SAGE Focus Editions – serie

The transition from viewing organizations as bureaucracies toward seeing them in metaphoric terms is a contemporary break with past organizational theory. But to investigate the similarities between real organizations and the metaphors describing their functions and context, a shift in both methods of inquiry and organizational theory must take place. The original essays in this volume explore the paradigm shift at three levels: (1) an overview of historical roots; (2) an explication of terminology, metaphors, and constructs; and (3) the practical application of these new organizational inquiry methods, especially for actual research practices and policy analysis applications. "An up-to-date picture of what is going on in the field. . . . Worth reading if one has a serious interest in organizations." --European Journal of Operational Research

Published in cooperation with the Society for Research in Child Development Most children, whether from majority or minority ethnic groups, have contact with groups other than their own and must learn to live with ethnic diversity. How do children respond to and deal with the differences among groups, in both the observable characteristics and in the less obvious values and norms? How do children come to understand the meaning of their own and others' ethnic group membership? How does the impact of ethnicity change with development? These are some of the questions that this book addresses. The aim of this edited volume is to provide an integration of existing research and theory about the process by which ethnicity affects children and the ways in which children come to understand their own and others' ethnicity. Research in this area contributes to the understanding of developmental processes that shape children's self-concept and self-esteem, their attitudes and behaviors toward their own and other groups, as well as the way they are evaluated by others. Understanding such processes may suggest methods of facilitating a child's personal development and promoting positive cross-ethnic interactions. This book is an excellent reference source for professionals working in the areas of developmental psychology, education, social work, and ethnic studies. "The development of child ethnic identity and cognizance of ethnic difference is well covered in this collection of seminal essays by psychologists and other professionals concerned with ethnicity and its manifestations. . . . The collection as a whole stresses the conclusions that ethnic group differences have a significant impact on development, and that this impact varies with the age of the child. . . . The collection will serve as a basic source for investigators into childhood ethnicity. . . .Upper-division undergraduates and above." --Choice "The book will benefit therapists and researchers engaged with minority populations. Teachers of developmental psychology and human behavior would also find it useful." --Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health "Phinney and Rotheram provide a valuable summary of ethnic differences along the dimensions of group versus individual orientation; active versus passive coping style; attitudes toward authority; and expressive versus restrained communication. Readers will obtain some valuable insights on children's ethnic attitudes and identification from this book." --Contemporary Psychology

Changing Men assembles some of the most innovative and exciting research on men and masculinity. As such, it contributes to the demarcation of a new field called men's studies, as well as to the examination of masculinity within traditional academic disciplines. The contributors deal with such broad topical and methodological issues as reformulating the male role, men in domestic settings, men/women relationships, sexuality, race and gender, and future directions for men's studies. All the contributors offer scholarly treatments of the issues raised by this emerging field. Ideally suited for gender studies courses either as a text or text supplement, this distinctive volume can also be used in family studies, psychology, social psychology, and sociology courses. Changing Men "contains some very good things which make the book worth having. Two excellent papers use life history interviews: to trace the tensions in the life-course of American male athletes, especially how they handle the end of a sporting career (Messner); and to map the various strategies by which married American women handle their relations with their husbands (Gerson). A well-observed workplace ethnography looks at sexual joking in American male-dominated settings like restaurant kitchens, and the dilemmas it poses for women workers (Fine)....An intelligent piece of social psychology, informed both by Freud and a sense of historical context, looks at the role of homophobia in the construction of American heterosexual masculinity (Herek). A fine piece of history--and the one article in the book not centred on the US--looks at the interplay of sexual politics and imperialist ideology in colonial Benga (Sinha)....Finally there is a superb essay by Lyman discussing an episode of collective sexual harassment in an American university, fascinating in particular for its account of the way 'normal' gender relations were negotiated back into place after being disrupted." --Australian and New Zealand Journal of Sociology "A valuable addition to any reference library." --Family Life Educator "Written for anyone interested in the evolving roles of men and women in contemporary society, clinicians will find ample material to help them better understand their clients; researchers will be challenged to new vistas; and teachers will find valuable new insights into changing roles and may be challenged to add coursework about men's roles." --Family Relations "Concerning both approach and analysis, we found Kimmel's contribution interesting and inviting for further research along these lines." --The Dutch Journal of Women's Studies "[Changing Men] attempts to push back the frontiers of ignorance and stake out the new territory of men's studies. . . . This lucid book certainly establishes the potential of men's studies. It is also likely that some of the chapters will deservedly find their way onto reading lists in related academic areas." --Reviewing Sociology "An eclectic selection of writings, reflecting the aims and attitudes of the men's studies movement. They seek to examine the effect of traditional values of particular groups of men, or highlight changes in mens roles and perceptions of themselves." --Working with Men

