Basic human values: The ethos for methodology

This paper draws on the personal experiences of part of a research project where the original methodology was flawed and needed to change to properly encompass the lives and experiences of the people who the research was for, namely users of mental health services living in supported housing. The change in methodology involved a recognition that the research could not be termed ‘value-free’; that researchers are not objective. It is argued that it was important to demonstrate that the information obtained in the research was ‘valid’, and that despite the subjective nature of the research, there are steps that can be taken to convince others that the information received is ‘real’. It is further argued that the traditional approach to research of separating theory (or knowledge) from practice was not only inappropriate in this sort of research, but is a false notion in any sort of action research that aims to promote change. The importance of the influence and power of service providers in action research is recognised, as well as the constraints placed on short-term funded projects. It was important for the methodology to be non-oppressive so that researchers adopted an open and honest approach and for researchers to become involved with the research participants. The implications of this ‘involvement’ are discussed. There is a concluding discussion about whether non-users of mental health services can be considered as allies in research. It is argued that all oppressed groups need their allies and if the research is led by basic human values, then working alongside people who depend on services can lead to emancipatory outcomes.     

Implications of the Social Model of Disability for Visitor Research

ABSTRACT

Museum professionals have long held the view that their institutions can play a central role in supporting learning and inclusion but evidence seems to be in sort supply in the case of visitors with disabilities. Until recently, most of the work conducted in museums relating to learning and access for this particular visitor group has been about developing products and services rather than assessing their impact. The lack of research in this area reflects the slow development of disability studies as a distinct field and the fact that anti-discrimination and human rights legislation only extended to those with disabilities in the mid to late 1990s. The author introduces one approach to negotiating a balanced design of visitor research and the principles of the emancipatory research framework. She argues that this framework has the capacity to delve into the experiences of people with disabilities and provide a deeper analysis that would not otherwise be possible. The Heritage Education For All project will be used as an example to demonstrate how this approach can be developed in practice, and to show that informal learning programs designed using an emancipatory insight have the capacity to enable people with disabilities to gain new insights into their lives and identities.     

Socially Valued Roles,Self‐Determination,and Community Participation among Individuals Living with Serious Mental Illnesses

Decades after deinstitutionalization, individuals living with serious mental illnesses remain isolated, socially disengaged, and devalued members of communities. Burgeoning research and services need conceptual clarity to improve such social conditions. This qualitative inquiry used grounded theory and participatory approaches to conduct an in‐depth exploration of community participation for individuals living with serious mental illnesses based on key stakeholder perspectives (n = 45). Results revealed that community participation is a multifaceted construct with layers of meaning for individuals living with serious mental illnesses. Overarching themes are contextualized in Self‐Determination Theory and presented with deidentified illustrations. Implications for services, research, and policy are discussed.     

Researching self-help/mutual aid groups and organizations: Many roads, one journey

Self-help and mutual help groups are defined and the status of the literature described and reviewed. Self-help groups are different from peer and nonprofessional services under the supervision of professionals. Controlled studies of mutual help groups may be neither possible nor desirable as the method of choice by which to understand the phenomena of interest. Other approaches to research, including worldly evaluations, and ways of construing self-help organizations, that is, as normative communities and political action organizations rather than as psychological treatments, are discussed, and suggestions for future research are presented.     

The necessary impossibility: Dynamics of identity among young people of different backgrounds in Vienna

Identity, the key term during the last two decades in social sciences, is employed for different, even opposite purposes. On the one hand, there are liberal aims claiming social recognition, which usually are summarized under the term politics of identity. On the other hand, there are social movements and conceptions, the objectives of which are diametrically opposed to emancipatory ideas, and which encompass nationalisms, ethnopluralism, cultural fundamentalism, differential racism, and xenophobia. In this field of tensions this contribution is focusing on narratives and strategies of identity among young people in group discussions. Encounters among youth from different cultural, ethnic, and social contexts and with different expectations produce diasporic public spheres, which are neither predominantly emancipatory nor fully controlled, but rather emerging and therefore contested. In our theoretical reflections we challenge common dichotomies and main models of identity; in our empirical approaches we examine the topography and the dynamics of identity as well as “situated hierarchies” of different sources of identity.     

Homelessness and dual diagnosis.

People who are dually diagnosed with severe mental illness and substance use disorders constitute 10%-20% of homeless persons. They are a heterogeneous and extremely vulnerable subgroup with complex, poorly understood needs. In this article recent research on the epidemiology, subject characteristics, and service needs of the dually diagnosed homeless population is reviewed. Also, the range of evolving approaches to providing social services, housing, and mental health and substance-abuse treatments; the relevant system issues and legal issues; and problems with current research, as well as future research directions, are discussed. The importance of the distinction between providing appropriate living environments and mental health treatments emerges throughout.     

