California's Suicide Decline, 1970–1990

From 1970 to 1990 California experienced a 32% decline in suicide, which was particularly pronounced among women, non-whites, the young, and urban dwellers. Suicide declines of over 50% were recorded in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and large decreases occurred in other coastal counties. Additionally, California was the only one of 51 states to show a consistent decline in teenage and young-adult suicide (accompanied by an 88% decrease in teenage drug and other poisoning deaths). Initial investigation of death certification, accident and homicide trends, economic measures, and prevention efforts did not produce an explanation for a suicide decrease of California's magnitude. However, the state does display anomalous trends in certain social measures (reduced divorce, rising non-White population, and rising homicide) that point to multifactorial hypotheses including demographic changes and changed attitudes toward violence. Review of the accuracy of past suicide certification procedures nationally is also indicated.     

Reassessing the Concept and Measurement of Evangelicals: The Case for the RELTRAD Approach

Social scientists have generally adopted one of three analytical approaches to understanding evangelicalism and those who thereby fall within the ranks of evangelicals. The choice of which approach one adopts is not “neutral,” as each approach embodies different theoretical perspectives related to evangelicals, posits different means by which religion is linked to attitudes and behavior, entails different measurement issues, and captures somewhat different segments of society as being evangelical. This article delineates and explicates the inherent conceptual differences among the three approaches and examines the measurement issues associated with each approach. Given this reassessment, the article concludes by contending that the relative merits of the affiliation (or RELTRAD) approach generally outweigh those of the other two approaches.     

Counseling in Switzerland: Past,Present, and Future

The authors review counseling in Switzerland and compare it with counseling in the United States. They evaluate the role of professional associations and programs and argue that the evolution of counseling is situated within the history and economic, social, and political systems of Switzerland. Findings suggest that Swiss counselors are ready to reach out, evolve, and learn from mental health professionals around the world and to adopt best practices so as to work with those in need.     

Barth and the Evangelicals – Engaging with Barth: Contemporary Evangelical Critiques – Edited by David Gibson and Daniel Strange

This review examines twelve conservative evangelical responses to David Gibson and Daniel Strange's Engaging with Barth. Witten in a charitable spirit that gives deference to Barth, the essayists remained uncomfortable with the prospect of rehabilitating Barth's radical neo‐orthodoxy for contemporary evangelical theology. In the article, I summarize the authors' critiques to Barth's exegetical, historical, and theological program, and locate their contributions pertaining to the reading of Barth's dogmatics. The review concludes with a possibility of interrogating the pneumatological‐underpinnings in Barth's theology as a constructive reworking of Barth's trinitarian theology for evangelical theology. There are ‘spaces’ for evangelicals to mine from the Barthian legacy, albeit via the medium of turning Barth's proposals on its head.     

Characteristics of Minnesota Job Corpsmen in 1970–71

Selected data on a limited number of Minnesota Job Corps referrals to a civilian conservation center in 1970–71 were examined to determine whether there were significant differences between long-term enrollees and short-term enrollees. Data was gathered from information recorded at the time of the young men's applications for the Job Corps and a questionnaire was sent to the long-term enrollees. No significant differences were found between the long-term enrollees and short-term enrollees. Trends did appear, however, indicating that limited intellectual ability, completion of a substantial amount of secondary education, receipt of welfare assistance by a young man's family, and home residence in a small town or rural area might be related to retention in the Job Corps program.     

Counselors in the elementary school: 1970–71

The authors of this article investigated several aspects of elementary school guidance during the 1970–71 school year in the 50 states and the 4 United States territories. They discovered that the number of counselors in US. elementary schools has increased by 2,000 in two years. Over 50 percent were supported by local funds. To date, 24 states have differentiated certification for elementary school counselors, and 36 states have developed policy statements or state standards for elementary school guidance.     