Why do men batter their wives? How do women define their experiences of violence? Does a relationship exist between wife abuse and child abuse? What responses do medical authorities have toward wife abuse? A first of its kind, this provocative volume brings together a well-known group of academicians, activists, and clinicians from a variety of disciplines who approach these questions from a distinctly feminist perspective. Their research is based upon the premise that gender inequality is the source of violence against women, and that the social institutions of marriage and family are special contexts that may promote, maintain, and even support men's use of physical force against women. In addition, they critically analyze lay and academic theories of wife abuse in order to develop theories that more accurately reflect the experiences of women. "Feminist Perspectives on Wife Abuse. . .has a number of strengths. It challenges most explicitly the ideology of the safe home, offers excellent critiques of the methodology of family-violence research, and considers the politics of research. It is the only book under review that gives as much attention to the question of why men assault as it does to how women respond. It also emphasizes methods, clinical practice, and how to bridge research and practice. . . .I especially recommend Feminist Perspectives on Wife Abuse for courses on methods. I have used it there with great success." --Gender & Society "Must be on the bookshelf of every serious thinker in the family violence area." --Richard J. Gelles, University of Rhode Island "Neatly balanced between research and practice, this volume addresses the challenge of how we can maintain a feminist perspective in our work with battered women. The major strength of this book is its self-reflective nature. The book goes beyond critiques by addressing the complexity of bringing feminism into research and practice and presenting ways in which it can be dealt with. It also demonstrates the great rewards that result from addressing this complexity, rather than trying to manage it or ignore it." --AFFILIA "All researchers, clinicians, and advocates concerned with wife abuse should consider the questions and issues raised by this volume." --Violence and Victims "This is a well-written book. Many of the contributors are well-known researchers in the area of family violence. The volume is also amazingly coherent for an edited book. Each of the chapters complements the others, and there is little overlap of material. Feminist Perspectives on Wife Abuse is highly recommended." --Contemporary Psychology "For clinicians, this book offers strong messages with an emphasis on empowerment of women, suggesting that women are not simply helpless victims but are able to make their own decisions with appropriate intervention strategies. Furthermore, this book has shown the integration between feminist theories and practice. The current trend toward the battered women's shelter movement and various domestic abuse intervention programs is demonstrated as a result of strong advocates whose interests correspond with feminist philosophies and beliefs. . . . This book delivers strong messages to everyone who is concerned about and involved in wife abuse and challenges current perspectives on wife abuse." --Sociological Inquiry "Valuable resource for teaching and research. It would be appropriate for courses in research methods, feminist theory, criminology, social work, or upper-level courses on family violence." --National Women's Studies Association "This [book] shows how good an anthology can be." --Isis "Feminist Perspectives on Wife Abuse is a thought-provoking and valuable anthology of feminist research and activism as they relate to the study and eradication of wife abuse. As the title implies, this book does not join in the current movement of tiptoeing around the issue of wife abuse by erroneously referring to it as spouse abuse, domestic violence, or family violence. On the contrary, this is a collection of fifteen excellent contributions by feminist women and pro-feminist men who are not afraid to offer truly feminist perspectives on male violence against their intimate partners. . . .The two chapters most relevant to community psychologists address how psychological test can misdiagnose and\or misrepresent the experiences of women with abusive partners. . . .In short, Feminist Perspectives on Wife Abuse is thought provoking and challenges the reader to examine her or his motives and biases, to put theories into practice to create lasting social change, and to work collaboratively with grassroots activists who bring their own expertise and skills to the task of ending male violence against women." --The Community Psychologist

Directed towards researchers and practitioners in family studies and gerontology, this completely revised Second Edition of Family Relationships in Later Life provides an innovative new collection of research-based descriptions on family relations of older people. Each chapter summarizes existing literature on the topic and provides up-to-date original research. Topics addressed include: sibling relationships in later life; widowhood; ethnic differences; elder abuse and mistreatment; family care; and health problems.

Fieldwork has often been viewed as a great black hole, untaught and unteachable. While recent years have seen an increase in the number of how-to manuals for doing fieldwork, they never fully convey the complexity of the experience--the loneliness, the uncertainty, the moral dilemmas, the ambiguities. In Experiencing Fieldwork, a group of top ethnographers addresses various issues and challenges of the fieldwork experience. How do you gain entree into a setting? What tricks are there to learning the rules of the community without alienating the people you came to study? How are good relations maintained with informants? What happens after you leave the field? Using examples of research from police departments to schools, from nursing homes to motorcycle gangs, the essays in this absorbing volume make the process of fieldwork come alive for the reader and provide invaluable advice for those entering the field. Scholars, researchers, and students in the fields of sociology, anthropology, education, and organization studies will benefit from the insights contained in this practical volume. "The depth of research experience among the authors is impressive, as is the range of groups they have studied--from students to survivalists, and from health care practitioners to motorcycle gangs. . . . The articles are ideally suited to help novices realize that emotional and interactional quandaries are an integral part of field research, rather than idiosyncratic experiences deriving from their own lack of expertise." --Contemporary Sociology "The central strength of this edited volume as an instructional tool is its organizational respect for the theoretical tradition of symbolic interactionism. . . . Shaffir and Stebbins succeed in characterizing the research act as fully social action--as an ongoing production between positioned subjects. . . . Essays in each section provide a range of substantive materials and accounts from diverse ethnographic settings. The result is a detailed account of the process of doing fieldwork which provides the reader with a clear sense of ethnography as a practical accomplishment which rarely goes according to plan. A pedagogical strength of this text is to be found in the range of substantive settings made available to students. . . . Provides a tool through which students may demystify the exotic and attend to the problematic qualities of the everyday lives which they live. . . . A Valuable text for those teaching research oriented field methods courses." --The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology "A very credible work. . .this volume as a whole represents a distinctive contribution to the fieldwork literature. Most of the chapters more than adequately convey a meaningful sense of fieldwork experiences, and some of them are unique, exceptionally powerful, and truly outstanding. The text is valuable as an introduction to qualitative field research for advanced undergraduates, and especially for graduate students. Nonspecialists in other fields with an interest in methodology, research practice, and qualitative fieldwork will find it an inestimable resource. Specialists will especially appreciate the selections that develop key concepts on the basis of copious, concrete examples, as well as the several chapters that talk directly to other field-workers." --Journal of Contemporary Ethnography "For cultural anthropologists working in North America, and especially applied anthropologists, these essay's provide an insider's perspective on qualitative fieldwork and the many lessons to be learned from it." --American Anthropologist

