Children and youth in neighborhood contexts

Neighborhoods are increasingly studied as a context where children and youth develop; however, the extent of neighborhoods' impact remains debatable because it is difficult to disentangle this impact from that of the family context, in part because families have some choice as to where they live. Evidence from randomized experiments, studies using advanced statistical models, and longitudinal studies that control for family characteristics indicates that neighborhoods do matter. In nonexperimental studies, small to moderate associations were found, suggesting that children and adolescents living in high-income neighborhoods had higher cognitive ability and school achievement than those living in middle-income neighborhoods, and children and adolescents living in low-income neighborhoods had more mental and physical health problems than those living in middle-income neighborhoods. The home environment has been shown to be partly responsible for the link between neighborhood and children's development. For adolescents, neighborhood effects are partially accounted for by community social control. Experimental studies in which families were randomly assigned to move to low-poverty neighborhoods from housing projects found larger neighborhood effects than nonexperi-mental research, particularly for boys' outcomes. Additional issues reviewed are relevant neighborhood characteristics, theoretical models explaining the pathways underlying neighborhood effects, methods for research assessing neighborhood processes, and policy implications.     

The Freedom of a Teenager: Vocation and Service Learning as the Future of Youth Ministry

Abstract : This article asserts the value of service learning as integral to youth ministry's future. However, service learning often lacks an appropriate philosophical foundation and an effectual process. Therefore, we offer Luther's doctrine of vocation as a framework for engaging youth in service experiences, which in return becomes a concrete way to experience the doctrine of vocation and, more importantly, the freedom of a Christian. Framed and interpreted through a vocational lens, service experiences aid youth in recognizing the urgency of a life of faith,     

企业家行为民族特性理论构想

提出企业家民族特性理论和企业家行为人文社会精神理论并对其展开实证研究。突破了传统的企业家行为理论将企业家置于职业特性的研究范式和企业家行为特质只具有市场竞争精神的单维度结构。从回族商业文化特征研究入手, 构建企业家行为特质的二维结构模型, 开展回汉族企业家行为特质比较研究和回族企业家行为绩效评价研究。本项目可扩展企业家行为理论研究范畴, 推进学术界对我国少数民族商业文化及其企业家行为研究的关注, 丰富组织行为理论和民族理论等, 同时, 本研究对我国在转型期借鉴少数民族独具特色的商业文化成果重构中华民族商业文明, 促进企业家特别是少数民族企业家成长, 充分发挥企业家在经济建设和社会进步的作用, 推动少数民族经济繁荣以及少数民族特色产业企业绩效提高等方面, 也具有较高的应用潜质。     

Developing networks in disempowered communities: Experiencing hardships while focusing on opportunities

This study aims to present an evaluation and the process steps of a community‐based initiative (CBI) consisting of a group of organizations that work to enhance the lives of boys and men of colour. Using a participatory research model, the researchers collaborated with 14 community stakeholders to develop the questions during two data collection periods and reviewed the reports for accuracy. The findings were separated into two broad categories. The perceived challenges included a lack of clear goals and measurements of success, an absence of leadership and direction, and a shortage of resources. The successes included passion of partners, increased collaboration, and increasing and maintaining social capital within the community. The lessons learned from both data collection periods helped this CBI broaden its reach and collaboration efforts. Overall, this study provides suggestions to other CBIs as they embark on making changes in their own communities.     

De-centring social capital: exploring the implications of empirical research for conceptualising Christian faith-based social engagement

The concept of social capital is frequently applied in political and academic discussions about the role of churches and other faith groups in contemporary society. This article draws on findings from empirical research in two London-based megachurches to illustrate ways in which these churches contribute to the formulation of relational networks, both among their congregations and beyond them. However, more significantly, it highlights the limitations of the notion of social capital as a means of understanding the nature and purpose of the social engagement of these churches and—by paying close attention to accounts given by those involved in these activities—seeks to provide an alternative, more nuanced account of the way in which relationships were conceived and developed in these contexts.     

What is this thing called love? Desire,psychotherapy and Plato’s symposium

The platonic dialogue, Symposium, is approached here through client work. This rich and complex text is not rushed through as if the point of a conversation must be its swift and clear termination, rather than how potentially fruitful, generative and transformative it is or may come to be when we reflect or engage in further conversation. This paper suggests that Symposium presents us with two ways of thinking about relating to another, and ends with some remarks about this platonic dialogue and psychotherapy that could, of course, be followed by more conversation.     

The Imperative of Diakonia for the Church and Theological Education

This article begins by arguing that diakonia is an imperative for the church, be it at the local, national, regional, or global level. It goes on to describe how diakonia has been part of the identity of the World Council of Churches during its 70 years of existence, and highlights the struggle of diakonia and development within the fellowship and ecumenical partners. The article focuses on the document Called to Transformative Action: Ecumenical Diakonia as the most recent attempt to reflect on who we are and what we do as church. It identifies one important aspect of diakonia as reflected in the Pan‐African Women's Ecumenical Empowerment Network perspective on theological education. The article concludes by reflecting on the author's vision for a just community of women and men in prophetic diakonia.     

The Implementation of Mindfulness‐Based,Trauma‐Informed Parent Education in an Underserved Latino Community: The Emergence of a Community Workforce

In this practice‐oriented program review, a mindfulness‐based, trauma‐informed parent intervention, called Safe, Secure and Loved? (SSL), designed to strengthen nurturing parenting and children's resilience, was implemented in an underserved Latino community. Across 5 years, a volunteer community workforce of promotoras transformed an academic–community research partnership into a community‐led program partnership and established sustainable agency parent education programming. To better understand this transformation, we used a modified implementation science (IS) framework to structure interviews from members of the academic–community research partnership. Findings suggest that the commitment and cultural expertise of the volunteer community workforce acted as the major leadership drivers to create the community‐led program partnership. Employing mindfulness‐based, trauma‐informed parent education designed to promote nurturing parenting and children's resilience may be an effective training model to engage and mobilize a volunteer community workforce from an underserved community.     

综合性大医院与社区卫生服务中心合作切入点的分析

通过时沈阳市沈河区9个社区卫生服务中心进行调查和相关资料分析,探讨大型综合性院与社区卫生服务中心合作的可行性,如人员培训和技术支持,临床检查结果互认,实行“双向转诊”等,为建立新型城市医疗卫生服务体系参考依据。     

澳大利亚老年保健服务现况分析及其对我国的启示

通过对澳大利亚老年保健的提供和筹资与费用等具体问题介绍和分析,认为澳大利亚提供的老年保健服务是多维度、多层次和连续性的,家庭与社区照护对提高老年人的生活质量起了重要的作用。我国老龄化进程在加速,在社区卫生服务的政策和实践中,却显示出老年卫生保健策略不明确、资源缺乏和协调不力等问题,对照两国老年保健服务现况提出针对性意见和建议。