Identity and intimacy as predictors of adolescent adjustment

Stressful developmental transitions related to identity and intimacy may have significant implications for adjustment in adolescence that last into young adulthood. Social and economic barriers experienced by minority adolescents have attracted attention as significant influences on normative developmental processes and psychosocial adjustment. The primary aim of this study was to describe significant relations among identity, intimacy, and adjustment in a sample of adolescents in an alternative school who were at elevated risk for problem behaviors. A sample of 120 multi-ethnic high school students responded to five self-administered questionnaires. In addition to describing significant gender differences in identity, and internalizing problems, this study documented that measures of identity accounted for significant variance in standard measures of internalizing problems using hierarchical multiple regression. The implications of these results for future research and practice are discussed.

Escola: lugar político da diversidade sexual e de gênero

This work aims to understand how the public school system has become a failing institution with regards to sexual and gender diversity. I start from the principle that the school system performs a social sorting operation, leaving out of its halls almost all people who don‘t fit into the established heteronormative social order. First, I explore the experiences of primary school (Educação do Ensino Fundamental) professionals from the public network (Rede Pública Municipal) of the city of Natal-RN. I consider their narratives a result of daily practices which denounce the rules that govern and produce them in a broader context. Then I aim to establish a dialogue with the students who are victims of name-calling, teasing and abuse for not aligning with the ―normal‖ gender standards. At this stage of the research, I conducted fieldwork at the State Secondary School of Rio Grande do Norte (Escola Estadual de Ensino Médio). This investigation is guided by the following questions: What challenges need to be addressed in order to recognize the students who have been excluded from the school environment on account of sexual and/or gender differences; additionally, how can their classroom attendance and positive learning experience be ensured? To what degree is the school community concerned with building education practices which value and acknowledge sexual and gender diversity? The research goals were: to analyze how the school and its professionals deal with sexual and gender diversity, investigating which pedagogical practices silence, freeze and obstruct the diversity of student identities; examine how the school and its subjects work toward building new pathways for learning, for coexistence, and for facing the challenges of ―new‖ social demands such as homoaffection; observe the spaces that are cracked open by the presence and the voices of students who demand recognition of their existence.

Sexualidade e saúde mental: construindo sentidos entre pessoas usuárias de um CAPS

When expressed by mental health services users, sexuality is typically denied by professionals, viewed as another symptom or as if these people are not capable of practicing it. Once Brazilian health professionals haven’t shown lots of investment in this theme, and few are the studies in this field, it is necessary the attention to be focused on researches involving this public. Therefore, the main goal of this study was understand the meanings of sexuality of the mental health services users, which were negotiated in sexuality workshops. The secondary goals were: a) understand the meanings of themes about sexuality brought by users through their experiences of everyday life; b) to evaluate the facilitating experience of the workshops on sexuality at CAPS. Thus, 10 workshops on sexuality were held, with an average of an hour and twenty minutes each, distributed from December 2014 and April 2015. There were 43 participants, 29 women and 14 men. The meetings had the following central themes: sexuality; sexuality and mental health; myths, beliefs and sexual taboos; gender identity; sexual orientation; sexual and reproductive rights; safe sex; and STD/AIDS. The data collection was through audio-recording of these meetings. Later, was made the transcript of the workshops, a careful reading of these transcripts and then its analysis. It was identified categories to analyze the interfaces that permeate the focus of the study. Initially, the categories relating to mental health and sexuality: meanings about sexuality; gender issues; gender and religion; sexual rights, STD/AIDS prevention and attention or denial of sexuality at CAPS. Later, those relating to the workshops facilitating process: challenges in facilitating the workshops; and the perception of the participants. A variety of meanings about sexuality could be noticed in the users’ statements, relating it more with affection and respect than with intercourse. The gender issues that emerged during the workshops were related to marital relationship, sexism, domestic violence, psychological violence and male and female roles in society. Moreover, were also revealed some situations that associated gender differences with religious issues, such as the submission of women and homosexuality. It was also noticed some experiences of the participants involving worrying situations of family violence, suicidal ideation and chemical castration, were often mismanaged or ignored by the service professionals. With regard to the facilitation of the workshops, it was possible to legitimize it as places where users were able to talk openly about the suggested themes and highlight its importance to the study site. Besides, it’s possible to list a few challenges of its facilitation in a mental health service, which was in general positively evaluated by the participants. Thus, the research highlights the need for sexuality theme discussion in mental health services, in order to understand, discuss and inform the users. Also, it’s important to problematize the stigma created in the theme relation with the users, the professionals and the society, working its specificities and avoiding a pathological bias.

