Two School Administrators’ Perspectives on How Intercultural Education is Promoted in Their Elementary Schools

This study examined the perspectives of 2 elementary school administrators (1 principal of a faith based school, and 1 vice-principal of a public school) towards intercultural education and how it was implemented in their schools. A generic qualitative research methodology guided this study. Face-to-face interviews that used a guide with open-ended questions were used to collect data. Participants were administrators in their respective schools, had been involved in intercultural activities at their school, and were professional acquaintances of the researcher. The interviews were digitally recorded and the interview transcripts were reviewed by participants to ensure accuracy. The administrators’ understanding of intercultural education tended to be limited to learning and celebration of various cultures. The intercultural education strategies used in the respective schools focussed on developing a knowledge base and provided limited intercultural interaction. The public school had greater resources available than the private faith-based school. However, the resources were not always used to facilitate intercultural education. Teachers and administrators were provided with very few professional development opportunities focussed on intercultural education.

Religión y política en Colombia: la transformación de líderes religiosos en líderes políticos después de la Constitución de 1991

El estudio describe el fenómeno de la transformación de líderes religiosos en líderes políticos tras los cambios del sistema político en el contexto de la Constitución de 1991 y analiza algunos mecanismos recíprocos entre la esfera religiosa y política a partir del rastreo de casos emblemáticos. Se examinan las razones por las cuales diversos grupos e individuos religiosos derivados del mundo cristiano respaldan en espacios de competencia político-electoral a líderes que representan las comunidades de fe a las que pertenecen. Algunos de los colectivos religiosos reseñados han conformado partidos y movimientos de origen confesional, mediante el empleo de diversos dispositivos que han suscitado la instrumentalización de la política al servicio de objetivos de procedencia religiosa. La investigación señala la pervivencia del hecho religioso a lo largo de la historia socio-política colombiana, y a su vez, advierte la transferencia de hábitos y la persistencia de intercambios entre el campo religioso y el campo político en el contexto actual, fundamentalmente con respecto al posicionamiento de líderes carismáticos que, a través del uso de los recursos propios del ámbito religioso compiten por el capital político.

Creating a greater partnership: analysing partnership in the Catholic Church development chain

This paper presents results from a project designed to explore the meaning and function of partnership within the Catholic Church development chain. The geography literature has had little to say about such aid chains, especially those founded on faith-based groups. The relationships between three Catholic Church-based donors - referred to as A, B and C - with development personnel of the diocese of the Abuja Ecclesiastical Province (AEP) as well as other Catholic Church structures in Nigeria were analysed. The aim was to explore the forces behind the relationships and how 'patchy' these relationships were in AEP. Respondents were asked to give each of the donors a score in relation to four questions covering their relationship with the donors. Results suggest that the modus operandi of donor 'A' allows it to be perceived as the 'best' partner, while 'B' was scored less favourably because of a perception that it attempts to act independently of existing structures in Nigeria rather than work through them. There was significant variation between diocese in this regard, as well as between the diocese and other structures of the Church (Provinces, Inter-Provinces and National Secretariat). Thus 'partnership' in the Catholic Church aid chain is a highly complex, contested and 'visioned' term and the development of an analytical framework has to take account of these fundamentals.

The insurance function of contracts

One of the central problems in contract law is to define the frontier between legal and illegal breaches of promises. The distinction between good and bad faith is perhaps the conceptual tool most commonly used to tell one from the other. Lawyers spend a lot of energy trying to frame better definitions of the concepts of good and bad faith based on principles of ethics or justice, but often pay much less attention to theories dealing with the incentives that can engender good faith behavior in contractual relationships. By describing the economics of what Stiglitz defined as “explicit” and “implicit” insurance, I highlight the “insurance function” hidden in any promise with basically no mathematical notation. My aim is to render the subject intelligible and useful to lawyers with little familiarity with economics.

