Showing papers on "Disadvantaged published in 1991"

Macroeconomic Performance and the Disadvantaged

Abstract: A LONG-STANDING, positive relationship between the economic wellbeing of the poor and the growth of the economy has changed. In the 1960s rapid economic growth and a relatively stable macroeconomy were associated with a 10 percentage point reduction in the proportion of people living below the official poverty line. Unstable macroeconomic conditions in the 1970s were associated with no progress against poverty, and the recession of the early 1980s brought substantial increases in poverty. Despite a sustained macroeconomic expansion from 1983 to 1989, however, poverty reduction was only moderate. The poverty rate in 1989, for example, was more than 1 percentage point higher in 1989 than in 1979. Thus, although the experience of the 1960s had suggested that a "rising tide raises all boats," persistent poverty in the 1980s indicates a weakening in the trickle-down mechanism. In this paper, we explore how disadvantaged individuals and families (those in the lower part of the income distribution) fared from the economic growth of the 1980s. We start by documenting the seeming ineffectiveness of macroeconomic growth to help the disadvantaged during this period. Movements in both the poverty rate and family income inequality indicate a break in the relationship between macroeconomic

Crime and the Employment of Disadvantaged Youths

Abstract: This paper examines the magnitude of criminal activity among disadvantaged youths in the 1980s. It shows that a large proportion of youths who dropped out of high school, particularly black school dropouts, developed criminal records in the decade; and that those who were incarcerated in 1980 or earlier were much less likely to hold jobs than other youths over the entire decade. The magnitudes of incarceration, probation, and parole among black dropouts, in particular, suggest that crime has become an intrinsic part of the youth unemployment and poverty problem, rather than deviant behavior on the margin. Limited evidence on the returns to crime suggest that with the decline in earnings and employment for less educated young men, crime offers an increasingly attractive alternative.

Are Head Start effects sustained? A longitudinal follow-up comparison of disadvantaged children attending Head Start, no preschool, and other preschool programs.

Abstract: This study investigates the sustained effects into kindergarten and grade 1 of Project Head Start for disadvantaged black children. Participation in generic Head Start programs was compared to both no preschool and other preschool experience for disadvantaged children in two American cities in 1969–1970. Incorporating both pretest/posttest and comparison group information, the study has advantages over other Head Start impact studies. Both preprogram background and cognitive differences were controlled in a covariance analysis design, using dependent measures in the cognitive, verbal, and social domains. Children who attended Head Start maintained educationally substantive gains in general cognitive/analytic ability, especially when compared to children without preschool experience. These effects were not as large as those found immediately following the Head Start intervention. Findings suggest an effect of preschool rather than of Head Start per se. Initial findings of greater effectiveness of Head Start for children of below average initial ability were reduced but not reversed. The diminution of effects over time, especially for low-ability children, may reflect differences in quality of subsequent schooling or home environment.

Crime and the Employment of Disadvantaged Youths

Abstract: This paper examines the magnitude of criminal activity among disadvantaged youths in the 1980s It shows that a large proportion of youths who dropped out of high school, particularly black school dropouts, developed criminal records in the decade; and that those who were incarcerated in 1980 or earlier were much less likely to hold jobs than other youths over the entire decade The magnitudes of incarceration, probation, and parole among black dropouts, in particular, suggest that crime has become an intrinsic part of the youth unemployment and poverty problem, rather than deviant behavior on the margin Limited evidence on the returns to crime suggest that with the decline in earnings and employment for less educated young men, crime offers an increasingly attractive alternative

Vocational and Technical Education and Training

Abstract: Developing countries need to improve productivity throughout the economy if they are to compete successfully in an era of rapid economic and technological change. This requires not only capital investment, but also a work force that has the flexibility to acquire new skills for new jobs as the structures of economies and occupations change. The level of competence of a country's skilled workers and technicians is centrally important to the flexibility and productivity of its labor force. Skilled workers and technicians enhance the quality and efficiency of product development, production, and maintenance, and they supervise and train workers with lesser skills. This paper proposes policies than can help governments make the transition to a more dynamic and efficient use of public resources to ensure that the skills needed to meet the challenges of economic change are developed and that equity objectives for the poor and the socially disadvantaged are effectively addressed. Progress can be made by: strenghtening primary and secondary education; encouraging private sector training; improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public training, and; using training as a complementary input in programs designed to improve the incomes of the poor and socially disadvantaged.

