Posttraumatic symptoms and growth of Kosovar war refugees: The influence of hope and cognitive coping

Research on war trauma has been dominated by a pathological focus for decades. Researchers have now counterbalanced studies of trauma with a new focus, positive changes following crisis. This prospective study examines how specific psychological factors might influence post-war adaptive outcomes (the coexistence of posttraumatic growth [PTG] and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptoms) in a sample of 50 Kosovar war refugees. Individual differences in positive attitude and coping strategies were explored. Hope assessed during resettlement, and cognitive coping strategies, employed between resettlement and follow-up, were associated with PTG, controlling for war-related trauma and baseline symptoms. PTG and symptoms were unrelated. No predictors for present symptoms were identified. Future mental health practice with refugees should address both positive and negative aspects.     

Wartime faith-based reactions among traumatized Kosovar and Bosnian refugees in the United States

In William James' view, one function of prayer is a faith-based, conscious approach to a higher power when in distress. Accordingly, this study investigates the use of private prayer among Muslim war refugees from Kosovo and Bosnia (N?=?138). Results show that these refugees were highly traumatized and most counted on private prayer for coping with their wartime difficulties. Four major types of prayer familiar to Americans were employed by roughly two-thirds to 86% of this sample. As expected, most types of prayer were associated with both wartime traumatic distress and greater religiousness. Also, 77% used prayer so that their enemies would “pay for what they have done.” However, this type of prayer was predicted only by higher levels of education and not by religiousness or traumatization. The need for examining the general and specific social contexts of prayer, such as war and terror, and prayer itself, perceived as a common human experience, are discussed. A structural equation model indicated that war-related trauma was associated directly only with negative religious coping but indirectly with positive coping, mediated by levels of emotional distress. Religiousness was related directly only to positive coping. These findings are discussed with respect to their theoretical and clinical implications.     

The Political Justification of Migrant Workers in Alberta,Canada

Considering a series of oil-driven economic booms, the use of inter-provincial and international migrant labour has become an important part of labour market policy in the Canadian province of Alberta. The increased use of temporary foreign workers is controversial. Narrative analysis of legislators’ statements in the legislature and the press between 2000 and 2011 reveals the government using three narratives to justify policies encouraging greater use of foreign migrant workers: (1) labour shortages require migrant workers, (2) migrants do not threaten Canadian jobs and (3) migrants are not being exploited. Close scrutiny of each narrative demonstrates them to be largely invalid. This suggests a significant disconnect between the real and espoused reasons for the significant changes to labour market policy, changes that advantage employers and disadvantage both Canadian and foreign workers. The findings are relevant to understand the political dynamics of economically related migration.     

Slavic brides in rural Alberta

International correspondence (or mail-order) brides who are sponsored by Canadian husbands make up one group of Family Class immigrants to Canada. In this paper, I present findings from interviews conducted with Slavic women in urban and rural areas of Alberta. I discuss the expectations of women seeking husbands from First World countries and the realities that they encounter following their arrival in Canada. I outline their language and settlement circumstances and make recommendations for effective responses to their particular situations.     

Counselor Training in Canada: An Alberta Approach

This article examines the initiatives of the Alberta/Northwest Territories Region of Employment and Immigration Canada in the implementation and continuing development of employment counselor training within the context of changing economic conditions and policy changes. Initiatives have included innovative group approaches, a program of competence maintenance and enhancement, and the development of an accountability framework for employment counseling. Future directions for training are also examined.     

Small steps and big leaps in an era of cultural transition: a crisis in a traditional Kosovar Albanian family

This ethnographic vignette details the way a difficult crisis in an extended Kosovar family was managed by its own members within the mandates of that overtly patriarchal culture while creating important avenues for change. The cultural and historic context for these events is provided, and the nuances of this solution-oriented, culturally congruent, "natural" (i.e., not in a therapeutic context) process are discussed.     

近代乡绅劣化的成因——以苏北为个案的研究

民国时期,在全国范围内普遍出现了传统乡绅阶层劣化的现象,这是传统社会控制结构失衡之后的特殊产物.本文以苏北地区为例,对近代苏北乡绅劣化的成因进行分析,认为主要因素有四,即:19世纪中期以来的中央政权控制力的下降、传统乡村绅士阶层的分化、乡村权威的武化和封闭落后的地理环境等.     

论北宋诗僧道潜

本文简略描述了北宋诗僧道潜与苏轼的交游,指出在长达二十余年的交往中,他们诗文往还,倡和酬答,彼此扶将,甘苦与共,演绎了我国文化史上儒释交流的一段佳话.道潜的诗歌创作以清绝平雅为其主要特色,与储光羲的诗歌有相似之处.同时道潜的许多诗歌表明了对陶渊明的景仰和心仪,他也喜欢作绮语艳词,体现出与文人士夫情趣的趋同性.     

The voice of experience

Whistleblowing is recognized as an important function in promoting scientific integrity, and there is a recognized need to protect whistleblowers. There is not much information available in the literature about scientific whistleblowing. Because it appears that frequently scientific misconduct is uncovered by a whistleblower, it is useful to obtain more information about the activity. This paper is about whistleblowing from the perspective of the person blowing the whistle. Information about a few selected cases of whistleblowing is presented in an attempt to augment the experiential aspect of the activity. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the symposium entitled “Damned If You Do. Damned If You Don’t: What the Scientific Community Can Do About Whistleblowing” held during the Annual Meeting of the AAAS, Seattle, Washington, 15 February, 1997.