La USAID: paz, desarrollo y capital

Pós-graduação em Relações Internacionais (UNESP - UNICAMP - PUC-SP) - FFC

Commentary on Olvera et al.’s Article Entitled, “Physical Activity in Latino Children: Research and Its Implications”

The following is a commentary on an article discussing physical activity in Latino children. It is clear that research is needed to determine the causes of inactivity and develop effective strategies for promoting physical activity in this population. Approaches involving numerous community entities (faith-based, businesses) and the implementation of policies that enhance physical activity participation appear very promising.

The effectiveness of a promotora-led intervention for Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes

Purpose. The purpose of this randomized control repeated measures trial was to determine the effectiveness of a self-management intervention led by community lay workers called promotoras on the health outcomes of Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes living in a major city on the Texas - Mexico border. The specific aims of this study, in relation to the intervention group participants, were to: (1) decrease the glycosylated hemoglobin (A1c) blood levels at the six-month assessment, (2) increase diabetes knowledge at the three and six-month assessments, and (3) strengthen the participants' beliefs in their ability to manage diabetes at the three and six-month assessments.^ Methods. One hundred and fifty Mexican American participants were recruited at a Catholic faith-based clinic and randomized into an intervention group and a usual-care control group. Personal characteristics, acculturation and baseline A1c, diabetes knowledge and diabetes health beliefs were measured. The six-month, two-phase intervention was culturally specific and it was delivered entirely by promotoras. Phase One of the intervention consisted of sixteen hours of participative group education and bi-weekly telephone contact follow-up. Phase Two consisted of bi-weekly follow-up using inspirational faith-based health behavior change postcards. The A1c levels, diabetes knowledge and diabetes health beliefs were measured at baseline, and three and six months post-baseline. The mean changes between the groups were analyzed using analysis of covariance. ^ Results. The 80% female sample, with a mean age of 58 years, demonstrated very low: acculturation, income, education, health insurance coverage, and strong Catholicism. No significant changes were noted at the three-month assessment, but the mean change of the A1c levels (F (1, 148 = 10.28, p < .001) and the diabetes knowledge scores (F (1, 148 = 9.0, p < .002) of the intervention group improved significantly at six months, adjusting for health insurance coverage. The diabetes health belief scores decreased in both groups.^ Conclusions. This study demonstrated that an intervention led by promotoras could result in decreased A1c levels and increased diabetes knowledge in spite of the very low acculturation, educational level and insurance coverage of the intervention group participants. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are suggested. ^

A Renewed Day for Family Preservation

The philosophy and principles of family preservation have emerged in new forms over the past eight years. From the Family Preservation and Support Act of 1993 to the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of today, the value of the family to individuals and society is clear. While family preservation "programs" per se may not be as plentiful, the principals are founding almost every array of services from children, corrections, D.D. to mental health and work with the elderly. The Administration's priorities of healthy marriage, fatherhood, incarcerated parents, and faith-based programs reflect a family-centered approach to social issues. This redefining of the village will require our renewed efforts to articulate the importance of family centered practice and policy.

Health outcomes, quality improvement and cost-effectiveness of the Community Diabetes Education (CoDE) program: Results of a randomized controlled trial

