Resilience as protagonism: interpersonal relationships, cultural practices, and personal agency among working adolescents in Brazil

A visual methods study was conducted with 16 at-risk youth living in a mid-sized Brazilian city. In this study, we focus on data obtained from four of those youth who were working adolescents, aged 13-15, and identify contextually specific protective processes associated with resilience. Through a reciprocal process of collaborative research that included observation, photo elicitation, video recording of a 'day in the life' of each youth, and semi-structured interviews, youth and researchers co-constructed an understanding of adaptive coping in a particularly challenging social environment. By employing techniques from grounded theory to analyze the data, we identified a pattern of protagonism among these youth that enabled them to maintain well-being despite exploitation as working children. This conceptualization of protagonism as a protective process has implications for human service workers who intervene to improve the living conditions of working children. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

Study on the vulnerability and resilience of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Caribbean Small Island Developing States are considered to be particularly vulnerable to external shocks that stem from changes in climate and the increase in frequency and magnitude of natural disasters. Quantification of the extent of vulnerability of these islands may be measured by the use of several indices including the Economic Vulnerability Index (EcVI), the Disaster Deficit Index (DDI), the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The capacity to build resilience may be measured by the Economic Resilience Index (ERI). Of importance in the measurement of vulnerability and resilience is the impact on women and children. In order to reduce vulnerability and promote resilience, Caribbean SIDS are urged to develop adaptation strategies. Such strategies include the conduct of indepth studies on natural environmental impacts specifically in terms of biophysical and socio economic impacts. It is also necessary to review best practices in terms of preparedness, resilience building and climate change adaptation in other countries such as Cuba. Addressing vulnerability and building resilience requires appropriate information and data and priority should be given to addressing data gaps. It would also be expedient to classify vulnerability and resilience as regional public goods wherein one country’s benefit does not compromise another country’s ability to benefit. Finally, it is important to acknowledge that vulnerability is, in part, is a function of gender so that indicators need to be disaggregated to reflect the country-specific gendered socioeconomic situation.

An assessment of social vulnerability and resilience in poverty reduction strategy papers (PRSPS/I-PRSPS) of selected Caribbean SIDS

The study undertakes a review of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), and Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (I-PRSPs) of four selected Caribbean SIDS from the Eastern Caribbean. The countries had participated in the Poverty Reduction Strategy initiative formulated by the World Bank. The country papers reviewed were the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The review assesses and provides a comparative analysis of the general awareness of the notions of vulnerability and the inclusion and use of strategies that address the reduction of vulnerability and the strengthening of resilience by the countries reviewed. It also explores how vulnerability reduction strategies were applied to differing groups, as elaborated through the PRSPs.

Construct validity of behavioral models of anxiety: where experimental psychopathology meets ecology and evolution

In experimental psychopathology, construct validity is usually enhanced by addressing theories from other fields in its nomological network. In the field of anxiety research, this construct is related to antipredator behavior, conserved across phylogeny in its functions and neural basis, but not necessarily on its topography. Even though the relations between behavioral models of anxiety and statements from behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology are commonly made in anxiety research, these are rarely tested, at least explicitly. However, in order to increase construct validity in experimental anxiety, testing predictions from those theories is highly desirable. This article discusses these questions, suggesting a few ways in which behavioral ecological and evolutionary hypotheses of anxiety-like behavior may be tested.

Representações de alunos com deficiência sobre os currículos de seus cursos de graduação na Universidade Federal do Pará

Na presente dissertação, trazemos como objeto de estudo as representações de alunos com deficiência sobre os currículos dos seus respectivos cursos de graduação na Universidade Federal do Pará. Para tanto, adotamos como referencial teórico-metodológico a perspectiva de representações de Lefebvre, que compreende que muitas representações dificilmente são identificadas e, por isso, impedem a percepção e transformação do real. A pesquisa buscou elucidar os conteúdos dessas representações, que, quando representados, perdem sua condição de invisíveis ou não perceptíveis e permitem a apropriação da realidade social, possibilitando rupturas com realidades excludentes. Desse modo, objetivamos identificar as representações de alunos com deficiência sobre os currículos dos seus cursos de graduação da Universidade Federal do Pará; conhecer como se deu o processo de construção histórica dessas representações; e identificar possíveis consequências e influências dessas representações na permanência e conclusão dos cursos de graduação pelos alunos com deficiência. A abordagem metodológica utilizada foi qualitativa, pautada no método materialista-histórico e dialético, com base na concepção de representações em Lefebvre. Para coleta de dados utilizamos a técnica da entrevista aberta a cinco alunos com deficiência regularmente matriculados na Universidade Federal do Pará. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio da técnica de Análise do Conteúdo. Considerando o currículo um campo de disputas, pudemos conhecer vivências e realidades dos sujeitos de pesquisa. Quanto às representações sobre o currículo, identificamos como relevantes conteúdos a concepção de deficiência, o preconceito experienciado por meio das relações interpessoais e os benefícios do engajamento e da militância política como apontamentos fundamentais. Observamos também, diante da resiliência expressa pelos sujeitos por meio de suas representações sobre o currículo, a possibilidade de o currículo funcionar como um instrumento de resistência e de fomento à contra hegemonia, ou seja, instrumento de ruptura de práticas educacionais excludentes. Assim, as representações sobre o currículo por alunos com deficiência indicam que, embora essa arena de conflitos e disputas por poder ainda reproduza desigualdades históricas, o currículo se mostra um potencial instrumento para a construção e a efetivação de práticas inclusivas na Universidade.

