Thesis advisor: Ce Shen / Civic engagement, involving people in public processes to achieve common goals, has received increased attention in the past several decades. This renewed interest was triggered by the seeming decline in civic engagement, particularly in the context of Western societies including the U.S. In addition, its potentially positive effects, such as psychological well-being at the individual level, have recently received much attention. Low-income people in developing countries suffer from double discrimination: first, the lack of opportunities to participate in civic matters due to their low socio-economic status (SES) and second, the lack of civil society culture in developing countries. However, less attention has been paid to civic engagement in the context of developing countries and low-income people, in spite of the importance of civic engagement to them. Given the significance of civic engagement for low-income populations in developing countries, this dissertation intends to fill the gaps left by previous scholarship. The following are specific objectives for the study: 1) Paper 1 aims to investigate the construct validity of an instrument to measure civic engagement among low-income populations in developing countries; 2) Paper 2 aims to examine the associations between country-level political and economic determinants and civic engagement among low-income people in developing countries; and 3) Paper 3 aims to examine the effect of civic engagement on subjective well-being through the mediating effect of sense of agency. Using the cross-national data set, the World Values Survey Wave 6 (2010-2014), this study first found that civic engagement among low-income individuals in low- and middle-income countries is defined in three dimensions: electoral behaviors, membership in civic organizations, and cognitive engagement. This result contributes to measurement development of civic engagement, especially among the low-income individuals in the context of developing countries, who have been neglected in policy-making processes. In Paper 2, I found that civic engagement increases in economically disadvantaged environments (low GNI per capita and high Gini coefficient). This finding may reveal the strength that low-income populations have. Lastly, the results of Paper 3 showed that electoral engagement and membership in civic organizations were directly related to well-being, but cognitive engagement had an indirect effect on well-being through a sense of agency. Also, the result of a non-recursive model showed that engagement in electoral behaviors leads to a sense of well-being, not in the reverse direction. The results from Paper 3 may demonstrate the mechanism by which civic engagement is related to well-being. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

This study looked at how children who are exposed to the impact of HIV/AIDS in their immediate families are affected and what coping strategies they employ. Research was conducted in Lusaka, Zambia, involving eight female and eight male Zambian children between the ages of thirteen and sixteen, as research participants. Separate gender specific focus group discussions were held, after which the recorded proceedings were transcribed and analysed using thematic content analysis. The study found that children experience socioeconomic difficulties, psychosocial deprivations, and insecurity as a result of parental death or illness. However, they are still able to find ways to survive and cope with their difficulties. State and private sector efforts have focussed primarily on addressing the socioeconomic needs of these children as this has been understood to be the most critical. The psychological impact of HIV/AIDS on children in Zambia, and the resultant needs that arise, will need to be tackled as a matter of priority.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Drama Therapy) March 2017 / The aim of this paper is to explore how Drama Therapeutic techniques can be used in self-care practice to reduce stress, burnout and compassion fatigue amongst community healthcare workers in South Africa. This is achieved by studying the case of the Zakheni Arts Therapy Foundation’s Wellbeing Workshop. The tools utilised by the Wellbeing Workshop are identified and explored to ascertain in what ways they can be useful in self-care practice. Semi-structured interviews are used to gain insight into the tools used most often and found to be most useful by both facilitators and participants in their personal self-care practice. The study shows that the care workers who participated in the Wellbeing Workshop did benefit from the training in that they gained an understanding of importance self-care and did begin to include some self-care practices into their daily routines. Participants did reflect that they found the dramatic tools useful but it is clear that care workers utilise the dramatic tools very differently than the facilitators. This raises questions about the relevance of how Drama Therapy is applied in the South African context as well as around whether drama tools are suitable tools for self-care practice amongst care workers in South Africa. / MT2018

Introduktion: Personal inom den svenska hälso- och sjukvården utgör den största yrkesgruppen på arbetsmarknaden och är den grupp som står för 20 procent av alla sjukfall. Ett bristande ledarskap är en bidragande orsak till att anställda inom den svenska hälso- och sjukvården får försämrad hälsa och minskad arbetsmotivation, vilket även kan leda till försämrad patientsäkerhet.