The objectives of this dissertation were to evaluate health outcomes, quality improvement measures, and the long-term cost-effectiveness and impact on diabetes-related microvascular and macrovascular complications of a community health worker-led culturally tailored diabetes education and management intervention provided to uninsured Mexican Americans in an urban faith-based clinic. A prospective, randomized controlled repeated measures design was employed to compare the intervention effects between: (1) an intervention group (n=90) that participated in the Community Diabetes Education (CoDE) program along with usual medical care; and (2) a wait-listed comparison group (n=90) that received only usual medical care. Changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and secondary outcomes (lipid status, blood pressure and body mass index) were assessed using linear mixed-models and an intention-to-treat approach. The CoDE group experienced greater reduction in HbA1c (-1.6%, p<.001) than the control group (-.9%, p<.001) over the 12 month study period. After adjusting for group-by-time interaction, antidiabetic medication use at baseline, changes made to the antidiabetic regime over the study period, duration of diabetes and baseline HbA1c, a statistically significant intervention effect on HbA1c (-.7%, p=.02) was observed for CoDE participants. Process and outcome quality measures were evaluated using multiple mixed-effects logistic regression models. Assessment of quality indicators revealed that the CoDE intervention group was significantly more likely to have received a dilated retinal examination than the control group, and 53% achieved a HbA1c below 7% compared with 38% of control group subjects. Long-term cost-effectiveness and impact on diabetes-related health outcomes were estimated through simulation modeling using the rigorously validated Archimedes Model. Over a 20 year time horizon, CoDE participants were forecasted to have less proliferative diabetic retinopathy, fewer foot ulcers, and reduced numbers of foot amputations than control group subjects who received usual medical care. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $355 per quality-adjusted life-year gained was estimated for CoDE intervention participants over the same time period. The results from the three areas of program evaluation: impact on short-term health outcomes, quantification of improvement in quality of diabetes care, and projection of long-term cost-effectiveness and impact on diabetes-related health outcomes provide evidence that a community health worker can be a valuable resource to reduce diabetes disparities for uninsured Mexican Americans. This evidence supports formal integration of community health workers as members of the diabetes care team.^

Factors associated with the retention of HIV-infected children in care in Botswana

Lost to follow up (LTFU) in the care and treatment of HIV/AIDS represents a particularly problematic aspect when evaluating the success of treatment programs. Identifying modifiable factors that lead to LTFU would be important if we are to design effective retention interventions. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges faced by children seeking care and treatment at a large HIV Clinic in Botswana. In order to identify those factors, we used mixed methods from different sources of information available at the Baylor Clinic. The first method involved a case-control study through which we interviewed a select representation of children 1-18 years who, at some point in time, have attended clinic at Baylor Clinic in Gaborone, Botswana. We document this in detail using the first journal article. We defined LTFU as patients who had not attended clinic for more than 6 months at the onset of the study; the comparison group was recruited from among those who have attended clinic at any point in the 6 months leading to the start of study. Factors were compared between the cases and controls. The second methodology involved conducting in-depth interviews with health providers to elicit their opinions and experiences dealing with patients at the at the Baylor clinic in general and the LTFU patients in particular. We document this methodology and its findings in the second journal article. ^ We found that most patients that are LTFU failed to engage with the clinic. Most of the LTFU made only one visit to the clinic (47.66%) as compared to less than 1% in the control group (P<0.01, 2-tailed Fisher's exact test). Among the interviewed patients, psychosocial factors such as stigma, religious beliefs, child rebellion and disclosure of HIV status concerns were characteristic of the LTFU population, but psychosocial issues were not cited among the comparison group. We also found that these psychosocial aspects of the patients point towards a bigger problem of mental health that needs to be addressed. Socioeconomic factors such as lack of transport, school-related activities and forgetting check-up dates were cited predominantly by the controls than cases. ^ From these findings, there is need to target interventions towards engaging pediatric patients at their initial clinic visit. Such interventions would focus on psychosocial support, as well as involving faith-based organizations in planning joint responses.^

Exploring parental factors and their influence on early adolescent sexual health

Black and Hispanic youth experience the largest burden of sexually transmitted infections, teen pregnancy, and childbirth (Hamilton, Martin, & Ventura, 2011). Minority youth are disporportionately more likely to sexually debut at every age and debut before the age of 13 compared to whites (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). However, there is little known about pre-coital sexual activity or protective parental factors in early adolscent minority youth. Parental factors such as parent-child communication and parental monitoring influence adolescent sexual behaviors and pre-coital sexual behaviors in early adolescence. Three distinct methods were used in this dissertation. Study one used qualitative methods, semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews, to explore parent-child communication in African American mother-early adolescent son dyads. Study two used quantitative methods, secondary data analysis of a cross sectional study, to conduct a moderation analysis. For study three, I conducted a systematic review of parent-based adolescent sexual health interventions. Study one found that mothers feel comfortable talking about sex with adolescents, provide a two-prong sexual health message, and want their sons to tell their when they are thinking of having sex. Study found that parental monitoring moderates the relation between parent-child communication and pre-coital sexual behaviors. Study three found that interventions use a variety of theory, methods, and strategies and that no parent-based programs target faith-based organizations, mother-son or father-daughter dyads, or parents of LGBTQ youth. Adolescent sexual health interventions should consider addressing youth-to-parent disclosure of sexual activity or intentions to debut, addressing both parent-child sexual health communication and parental monitoring, and using a theoretical framework.^

