Commentary on “Can a good philosophical contribution be made just by asking a question?”

This paper explains some of the reasoning behind “Can a Good Philosophical Contribution Be Made Just by Asking a Question?,” a paper which consists solely in its title and which is published in the same issue of the journal as the present paper. The method for explaining that reasoning consists in making available a lightly edited version of a letter the authors sent to the editors when submitting the title-only paper. The editors permitted publication of that paper on the condition that the authors also separately publish a version of that letter; the present paper aims to fulfil that condition.     

Between Hospitality and Hostility

Migration has been a global phenomenon since the beginning of humankind. But despite its ordinariness, migration is a complex issue. The arrival of refugees in another country might have significant social, economic, political, cultural, and religious repercussions for both the migrants and the host societies. In 2015, many refugees, mainly from the Middle East and the North African region, fled to Europe. Migration has become a subject of research in social sciences and, recently, in social ethics and theology. An ethical dilemma arises around the refugee crisis and the relationships between the host countries and guest communities: What is the relevance of the ethics of hospitality in a climate of political radicalization and hostility toward the “other”? This paper studies social ethical perspectives of hospitality and hostility toward refugees in the context of Sweden.     

Guidelines for Professional Referral to Alcoholics Anonymous and Other Twelve Step Groups

In working with clients who have addiction issues in addition to the presenting problem, counselors often consider support groups as adjuncts to treatment. “Twelve step” groups have been useful for this purpose. In this article the authors review Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the oldest and largest twelve step group. They explore some criticisms of AA, describe its components and mechanics, and provide guidelines for client referral.     

A prevocational training project for emotionally disturbed adolescents

Adult inpatient populations, trained to develop a repertoire of work-related skills such as tracking and following directions, utilizing emotional controls, relating to the world in a realistic manner, as well as acceptance of supervision, grooming, punctuality, and attendance. These skills eased their transition to the community and assisted in a more positive existence once within that community as compared to their untrained cohort. Additionally, the process of vocational training has been demonstrated to have therapeutic benefits. This project used many of the same adult training principles but applied them to an adolescent inpatient population. A vocational training project using specific behavioral interventions resulted in comparable improvement for adolescent subjects otherwise evidenced in adult patients' work-related skills and abilities. This training project was conducted yearly, 32 h per week for 10 weeks for 4 years. The project combined actual work experience, classroom time and behavioral interventions and rewards. A 16 × 10 analysis of variance was computed to assess improvement in work-related skills and abilities. The analysis yielded and F = 2.57, p < 0.01, suggesting the efficacy of the behavioral interventions when applied to adolescent inpatient populations. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.