition. In a second experiment, ERPs were recorded to "the" in the Story and Nonse contexts mixed together under two different task instructions (attend to the auditory stimuli versus ignore the auditory stimuli). The same pattern of findings as Experiment 1 were observed for the Story and Nonse contexts when the participants attended to the auditory stimuli. Ignoring the auditory stimuli led to an attenuation of the right LAP, supporting the hypothesis that it is an index of discourse processing.     

The therapeutic use of self in constructionist/systemic therapy

The introduction of a constructivist orientation to family therapy has promoted a reconceptualization of the therapeutic use of self. The multiply-engaged therapist is seen as positioned within rather than as acting upon a system. Such a therapist facilitates change through participation in, and active engagement with, each system member's perceptions and experience. Multiple engagement synthesizes the "instrumental" and "noninstrumental" perspectives through use of the idea of systemic influence, or systemic positioning. Multiple engagement stresses the relational perspective over the extremes of either pure interventionism or pure facilitation. Five specific therapeutic stances are introduced and are clinically illustrated; taken together, these stances articulate one model for a constructivist family therapy.     

Korean adolescents' "examination hell" and their use of free time

A 15-year-old girl's daily life is a vivid testimony to the hardships the Korean high school student is faced with. She leaves home for school at 7 A. M., taking two lunch bags, one for supper, with her. After regular classes end at 5 P.M., she attends the "autonomous study classes" studying by herself until 10 P.M. The exhausted young girl returns home at about 10:30 P.M. and gets to bed around midnight at the earliest. Under the current system, this will be her life for three years. Of course, there is no guarantee she will be able to enter the university she wants. She has no family life, except for Sundays, and they hardly ever see each other, let alone get together at the dining table for dinner. People call this "ipsi chiok," entrance examination hell. ["High School Students Deprived of Spring," 1996, p. 13].     

Research & clinical exchange

Abstract

Question: Family therapists are often called upon to do consultations to schools about children having social and educational difficulties. In what ways is the family therapist's role different when he or she is called in to consult as an “outsider’ to the school system about a particular child whom he or she does not know, compared to being called upon by the school for advice about a child who is already being seen in treatment by that therapist?     

“生”对儒家伦理的意义

“生”是儒家学说中一个很重要的概念 ,儒家的许多范畴和命题基本上都能从“生”中得到说明。只有正确理解“生”的内涵和意义上 ,才能准确理解“中庸”、“仁”、“忠恕之道”和“天人合一”的含义 ,也才能把握儒家重精神情操的思想特征和推己及人的行为方式。     

Problems experienced by adolescents already in families that adopt older children

Many families adopt school-aged children, yet the impact of such adoptions on children already in the family is virtually unknown. This paper reports results from a questionnaire administered to a small sample of adolescents concerning difficulties experienced with both newly adopted school-aged siblings and, for comparison, other children already in the family. Difficulties with all siblings were seen primarily as hassles. The adoptee was, however, reported as creating more problems than "old" siblings. The problems with the adoptee, but not with other siblings, suggested invasion of "turf" and, more particularly, interference with parent-child relationships. Difficulties are discussed in relation to their impact on the family system.     

Defining the cortical visual systems: "what", "where", and "how"

The visual system historically has been defined as consisting of at least two broad subsystems subserving object and spatial vision. These visual processing streams have been organized both structurally as two distinct pathways in the brain, and functionally for the types of tasks that they mediate. The classic definition by Ungerleider and Mishkin labeled a ventral "what" stream to process object information and a dorsal "where" stream to process spatial information. More recently, Goodale and Milner redefined the two visual systems with a focus on the different ways in which visual information is transformed for different goals. They relabeled the dorsal stream as a "how" system for transforming visual information using an egocentric frame of reference in preparation for direct action. This paper reviews recent research from psychophysics, neurophysiology, neuropsychology and neuroimaging to define the roles of the ventral and dorsal visual processing streams. We discuss a possible solution that allows for both "where" and "how" systems that are functionally and structurally organized within the posterior parietal lobe.