O relacionamento entre Fé e Medicina no tratamento do câncer Uma análise sobre a influência da fé religiosa no processo de tratamento junto a pessoas com câncer

A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar a influência da fé religiosa no tratamento junto a pessoas com câncer, de maneira mais específica com câncer de cólonretal, a fim de coletar dados de um grupo mais homogêneo. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada no Ambulatório de Oncologia do Hospital de Clínicas da UNICAMP (Universidade Estadual de Campinas). A motivação para o aprofundamento deste estudo surgiu a partir de nossa atuação pastoral, quando confrontados com as diferentes reações dos pacientes em relação ao câncer, ao observar que a fé desempenhava um papel fundamental no tratamento e na luta contra a doença. Para a elaboração de nossa pesquisa recorreu-se aos estudos em relação ao câncer pelos médicos e psicanalistas Carl Simonton e Stefanie M. Simonton, Com a vida de Novo; Bernie S. Siegel, Amor, Medicina e Milagres. Para a análise e compreensão da fé buscamos como referencial o pensamento de Paul Tillich, em A Dinâmica da Fé e James Fowler, Estágios da fé. Procuramos ainda verificar as hipóteses levantadas de acordo com a compreensão da Psicanálise e Religião segundo Erich Fromm, Psicologia e Religião desenvolvida por Carl Gustav Jung e Psicoterapia e sentido da vida segundo Victor Frankl. O desenvolvimento deste projeto se dá em três momentos. No primeiro é realizada uma análise entre medicina e fé, a partir dos autores mencionados acima. No segundo são apresentados o resultado da pesquisa de campo. No terceiro reflete-se sobre os resultados da pesquisa de campo à luz dos referenciais teóricos em questão.(AU)

O relacionamento entre Fé e Medicina no tratamento do câncer Uma análise sobre a influência da fé religiosa no processo de tratamento junto a pessoas com câncer

A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar a influência da fé religiosa no tratamento junto a pessoas com câncer, de maneira mais específica com câncer de cólonretal, a fim de coletar dados de um grupo mais homogêneo. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada no Ambulatório de Oncologia do Hospital de Clínicas da UNICAMP (Universidade Estadual de Campinas). A motivação para o aprofundamento deste estudo surgiu a partir de nossa atuação pastoral, quando confrontados com as diferentes reações dos pacientes em relação ao câncer, ao observar que a fé desempenhava um papel fundamental no tratamento e na luta contra a doença. Para a elaboração de nossa pesquisa recorreu-se aos estudos em relação ao câncer pelos médicos e psicanalistas Carl Simonton e Stefanie M. Simonton, Com a vida de Novo; Bernie S. Siegel, Amor, Medicina e Milagres. Para a análise e compreensão da fé buscamos como referencial o pensamento de Paul Tillich, em A Dinâmica da Fé e James Fowler, Estágios da fé. Procuramos ainda verificar as hipóteses levantadas de acordo com a compreensão da Psicanálise e Religião segundo Erich Fromm, Psicologia e Religião desenvolvida por Carl Gustav Jung e Psicoterapia e sentido da vida segundo Victor Frankl. O desenvolvimento deste projeto se dá em três momentos. No primeiro é realizada uma análise entre medicina e fé, a partir dos autores mencionados acima. No segundo são apresentados o resultado da pesquisa de campo. No terceiro reflete-se sobre os resultados da pesquisa de campo à luz dos referenciais teóricos em questão.(AU)