 Syfte: Syftet med litteraturöversikten är att beskriva vilka faktorer som är viktiga inom ledarskapet för att främja de anställdas välbefinnande och engagemang inom den svenska hälso- och sjukvården. Metod: Studien är en litteraturöversikt och innehåller tjugo vetenskapliga artiklar. Datainsamlingen skedde i relevanta databaser som finns tillgängliga vid Högskolan i Skövde. Samtliga artiklar är granskade och analyserade. Resultat: Ledarskapet inom den svenska hälso- och sjukvården utgör en viktig faktor för de anställda i hela organisationen. Ledaren är den viktigaste aktören för att skapa en bra arbetsmiljö där de anställda känner engagemang och välbefinnande på sin arbetsplats. Det är viktigt att medarbetarna upplever sig delaktiga inom organisationen då det är en central förutsättning för arbetsmotivationen. För att kunna säkerställa högkvalitativ vård är god kommunikation mellan de anställda och ledaren en grundläggande faktor. Då stressrelaterade sjukdomar utgör den största orsaken till sjukskrivningar inom den svenska hälso- och sjukvården är ledarskapet av stor betydelse för att skapa ett gott arbetsklimat och främja de anställdas välbefinnande. Slutsats: Ledarskapet påverkar den psykosociala arbetsmiljön, anställdas engagemang och delaktighet inom organisationen. För att uppnå gott ledarskap måste kommunikationen mellan anställda och ledare fungera. Bristande ledarskap kan leda till försämrad vårdkvalitet och bristande patientsäkerhet. / Introduction: Personnel in the Swedish healthcare is the largest occupational group in the labor market and the group which has 20 percent of illness cases. Lack in leadership combines to that the employees in the Swedish health and medical care get deteriorated health and lower motivation to work, which also can result in worse safety for the patients.
 Aim: The aim of the literature review is to describe what factors are important in leadership for the well-being and commitment of the employees in the Swedish healthcare. Methods: The study is a literary survey and contains twenty scientific articles. The data collection has been done in relevant data bases which are accessible at Högskolan in Skövde. All articles are reviewed and analysed. Results: The leadership within the Swedish health and medical care represented an important factor to the employees in the whole organization. The leader was the most important main figure to create a good working environment where the employees felt engagement and well-being in their work places. It was important that the colleagues felt participation within the organization when it was a central condition for the working motivation. To secure a high-quality healthcare, a good communication between the employees and leader was found to be a fundamental factor. When stress related illnesses are the largest cause to sick-leave within the Swedish health and medical care, the leadership is of great signification to create a good working climate and promote the well- being of the employees. Conclusion: The leadership influences the psychosocial working environment, the engagement and participation of the employees. To achieve great leadership the communication between the employees and leader must work. A lack of leadership might lead to deteriorated quality of medical care and deteriorated safety for the patients.

Unga vuxnas upplevda psykiska välbefinnande och stress blir allt sämre. Forskning har visat att stress är den mest förekommande faktorn som påverkar välbefinnande, och att kvinnor drabbas mer av stress i jämförelse med män. Studerande och arbetande behandlas ofta som separata grupper, när det i själva verket finns många som kombinerar studier och arbete. Det kan tänkas att arbetande studenter är utsatta för fler stressorer som i sin tur inverkar på deras välbefinnande, då det krävs en förmåga att balansera vardagen annorlunda än om man endast arbetar eller studerar. Utifrån detta tog vi fram våra forskningsfrågor, där vi undrade om det finns skillnader gällande kön och ekonomisk tillfredställelse mellan studenter som arbetar och studenter som inte arbetar, relaterat till stress och välbefinnande samt om det finns ett samband mellan stress och välbefinnande relaterat till kön. För att besvara frågorna utförde vi en studie med Perceived Stress Scale 14 och General Health Questionnaire 12, med 297 kvinnliga och manliga studenter på eftergymnasial nivå mellan 19–29 år, som enbart studerade eller var arbetande studenter. Data samlades in via en enkät online på Facebook samt när vi stod på ett universitet. Resultatet visade att enbart studerande, främst kvinnor, upplevde mer nedsatt välbefinnande än arbetande studenter. Ekonomisk tillfredsställelse visade en signifikant negativ korrelation med både stress och välbefinnande. Stress och välbefinnande hade även en signifikant positiv association sinsemellan, samtidigt som de hade en association med kön. Alltså fanns det skillnader relaterat till stress och välbefinnande hos studenter, beroende av kön, arbete och ekonomi. / The perceived psychological well-being and stress of young adults are getting worse. Research has shown that stress is the most common factor that affects well-being, and that women are more affected by stress in comparison to men. Students and workers are often treated as separate groups, when there are in fact are many students who combine studies and work. It is conceivable that working students are exposed to more stressors which in turn affect their well-being, as it requires an ability to balance everyday life differently than if one is only working or studying. Based on this, we presented our research questions, where we wondered if there are differences concerning gender and economic satisfaction between students who work and students who does not work, related to stress and well-being and whether there is an association between stress and well-being related to gender. To answer these questions, we conducted a study using Perceived Stress Scale 14 and General Health Questionnaire 12, with 297 female and male post-secondary students aged 19–29, who only studied or were working students. Data was collected through an online survey on Facebook and when we stood at a university. The result showed that those studens who only studied, mainly women, experienced more impaired well-being than working students. Financial satisfaction showed a significant negative correlation with both stress and well-being. Also, stress and well-being had a significant positive association amongst themselves, while having an association with gender. Thus, there were differences related to the stress and well-being of students, depending on gender, work and finances.

