Chapter 2. Single Mothers' Transition to Self-Sufficiency

SUMMARY

In this chapter, I review the literature in four sections central to my research questions. First, I review the socio-historical context of trends that have had an impact on single mothers in transition from economic assistance to self-sufficiency. Next, I present research that focuses on poor women's interactions with barriers to work versus self-sufficiency. Then I examine the reported interactions between work, family role strain, and the psychological well-being of low-income women during their transition to work. Finally, I introduce related literature that reflects studies and reports on the outcomes of TANF after 1996.     

Thermal stability of nanocrystalline fcc and hcp Ni(Si) synthesized by mechanical alloying of Ni90Si10

The thermal stability of nanocrystalline fcc and hcp Ni(Si), obtained by mechanical alloying of Ni₉₀Si₁₀, has been studied. The allotropic transformation from fcc to hcp Ni(Si) is accompanied by a volume expansion of 8.6% and is observed when fcc Ni(Si) reaches a critical crystallite size of 10nm. The hcp phase transforms to stable fcc Ni(Si) at 573K. It has been identified that the lattice distortion in nanometre-sized crystallites from the equilibrium configuration and the decrease in the interfacial energy with grain refinement act as self obstacles in controlling the grain growth of nanocrystalline materials.     

On the glass transition temperature and the elastic properties in Zr-based bulk metallic glasses

The temperature dependence of the elastic moduli was estimated from ultrasound time of flight measurements performed on bulk metallic glasses of composition Zr_{63? x} Cu₂₄Al _x Ni₁₀Co₃. Using the corresponding values at the glass transition temperature, the local atomic strain was determined. The obtained values for the critical atomic strain calculated for 8 at%?<?x?<?15 at% are close to the predicted universal criterion derived from a topological model, but may also reflect the difference in the chemical interaction that are not accounted by a topological approach.     

Effect of Mg content on Portevin–Le Chatelier band strain in Al–Mg sheet alloys

Experimental measurements of stress drops and band strains in type-B Portevin–Le Chatelier (PLC) bands were carried out for 5xxx series Al–Mg sheets with Mg content between 1.8 and 4.5?wt%. While the stress drops increase with global strain, the band strain values in all the samples follow a common linear relationship with global strain. The results indicate that the type-B PLC band strain is independent of solute content at given strain rate.     

Yielding and strain hardening in aluminium single-crystal foils subjected to tension and bending

A series of tensile and microbend tests were conducted on aluminium single-crystal foil specimens with different thicknesses ranging from 20 to 90?µm. Two different crystal orientations relative to the tensile direction were considered in the tests: one is an orientation that was excepted to activate at least four slip systems on four different slip planes, and the other is an orientation that was expected to activate only a single-slip system. In the tensile tests, typical size dependence of initial yield strength was observed. The microbend test method was extended to include a reversal of bending direction. Using the curves of bending moment normalized by the square of foil thickness versus surface strain, which were obtained from the reversed bending tests, the total amounts of strain hardening were divided into isotropic and kinematic hardening components. In the microbend tests, a pronounced size-dependent kinematic hardening behaviour was clearly observed; meanwhile, the amounts of isotropic hardening were very small, particularly for the single-slip orientation.     

Solutal gradients in strained equilibrium

Abstract

We demonstrate that the distortion of a crystal, caused by secondary phase precipitates, can stabilize a solutal gradient around the precipitate. The gradient persists in the quasi-static state stabilized by the gradient of the elastic energy around the precipitate. The peak concentration at the interface between precipitate and matrix hereby is independent of the radius of the precipitate and no mechanism of ripening is active in an arrangement of precipitates of different size. The model offers an explanation of experimental observations of the anomalous stability of nano-precipitates in Al–Cu.     

The Return of the Native: Globalization and the Adaptive Responses of Transmigrants

The intent of this study is to examine the adaptive responses of Hong Kong transmigrants and their transnational and transcultural practices in terms of their consequent behavioral and emotional patterns. Their transnational practices and relative adaptability can be explained with Robert Merton's (1957) “strain theory.” More specifically, the study aims to identify, describe, and explain the variety of behavioral patterns and modes of emotional manifestations of adaptation of Hong Kong returnees, and to identify their individual and collective strategies of adaptation to help them solve their adjustment and integration problems in their adopted countries.     

Book Reviews

BRUNO BETTELHEIM : The Empty Fortress: Infantile Autism and the Birth of the Self. The Free Press, New York. 1967. $9.95. (£4 in England).

GERALD O'GORMAN: The Nature of Childhood Autism. (Illustrated, 8 plates)

C. M. HEINICKE and I. J. WESTHEIMER: Brief Separations.     

“Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!” Interpersonal strain at work and burnout

Interpersonal strain represents the feeling of discomfort and disengagement in the relationships with people at work resulting from exceeding social requests and pressures. This article has three aims: (1) to introduce the Interpersonal Strain at Work scale (ISW), (2) to examine its construct validity and reliability, and its relationship with the Maslach Burnout Inventory exhaustion and cynicism; and (3) to test the generalizability of the ISW across different work settings. Multilevel CFA on two samples of call centre agents (5407) and hospital professionals (753), nested in 191 and 43 units, respectively, confirmed the good psychometric properties of the ISW and its distinctiveness from established burnout dimensions. The generalizability of ISW was also supported. Interpersonal strain at work seems to be a promising construct to recapture the interpersonal nature of the burnout syndrome that was lost when the concept of burnout was extended beyond the human services.