Providing excellent insights into evaluation, Preserving Families examines the issues related to describing and evaluating social programs for families and children. The focus is on keeping the family intact, rather than those programs that emphasize removing the child from the family setting. The contributors offer an in-depth discussion of program features that are important for conducting an evaluation, including program description, target populations, client outcomes, cost analysis, and evaluation design. Each chapter raises issues that are pertinent to designing a comprehensive or a special focus study, including a detailed description of program components. Preserving Families is an essential tool for understanding policy analysis and program evaluation, and also provides practical case materials for classroom instruction. "The monograph offers a number of suggestions and illustrations for making evaluations relevant to 'real world' policymakers and program managers. . . . [It] is a great tool that will help demystify evaluation . . . [and] will help people in the family preservation field--and in related fields--feel competent in helping define and shape the evaluation agenda in ways that will produce useful and usable findings. . . . [It] provides great case material for classroom instruction in program evaluation and policy analysis." --Sandy M. O'Donnell, Roosevelt University "Offers a comprehensive assessment of evaluation resources for practitioners and policy makers. It provides a sound overview of the uses of evaluation, as well the construction of study designs, including defining a target population, fitting evealuation to a program environment, appraising outcome measures, and cost analysis. This collection is valuable to any professional working in the field of family-based, home-based or family preservation services." --Family-Based Resource Review "[The editors] have succeeded in providing a volume that will be helpful not only to family service evaluators and administrators but also to family policy instructors and researchers." --Journal of Marriage and the Family "This manual makes an invaluable contribution to the family preservation movement, the centerpiece of child welfare reform. This comprehensive 'how to,' step-by-step guide arrives at a crucial time: [meeting] a growing demand for evaluation for family preservation services. Experts in the child welfare and mental health fields have provided a pertinent and easily understood response to an urgent question: How can a design for an evaluation be produced that will provide reliable data for practitioners, administrators, and policymakers?" --Esther Wattenberg, University of Minnesota "Provides the most current information on crisis-intervention work with high-risk, multiproblem families. . . . For readers interested in program evaluation of family preservation services, the book is a must. . . . Read Preserving Families for thoughtful, practical suggestions relative to evaluating family preservation programs." --Journal of Marital and Family Therapy "The importance of accurate and available evaluation to social policy formulation is a critical issue that is often ignored because this type of research is generally lacking. Special research techniques and methods need to be considered in order to answer policy questions. This book is an important contribution to that end. The methods and techniques described by these authors are certainly applicable to other social service policy areas as well. Clearly written, this is a volume for hands-on planners and evaluators; it is not intimidating, nor is it condescending." --Family Relations

Providing excellent insights into evaluation, Preserving Families examines the issues related to describing and evaluating social programs for families and children. The focus is on keeping the family intact, rather than those programs that emphasize removing the child from the family setting. The contributors offer an in-depth discussion of program features that are important for conducting an evaluation, including program description, target populations, client outcomes, cost analysis, and evaluation design. Each chapter raises issues that are pertinent to designing a comprehensive or a special focus study, including a detailed description of program components. Preserving Families is an essential tool for understanding policy analysis and program evaluation, and also provides practical case materials for classroom instruction. "The monograph offers a number of suggestions and illustrations for making evaluations relevant to 'real world' policymakers and program managers. . . . [It] is a great tool that will help demystify evaluation . . . [and] will help people in the family preservation field--and in related fields--feel competent in helping define and shape the evaluation agenda in ways that will produce useful and usable findings. . . . [It] provides great case material for classroom instruction in program evaluation and policy analysis." --Sandy M. O'Donnell, Roosevelt University "Offers a comprehensive assessment of evaluation resources for practitioners and policy makers. It provides a sound overview of the uses of evaluation, as well the construction of study designs, including defining a target population, fitting evealuation to a program environment, appraising outcome measures, and cost analysis. This collection is valuable to any professional working in the field of family-based, home-based or family preservation services." --Family-Based Resource Review "[The editors] have succeeded in providing a volume that will be helpful not only to family service evaluators and administrators but also to family policy instructors and researchers." --Journal of Marriage and the Family "This manual makes an invaluable contribution to the family preservation movement, the centerpiece of child welfare reform. This comprehensive 'how to,' step-by-step guide arrives at a crucial time: [meeting] a growing demand for evaluation for family preservation services. Experts in the child welfare and mental health fields have provided a pertinent and easily understood response to an urgent question: How can a design for an evaluation be produced that will provide reliable data for practitioners, administrators, and policymakers?" --Esther Wattenberg, University of Minnesota "Provides the most current information on crisis-intervention work with high-risk, multiproblem families. . . . For readers interested in program evaluation of family preservation services, the book is a must. . . . Read Preserving Families for thoughtful, practical suggestions relative to evaluating family preservation programs." --Journal of Marital and Family Therapy "The importance of accurate and available evaluation to social policy formulation is a critical issue that is often ignored because this type of research is generally lacking. Special research techniques and methods need to be considered in order to answer policy questions. This book is an important contribution to that end. The methods and techniques described by these authors are certainly applicable to other social service policy areas as well. Clearly written, this is a volume for hands-on planners and evaluators; it is not intimidating, nor is it condescending." --Family Relations

What makes a good teacher, a committed teacher, one who comes up with new strategies, ideas, and programs that improve how kids learn? What kind of minimum performance standards should teachers be held to? How are teachers encouraged to do more? Will higher salaries improve classroom performance? How do teachers view these questions? Teachers and Their Workplace addresses how commitment, performance, and productivity--from individual as well as organizational standpoints--affect teachers, schools, and students. The book examines the how and why of current school standards, confronts both directions for future research and, more importantly, potential solutions to current personal problems. An outstanding team of contributors explores conditions and attitudes about work from teachers′ perspectives; models of school organization, social and psychological issues, and economic theories; and alternatives for professional development. This landmark book is a dynamic overview that anyone in teacher education, teacher evaluation, school personnel administration, human resource management, and organizational studies will welcome. "This [is] a well-integrated collection og thought-provoking essays. . . . Seventeen notable authors contribute 13 cogent articles. . . . With substantial notes and bibliography at the end of each essay, this book is the most relevant to upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty." --Choice

Overall this volume should be valuable for readers . . . demonstrates the practical and theoretical advantages of incorporating participatory action research in the social science tool kit. --Agricultural Systems "I recommend this book for researchers, and I also suggest that it be considered seriously by persons grappling with philosophy of social issues." --Journal of Marketing Research "We have a book that deals with a potential revolution in the way organization science is done. . . . The last third of the book, dealing with PAR in agriculture, is of great value. . . . This is a formidable challenge for any of us to take on, but many useful and practical tips are scattered throughout the book, in chapters appropriately written by academics, managers, a union leader, and government administrators. Thus, the message of PAR is embodied in the structure of the book. It is a message we should heed." --Journal of Management "Provides a rich set of insights into the intricacies and challenges encountered in research in applied settings with an agenda toward action." --International Journal of Nursing Studies Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a powerful research tool that unites the work of researcher and client to improve both the topic researched and the research findings themselves. Yet, despite the fact that various forms of PAR have been practiced for decades, no single resource existed that detailed this practical research method. Now, in Participatory Action Research, a distinguished team of contributors takes you step-by-step through this research technique, from the initial design of a project, through data gathering and analysis, to final conclusions and actions arising out of the research. Contributors thoroughly outline the theory and methods behind PAR, weigh its strengths and weaknesses, then present a series of case studies taken both from organizational and agricultural settings. Organizational researchers and consultants, managers, sociologists, or anyone engaged in qualitative or applied research will find Participatory Action Research an invaluable tool.

