Changing views of community studies: Middletown as a case study

The background and history of the three major studies that have been made of Mid-dletown (Muncie, Indiana) are traced. The findings of these studies are summarized, their contributions evaluated, and their receptions described. The problems inherent in trying to replicate results over a lengthy span of years in community research are analyzed, concluding with some thoughts on the future of community studies.     

Organizational characteristics of empowering community settings: A multiple case study approach

Although empowerment is often cited as a major guiding construct for community psychology, relatively little is known about the characteristics of empowering community settings. The current paper uses a multiple case study methodology to generate a number of key organizational characteristics of empowering community settings to guide future work in the area. In-depth, multilevel, longitudinal research was conducted on three empowering community settings: a religious fellowship, a mutual help organization for persons with severe mental illness, and an educational program for African American students. The organizational features found to characterize all three settings were (a) a belief system that inspires growth is strengths-based, and is focused beyond the self; (b) an opportunity role structure that is pervasive, highly accessible, and multifunctional (c) a support system that is encompassing, peer-based, and provides a sense of community; and (d) leadership that is inspiring, talented, shared, and committed to both setting and members. Limitations of the research are discussed, and directions for future research suggested.     

The young women's network: a case study in community development

While young women have been found to be at additional risk for psychological morbidity after a breast cancer diagnosis, their specific needs in relation to support are not well described. A community development approach was utilized to develop the Young Women's Network, a peer support programme for young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer that addresses their specific psychological and social needs. Central to this approach was the key role of the target group in both the definition of the problem and the generation of the solutions. This article describes the steps involved in developing this programme and guidelines for health professionals and community members who may wish to replicate either the Young Women's Network or this particular approach to programme development. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring the meaning of participation in a community art project: A case study on the Seeming project

In Australia, community art has drawn significant research attention in regard to its potential as a community development strategy. Despite the fact that researchers have presented evidence for the positive developmental outcomes of participation in community art projects, a gap remains in understanding how and why people's participation in a community art project can lead to those positive outcomes. This research explored the meaning of participation in a community art project from the vantage point of the people who experience it. Ten participants were interviewed about their participation in a community art project (The Seeming) held in Bendigo, Australia. Following thematic analyses we identified three themes of how participants viewed their participation in a community arts project. These themes included giving voice to the silenced, creation of social connections and challenging and reproducing stereotypes. Participation means coming together and the findings highlight the potential of community arts projects for promoting the creation of new relationships and new stories about community. However, there are also problematic stories about self and others that were not deconstructed. It is argued that the settings in which different groups join can be meaningfully extended if there is an explicit concern with consciousness raising and deconstruction of normative stories. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Social support and emotional adjustment during and after a severe life event: A study of wives of myocardial infarction patients

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between quantitative and qualitative indicators of social support and anxiety. depression and use of health services in a sample of 37 wives of myocardial infarction (MI) patients. In a prospective design, the wives were interviewed during the acute phase of the illness, three months and 10 years post index-MI. Congruent with previous research, the quantitative aspect of social support, defined as number of persons giving help, was unrelated to adjustment, whereas qualitative aspect of social support, defined as the wives' dissatisfaction with social support, was associated with depression and use of health services. The observed association indicated, however, an effect in the opposite direction of the social support model. The findings were unexpected and may be due to a small sample. An alternative explanation is that long-term relationship between depression and social support is more complex, and more long-term studies are needed in this field.     

The implementation of contextual therapy in the therapeutic community for substance abusers: a case study

Family therapy takes a special position in the therapeutic community for substance abusers (TC). In the early therapeutic communities, the family of origin was not considered as important for the substance abuser's recovery process, and was even labelled as part of the problem. It was only in the 1970s that the TC acknowledged the significance of family involvement in treatment. Nowadays, the contextual vision of Ivan-Boszormenyi-Nagy seems to have a strong impact on family counselling activities in Belgian TCs.
In this article, the integration of contextual thinking in the TC is discussed. By means of a case study, it is shown that there are some clear parallels between the treatment evolutions in family counselling and the peer group community. The central position of trust both in contextual therapy and the TC treatment model is an important common ground for stimulating integration. Some obstacles that can disrupt this integration process are discussed.     

Teenagers,behavioral problems,and preferences for heavy metal and rap music: A case study of a southern middle school

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between musical preference, commitment to popular music and behavior problems of teenagers in an optional middle school.

This research tested three hypotheses. 1) Musical preference is related to race, 2) Musical preference can predict behavior problems, and, 3) Commitment to popular music, measured in hours, can predict behavior problems.

Data were gathered from a survey distributed to 80 students, school records, and participant observation. Results indicated that musical preference can predict race but can not predict identification as a behavior problem. Commitment to particular types of popular music did not predict behavior problems.     

Aphemia after a penetrating brain wound: A case study

The speech of a patient with aphemia (pure anarthria) resulting from a penetrating brain wound was studied using linguistic and acoustic observations as well as electromyographic recordings from four labial muscles. The results are discussed in relation to phonetic disintegration's syndrome and apraxia of speech which, respectively, enhance linguistic disorders and motor programming disturbance.     

A developmental phonological short-term memory deficit: a case study

A developmental case of phonological short-term memory deficit was studied in a highly educated subject. The subject, BS, who had obtained a Ph.D. in molecular biology, demonstrated striking deficits on some short-term memory tasks, particularly for auditorily presented nonword lists. With visual presentation and with meaningful words, he often scored at a normal level. The results indicate a deficit in retaining phonological information but an ability to use visual, lexical, and semantic information to boost recall. Despite this phonological short-term memory deficit, BS scored at a normal level on a syntactic comprehension test and on reading of nonwords. He was impaired, however, on repeated list learning, learning of foreign vocabulary, and transcribing dictated materials. The implications of these results for models of short-term memory and the uses of phonological retention in cognitive processing are discussed.     

Children with lesbian parents: a community study

Existing research on children with lesbian parents is limited by reliance on volunteer or convenience samples. The present study examined the quality of parent-child relationships and the socioemotional and gender development of a community sample of 7-year-old children with lesbian parents. Families were recruited through the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a geographic population study of 14,000 mothers and their children. Thirty-nine lesbian-mother families, 74 two-parent heterosexual families, and 60 families headed by single heterosexual mothers were compared on standardized interview and questionnaire measures administered to mothers, co-mothers/fathers, children, and teachers. Findings are in line with those of earlier investigations showing positive mother-child relationships and well-adjusted children.     

The development of a mental health coalition: A case study

Described the development of a local-level mental health coalition to advocate for housing and community support programs for psychiatric consumer/survivors. Resource mobilization theory was used as a framework from which to view and understand the origins, goals, tactics, and outcomes of the coalition. Data were presented indicating that the coalition played a role in obtaining increased funding for housing and community support programs. Also, there was an emphasis on consumer/survivor and family participation in the change process. Benefits and limitations of the coalition after 6 years of operation were reviewed and compared with other advocacy coalitions in mental health. Thanks to Wendy Czarny, Peter Dunn, Mary Earls, John Lord, Ken Parsons, Isaac Prilleltensky, Harvey Simmons, and the reviewers for their helpful suggestions on earlier drafts of this paper.