Thesis (M.A.(Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Drawing on developments in the field of family history and studies of families in contemporary settings, the study addresses the question of explaining variations in household patterns. Its empirical basis is a survey of White households in Grahamstown. The surveyed population was broken down in terms of class (occupation) and culture (language) and analyses conducted to determine if there are any statistically significant relationships between these variables and the tendency to reside in particular household structures. The question of 'family ideology' was also addressed as an attempt was made to uncover subjects' views on a variety of family-related issues. On the basis of the research results, a model of the relationship between class, culture and household structure was developed. Its application to a comparison of Black and White household structures in South Africa as well as the United States, is discussed. Finally, attempts at redefining the family are addressed and a new definition of the family proposed.

Orientador: Lígia Ebner Melchiori / Banca: Silvia Regina Ricco L. Sigolo / Banca: Olga Maria P. Rolim Rodrigues / Resumo: A família passa por diferentes estágios ao longo da vida e, em cada um deles, seus integrantes precisam se adaptar e vencer os novos desafios. A intergeracionalidade e a transmissão de valores são pontos comuns em todas as fases do desenvolvimento familiar e em todos os tipos de família. O ciclo de vida familiar das pessoas que vivem em situação de vulnerabilidade social, apesar de diferente em relação à classe média, não é ruim ou inadequado. Ele se organiza de maneira diferente devido á falta de apoio e grande número de eventos estressores. Tendo como base a abordagem bioecológica, o objetivo dessa pesquisa foi o de investigar as concepções de família e se há transmissão desse conceito considerado três gerações de famílias que vivem em situação de vulnerabilidade social: avós, genitores e filhos. Os objetivos específicos foram: (a) identificar o conceito de família nas três gerações; (b) identificar o que eles julgam ser uma boa/má família; (c) identificar o que eles julgam ser um bom/mau pai/mãe/filho; (d) verificar quem eles consideram ser sua família e o quanto estão satisfeitos com elas; (e) verificar se há diferença, nas respostas obtidas, entre os sexos. Este estudo foi realizado parte em um Centro de Formação da Criança e do Adolescente que atende exclusivamente o público infanto juvenil que vive em situação de vulnerabilidade social e parte nas casas dos participantes. O critério utilizado para selecionar as famílias foi ter uma criança ou adolescente que frequentasse o centro, seus respectivos pai/padrasto ou mãe/madrasta ou ambos, ou o(s) responsável(is), além de pelo menos um dos avós, desde que tivesse contato semanal com as crianças ou adolescentes. Participaram 20 famílias, com renda per capta média de 0,39 salário mínimo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Family goes through different stages throughout life and, in each of them, its members need to adapt and overcome new challenges. The intergenerationality and the trasmission of values are common points in all stages of family development and in all types of family. The family life cycle of the people who live in situations of social vulnerability, although different in relation to the middle class, is not bad or inappropriate. It is organized differently due to the lack of support and a great number of stressful events. Having as base the bioecologic approach, the aim of this research was to investigate the concepts of family and if there is transmission of this concept considering the theree generations of families who live in situations of social vulnerability; grandparantes, parents and children. Specific objectives were: (a) identify the concept of family in the three generations; (b) identify what they believe to be a good/bad family; (c) identify what they believe to be a good/bad father/mother/son; (d) check who they consider to be his family and how much they are satisfied with them; (e) check if there is no difference on the answers between the sexes. This study was carried out part in a Training Center of Child and Adolescent that exclusively serves the public children and youth who live in situations of social vulnerability and part in the houses of the participants. The criterion used to select families was having a child or adolescent who was a member of the Center, their respective fathers/stepfathers or mother/stepmothers or both, or the responsible, in addition, at least one of the grandparents was asked to be present since they had weekly contact with the children or adolescents. Twenty families participated, with income average of 0.39 minimum salary, 20 children with an average age of 10 years, seven fathers/stepfathers... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

The thesis explores the meaning of caring in the lives of a group of people who are labelled as dependants, adults with learning difficulties. Through biographical interviews and documentary research the author examines how care for people with learning difficulties has developed over time in one local area; and the understandings people on the receiving end have of the care offered them by families and staff. The findings suggest that dependency is not acknowledged by the majority of people interviewed who present themselves as givers of care as much as recipients of care. The research identifies gender as an important variable in the way care and caring are understood and experienced. The research makes a contribution to the literatures on gender and caring; family; peer and staff relationships of adults with learning difficulties; the history of learning disability; and qualitative research with marginalised groups.