The 'triple overlap' refers to the link between gender stratification, the household and economic variables. In this volume, leading sociologists examine this overlap as a totality, providing theoretical concepts and new research on how the triple overlap works, both inside the family and within the broader context of society. Their competing conceptions of the interrelationship of gender, family and economy are bolstered by empirical papers which raise questions of culture, class and race within the contexts of both the developed and developing worlds. Six of the articles in this volume were previously published as a Special Issue of Journal of Family Issues.

The effective use of power is synonymous with effective leadership and effective schools. Those who understand the politics of their schools will enhance the quality of school life. --from Chapter 9, "The Everyday Political Perspectives of

The media influence how we live--and die. Tobacco can kill us, yet we continue to smoke. Drinking and driving is a lethal combination, yet we continue to drive when inebriated. Poor diet slowly destroys us, yet we continue to eat unhealthily. Why? Evolving from a national conference, Mass Communication and Public Health examines why public information campaigns have achieved limited success and what can be done to improve their effectiveness. This up-to-date volume has a fourfold focus:

This volume is the first to directly examine the presence, maintenance, and advancement of Hispanics in the U.S. workforce. As such, this book makes a significant contribution to one of many glaring gaps of information pertaining to the soon-to-be largest minority population in the United States. . . . This book will serve as good reference material for information on Hispanics in the workforce and, I hope, will spur additional interest and research on this important yet ignored population. --Contemporary Sociology "Hispanics in the Workplace provides a very interesting and useful discussion of the status of this important group in our work force. I enthusiastically recommend it for use in graduate seminars on industrial and organizational psychology and human resources management." --Mary K. Schratz, Ph.D., California State University, Long Beach "This book addresses very important issues, seldom discussed in the literature. It is full of valuable information that brings the reader up to date on statistics, data, facts and analyses concerning issues of relevance to Latinos and to policy makers and social scientists. The book increases our understanding of the Latino work force, the problems they face, and suggests useful approaches and programs. An important resource for anyone interested in this population." --Oliva M. Espin, San Diego State University "A major contribution to the literature, Hispanics in the Workplace goes beyond the common demographic projections to in-depth studies of Hispanic groups. It is an excellent resource for descriptive statistics on Hispanics in the U.S.--especially on work force participation and education. Its analyses of how equal opportunity programs, mentoring, and litigation have affected Hispanics as a group will be very helpful to managers and policy developers." --Catherine A. Riordan, University of Missouri-Rolla "Bravo! Knouse, Rosenfeld, and Culbertson provide us with a significant look at the issues related to Hispanics at work. It should be required reading for those interested in work force diversity." --Robert A. Giacalone, University of Richmond "It provides an excellent interdisciplinary perspective and coverage of the literature on Hispanics in the workplace." --Harry C. Triandis, University of Illinois, U-C "This volume of 14 chapters, each written by a different author, provides an in-depth view of the Hispanic work force. Collectively, the chapters present a comprehensive explanation of employment factors; Hispanic work problems; mentoring systems for Hispanics; work issues for Hispanic women; and background on Hispanic work experiences in government and private sectors of the Us economy. Individual chapters are well written. . . . Readers interested in an intensive, rather statistical, perspective of the Hispanic work force will find this a useful reference." --Choice "Hispanics in the Workplace is important reading for anyone who would study Hispanic workforce characteristics, employment problems, and psychological as well as work challenges. Papers presented here are scholarly but do a fine job of using studies to pinpoint particular problems and trends unique to the Hispanic cultural experience. The link between workplace choice and experience and Hispanic psyche is strong." --Bookwatch, WYOU-TV, Madison, WI Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the United States and are filling an increasingly significant portion of the work force. However, despite these facts, little or no research to date has been conducted to address this issue. The first in its field, Hispanics in the Workplace presents a comprehensive exploration of Hispanic employment factors, problems at work, support systems, Hispanic women and work, and work in the government and private sectors. Contributors include notable researchers who uncover such specific topics as entry into employment, work force characteristics, recruiting and selection, training and development, special problems of women, job satisfaction, stress management, work ethic, stereotyping, and language barriers. They address various opportunities and problems of Hispanics they relate to the military, civilians in the military, the private sector, and entrepreneurs. If you are a professional, academic, or student of management, organization studies, sociology, human resources, and/or ethnic studies, this groundbreaker will prove to be an essential tool for you.