Perspectiva temporal futura y ciclo vital

This study described the future temporal perspective (FTP) changes across age. Future time perspective has been evaluated according to Nurmi’s model (1989), which was composed by three components: motivation, planning, and prospective evaluation. The participants were four groups of different ages: 130 adolescents (15-18 years old), 150 undergraduates (19-28 years old), 100 adults middle age (30-59 years old), and 74 elder people (60-88 years old). It has been used the Nurmi’s Goals and Fears Questionnaire, which evaluated each three component through temporal extension, knowledge, realization, planning, control, probability of fu-ture realization, and future affect dimensions. It has been analysed dimensions for goals and fears. The results indicated a U inverted shape in tem-poral distance, progressive increase of knowledge, realization and planning, and decrease of control. Also, the results indicated gender differences according to content of goals and fears.

Self-employment and the paradox of the contented female worker

Peer reviewed

Neural Mechanisms of Young Adult Sexual Decision-Making and Risk Behavior

Sexual risk behavior among young adults is a serious public health concern; 50% will contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI) before the age of 25. The current study collected self-report personality and sexual history data, as well as neuroimaging, experimental behavioral (e.g., real-time hypothetical sexual decision making data), and self-report sexual arousal data from 120 heterosexual young adults ages 18-26. In addition, longitudinal changes in self-reported sexual behavior were collected from a subset (n = 70) of the participants. The primary aims of the study were (1) to predict differences in self-report sexual behavior and hypothetical sexual decision-making (in response to sexually explicit audio-visual cues) as a function of ventral striatum (VS) and amygdala activity, (2) test whether the association between sexual behavior/decision-making and brain function is moderated by gender, self-reported sexual arousal, and/or trait-level personality factors (i.e., self-control, impulsivity, and sensation seeking) and (3) to examine how the main effects of neural function and interaction effects predict sexual risk behavior over time. Our hypotheses were mostly supported across the sexual behavior and decision-making outcome variables, such that neural risk phenotypes (heightened reward-related ventral striatum activity coupled with decreased threat-related amygdala activity) were associated with greater lifetime sexual partners at baseline measured and over time (longitudinal analyses). Impulsivity moderated the relationship between neural function and self-reported number of sexual partners at baseline and follow up measures, as well as experimental condom use decision-making. Sexual arousal and sensation seeking moderated the relationship between neural function and baseline and follow up self-reports of number of sexual partners. Finally, unique gender differences were observed in the relationship between threat and reward-related neural reactivity and self-reported sexual risk behavior. The results of this study provide initial evidence for the potential role for neurobiological approaches to understanding sexual decision-making and risk behavior. With continued research, establishing biomarkers for sexual risk behavior could help inform the development of novel and more effective individually tailored sexual health prevention and intervention efforts.

Governmentality and exclusion in post-disaster spaces : conducting the conduct of the survivors of Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

Lorsque les aléas naturels se déroulent en catastrophes, les réponses des religieux, de l’Etat, et d’autres acteurs puissants dans une société révèlent à la fois les relations complexes entre ces parties et leur pouvoir dans la production des espaces auxquelles les survivants accèdent. La réponse en cas de catastrophe comprend la création d’espaces post-catastrophes, tels que des centres d’évacuation, des logements de transition et des sites de réinstallation permanente, qui ciblent spécifiquement un sous-ensemble particulier de survivants, et visent à les aider à survivre, à faire face, et à se remettre de la catastrophe. Les acteurs puissants dans une société dirigent les processus de secours, de récupération et de reconstruction sont des acteurs puissants qui cherchent à problématiser et à rendre un problème technique dans des termes qu’ils sont idéalement placés pour aborder à travers une variété d'interventions. Ce projet de recherche vise à répondre à la question: où les survivants d'une catastrophe reconstruisent-ils leurs vies et leurs moyens de subsistance? Il enquête sur un cas spécifique de la migration environnementale dans laquelle des dizaines de milliers d'habitants ont été déplacés de façon permanente et temporaire de leurs résidences habituelles après le typhon Sendong à Cagayan de Oro, Philippines en 2011. La recherche est basée sur des entretiens avec les acteurs puissants et les survivants, des vidéos participatives réalisées par des survivants pauvres urbains, et des activités de cartographie. L’étude se fonde sur la théorie féministe, les études de migration, les études dans la gouvernementalité, la recherche sur les changements de l’environnement planétaire, et les études régionales afin de situer les diverses expériences de la migration dans un contexte géographique et historique. Cette thèse propose une topographie critique dans laquelle les processus et les pratiques de production d’espaces post-catastrophe sont exposés. Parce que l’espace est nécessairement malléable, fluide, et relationnelle en raison de l'évolution constante des activités, des conflits, et des expériences qui se déroulent dans le paysage, une analyse de l'espace doit être formulée en termes de relations sociales qui se produisent dans et au-delà de ses frontières poreuses. En conséquence, cette étude explore comment les relations sociales entre les survivants et les acteurs puissants sont liées à l’exclusion, la gouvernementalité, la mobilité, et la production des espaces, des lieux et des territoires. Il constate que, si les trajectoires de migration de la plupart des survivants ont été confinés à l'intérieur des limites de la ville, les expériences de ces survivants et leur utilisation des espaces urbains sont très différentes. Ces différences peuvent être expliquées par des structures politiques, économiques, et sociales, et par les différences religieuses, économiques, et de genre. En outre, il fait valoir que les espaces post-catastrophe doivent être considérés comme des «espaces d’exclusion» où les fiduciaires exercent une rationalité gouvernementale. C’est-à-dire, les espaces post-catastrophe prétendument inclusives servent à marginaliser davantage les populations vulnérables. Ces espaces offrent aussi des occasions pour les acteurs puissants dans la société philippine d'effectuer des interventions gouvernementales dans lesquelles certaines personnes et les paysages sont simplifiées, rendues lisibles, et améliorés.