Female religious leadership in Switzerland: norms,power, and money

Women’s access to positions of leadership in religions is a highly contested issue in Western societies, both inside religions themselves and in societal discussions of religion. Reliable data on actual female leadership are, however, scarce, especially in European countries and regarding minority religions. This article describes and explains statistically the normative openness of congregations to female leadership as well as the actual existence, position, and financial remuneration of female leaders across the whole range of religious traditions in Switzerland. The study is based on data from the representative National Congregations Study of 2008/2009. Our results show that, despite considerable normative openness, female spiritual and administrative leadership remains scarce in most religious traditions. The highest percentage of female spiritual leaders can be found in the milieu of alternative spirituality, followed by the Reformed congregations. A generally high percentage of female leadership can be found on administrative boards. It is only leadership positions in certain Christian traditions (Reformed, Catholic, Evangelical-classical) that are normally remunerated for women; many other traditions do not have female leadership or, as in the case of the milieu of alternative spirituality, such leadership positions are not remunerated.     

Prestige and Social Standing of Growth Occupations, 1982–1995

This study helped to determine whether applicants for assistance from the state employment office view fast- and large-growth occupations with a hierarchy similar to that cited in the professional literature. Findings revealed that professions were in the top ranks, skilled and crafts occupations in the middle ranks, and service-oriented occupations in the low ranks. Growth occupation information did not seem to influence or affect job applicants' ratings.     

From Geneva to Zürich: Jung and French Switzerland

An account is given of the constitution of several components of the Freudocentric reading of Jung and the genesis of analytical psychology, which, it is argued, has led to their mislocation in the intellectual history of the twentieth century.     

KNOWLEDGE ECOLOGIES, “SUPPLE” OBJECTS,AND DIFFERENT PRIORITIES ACROSS WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES PROGRAMS AND DEPARTMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1970–2010

This article examines the evolving connections between local conditions and knowledge processes in women's and gender studies, a research field in the social sciences and humanities. Data are historical records from five early‐adopting women's and gender studies units in the United States and interviews with affiliated professors. In their formative years, these programs were consistent in their intellectual content. Scholars across sites defined the purpose of women's studies similarly: to address the lack of research on women and social problems of sex inequality. Gradually, scholars incorporated a range of analytic categories into women's studies’ agenda, including gender identities and masculinities, leading to diverse understandings and redefinitions of the central objects of analysis. Analytic shifts are reflected in differences in the institutional and intellectual composition of programs and departments. To explain how local departmental conditions affect the conception of core objects of study in gender research, the author builds on the literature on knowledge ecologies and introduces the concept of the “supple object.”     

‘Translation’ and ‘transformation’ in the analytic situation: Freud – Bion – Laplanche

Following a short introduction to the core theses of Jean Laplanche’s theory of a ‘general seduction’ the author presents the resultant clinical position of the analyst. In the same way that an adult sends ‘enigmatic messages’ to the child, it is the analyst’s task to reopen this primal situation so that the patient can find new ‘translations’ for these messages. Laplanche distinguishes between the function of the analytic frame – which represents and supports attachment – and the ‘sexual’– which is the repressed and constitutes the unconscious. Only the focus on this unconscious facilitates the deconstruction of ‘incorrect’ translations. Accordingly, the analyst, says Laplanche, should not take part in construction – this is a self‐construction of the patient – but only in reconstruction. The author compares this clinical model with Freud’s notions and the ‘transformation processes’ through the alpha function as described by Bion. She illustrates Laplanche’s model and the interpretation strategy with case material.     

Suicides in Beijing,China, 1992–1993

Analyzing the raw data of suicides reported to the Beijing Public Security Bureau in 1992 and 1993, this study reveals for the first time to the academic public in the West the rate, gender difference, the timing, causes, and means of Chinese suicides. In comparison with suicide patterns in Western societies, mainly reported by Durkheim (1897/1951) , Diekstra (1990) and the National Center for Health Statistics (1991) , the findings of this study suggest more differences than similarities. The comparatively low suicide rate (4.8 per 100,000 population), the reversed gender effect (55.4% of suicides are female and 44.6% male), alleged causes, and reported means of suicides in China are explained in terms of history, culture, and social forces. However, the direct relationship of warm seasons to Chinese suicide rates is consistent with what is known about Western societies.