This study makes an original contribution to the literature on gender differences in health and illness which attempts to explain why 'women get sick and men die'. It focuses on how women and men as parents experience health and illness. It also contributes to studies of motherhood, specifically women's experiences, and extends this by making visible men's experiences of fatherhood. A qualitative study of fifteen working class families, involving both parents, was undertaken. Using a feminist theoretical framework based on parents' lived experiences' of health, I explored gender differences in health status, attitudes and behaviour; and the additional role of material and social resources. Each parent was interviewed three times over the course of a year. Data were also collected using health diaries. The mothers reported more health problems than the fathers. The data lend support to the 'nurturant role hypothesis' ie. that mothers' social role as carer leads them to have different experiences of health and illness from fathers. The mothers experience their role as more stressful than the fathers, particularly with regard to the lack of opportunity to rest. The finding that the 'mothering' role has a significant negative impact on health is supported by data that show that fathers who are more involved in childcare report more health problems than fathers less involved. Three typologies of parenthood have been developed which extend the hypothesis in important ways: (a) the congruence between mothers' ideologies of parenthood and their actual situation; (b) fathers' degree of involvement in childcare; and (c) the congruence between mothers' and fathers' ideologies. An analysis of gender differences in concepts of health adds to the explanation of parents' different health experiences. Finally, the structural context within which women and men carry out their roles as parents helps to account for the health differences found.

„Health for all Children‟ (Hall and Elliman, 2006), gives clear recommendations regarding the screening of young children for possible visual difficulties, the focus of which is the detection of amblyopia, defined as,„poor vision due to abnormal visual experience early in life‟ (Webber and Wood, 2005). This policy with its recommendation of the screening of all children between the ages of 4 and 5 was found to be delivered in many ways by different Health Authorities up and down the UK. This raises various questions, including: „What are the determinants that drive the approach taken in terms of implementing this policy?‟ There is a large body of literature suggesting a link between deprivation/poverty and increased health issues; (Aber et al., 1997; Bramley and Watkins, 2008; Howard et al., 2001; Scott and Ward, 2005). There is also evidence that there is a link to amblyopia specifically, (Williams et al., 2008). This research has looked at links between three variables relating to vision screening for amblyopia in four and five year olds; service costs/funding, practice issues and population characteristics. With regard to the last it looked specifically at levels of deprivation as measured by Indices of Multiple Deprivation, or IMD scores(Noble et al., 2008). IMDscores are a useful way of capturing levels of deprivation in a particular area in that as well as providing an overall „score‟ for deprivation, it is possible to see how this score has been made up from various indicators relating to different aspects of an area. The rationale behind this approach is that where several aspects of an area can be described as involving deprivation, these aspects combine and exacerbate each other producing an effect that is greater than the sum of its parts. This „exacerbation‟ is taken into account in the formula for calculating the overall score. In order to obtain information about cost and practice issues, a questionnaire was issued as a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to each of the 152 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) which made up the map of service delivery in England at the time of the request. Use of an orthoptist (the key medical practitioner regarding eye muscle control/movement and amblyopia) was found to be the most significant factor in terms of practice and also costs for the screening. In particular, use of an orthoptist resulted in a greater and more up to date range of tests being used as well as in a higher cost for the service. Following this collection of quantitative data, a number of follow up questions were pursued by telephone/email/interview. These „case studies‟ were a sub-sample of orthoptists selected on the basis of peculiarities suggested by their returns from PCTs or because they are „key players‟ regarding the work of orthoptists. One determinant regarding the approach to practice/cost is that eye-care services may be taking account of the socio-economic make-up of an area when deciding how/whether to deliver the screening to the 4 and 5 year olds within it. Using all data and therefore including PCTs that don‟t screen, there was a significant relationship between deprivation and use of orthoptists (p<0.05). Orthoptists are more likely to deliver the screening in areas of deprivation. Practice issues were found to follow from the use of orthoptists as opposed to school nurses/school nurse assistants to deliver the screen. Furthermore, there was an increased cost in using orthoptists to deliver the screen. The „mechanism‟ that results in the use of orthoptists to deliver screening in areas of deprivation, is a combination of this group of professionals engaging actively and using their discretion to commission an orthoptist screen, but alsothe use of a notion of „local justice‟ as exhibited at a textural level in the guidelines on clinical commissioning (as well as in the Hall report itself). Whilst policy exists requiring a thorough visual screen for all children including those in areas of deprivation, it is essentially the conscienceof orthoptists (facilitated by their professional discretion) that ensures that children in areas of deprivation are more likely to receive the screenfrom this key medical practitioner in the area of children‟s eye care.