Linking Service Climate and Disconfirmation of Expectations as Predictors of Customer Satisfaction: A Cross‐Level Study1

Research addressing customer satisfaction has not been conducted within an integrated framework. Two approaches have been developed separately with different levels of construct and analysis: organizational behavior and consumer behavior. Our research study provides an initial step in developing integrative strategies with the joint consideration of service climate and disconfirmation of expectations. We link these 2 concepts to customer satisfaction with services, using a cross‐level approach. Data from 105 work units and 1,033 customers confirmed the existence of a dual corridor of relationships, with independent and significant links from disconfirmation and service climate to customer satisfaction. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

An Emancipatory Topology of Desire

Abstract

In this article, I explore how the emancipatory potential of the human capacity to desire and be desired can contribute to more inclusive, sustainable, and convivial futures. I differentiate four manifestations of desire: (1) the consuming aspect of desire with acts of deliberate noncapitalist desire, (2) the arousing aspect of desire encouraging acts of playful profanation, (3) the identity-shaping aspect of desire enabling acts of radical unbecoming, and (4) the future-shaping aspect of desire associated with acts of courageous deviantness. Examples of practices that highlight the emancipatory potential of the different manifestations are discussed.     

A family intervention in psychosis service integrating the systemic and family management approaches

A project to establish new family intervention services to support people with psychotic symptoms and their families is described. The new services are developed by training a whole team in each main population centre. The multidisciplinary training course and the family intervention service are described, and the way in which we integrate the 'family management' and 'family therapy' approaches is discussed.     

Development and Feasibility Exploration of a Combined Compensatory and Restorative Approach to Addressing Cognitive Challenges in Early Intervention Psychosis

The integration of compensatory and restorative cognitive interventions is an emerging area of research and practice. However, little research has been conducted in this area, with a lack of attention given to describing the process taken to integrate the two approaches in a way that is feasible and effective. In this paper, we describe the rigorous process undertaken to integrate and develop Combined Cognitive Intervention (CCI) for early psychosis. This home-based intervention was developed within the context of a larger study comparing the effectiveness of remedial and restorative approaches in which 11 patients were randomized to receive CCI, completed evaluations at baseline, 4 months and 5 months post-intervention. Outcome analyses suggested less favorable functional outcomes for CCI but comparable gains in goal attainment and symptom reduction as those observed in other treatment conditions. Qualitative feedback on challenges and successes as experienced by participants and clinicians are provided, along with a case study to illustrate the implementation of CCI. Findings are discussed within the broader context of evidence-based interventions and the provision of services to those experiencing early psychosis.     

Social Work with Asian Americans

This paper is based upon an extensive review of the literature on Asian Americans, the practice experience of the senior author, and the research work of the junior author with one of the Asian American groups. An attempt is made to describe the socio-economic conditions of the major Asian American groups and the antecedents of those conditions, as well as the major problems experienced by most Asian Americans. The common features of the cultural values held by most Asian Americans are discussed and the reasons for their difficulty in using the available human services are analyzed. Social work approaches likely to work with Asian American clients are suggested.     

Secularity,gender, and emancipation: thinking through feminist activism and feminist approaches to the secular

In this article, I engage with feminist discussions about secularity, gender, and emancipation. The feminist study of the secular was spurred by interventions of Saba Mahmood [2005. The Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject. Princeton: Princeton University Press], and can be seen as a critical engagement with at least one basic assumption that underlies much of progressive thinking – that secularism is beneficial for women and LGBTQ subjects. I begin by exploring how the Belgian feminist activist platform Baas Over Eigen Hoofd! (Boss Over One’s Own Head!) builds a locally suited theory and practice of emancipation. I analyse how BOEH! raises questions about gender and secularity. Second, I zoom-out by mapping feminist studies of the secular in Western European contexts, distinguishing various analytical approaches and visions on social-political secular emancipatory alternatives. To conclude, I relate local feminist activism to feminist academic discussions, and argue that there is a continued need for thinking about shared emancipatory futures.     

Effectiveness of inpatient treatment programs for mentally ill adults in public psychiatric facilities

This article updates the current state of knowledge and research on the effectiveness of inpatient treatment programs for mentally ill adults in the public sector to provide guidance for improving both research and services. National figures show inpatient facilities to still be predominant in the U.S. public mental health system; the populations and programs in these facilities are in serious need of science-based assistance. We summarize the major conceptual factors that influence the conduct and interpretation of inpatient outcome studies, clinical trials, or program evaluations (relevant domains and classes of variables, unit of analysis and effectiveness criteria, empirical findings on moderator variables). The major inpatient treatment approaches are described, and the empirical literature on effectiveness is reviewed. We conclude with a summary of the substantial accumulated evidence and recommendations for use of new assessment technology to assist with implementation of effective approaches and for advancing promising lines of research. The time seems ripe for exciting science-based advances in research and services.     