Kolb and Bartunek's Hidden Conflict in Organizations picks up where earlier works left off. . . . They provide some much-needed conceptual elaboration and empirical detail--elaboration and detail that earlier contextualist perspectives have not provided. . . . Despite being an edited volume, this book is surprisingly well focused and delicious to consume. . . . In directing our attention to the usual darkened and easily overlooked corners of organizational strife, this book provides a particularly compelling documentation of the social contextualist thesis. By documenting how minimal most organizational actors' awareness of context is, coupled with active processes of denial, avoidance, and discounting, this book reminds us just how important it is to attend occasionally to the perceptual ground within which a figure is embedded. . . . The book does a beautiful job at articulating the importance of social context. --Negotiation Journal "What a timely and much needed volume for the field of conflict research! We believe wholeheartedly in the book's continuous theme about there being a 'hidden' side to conflict--a side which we feel is hidden to scholars, not to disputants or even practitioners. . . . The volume's contributors clearly illustrate that unexplored gaps exist between the 'conflict' studied by scholars and the multifaceted experience of those knee-deep in organizational conflict. . . . The reward for this focus is a richer and more dynamic picture of the experiences and functions of conflict in the organization. . . . This volume will and, indeed, should make us more aware of our own ways of constructing other's disputes and, hence, the field's current theories and prescriptions and proscriptions. This work will really have its impact when it significantly transforms our ways of studying and understanding conflict and eventually leads us to develop innovative and more effective ways for people to deal with (resolve or stimulate) their disputes in the workplace. We thank the editors and the authors for a wonderful beginning." --Journal of Organizational Behavior "Necessary reading for anyone interested in a comprehensive understanding of conflict theory. The dominant strength of this book is that it looks beyond the sometimes fraudulently tidy constructs of conflict theory to the messy and often irrational nature of social intercourse. . . . The succinct recapitulation of organizational theory that is relevant to conflict studies, and the extensive notes and bibliographical references in the book give the reader quick and effective access to the conflict resolution literature. The case-study approach makes the book attractive as supplementary reading." --Canadian Journal of Communication "Scholarly works that invite--or force--critical reexamination of assumptive frameworks are especially valuable. Hidden Conflict in Organizations is such a work. . . . The authors of the present volume go beyond early contributions, however, by providing much needed conceptual elaboration and empirical detail regarding precisely how conflicts remain hidden in organizations and the consequences of such 'hiddenness.'. . . The conceptual contributions made by these diverse individual efforts become most obvious when they are viewed against the backdrop of mainstream conflict theory and research. . . . Hidden Conflict does a service by reminding us also of the many ways in which conflict is embedded in larger, more complex social contexts and cultures. . . . This is the kind of book that reminds you of the pleasures of subtlety and that prompts a more nuanced understanding of a phenomenon. Good scholarly works, like good poetry, often bring to light lacunae. They allow one to feel the textures and contours of a landscape that often escape the eye. This is such a book." --The Academy of Management Review "The book represents a thoughtful collection of recent research and provocative thinking about very different kinds of disputes, mostly covert and informal, and how they are managed or left to fester in very different kinds of organizational settings. . . . This is a unique contribution to the study of conflict in organizations. . . . The authors have made a major contribution to a vast body of knowledge and opened up new avenues for applied research. . . . The authors are to be lauded for raising our awareness of hidden conflicts, their pervasiveness, and destructiveness in organizations of all kinds. . . . If you are a student of conflict and are seeking a scholarly work, this book is for you. It . . . will broaden your perspective, tell you something you didn't know, and give you plenty to think about." --Personnel Psychology "This book lends a refreshing perspective on an old theme." --Stern's HR Management Review "This is a much needed and delightful book about the hidden side of organizational life. The wide variety of settings in which hidden conflicts are observed and the high quality of the authors and their writing makes this not only an important but eminently readable book." Edgar H. Schein, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "The individual essays are excellent and well written. . . . Each of the essays, in addition to descriptive material, offers a useful theoretical framework for understanding informal dispute resolution. The essays would provide useful supplemental reading for a course in dispute resolution theory and also could be used as examples in a practice course." --The Alternative Newsletter Conflict is a persistent fact of organizational life. In the midst of daily activities, disputes arise over a host of work and other issues. In contrast to the findings in traditional studies of conflict in organizations, most organizational conflict never becomes public. Rather, it is expressed during routine social and work-related interactions among members, and occurs in ways that reflect the specific organizational structures and cultures in which the interactions are embedded. This examination richly details some of these less public forms of conflict, which may take the form of avoidance, toleration, gossip, and vengeance. A collection of ethnographic studies of conflict management, Hidden Conflict in Organizations illustrates the use of these behind-the-scenes approaches in a wide variety of organizational settings, including a police department, start-up biotechnology firm, and labor-management negotiation. The contributors make it clear that, far from being an occasional occurrence in organizations, conflict is embedded in their very fabric. They draw on theory developed in other fields--disputing in legal contexts, deconstruction of texts, and ideological critique, among others--to examine conflictual processes in organizations. Adding a new dimension to the study of organizational conflict, this volume looks at the frequency of conflict, shows how conflicts are "really" handled in organizations, and suggests that these conflicts can be better managed for organizational effectiveness.

What are the long term effects of retirement on family relationships? Do personality characteristics or attitudes of one spouse impinge on the other spouse's retirement plans and adjustment? What differences exist in the ways males and females adapt to retirement? Leading researchers in the fields of family studies and gerontology present enlightening information on the impact of retirement on family relations. Original essays focus on gender and ethnic differences, the role of children, siblings, and significant others, and the multiple changes retirement creates in marriage. In addition, a variety of theoretical models, existing research, and methodological problems in studying retired families are explored. Families and Retirement is essential reading for graduate students, researchers, and professionals in gerontology, sociology, social work, family psychology, and policy studies. "This is a well-written book. The editors have done a great job in selecting chapter authors whose research is important and directly related to the focus of the book. . . . The book will be an excellent text for sociology classes focusing mainly on retirement. It will also serve well as a supplemental text in gerontology, family studies, economics, and other college and university courses wherein retirement is studied." --Journal of Marriage and the Family "Just when it seems too complex a task to produce a text that addresses retirement from the perspective of the family, a new work appears that does just that. . . . The editors have successfully expanded [the] traditional concern with the individual by choosing studies showing relationships and issues on aspects of retirement and family." --Family Relations