Previous research suggests that self-reports of the frequency of events can vary dramatically. Minor changes in question format can result in major changes in the obtained results. The purpose of this study is to examine how changes in reference period, memory cue, and measurement scale affect participants' self-reports of conflict frequency. Additionally, the role of cognitive effort was examined to gain insight into the recall strategy used for different measures of conflict. Participants include 175 college undergraduates between the ages of 18-24, enrolled in psychology courses at Florida Atlantic University. Results indicate that reference period and memory cue form a significant interaction to create changes in reports of conflict frequency. Both reference period and memory cue act differently within the different conflict measurement scales. In the 0-10 or more scale, memory cue was statistically significant with higher rates of conflict reported in the cued condition than the uncued. In the open (fill in the blank) scale, there was a significant interaction between reference period and memory cue with the highest amount of conflict being reported in the one day/cued condition. The Likert scale behaved differently than the other two absolute frequency scales. Within the Likert scale there was a significant interaction between reference period and memory cue, however, the highest amount of conflict reported was in the two weeks/uncued condition. Finally, cognitive effort varied as a product of reference period, within both the 0-10 or more scale and the open scale with the two weeks condition eliciting higher reports of effort than the one day condition. These cognitive effort findings suggest that participants used enumeration as a recall strategy for the absolute frequency scales and estimation for the Likert scale. / by Justin Puder. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

O interesse pelo bem-estar financeiro está crescendo no mundo. A partir da desregulamentação e com o aumento da concorrência no setor financeiro, cidadãos comuns passaram a operar em um mercado complexo de forma a atender as próprias necessidades e às de sua família. Todas essas mudanças ajudaram a aumentar a preocupação sobre até que ponto tais cidadãos estavam preparados para operar nesse cenário. A partir de tal mudanças iniciou-se uma discussão sobre qual deve ser o foco das políticas públicas: concentrar mais no que as pessoas sabem ou no que elas fazem? Somado a esse cenário, vivemos uma mudança na composição da população brasileira e mundial com uma virada histórica prevista para 2050, quando os idosos passarão a ser em maior número do que os jovens graças a fatores como maior expectativa de vida e queda no número de filhos entre as famílias. Nesse contexo, esse trabalho tem por objetivo estudar o bem-estar financeiro do consumidor idoso de baixa renda e o uso de instituições bancárias. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas etapas, sendo a primeira uma revisão da literatura referente aos dois temas principais, bem-estar financeiro e idosos, apoiada por uma revisão sistemática. A segunda parte consiste em uma pesquisa empírica. Por um lado, os resultados da revisão sistemática apontam para o fato de que os trabalhos publicados sobre o tema bem-estar financeiro carecem de conceituação e entre os que conceituam, há diversas abordagens. Além disso, vê-se ainda poucos trabalhos em periódicos de maior relevância, apesar do crescimento na quantidade de artigos nos últimos anos. Já em relação à pesquisa empírica pode-se dizer que, embora os idosos de baixa renda apresentem um conhecimento sobre finanças, esse conhecimento é limitado ao ser comparado com o conceito apontado pelas teorias. Tal fato aumenta a vulnerabilidade dos consumidores, haja vista que o processo de construção do conhecimento é extremamente informal e aspectos relacionados ao bem-estar financeiro como segurança e liberdade de escolha ficam totalmente comprometidos. Como achado apresenta-se os antecedentes do conhecimento financeiro dos consumidores idosos de baixa renda pesquisados e uma esquematização dos sensos observados dentro dos quatro pilares que formam o conceito de bem-estar financeiro. / Interest in financial well-being is growing in the world. As a result of deregulation and increased competition in the financial sector, ordinary citizens began to operate in a complex market in order to meet their own needs and those of their families. All of these changes helped increase concern about the extent to which such citizens were prepared to operate in this scenario. From such changes began a discussion about what should be the focus of public policies: focus more on what people know or what they do. In addition to this scenario, we are experiencing a change in the composition of the Brazilian and world population with a historical turn expected in 2050, when older people will be more numerous than the young, thanks to factors such as a higher life expectancy and a decrease in the number of children among families. In this context, this study aims to study the financial well-being of low-income elderly consumers and the use of banking institutions. The research was carried out in two stages, the first one being a review of the literature on the two main themes, financial wellbeing and the elderly, supported by a systematic review. The second part consists of empirical research. On the