Critical discourses on resilience: exploring alternatives strategies used by young people at-risk

The concept of resilience is often situated in a dominant discourse that reflects medical and developmentalist epistemology, in Western models, with the ideology of white people, and middle class hegemonic norms. Behavior that falls outside of the normal, or what is socially acceptable, is associated with riskiness and tacitly if not explicitly labeled as pathological, and then, not resilient. However, the context of social injustice of many young people at-risk can have drastic effects on them. When we offer institutions such as schools that do not understand their needs, they may refuse our services and some of them may engage in antisocial activities, since they are looking for personal validation, pathways to recognize themselves, and places and organizations that contribute to the building of their social identity. This paper analyses how the denial of support and resources for the wellbeing of young people can lead them to situations that are socially unacceptable, such as sexual exploitation and drug trafficking. The main argument is that these activities, in the absence of conventional mechanisms, may bring some benefit to the subjects. Benefits may be in material conditions, though strongly marked by issues of social inequality; or subjective, in gaining relationships with people outside the normative places and institutions for young people. Unconventional circumstances produce unconventional attitudes that are expressed in alternative forms of resilience.

PROFILE OF CAREGIVERS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER DISEASE ASSOCIATED TO RESILIENCE

This exploratory and descriptive study described sociodemographic and health variables of caregivers of elderly people with Alzheimer's disease, associating care provided with resilience. Participants were 101 caregivers over 18 years old who accompanied older adults in a Primary Care Unit of a Brazilian public hospital in 2009. Questionnaires regarding the profile, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Resilience Scale were used. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Most caregivers were female, without depression, aided by other people in providing care, and had a high degree of resilience. The variables degree of kinship, medical treatment, the use of medication, tiredness, prostration, discouragement, and caregivers' mental health had significant association with resilience. Physical health was significantly associated to experience in care, with 82 elderly people presenting acute cognitive damage. Older adults in the family context can benefit from a more resilient caregiver.

Reliability and construct validity of the karate-specific aerobic test

Chaabene, H, Hachana, Y, Franchini, E, Mkaouer, B, Montassar, M, and Chamari, K. Reliability and construct validity of the karate-specific aerobic test. J Strength Cond Res 26(12): 3454-3460, 2012-The aim of this study was to examine absolute and relative reliabilities and external responsiveness of the Karate-specific aerobic test (KSAT). This study comprised 43 male karatekas, 19 of them participated in the first study to establish test-retest reliability and 40, selected on the bases of their karate experience and level of practice, participated in the second study to identify external responsiveness of the KSAT. The latter group was divided into 2 categories: national-level group (G(n)) and regional-level group (Gr). Analysis showed excellent test-retest reliability of time to exhaustion (TE), with intraclass correlation coefficient ICC(3,1) >0.90, standard error of measurement (SEM) <5%: (3.2%) and mean difference (bias) +/- the 95% limits of agreement: -9.5 +/- 78.8 seconds. There was a significant difference between test-retest session in peak lactate concentration (Peak [La]) (9.12 +/- 2.59 vs. 8.05 +/- 2.67 mmol.L-1; p < 0.05) but not in peak heart rate (HRpeak) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) (196 +/- 9 vs. 194 +/- 9 b.min(-1) and 7.6 +/- 0.93 vs. 7.8 +/- 1.15; p > 0.05), respectively. National-level karate athletes (1,032 +/- 101 seconds) were better than regional level (841 +/- 134 seconds) on TE performance during KSAT (p < 0.001). Thus, KSAT provided good external responsiveness. The area under the receiver operator characteristics curve was >0.70 (0.86; confidence interval 95%: 0.72-0.95). Significant difference was detected in Peak [La] between national- (6.09 +/- 1.78 mmol.L-1) and regional-level (8.48 +/- 2.63 mmol.L-1) groups, but not in HRpeak (194 +/- 8 vs. 195 +/- 8 b.min(-1)) and RPE (7.57 +/- 1.15 vs. 7.42 +/- 1.1), respectively. The result of this study indicates that KSAT provides excellent absolute and relative reliabilities. The KSAT can effectively distinguish karate athletes of different competitive levels. Thus, the KSAT may be suitable for field assessment of aerobic fitness of karate practitioners.