The relationship between non-suicidal self-injury and suicidality

The overall purpose of this study was to explain the overlap and distinctiveness of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidality from a diathesis-stress perspective. The first part of this study evaluated the third variable theory as an explanation for the high rates of lifetime co-occurrence between NSSI and suicidality. Specifically, it was hypothesized that these forms of self-harm share a common vulnerability profile comprised of five affective, cognitive and behavioural diatheses. The second part of this study tested the hypothesis that NSSI and suicidality become distinguishable on the basis of immediate, proximal stressors, namely psychache and survival and coping beliefs (SCB). Participants (N = 262) were community individuals aged 16-24 years who reported either no history of self-harm (i.e., no history of NSSI, suicidality, or both), a history of NSSI, suicidality or both, or current NSSI-only or current NSSI+suicidality. They were recruited online to complete an online battery of questionnaires. Using a set of discriminant function analyses, it was found that the vulnerability profile was unable to distinguish between the three self-harm groups, but was able to differentiate the no self-harm group from a collated self-harm group. Result patterns were also analyzed for gender differences. It was also found that a current NSSI+suicidality group exhibited significantly higher psychache and lower SCB (for women only) than a current NSSI-only group. These results suggest that NSSI and suicidality may tend to co-occur because they have similar long-term diatheses, but that they may become more distinct with respect to immediate psychological stressors.

Migrant women’s employment in paid reproductive work through the crisis: the case of Italy (2007-2012)

Paid reproductive work, especially in the case of cleaning and home-care for elderly people, is an important sector for foreign women in Italy. For this reason, since the beginning of the current economic crisis, scholars have wondered about the impact of the recession on migrant domestic workers. They have looked particularly at possible competition with Italian women entering the sector for lack of better alternatives. Our paper takes this discussion a step further by assessing the overall changes affecting migrant women in the Italian labour market, 2007-2012. We will look at how their position has been transformed, by taking both an ethnic perspective, in relation to Italian women, and a gender perspective, in relation to migrant men. By way of a conclusion, the argument will be made that there is a substantial lack of competition between Italian and foreign women in the care and domestic sector due to differences in their earnings, hours of work and activities.

Gendered Responses to Global Crisis: Circular Migration and Return among Ecuadorian Families in Spain and Ecuador

This paper analyzes the impact of Spain’s economic crisis on social reproduction strategies of Ecuadorian migrant families in Madrid and Quito. The paper analyzes circular migration experiences and more permanent returns to Ecuador. I argue that these strategies and migrants' greater or lesser capabilities to move between different migration destinations show significant gender differences. On the one hand, men and women make a differential use of their migratory status to deploy transnational strategies and expand their mobility. On the other hand, migrants’ degree of mobility and flexibility with regard to the labor market and transnational social reproduction are derivative of a specific gendered order and sexual division of labor.

Correlation between anxiety and academic self-concept in interpreter trainees

This paper focuses on two basic issues: the anxiety-generating nature of the interpreting task and the relevance of interpreter trainees’ academic self-concept. The first has already been acknowledged, although not extensively researched, in several papers, and the second has only been mentioned briefly in interpreting literature. This study seeks to examine the relationship between the anxiety and academic self-concept constructs among interpreter trainees. An adapted version of the Foreign Language Anxiety Scale (Horwitz et al., 1986), the Academic Autoconcept Scale (Schmidt, Messoulam & Molina, 2008) and a background information questionnaire were used to collect data. Students’ t-Test analysis results indicated that female students reported experiencing significantly higher levels of anxiety than male students. No significant gender difference in self-concept levels was found. Correlation analysis results suggested, on the one hand, that younger would-be interpreters suffered from higher anxiety levels and students with higher marks tended to have lower anxiety levels; and, on the other hand, that younger students had lower self-concept levels and higher-ability students held higher self-concept levels. In addition, the results revealed that students with higher anxiety levels tended to have lower self-concept levels. Based on these findings, recommendations for interpreting pedagogy are discussed.