one hand, the results of the systematic review point to the fact that the published works on the subject of financial well-being need to be conceptualized and among those who conceptualize, there are several approaches. In addition, there are still few papers in major journals, despite the growth in the number of articles in recent years. Regarding empirical research, it can be said that, although low-income elderly people have a knowledge of finance, this knowledge is limited when compared to the ideal indicated by theories. This fact increases the vulnerability of consumers, given that the process of knowledge construction is extremely informal and aspects related to financial well-being such as security and freedom of choice are totally compromised. We present the antecedents of the financial knowledge of the low-income elderly consumers surveyed and a schematization of the observed senses within the four pillars that form the concept of financial well-being.

O trabalho investiga as implicações do mal-estar nas políticas de bem-estar social a partir de uma articulação entre a psicanálise de orientação freudiano-lacaniana e as políticas públicas. Traz o prenúncio das incursões da psicanálise como política de saúde, ressaltando a alegoria freudiana do ouro e do cobre no cerne das discussões sobre uma psicanálise fora do setting tradicional e trabalha essa alegoria por meio da primeira e segunda tópicas freudianas. Em seguida, traz um percurso teórico e histórico sobre as políticas públicas, que culmina na hipótese de uma verdade recalcada, a saber, de uma insistência liberal-conservadora na política. A hipótese é trabalhada por meio de uma decifração sobre as tendências pulsionais inconscientes, o que permite apreender o fenômeno da reprodução daquilo que se pretende combater. Ao problematizar o lugar da psicanálise nas políticas públicas, considera uma confluência de impossíveis, na medida em que ambas encontram-se às voltas com o impossível da plena satisfação pública e privada. A teoria dos discursos e o reconhecimento dos engodos contidos em políticas que visam o bem-estar permitem diferenciar como cada uma dessas áreas trata seus impossíveis. A partir de uma torção discursiva, aponta para o risco do fenômeno da reprodução de condições estruturais na manutenção de um pernicioso status quo entrópico. Circunscreve a orientação ética, clínica e política da psicanálise e seu lugar nas políticas públicas, o que a permite funcionar como um contradispositivo no interior dos dispositivos de poder do Estado. Considera o lugar do não-todo na política e traz como exemplo uma política de saúde mental finlandesa, a fim de que a psicanálise não represente uma espécie de imparidade na civilização. Ressalta que, em diferentes políticas, serviços e programas, é possível localizar uma orientação contrária aos dispositivos de poder estatal que, paradoxalmente, pode ser mais eficaz, eficiente e satisfatória. Investiga se haveria uma forma de fazer política que seja condizente com a política da psicanálise e, por fim, aborda o tema da pesquisa pela perspectiva da revolução e da subversão como processos que orientam um psicanalista / This paper investigates the implications of malaise in social welfare policies, based on a link between Freudian-Lacanian psychoanalysis and public policies. It brings forward the forays of psychoanalysis in health policy, highlighting the Freudian allegory of gold and copper at the heart of the discussions about psychoanalysis outside the traditional setting, studying this allegory through the first and second Freudian topics. Then, it brings a theoretical and historical course on public policies, culminating in the hypothesis of a repressed truth, namely, a liberal-conservative insistence on politics. The hypothesis is worked through a comprehension of the unconscious drives tendencies, which allows apprehending the phenomenon of the reproduction of what one intends to fight. While problematizing the place of psychoanalysis in public policies, it considers a confluence of different types of impossible, in a way that both psychoanalysis and public policies find themselves dealing with the impossibility of full public and private satisfaction. The theory of discourses and the recognition of the decoy contained in welfare policies allow us to differentiate how each of these areas deals with its impossible. From a discursive twist, it points to the risk of the reproduction of structural conditions in the maintenance of a pernicious status quo entropy. This thesis circumscribes the ethical, clinical and political orientations of psychoanalysis and its place in public policies, with regard to conceive it as a contradictory device within the State\'s power mechanisms. It is considered the place of the non-whole in politics and gives as an example the Finnish mental health policy, in order that psychoanalysis does not represent a kind of impairment in civilization. This work emphasizes that in different policies, services and programs, it is possible to find an orientation that is contrary to State power mechanisms, which, paradoxically, can be more effective, efficient and satisfactory than these mechanisms. Lastly, it investigates whether there is a way of making policy that is compatible with the psychoanalysis politics and, finally, approaches the subject of research from the perspective of revolution and subversion as processes that guide an analyst