Mental Health Services in Juvenile Correctional Facilities: A National Survey of Clinical Staff

This study determined the use of best practices in providing mental health services to youth within juvenile correctional facilities. A national sample of 94 (49.7 %) lead clinical staff from all available and qualifying facilities responded to a mail and on-line survey. There were no statistically significant differences across respondents versus nonrespondents for security level, gender served, or census region of facilities. Specifically, we examined the provision of facility-wide mental health programming, individual, group, and family counseling, and case management services. Examination of these services included the use of evidence-based interventions provided through an established curriculum and methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. We also examined staff involvement, and the perceived quality of services and barriers to providing interventions. Participants reported using a variety of evidence-based interventions; however, participants also acknowledged using other approaches that may not have empirical support. Additionally, although at least half of the participants reported mandatory individual and group counseling, less than a third of the participants reported that their facilities required family counseling. Clinical staff also reported a variety of methods used for evaluating the effectiveness of mental health services. Additional findings, as well as implications for research and practice, are discussed.     

Barriers between mental health services and Mexican Americans: An examination of a paradox

The paradox of underutilization of mental health services by Mexican Americans is critically examined. It is argued that Mexican Americans live under high levels of psychological and environmental stress that would ordinarily lead to mental health problems and an increased utilization of mental health services. A number of barriers to the use of mental health services by Mexican Americans are examined. Included among these barriers are such factors as the relationship between social class and treatment offered, stereotypes concerning Mexican American folk psychiatry, limitations imposed by language differences, and the effects of stereotypes between Anglo Americans and Mexican Americans. Paradoxical findings in some studies which show a positive perception of mental health services by Mexican Americans are seen to further underscore the need for more research on the Mexican American's position. Stereotypes and generalizations about Spanish-speaking and bilingual Mexican American's approaches to psychotherapy are challenged in the light of recent empirical findings. Recommendations for future research directions and for improving the delivery of mental health services are presented.     

Prereferral Intervention to Improve Special Services Delivery

Many special services providers as well as consumers of services have become disillusioned with current approaches to services delivery. As a result, there has been growing interest in the development of alternative methods and procedures for providing services. One area which has received much attention is that of prereferral intervention. Essentially, this term refers to an approach of systematically providing and documenting interventions within the regular classroom setting before a referral for special education evaluation and decision making is made. The major components of the approach are described in the article, prereferral involvement is contrasted with traditional methods of service delivery, and a case illustration demonstrating important aspects is included. Finally, advantages of the approach and several unresolved issues and potential barriers are discussed.     

Mental health disparities impacting Christian Korean Americans: a qualitative examination of pastors’ perspectives

Mental health disparities impacting Korean Americans are multifaceted. Although encouraging developments have been made in the knowledge of mental health prevalence and professional help-seeking behaviours of Asian Americans, Korean Americans continue to experience many challenges and unique needs that require more ethnic- and culture-specific knowledge. Given the prominent role that religion, particularly Christianity, plays in the Korean American context, we conducted exploratory interviews with 10 Korean American pastors regarding their perspectives on mental health issues impacting the Korean American community. Using consensual qualitative research, we found four salient domains: (a) Barriers to seeking mental health services, (b) Challenges that pastors experience, (c) Pastor’s assessment of church’s current climate in approaches to mental health issues, and (d) What is needed. Implications for research and practice in addressing mental health disparities are discussed.     

Tribal aspects of postmodern consumption research: the case of French in‐line roller skaters

Tribes constitute a research focus for postmodern consumer research and an alternative way of targeting marketing action. Consumers are supposed to value the goods and services which, through their linking value, permit and support social interaction of the communal type, products or services that support AB and not the fact of being A or B. This paper seeks to explore current developments in postmodern consumer research in terms of methods used to identify tribes and in terms of approaches used to elaborate an offer which is capable of supporting tribal rites and to capitalise, at a brand image level, on these tribal phenomena. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications.     

Rethinking the Educational Practices of Biblical Doctoral Studies

The paper explores the impact of the change in populations, the impact of electronic communication, and the multiplicity of methodological approaches on the ethos and practices of biblical studies. It proposes a rhetorical emancipatory educational paradigm and explores its possibilities for the professional education of biblical scholars on the doctoral level. Since both college and seminary teachers are shaped in and through their doctoral studies, it is necessary to focus on doctoral education in order to address the growing recognition that the discipline of biblical studies in its present form needs to cultivate transformative intellectuals who are not only at home in the academy but also can critically intervene in the public discourses and uses of the Bible in religious communities, democratic publics, or global inter‐religious relations.     

On the Road to Emmaus: Together towards Life as Conversation Partner in Missiological Research

This article argues that the Emmaus narrative in Luke 24:13‐40 illustrates a messianic paradigmatic missiological approach to costly discipleship making. The central motif in this approach is critical emancipatory conversation, which is not merely the means to data gathering but an end in itself. Using Luke's story as a paradigmatic approach to missiological research, I demonstrate how Together towards Life as a research tool could creatively and innovatively engage with African theological education.