Community Involvement and Disadvantaged Students: A Review

Abstract: This review discusses the effects of community involvement on students who face multiple impediments to success in schools. The first part of the article conceptualizes community involvement as a typology of four processes of social change: conversion, mobilization, allocation of resources, and instruction. Illustrations of these processes are drawn from research and programmatic literature. The second part of the article considers the effects of the varied forms of involvement in a review of 13 evaluations of interventions implemented with significant input from community entities. Overall, the studies indicate that programs can have positive effects on school-related behavior and achievement as well as attitudes and risk-taking behavior. The concluding section identifies gaps in the research and offers a framework for future studies.

Supply teachers: working on the margins.review of the literature

Abstract: Summary Supply teachers are playinggrowing role in many schools across England and Wales as a result of staff shortages and in‐service training associated with recent curriculum initiatives and the 1988 Education Reform Act. This paper reviews recent research which has been conducted into the work of this increasingly important body of teachers. Supply teaching is usually a highly demanding form of labour, and supply teachers can be seen as an especially disadvantaged section of the profession.

Reflexivity in Fieldwork: Toward a Ferninist Epistemology

Abstract: This discussion draws upon research conducted with women with diabetes. Issues pertaining to responding to the requests of informants for information about illness and balancing "taking action" with the researcher role are addressed. It is argued that while intervention by the researcher/clinician may be seen as a dilemma in fieldwork and as a threat to obtaining valid and reliable data, we need to take another tack--a feminist perspective--in examining this aspect of the fieldwork encounter. The dialogue between researcher and informant should be recognized as a resource available to informants and as one means of empowering the disadvantaged and oppressed.

Activities of the Child and Adolescent Service System Program for Improving Mental Health Services for Children and Families

Abstract: Reports on recent federal, state, and local efforts to improve delivery of mental health care to the underserved. The Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) of the National Institute of Mental Health is described with examples of systems development for the mental health needs of disadvantaged children and families.

Education, Social Reform, and the State: ESEA and Federal Education Policy in the 1960s.

Abstract: This essay examines the history of federal education policy in the 1960s. Focusing on the ideological context and the political and institutional framework that shaped the history of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, it argues that federal education policy in the 1960s was informed by widely shared assumptions about the nature of poverty and about the relationship of the state to the economy. These assumptions made educational reform central to Great Society policies designed to eliminate poverty and equalize economic opportunity. Yet because the Great Society was reluctant to challenge existing institutional arrangements and was constrained by the makeup of the Democratic party coalition and the federal government's capacity to control local educational practices, it was unable to make the education of disadvantaged students a top priority of local school districts, even though it successfully institutionalized the federal commitment to improving education for economically disadvantaged...

Attitudes toward Poverty during Undergraduate Education.

Abstract: The commitment of social workers to serving economically disadvantaged clients has been questioned in an era of growing political conservatism. This empirical study examines perceptions of the causes of poverty of three groups of undergraduate social work students. Results confirm that students appear to develop beliefs about poverty that are consistent with desired professional values. Beginning, intermediate, and advanced BSW students rated structural explanations as the most salient and accorded the least importance to factors related to personal client deficiencies. However, a rise in fatalistic interpretations of poverty along with an increasingly external locus of control orientation characterized students who had completed their social welfare policy course. Strategies for enhancing curricula are suggested.

Building partnerships between Northern and Southern development NGOs: Issues for the 1990s

Abstract: The number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in development in the North and the South has increased dramatically over the last ten years, provoking calls for new partnerships between them. But Southern NGOs have often been disadvantaged in the search for true NGO partnerships, because they know too little about their Northern counterparts. This article therefore describes some important features of Northern NGOs. It then goes on to identify critical issues involved in negotiating partnerships with them. Finally, the need for equitable NGO partnerships is considered in the broader context of strengthening the third sector in civil society.