The structure and resilience of financial market networks

Financial markets can be viewed as a highly complex evolving system that is very sensitive to economic instabilities. The complex organization of the market can be represented in a suitable fashion in terms of complex networks, which can be constructed from stock prices such that each pair of stocks is connected by a weighted edge that encodes the distance between them. In this work, we propose an approach to analyze the topological and dynamic evolution of financial networks based on the stock correlation matrices. An entropy-related measurement is adopted to quantify the robustness of the evolving financial market organization. It is verified that the network topological organization suffers strong variation during financial instabilities and the networks in such periods become less robust. A statistical robust regression model is proposed to quantity the relationship between the network structure and resilience. The obtained coefficients of such model indicate that the average shortest path length is the measurement most related to network resilience coefficient. This result indicates that a collective behavior is observed between stocks during financial crisis. More specifically, stocks tend to synchronize their price evolution, leading to a high correlation between pair of stock prices, which contributes to the increase in distance between them and, consequently, decrease the network resilience. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3683467]

Healthy maternal bonding as a resilience factor for depressive disorder

INTRODUCTION: Depressive disorders (DDs) are very prevalent disorders particularly in women, a high-risk gender group. Determining the risk and protective factors associated with the development of DDs is fundamental to planning preventive and therapeutic strategies. In this study, we evaluated the correlations between healthy maternal attachment and the development of DDs in adulthood. METHODS: We evaluated 52 women at 6 months to 1 year after premature childbirth at Maternidade Vila Nova Cachoeirinha. They were evaluated using the following instruments: Brazilian Criteria of Economic Classification,Parental Bonding Inventory (PBI),Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Cut-off scores on the CES-D and EPDS were used to classifythe subjects as currently having a DD or having probable postpartum disorder (PPD) after childbirth. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the risk factors associated with DDs. RESULTS: We found that 49.1% of the sample had a current depressive episode, and 73.6% had probable PPD. Based on logistic regression, current depression (odds ratio = 1.092 [confidence interval: 1.005; 1.186]), and a PPD (odds ratio = 1.108 [confidence interval: 1.011; 1.21]) were negatively correlated with affective maternal relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Women who reported healthy attachment with their mothers did not develop DDs when faced with stressful situations such as premature childbirth.

Assessing poverty with survey data. Uni-dimensional, multidimensional and resilience poverty analysis in Kenya

Traditionally Poverty has been measured by a unique indicator, income, assuming this was the most relevant dimension of poverty. Sen’s approach has dramatically changed this idea shedding light over the existence of many more dimensions and over the multifaceted nature of poverty; poverty cannot be represented by a unique indicator that only can evaluate a specific aspect of poverty. This thesis tracks an ideal path along with the evolution of the poverty analysis. Starting from the unidimensional analysis based on income and consumptions, this research enter the world of multidimensional analysis. After reviewing the principal approaches, the Foster and Alkire method is critically analyzed and implemented over data from Kenya. A step further is moved in the third part of the thesis, introducing a new approach to multidimensional poverty assessment: the resilience analysis.

Envy: A Psychometric Refinement of the Construct

The noticeable differences in the theoretical and operative definitions of envy across studies and approaches have produced a fragmentary representation and understanding of the envious emotion. The present dissertation aimed to clarify the inherent nature of the construct of envy through the integration of findings from three independent studies. We focused on malicious envy, and investigated it from both a dispositional and an episodic perspective. Studies 1 and 2 investigated the dimensionality of envy as a stable individual characteristic and an episodic emotional state, respectively. In order to elicit episodic envy, a scenario-based experiment was conducted. Results indicated that, in both its dispositional and episodic facets, envy is a bidimensional construct composed by an inner-directed dimension of inferiority and helplessness, and an outer-directed dimension of feelings of anger and ill will. Moreover, findings from Study 1 allowed to establish boundaries between envy and competing constructs that have often been included in conceptualizations of envy. The psychometrically validated definition of envy provided by Studies 1 and 2 represents a valuable contribution to empirical research. Implications for envy research concern the promotion of a shared operationalization of envy in future studies, which will arguably facilitate the comparison of findings between studies and between approaches. Study 3 examined the mechanisms through which dispositional envy affects individuals’ social adjustment and psychological wellbeing. Findings revealed that the detrimental effects of envy on perceived social support and subjective well-being are mostly mediated by other personal characteristics, such as neuroticism and self-esteem. By reducing global self-esteem, the envious disposition may damage supportive social networks via antisocial direct and indirect behaviors that may arise from envy and that are likely to drive others away. On the other hand, by damaging both emotional stability and self-worth, dispositional envy leads to reduced subjective well-being. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.