What are the long term effects of retirement on family relationships? Do personality characteristics or attitudes of one spouse impinge on the other spouse's retirement plans and adjustment? What differences exist in the ways males and females adapt to retirement? Leading researchers in the fields of family studies and gerontology present enlightening information on the impact of retirement on family relations. Original essays focus on gender and ethnic differences, the role of children, siblings, and significant others, and the multiple changes retirement creates in marriage. In addition, a variety of theoretical models, existing research, and methodological problems in studying retired families are explored. Families and Retirement is essential reading for graduate students, researchers, and professionals in gerontology, sociology, social work, family psychology, and policy studies. "This is a well-written book. The editors have done a great job in selecting chapter authors whose research is important and directly related to the focus of the book. . . . The book will be an excellent text for sociology classes focusing mainly on retirement. It will also serve well as a supplemental text in gerontology, family studies, economics, and other college and university courses wherein retirement is studied." --Journal of Marriage and the Family "Just when it seems too complex a task to produce a text that addresses retirement from the perspective of the family, a new work appears that does just that. . . . The editors have successfully expanded [the] traditional concern with the individual by choosing studies showing relationships and issues on aspects of retirement and family." --Family Relations

Social network analysis, a method for analyzing relationships between social entities, has expanded over the last decade as new research has been done in this area. How can these new developments be applied effectively in the behavioral and social sciences disciplines? In Advances in Social Network Analysis, a team of leading methodologists in network analysis addresses this issue. They explore such topics as ways to specify the network contents to be studied, how to select the method for representing network structures, how social network analysis has been used to study interorganizational relations via the resource dependence model, how to use a contact matrix for studying the spread of disease in epidemiology, and how cohesion and structural equivalence network theories relate to studying social influence. It also offers statistical models for social support networks. Advances in Social Network Analysis is useful for researchers involved in general research methods and qualitative methods, and who are interested in psychology and sociology.

A first in its field, this timely volume effectively bridges the gap between the legal requirements that govern research on minors and the research methodology literature in adolescent psychology. The editors skillfully bring together the insights of a group of leading researchers and scholars to address and resolve the following issues: what theory and research on human development can tell researchers about adolescents' vulnerability to several kinds of risk research and how to reduce that vulnerability; what the law says about young peoples' rights to privacy; how the relevant ethical theory or guidelines should apply to minors approaching adulthood; under what circumstances parental consent does not protect children's rights; and how one explains the research process to a young adult. Social Research on Children and Adolescents reaches a wide audience from professionals in development psychology, family studies, and education to researchers in evaluation, research methods, and sociology to students in the above fields; all will undoubtedly benefit from this book. "Social Research on Children and Adolescents is an invaluable resource for researchers who confront questions such as how to assess risks and benefits within a developmental framework, what legal constraints and ethical principles guide research practice, and how to explain research participation to youth who differ greatly in their comprehension of the enterprise. . . . The major strength of this book, aside from its effective integration of developmental theory and research ethics, is the repeated examination of concrete research problems in light of ethical principles and legal requirements. . . . [This book] will be a useful addition to the library of any social scientist who conducts psychological research with children." --Death Studies

A first in its field, this timely volume effectively bridges the gap between the legal requirements that govern research on minors and the research methodology literature in adolescent psychology. The editors skillfully bring together the insights of a group of leading researchers and scholars to address and resolve the following issues: what theory and research on human development can tell researchers about adolescents' vulnerability to several kinds of risk research and how to reduce that vulnerability; what the law says about young peoples' rights to privacy; how the relevant ethical theory or guidelines should apply to minors approaching adulthood; under what circumstances parental consent does not protect children's rights; and how one explains the research process to a young adult. Social Research on Children and Adolescents reaches a wide audience from professionals in development psychology, family studies, and education to researchers in evaluation, research methods, and sociology to students in the above fields; all will undoubtedly benefit from this book. "Social Research on Children and Adolescents is an invaluable resource for researchers who confront questions such as how to assess risks and benefits within a developmental framework, what legal constraints and ethical principles guide research practice, and how to explain research participation to youth who differ greatly in their comprehension of the enterprise. . . . The major strength of this book, aside from its effective integration of developmental theory and research ethics, is the repeated examination of concrete research problems in light of ethical principles and legal requirements. . . . [This book] will be a useful addition to the library of any social scientist who conducts psychological research with children." --Death Studies

If you're looking for practical ways to do therapy research, then Psychotherapy Process Research is the book for you. It offers the latest developments in psychotherapy process research and the implications for clinical practice. It is unique in that equal weight is given to the paradigmatic and the narrative approaches to explanation. The contributions exemplify both relatively "pure" uses of either approach and the joint application of each in the same research endeavor. Each mode is seen to be especially suited to explaining a particular aspect of the overall therapeutic process, and so the question arises as to whether or not the two approaches can be integrated. At various points throughout the volume, and particularly in the concluding chapter, this question is addressed in terms of the implicit assumption supporting each approach. Psychotherapy Process Research is an essential research tool for researchers, professionals, and graduate students in clinical psychology, qualitative methods, psychology, social work, and methodology/research. "This volume is an excellent addition to what appears to be a rebirth of research into the process of psychotherapy. What is particularly intriguing about this contribution is its methodological pluralism, containing both positivistic approaches and more subjective, narrative methods. Taken together, both are used in a complementary fashion to shed light on the central question in process research, namely how psychotherapy brings about change." --Marvin Goldfried, Department of Psychology, SUNY at Stony Brook