Women and power : perspectives for family therapy

Abstract: With the feminist challenge to family therapy, power is being recognized as a central organizing principle in families. Here theorists and clinicans address the many thorny questions around women and power, highlighting the different cultural messages for women and men concerning not only access to power but also the desirability of having power, pursuit of power and ways of exercising power. The way in which women are (typically) disadvantaged with regard to power are explored.

Teaching advanced skills to at-risk students : views from research and practice

Abstract: Introduction - rethinking teaching for disadvantaged students thinking in arithmetic class using children's mathematical knowledge dialogues promoting reading comprehension teaching writing to at-risk students what schools can do to improve literacy instruction a cognitive apprenticeship for disadvantaged students conclusion - implementing new models for teaching advanced skills.

Identifying and Nurturing the Promise of Gifted Black American Children.

Abstract: World history swells with the accounts of people with superior abilities. The records of practically every culture reveal a special fascination for their ablest citizens (Renzulli, 1986, p. 53). For example, as early as 2200 B.C. the Chinese had developed an elaborate system of competitive examinations to select outstanding persons for government positions (DuBois, 1970). To this day, education tailored to the needs of the gifted generates consuming interest and enthusiasm, such that the literature includes an abundance of information about these students, especially about those who are middle-class White children. We cannot, however, say the same about the research devoted to minority, particularly Black American, gifted children. An examination of the relevant literature since 1924 reveals that, of approximately 4,000 articles on the gifted, a paltry 63 (less than 2 percent) address minority group members. The percentage would be lower still if one counted only those articles about gifted Blacks. Educators find this proportion discouraging because less information means less understanding and less understanding means inadequate identification procedures, definitions, theories, and programs-all of which results in an underrepresentation of Black Americans in programs for the gifted. There is growing awareness that the number of Black students in classes for the learning disabled or emotionally impaired is inordinately high; however, the reverse probably is true in programs for the gifted (McCormick, 1984). Equally unsettling, many of the articles on giftedness and minorities bear the stigmatic "disadvantaged" heading, which implies or states that race itself limits the development of such intelligence. Jensen alluded to this idea in 1969, and educators who support hereditary rationales for the development of intelligence joined him. Still, as Passow (1986) points out, while considerable overlap exists between minority students and disadvantaged conditions, by no means are the two terms synonymous.