Health care needs are socially defined and care provision is dependent on these definitions. There is generally poor consideration of the needs of people with genetically determined conditions, especially when they are perceived to be rare. In Britain, sickle cell conditions mainly affect people of African and Caribbean ancestry. Sickle cell is considered to be rare by many health professionals despite the fact that 1 in 10 people from these ethnic groups carry the gene, and that each year more than 200 babies are born with serious sickle cell states in London alone. This study was conducted in two parts. Part 1 examines how much people who with one or more sickle cell genes know about the conditions. It investigates their experiences of and perceived need for health care and their attitudes regarding self-care. The study also examines whether clients have received genetic and other counselling, understood the information provided and whether they were encouraged to use positive health strategies to avoid ill health. Part 2 examines how the socialisation and education of nurses and health visitors may have affected their knowledge of sickle cell conditions. It assesses their experience of caring for people with the conditions and the contributions they could make to patient/client care. Statutory and voluntary sickle cell counsellors were also interviewed regarding the service they provided, their satisfaction with that service and their perceived needs for improving such services. The socialisation of individuals is discussed to show how the different racial groups (ie. largely carers versus clients) involved in the study, develop perceptions of each other, and how this could contribute to misconceptions on both sides as well as to the overall health problems of people with sickle cell conditions. Social environments (ie. housing, employment, education, racism and so on) are also discussed.

It is estimated that there are over 200,000 children in the United Kingdom affected by parental imprisonment each year. Research indicates that these separations are likely to have profound consequences for both parent and child; indeed it is now accepted that in most cases, continuing family contact is a major positive force in the process of rehabilitation and in the well-being of the children of prisoners. There is a growing field of research developing in relation to the families and children of prisoners, highlighting good practice in how schools and other support groups can work with this group to ensure they are full involved in school life. This research however does not consider the extent to which imprisoned fathers are informed about or able to participate in the education of their primary school aged children. This study seeks to examine the facilities and systems in place to allow fathers to keep abreast of the academic progress of their primary school aged children, to participate in their education and therefore be involved in a crucial part of their development. Semi-structured interviews are carried out with three groups of stakeholders– 5 headteachers of primary schools, 10 mothers of the children of male prisoners and 10 male prisoner fathers. The data from these interviews is then analysed and the key themes identified both within stakeholder groups and between them. The study reveals that ‘fatherhood’ is developing; and demonstrates that our social expectations of the role and responsibilities of fathers is moving in an increasingly ‘participatory direction’. There is no work which explores the issues surrounding parental participation by imprisoned fathers in the education of their children. Schools demonstrated that whilst they have developed policies directed to meeting the needs of a wide range of pupils and families, children of imprisoned fathers are, with rare exceptions, neglected. Mothers have a pivotal role to play in any policy directed towards imprisoned fathers’ involvement. Whilst realistic in their expectations, they are not unwilling to facilitate participation and they recognise the potential benefits for their children – not least for the legitimacy it can bring to the school experience. Imprisoned fathers were very positive in their attitudes to the prospect of increased levels of involvement. The study highlights that the barriers to a policy initiative in this field are significant; in addition to the obvious resource implications, the responses of the headteachers interviewed clearly demonstrate considerable hesitation at the prospects of classroom teachers engaging directly (even if remotely) with imprisoned fathers. To have any real prospect of success, the teaching profession would be required to embrace the enterprise and acknowledge its obligations to children whose special needs and indeed rights, have been overlooked.

This thesis presents a series of studies aiming to understand young children's (12 to 41 months of age) distress behaviour during radiological examinations. A multifactorial model is proposed to account for variations in the amount of distress behaviour children exhibit during radiological examinations. By way of testing the model, the research examines the relative contribution of a number of variables to such distress behaviour. The Feasibility Study (n=34) was designed mainly to obtain an overall understanding of the different examinations that young children receive at the Department of Paediatric Radiology in a children's hospital. It involved twelve different examinations. The purposes of the Pilot Study (n=48) were to ensure that it was possible to assess in a systematic way the patterns of behaviour presented by young children undergoing ultrasound scans, and to identify and refine the structure of the instruments to be used in a substantial study which would be submitted to the hospital's Research Ethics Committee. The ultrasound scan was the sole examination observed in this study. The Intervention Study's (n=213) main purpose was to assess whether an approach which involved prior rehearsal of the examination and an active, structured role for the parent and child, was effective in reducing children's distress. For this study, two different examinations, i.e., micturating cystogram and ultrasound scan were included. The aims of the Study of Staff Behaviour (n=41) were to show whether the behaviour of the staff contributed to the child's reduced level of distress during the examination. It comprised observations of the ultrasound scan examinations. The results demonstrated that the ultrasound examination, which was not painful or uncomfortable, was almost as distressing for these young children as an examination (the micturating cystogram) which involved substantial discomfort. Parent-child preparation was not effective in preventing or reducing the children's distress. However, staff behaviour during the initial phase of the examination was an important determinant of the child's subsequent distress behaviour.