Written by the multidisciplinary staff of the Citywide Case Management Team in San Francisco, Clinical Case Management is a practical guide for case managers and mental health students who are learning to work with seriously mentally ill adults. This volume offers a comprehensive approach to care and describes the integration of a broad array of interventions. Three themes run throughout Clinical Case Management: psychological and practical issues are inextricably intertwined, thus clinical and practical interventions must be delivered concurrently; understanding and utilizing the strengths and resources of the client's culture is critical to the successful implementation of care; and families and natural support systems are essential components of the system of care. Among some of the specific topics discussed are comprehensive assessment and treatment planning, treatment of substance abuse and mental illness, personality disordered clients, and managing problematic behavior. Thought-provoking yet practical, Clinical Case Management provides practitioners and students with information they can use to help solve the day-to-day problems they face in serving their clients. "Case examples are used that really bring the discussion to life and will make this book particularly relevant to students and practicing clinicians. . . . This is an inspiring and informative book that presumes some clinical sophistication on the part of the reader. I would highly recommend it for administrators of mental health programs and any clinicians who are approaching burn-out and are in need of some encouragement to stay with the work of helping the mentally ill clients." --Clinical Gerontologist "The evocative case reports in this volume remind us that we are only beginning to learn what happens in case management with different types of clients with different problems in different types of environments. It is my hope that readers of this volume will be inspired by the efforts and ideas of the authors to view their own work as an educational process. In doing so, case managers can learn from both success and failure without succumbing to the despair our clients experience on a daily basis." --from the preface by Joel S. Kanter "This book is a sensible description of the practice of case management for persons with serious mental illness. . . . Rich in case study material and realistic in its portrayal of the day-to-day ebb and flow in the life of case managers, . . . this well-written volume should be appealing to practitioners." --Psychiatric Services "This is a thoughtful, provocative, and well-organized book that provides an important contribution to our understanding of clinical case management at its best. It should be useful for program planners and administrative supervisors, as well as those who are most directly responsible for providing this essential component of comprehensive mental health care. The richness of detail and the breadth of issues addressed made it a pleasure to read." --Stephen M. Goldfinger, M.D., Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Boston "This comprehensive work offers a clear definition of case management and describes its implementation with seriously ill psychiatric clients. . . . Interesting clinical case material is offered to highlight the ideas presented." --Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health "This book comprises a rich sourcebook of principles and approaches that translate well to the United Kingdom's faltering first steps in case management. The text is laced with many carefully chosen vignettes, demonstrating clearly the contributors' connectedness to their own clients. There is a refreshing absence of rhetoric and constraining ideology. . . . The book is an excellent read for the reflective practitioner in this field." --Malcom Firth, Health & Social Care in the Community "Excellent chapters on the management of substance abuse in dual-diagnosis client and the management of problem behaviors are backed up by insightful expositions on the perspective of the psychiatrist, and the role of counter-transference in the work with difficult and distressed long-term clients. I especially enjoyed the chapter on 'The Power of Dreams,' a plea to use client aspirations as a starting point to effective therapeutic relationship building. . . . Overall, an excellent book, well worth browsing by all professionals involved in caring for individuals with enduring and disabling mental health problems, and of interest to psychologists both in its direct application and its insight into the role of care management." --David Hodgetts, review in Clinical Psychology Forum

What does it mean to have a "sense of justice"? Why is clarity about the sense of justice a critical issue in contemporary legal theory? And, what contribution can be made by a naturalistic theory that is informed by research in the life sciences? The distinguished contributors to The Sense of Justice introduce scholars and advanced students to the social and behavioral foundations for the "sense of justice" -- a form of balance or equilibrium which both individuals and legal systems seek to achieve and maintain in a changing and complex world. With diverse disciplinary backgrounds, the contributors bring various viewpoints to bear on the prospect of a more coherent theory of human justice. The Sense of Justice draws upon new discoveries and insights from the biologically-based behavioral sciences that are critical for a more informed understanding of legal phenomena, especially those dealing with complex social and political relationships. Most appropriate for criminology, criminal justice, sociology, and political science professionals and students.

It took New York City (the world's largest metropolis in 1950) nearly a century and a half to expand by eight million residents. Mexico City and Sao Paulo will match this growth in less than fifteen years. Asia's mega-cities, too, are exploding in number and size. This kind of unprecedented growth is being echoed in the urban centers of developing nations around the globe. The essays in this volume address the wide array of problematic issues--as well as the opportunities and advantages--that are the natural outgrowth of such rapid urbanization. Third World Cities examines three sets of vital issues. Drawing on the experience and evidence of the past two decades, the book's initial chapters assess theoretical frameworks upon which urban and migration policies are based. The authors of the middle section press for fresh approaches to the increasing demands placed on institutions and individuals in the largest cities of the developing world. The final chapters examine the complex demographic, social, and economic processes of urban growth. Students, professionals, and policymakers in development and urban studies, public administration, sociology, political science and comparative politics, geography, and ethnic studies will find Third World Cities to be a refreshing and innovative look at this growing concern. "Third World Cities offers a range of new ideas on the demographic, social spatial, and environmental changes that are `occurring so quickly that up-to-date evidence is elusive' . . . Third World Cities is both thought-provoking and highly readable." -The Economic Times

Much has been missed by social researchers in their attempt to understand the human experience as a series of rational, cognitive choices. What comes under the rubric of "lived experience" fits no researcher's model other than, in the words of one of the volume's contributors, "one damned thing after another." Human subjectivity in lived experience, both that of the subject and of the researcher, is the topic of Investigating Subjectivity, an important corrective to the cool, disdainful stance of most previous social research. The dozen contributors examine various aspects of subjectivity--the emotions, the gendered nature of experiences, the body-mind relationship, perceptions of time, place and setting, understanding of the self--and how these elements provide a fuller understanding of the human condition. Incorporating subjectivity into research requires a new set of methods--systematic introspection, self-ethnography, staged readings, poetry, stories--many of which are demonstrated in the book. It also requires a focus on mundane (minor ailments, media images, hobbies) and extraordinary elements (exotic trips, earthquakes, abortion experience), which make up the bulk of lived experience and how people react to these life events. Investigating Subjectivity stands out from any others in the field because the emphasis is on research rather than theory or conceptualization. This outstanding volume is quality reading for academicians, undergraduate and graduate students in sociology, cultural studies, qualitative methods, and communication, especially those interested in emotions, narration, textual analysis, and symbolic interaction. "This is an unusual and intriguing book consisting of eleven articles and the authors' excellent, well-written, and probing introduction. The book unflinchingly pursues 'subjectivity' as an important and legitimate object of scientific research. . . . The writers challenge the continuing dominance of eighteenth-century rationalism by challenging the contemporary social science model that 'transforms emotional experience into models of rational action.'" --Perspectives on Political Science "The authors suggest that the volume be judged by whether it provokes feelings in the readers that they have lived, or could live, the experiences described. This reviewer argues that the editors have succeeded in their goal. . . . this reviewer recommends the book to the rehabilitationist who is interested in either conducting research or the application of research to practice. . . . This is an appropriate tool for the rehabilitation professional." --Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling "This volume demonstrates an exciting reinvigoration of interactionism as it collides with phenomenology, existential sociology, and poststructuralism." --Contemporary Sociology