Alternative Views of Empowerment: Social Services and Civil Rights

Abstract: In recent years, important social changes, spearheaded by the increasing influence of the disability rights movement, have promoted a growing search for an alternative to the "functional limitations" paradigm that has traditionally dominated research and practice concerning disability According to this model, the principal difficulties associated with disability resulted from the loss of some physical or occupational capability; and the major solutions to these problems involved efforts to improve physical and vocational capacities From this viewpoint, disability resided exclusively within the individual; and emphasis was centered on a clinical assessment of a person's remaining skills Little thought or interest was devoted to external restrictions in the individual's social and work environment Emener's empowerment model represents a significant attempt to progress beyond the confines of this traditional approach By presenting a holistic perspective that encompasses the rehabilitation system, rehabilitation professionals, and families as well as the person with a disability, he has taken a major step toward focusing attention on broader issues affecting the employment and other opportunities available to Americans with disabilities Certainly, there is much to be praised in a philosophy that seeks to establish "the quality of life and the happiness of each individual client" instead of "closures" as the standard for evaluating the succes of rehabilitation services Despite this expanded orientation, however, his viewpoint is restricted by the tendency to assess the role of people with disabilities primarily as rehabilitation clients or consumers rather than as citizens Emener does not confront the question of discrimination directly His concept of empowerment is limited by the failure to propose a specific means of combatting the aversive attitudes that have frequently prevented persons with disabilities from securing jobs and other crucial sources of satisfaction in life In order to appraise the strengths and weaknesses of Emener's philosophy, therefore, it is necessary to contrast this understanding of empowerment with another major model of disability that seems to imply an even more extensive role for rehabilitation professionals Perhaps the principal paradigm that has emerged in prior research on disability as an alternative to the "functional-limitations" orientation is the "minority-group" model From the latter perspective, the major problems confronting citizens with disabilities are essentially similar to the difficulties of disadvantaged groups that have encountered discrimination on the basis of physical attributes such as race or ethnicity, gender, and age Americans with disabilities not only have one of the highest rates of unemployment and welfare dependency in the country, but they also have been subjugated by rigid barriers of segregation in education, transportation, housing, and public accommodations Probably the primary distinction between the disabled minority and comparable segments of the population is that the other disadvantaged groups have finally begun to refute assumptions about biological inferiority after centuries of struggle If disability is viewed as a possible source of stigma and attitudinal aversion rather than as a functional limitation, the strivings of persons with disabilities to achieve equal social and employment opportunities fundamentally rests upon the implementation of their legal and constitution rights as well as upon the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs As a result, civil rights instead of social services becomes the natural foundation for a joint effort by rehabilitation systems, professionals, families, and disabled citizens to improve their status in society The "minority-group" model also is based on a new and expanded understanding of disability Whereas the "functional-limitations" paradigm was based both on a medical interpretation that stressed physical inabilities or limitations and on an economic view that emphasized vocational restrictions, the "minority-group" approach is founded on a socio-political definition that views disability as the product of the interaction between individuals and the environment …

The social cost of being short: societal perceptions and biases

Abstract: This paper has briefly summarized some of the reports of the relationships of height to perceptions of achievement and acceptance of individuals by society. Shorter members of society are perceived to be less competent than taller individuals, both during childhood and as adults; they are seen less positively by peers and perceive themselves less favourably; and they are also more likely to be in lower positions, within a given profession. An understanding by society that shorter people are unfairly disadvantaged by societal perceptions and biases is a necessary first step towards correcting these inequities.

Helping disadvantaged children : psycho-social intervention and aid to disadvantaged children in third world countries

Abstract: The relevance of early education the world of slum-dwellers meditation, sensitization and communication cultural limitations on cognitive enrichment some principles related to empowerment.

Disadvantaged and Culturally Diverse Gifted Students.

Abstract: The low number of gifted students identified in disadvantaged and culturally diverse groups has been, and continues to be, problematic. Why has this problem persisted? Why do we know, think we know...