Motivation and Vocabulary Breadth in CLIL and EFL Contexts. Different age, Same Time of Exposure

Numerous studies have found a positive connection between learners’ motivation towards foreign language and foreign language achievement. The present study examines the role of motivation in receptive vocabulary breadth (size) of two groups of Spanish learners of different ages, but all with 734 hours of instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL): a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) group in primary education and a non-CLIL (or EFL) group in secondary education. Most students in both groups were found to be highly motivated. The primary CLIL group slightly overcame the secondary non-CLIL group with respect to the mean general motivation but this is a non-significant difference. The secondary group surpass significantly the primary group in receptive vocabulary size. No relationship between the receptive vocabulary knowledge and general motivation is found in the primary CLIL group. On the other hand, a positive significant connection, although a very small one, is identified for the secondary non-CLIL group. We will discuss on the type of test, the age of students and the type of instruction as variables that could be influencing the results.

Receptive Vocabulary of CLIL and Non-CLIL Primary and Secondary School Learners

CLIL instruction has been reported to be beneficial for foreign language vocabulary learning since CLIL students show higher vocabulary profiles than students of their same age in traditional EFL contexts. However, to our knowledge, the receptive vocabulary knowledge of CLIL and non-CLIL learners at the end of primary and secondary education has not been examined yet. Hence, this study aims at comparing the receptive vocabulary size 79 CLIL primary learners with the receptive vocabulary knowledge of 331 non-CLIL learners at the end of primary and secondary school. Sex-based differences were also analysed. The 2k Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) was used for the purposes of the study. Results revealed that learners’ receptive vocabulary sizes lie within the most frequent 1000 words, non-CLIL secondary school students throw better results than primary students but the differences between the secondary group and the CLIL group are not statistically significant. As for sex-based differences, we found no significant differences among the groups. These findings led us to believe that the CLIL approach offers a benefit for vocabulary acquisition since CLIL learners have been exposed to the foreign language for a shorter period of time and the results are quite similar to their non-CLIL secondary school partners.

The activity of the feminist online publications: challenges for the transmission of the feminist culture in Spain

Traditionally, big media corporations have contributed to hiding the women’s movement itself, as well as its main claims and topics of discussion (Marx, Myra y Hess, 1995; Rhode, 1995; Mendes, 2011). This has led the feminist movement to develop its own media generally print publications, usually, with a very specialized character and reduced audience. This is similar to what has occurred with quality main stream media, asthese publications have had to adapt themselves to a new communicatiion context, because of the financial crisis and  technological evolution. Feminist media has found in the Internet an excellent opportunity to access citizens and communicate their messages. , In view of this scene of change and renovation,  this article offers the results of a qualitative analysis focused on the experiences of four feminist online media sites edited in Spain: Pikaramagazine.com, Proyecto-kahlo.com, Mujeresenred.net and Laindependent.cat. Besides exploring the characteristics and content of these sites, the article pays attention to the virality of their contents spread through Facebook and Twitter. The onclusion estimates their social impact, insofar as they symbolize the specialization, diversification and dialogue promoted by the Web.

Adolescent substance use in the context of the family: a qualitative study of young people’s views on parent-child attachments, parenting style and parental substance use

Background: Adolescent substance use can place youth at risk of a range of poor outcomes. Few studies have attempted to explore in-depth young people’s perceptions of how familial processes and dynamics influence adolescent substance use.
Objectives: This paper aimed to explore risk and protective factors for youth substance use within the context of the family with a view to informing family based interventions.
Methods: Nine focus groups supplemented with participatory techniques were facilitated with a purposive sample of sixty-two young people (age 13-17 years) from post-primary schools across Northern Ireland. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Three themes emerged from the data: 1) parent-child attachments, 2) parenting style and 3) parental and sibling substance misuse. Parent-child attachment was identified as an important factor in protecting adolescents from substance use in addition to effective parenting particularly an authoritative style supplemented with parental monitoring and strong parent-child communication to encourage child disclosure. Family substance use was considered to impact on children’s substance use if exposed at an early age and the harms associated with parental substance misuse were discussed in detail. Both parent and child gender differences were cross-cutting themes.
Conclusion: Parenting programmes (tailored to mothers and fathers) may benefit young people via components on authoritative styles, parental monitoring, communication, nurturing attachments and parent-child conflict. Youth living with more complex issues, e.g. parental substance misuse, may benefit from programmes delivered beyond the family environment e.g. school based settings.