Thesis advisor: Gilda Morelli / Although trying to survive on a low income is challenging for all individuals, the experience of losing government supports can propel households into a crisis situation which may cause them to act or react in distinctive ways. This study used a survey of 78 low-income women followed by in-depth interviews with 18 of these women to explore how two groups of women--those close to losing government supports (i.e., within three months) and those further from losing government supports (i.e., experienced at least one year ago)--plan for and cope with financially vulnerable periods in their lives and how they fare as a result. There are two parts to this research. First, information on government support use, social support, proactive coping, and overall well-being were gathered using survey techniques. Linear regression and mediation analyses were conducted to further explore the association between these constructs. Proactive coping was found to be a significant predictor of well-being (R2=.305, &#946;=.552, p<.01), but social support did not mediate this relation. Findings from the survey also demonstrated the women in the near loss group scored higher on proactive coping and well-being measures, and the far from loss group scored higher on measures of social support. Second, a sub-sample of the survey participants were chosen for an in-depth interview based on when they lost (or were anticipating to lose) government supports. This sub-sample was invited to discuss their resource loss experience, how they planned for and coped with this loss, and what role other factors such as social support, consideration of future consequences, choice deferral, and perceived transaction costs played in this process and what it meant for their well-being. The conversations with the women revealed that the group near a loss situation deferred decisions less frequently and had shorter planning horizons focusing more on the immediate (and less on the future) consequences of their decisions. While the far from loss group discussed, with less urgency, their plans as being distant and spoke of their more extensive social support networks. Both groups discussed similar sentiments of shame, degradation, and inconvenience associated with their experiences at the welfare office, and although the cost of this transaction outweighed the benefit for the women in the far from loss group, the near loss participants chose to endure it to receive the assistance. This research demonstrated that individuals who face government support loss because of an increase in income and who proactively plan make better strides towards becoming economically self-sufficient and investing in the health and well-being of their families now and in the future. This, in turn, may continue to encourage and promote the ability to act in proactive ways and may lead to greater overall well-being. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology.

Thesis advisor: David Scanlon / Changes in policy and practice that originated with the 2004 Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ([IDEA], US Department of Education) created systems that exposed students to earlier and more consistent research-based intervention (Fuchs & Vaughn, 2012) thereby reducing the rate and increasing the mean age of students diagnosed with learning disabilities. Despite these documented positive outcomes, research has identified 2 -5 % of students who continue to demonstrate an “inadequate response” to evidence-based instruction that has been largely effective for their peers (Greulich et al., 2014). Little research has traced the educational histories of “inadequate responders,” and no known case studies have included children’s perspectives together with those of their parents and teachers. There is also a dearth of special education literature that is situated in private, faith-based schools where students function without all of the protections and structures of IDEA (Russo et. al., 2011; Scanlan, 2009a). This dissertation was an exploratory, comparative case study (Yin, 2014) of three third grade boys who were identified by their Catholic school staff as having demonstrated an inadequate response to intervention in reading. Each student was observed in a combination of his general education classroom and reading intervention periods, and interviews were conducted with the students and their parents and teachers. The learners’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), test reports, and cumulative records were also analyzed. Findings indicated that the students’ identification as inadequate responders did not accurately reflect their early reading experiences in which their instruction did not align with evidenced-based practices for students with learning disabilities (Ehri, Nunes, Stahl, & Willows, 2001). The students shared the deep emotional impact of past school-related events, and demonstrated patterns of sadness, anxiety, and avoidance during reading instruction. Parents and educators expressed their dedication to the students’ achievement as well as their frustration with the lack of comprehensive on-site academic systems of support within the boys’ schools. Implications for creating evidenced-based systems of intervention that honor and take into account the strengths and emotional-needs of students struggling to read are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.