What makes ghetto schools succeed or fail

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article by Boyd was to identify the factors that make ghetto schools succeed or fail METHODOLOGY: Since this article was a review of much of the literature concerning education for the at-risk population, and was not a study, there was no methodology Actually, this 30-page journal article was a revised and condensed version of a commissioned paper for a conference on "The Truly Disadvantaged" at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois in October 1989 FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: The author separates the problems of educating the disadvantaged, especially those in inner-city ghettos, into three categories of theories, which were proposed by John Ogbu These are the institutional-deficiency theory, with its focus on problems within the school system; the developmental-deficiency theory, focusing on the lack of parental teaching of needed skills; and the cultural-discontinuities theory, citing conflicts between the child's culture and that of the school and society being the problem The content of this article can mostly be based on one of these three theories Because of research prior to 1972 which seemed to demonstrate that there was no particular variable responsible for educational outcomes, there was a quest to find schools (outliers) which did succeed with disadvantaged children, and these were studied to find what made these schools effective The "effective schools" movement followed, demonstrating that for disadvantaged children, school quality was even more important than for the majority of students Early efforts at "effective schools" tended to mandate excellence by increasing graduation and testing requirements and standardizing curriculum Later efforts included restructuring of schools and professionalizing teaching The dysfunction of schools is further separated into two possibilities - that of organizational arrangements of the workplace and that of the governance and incentives of the system Two sociological theories are involved in the processes of organization functioning - the "negotiated order" theory and the "exchange theory" And the "rational choice" theory explains the incentives that foster venturesome behavior There are many problems inherent with big city school districts due to pathologic bureaucracies, yet there are no simple solutions While one large city (Chicago) has recently decentralized and gone to site-based management, another large city (New York) which has been decentralized since 1970, has found this has allowed much corruption and patronage politics The effective schools approach has been termed "simplistic," but because of its simplicity, it has found wide acceptance It defines the following characteristics: a consensus on instructional goals by administration and teachers; emphasis on learning basic and higher-order thinking skills; school environment that is safe and orderly; continuous assessment of both programs and students; and assumption that virtually all children can learn with the appropriate conditions Implementation of the effective schools characteristics is complicated by individual differences between children and the variations in the context of operation of different schools The "developmental deficiency" theory claims that children arrive at school with differing backgrounds of development in linguistic, social, cognitive and motivational development Studies designed to teach parents how to help their children succeed in school and in society have been thought successful, such as the Perry Preschool Project Head Start, though valuable, has been underfunded, with only about 20 percent of eligible children being served The same is true of compensatory programs such as Chapter 1, which is designed to help disadvantaged children catch up to their grade level Cultural discontinuity was found by Ogbu in involuntary minorities such as African Americans In their development of strategies to cope with exploitation by the majority, such things as school rules, academic success and standard practices became socially not acceptable The only way to overcome this cultural discontinuity would be by reducing the cultural gap between schools and black children and to ensure equal employment opportunities This can be extended to other lower-class groups also, those who have been poorly treated by the dominant majority group Because of the varying social issues at work in ghetto schools, it is important to use comprehensive approaches to the education of these children Programs meeting these needs have been developed by James Comer and Henry Levin Comer worked with two project schools in New Haven, Connecticut The goal was to develop bonding of the students to the school This involved parental interaction, reducing of destructive interaction, and establishing a cohesiveness in management of the school and teaching Levin developed "accelerated schools," which emphasize the strengths and abilities of the disadvantaged child, rather than remediation Objectives are set for each child's performance, there is deep parental involvement, and there is an extended day, with involvement of voluntary college students and senior citizens AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS: There is a need to assemble "a community-wide combination of broad-based commitment and human resources sufficient to overcome institutional incentive problems and developmental and cultural obstacles" (p352) Communities need ownership in the problem of at-risk youth, and there needs to be cooperation of schools with other agencies, both public and private (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) KW - At Risk Youth KW - At Risk Child KW - At Risk Juvenile KW - Developmental Deficiency KW - Institutional Deficiency KW - Theory KW - Juvenile Development KW - Child Development KW - Youth Development KW - Senior High School Student KW - Junior High School Student KW - Elementary School Student KW - Urban School KW - Urban Environment KW - Sociocultural Factors KW - Socioeconomic Factors KW - School Achievement KW - School Performance KW - School Failure KW - Environmental Factors KW - Social Organization Theory KW - Family Relations KW - Parent Child Relations KW - Literature Review KW - Low-Income Youth Language: en

The stability of comparative referent choice and feelings of inequity: A longitudinal field study.

Abstract: This study examined the stability of comparative referent choice and feelings of inequity, and the effects of changes in feelings of inequity on employee reactions. At two points in time, 24 months apart, employees' choices of comparative referents and feelings of inequity with regard to four job facets (compensation, security, job complexity, and supervisory behavior) were assessed. Results indicated that many employees used the same comparative referents at both times, especially for the compensation facet. For three of the facets (security, job complexity, and supervisory behavior), employees tended to either change from a disadvantaged status at T1 to an advantaged or equitable status at T2 or to maintain at T2 the advantaged/equitable status they experienced at T1. However, for the compensation facet a different picture emerged: employees who felt disadvantaged at T1 also felt disadvantaged at T2. Finally, employees who changed to or maintained an equitable or an advantaged status with regard to the job complexity and supervisory behavior facets generally reacted more positively (i.e. were more satisfied and productive and attended more frequently) than employees who changed to or maintained a disadvantaged status. Implications of these results for future research on equity theory were discussed.

Education, change and the policy process

Abstract: Is there future in the past? historian in a policy field - a British chef in Paris the escaping answer public sectors of higher education - versions of accountability from "Great Expectations" to "Bleak House" intentions and outcomes - vocationalism in further education Britain's educational worlds zeal as a historical process - the American view from the 1980s socially disadvantaged children in school, 1920-80 policy problems in our time.

Disadvantaged Children and Families in Pediatric Primary Care Settings: II. Screening for Behavior Disturbance

Abstract: Reviews data on the identification of child behavior disturbance by health care providers in the pediatric primary care setting. The literature indicates that pediatric primary care providers underidentify children's mental health problems. The effectiveness of screening efforts are reviewed with an emphasis on issues relevant to problem identification with disadvantaged children and families.

Systems of knowledge as systems of domination: The limitations of established meaning

Abstract: The hegemony of Western science, inherent in international development projects, often increases the poverty and oppression of Third World women by pre-empting alternative realities. In African and Asian agrarian societies women grow from 60 to 90% of the food (World Bank, 1989); they hold incredible potential to increase food production. Their ability to operate under more marginal conditions than their male counterparts would seem to indicate that they have developed valuable knowledge— knowledge often generated in response to limited access to the more tangible resources offered by development assistance to male farmers. Recognizing the marginalization of women in the Third World, the Women in Development (WID) network was established during the 1970's to produce knowledge about women, fill in the gaps, and set the record straight. But knowledge creation for these purposes leaves underlying paradigms of Western science-based development unquestioned. Research from a feminist standpoint is used to challenge the objectivity and reliability of EuroAmerican development science. To date, WID has documented and analyzed the causes and consequences of Third World women's oppression with no substantial results to end them. Alternatively, feminist research validates women's perceptions of their reality, helping ordinary people to understand the connections between their experiences and broader social, economic, and political struggles. The paper emphasizes research pursued in order to act, closely linking knowing to doing to promote the emancipation of oppressed groups. A feminist standpoint is used to privilege the perspective of rural women in developing countries and ask: “What are the implications of the standard EuroAmerican approach to science for maximizing the potential contributions of rural women to agricultural development?” Some of these implications are illustrated with examples from on-farm research in Nigeria. To some extent, implications can be addressed by constructing meanings to structure a symbolic framework that includes female farmers and other disadvantaged groups.

Disadvantaged Children and Families in Pediatric Primary Care Settings: I. Broadening the Scope of Integrated Mental Health Service

Abstract: Reviews selected issues relevant to the provision of mental health services in pediatric primary care settings for disadvantaged children and families. Multiple sources of data suggest that pediatricians constitute a de facto mental health service for many disadvantaged children and that it is critical to undertake efforts to enhance and functionally integrate this resource into our existing system of care. The problems faced by disadvantaged families in need of mental health services are outlined. Major service access and utilization problems are highlighted, and prospects for improved service delivery are discussed.

An Evaluation of an Integrated Parent-Effectiveness Training and Children's Enrichment Programme for Disadvantaged Families:

Abstract: A number of developmental early childhood programmes have been implemented overseas to stimulate mother-child interaction in families whose environment is considered to be disadvantageous. There ha...

Health and Development Services for Children with Multiple Needs: The Child in Foster Care

Abstract: Over the past century, child morbidity and mortality has decreased for most children in Western societies due to improved living conditions and advances in health services.1 Nevertheless, growing numbers of poor and disadvantaged children in the United States still do not enjoy even the most basic services like prenatal care and regular immunizations.2 While many of the infectious diseases that threatened all children earlier in the century have been eliminated among middle and upper class Americans, such diseases continue to affect the poor and underserved.3 Moreover, scholars and public health officials are now recognizing "new morbidities" such as developmental delays, school problems, emotional and behavioral problems, child abuse and neglect, intrauterine drug or alcohol exposure, and the effects of family disruption and violence.4 Unlike the uold morbidities," which have single biological origins amenable to