This book is a valuable adjunct to the extant literature on specification, estimation, and identification. My overall impression is that this volume is indispensable for those wishing to keep current with this fast-moving field. I recommend that this book be used as a supplementary text in a graduate-level course in structural equation modeling. This book . . . provides students with the necessary literature for a broad understanding of structural equation modeling. --Structural Equation Modeling "This book is worth its weight in gold! Drawing on the expertise of key researchers in the field, Bollen and Long provide readers with a comprehensive review of the critical issues, as well as innovative approaches that address these issues in the fitting, estimating, and testing of structural equation models. The book is an absolute 'must' for all researchers interested in conducting sound structural equation modeling applications." --Barbara M. Byrne, Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ontario "This collection of papers, so nicely written for and edited by Professors Bollen and Long, presents the 'state of the art' in significance testing and goodness-of-fit indices for structural equation models. The coverage of topics is almost as impressive as the set of authors--nearly all the methodological leaders in this important and quite active research area have helped make this volume an immediate classic. It should be used as a text in graduate-level courses on structural equation models to augment the standard textbooks. The editors are to be praised for lending their own expertise and for taking the time to put this excellent collection together." --Stanley Wasserman, Departments of Psychology and Statistics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign What is the role of fit measures when respecifying a model? Should the means of the sampling distributions of a fit index be unrelated to the size of the sample? Is it better to estimate the statistical power of the chi-square test than to turn to fit indices? Aimed at exploring these and other related questions, this group of well-known scholars examines the methods of testing structural equation models (SEMS) with and without measurement error--as estimated by such programs as EQS, LISREL, and CALIS. Highly integrated and valuable, this book is a must for every researcher's shelf, particularly with coverage like: testing structural equation models, multifaceted conceptions of fit, Monte Carlo evaluations of goodness of fit indices, specification tests for the linear regression model, bootstrapping goodness of fit measures, bayesian model selection, alternative ways of assessing model fit, power evaluations, goodness of fit with categorical and other non-normal variables, new covariance structure model improvement statistics, and nonpositive definite matrices.

The breakdown of the family has been blamed for many of today's societal ills. Are there effective ways to support a family with problems (neglect, substance abuse, terminal illness, etc.), prevent its break up, and make a positive change? How effective has the Intensive Family Preservation Services (IFPS) been at solving these kinds of family problems and situations? What about families that don't respond to IFPS programs? Do the programs differ in their effectiveness? Through an exploration of these issues, knowledgeable contributors offer their own experiences as a basis for tracing the evolution of IFPS and of the advances that have been made in the field. Advancing Family Preservation Practice covers such topics as the evolution of family preservation and the theories that guide it, child protective services, clinician-support worker teams, and the relative effectiveness of family preservation services with neglectful families. Aimed at helping evaluators, practitioners, and administrators incorporate what has been discovered in IFPS practice, Advancing Family Preservation Practice is an important resource for those involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of family programs. "The issues [covered in Advancing Family Preservation Practice] are very relevant to the debates that are going on across the country among administrators, advocates, and legislators, as states are struggling to balance budgets with fewer federal dollars and skyrocketing costs for mandated health and social welfare programs. Support for "preventive services" will only continue to be available if these programs can be shown to be both successful in preventing family dissolution and cost-effective. Advancing Family Preservation Practice provides the most extensive documentation to date on potential program benefits of intensive family preservation services using program descriptions and research findings from established practice centers across the country. Policymakers and practitioners need to read this book. Faced with the task of providing a safe alternative to foster care for children who have been abused or neglected, the material compiled in this text is essential to a realistic assessment of potential outcomes for children and families at high risk." --Linda Heisner, Director Office of Family & Children's Services, Maryland Department of Human Resources, Baltimore "This is a scholarly, down-to-earth book for all those who serve children and their parents. Bold, imaginative and practical, this volume crosses those disciplinary lines that separate social work, medicine, nursing, psychology, law, and education; and it captures how paraprofessionals function as supervised "experts" in transmitting the hands-on knowledge from all these disciplines into front-line, state-of-the-art, home-centered services for children at risk of losing their parents and their vitality. This book is a vital resource because it packs hard-earned empirical knowledge into an upward spiral of rediscovering and innovating community-based, home-centered services for disadvantaged children and their parents; and for those dedicated adults who have the competence and the passion to serve them." --Albert J. Solnit, M.D., Sterling Professor Emeritus, Yale University and Commissioner, Department of Mental Health, Connecticut

The breakdown of the family has been blamed for many of today's societal ills. Are there effective ways to support a family with problems (neglect, substance abuse, terminal illness, etc.), prevent its break up, and make a positive change? How effective has the Intensive Family Preservation Services (IFPS) been at solving these kinds of family problems and situations? What about families that don't respond to IFPS programs? Do the programs differ in their effectiveness? Through an exploration of these issues, knowledgeable contributors offer their own experiences as a basis for tracing the evolution of IFPS and of the advances that have been made in the field. Advancing Family Preservation Practice covers such topics as the evolution of family preservation and the theories that guide it, child protective services, clinician-support worker teams, and the relative effectiveness of family preservation services with neglectful families. Aimed at helping evaluators, practitioners, and administrators incorporate what has been discovered in IFPS practice, Advancing Family Preservation Practice is an important resource for those involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of family programs. "The issues [covered in Advancing Family Preservation Practice] are very relevant to the debates that are going on across the country among administrators, advocates, and legislators, as states are struggling to balance budgets with fewer federal dollars and skyrocketing costs for mandated health and social welfare programs. Support for "preventive services" will only continue to be available if these programs can be shown to be both successful in preventing family dissolution and cost-effective. Advancing Family Preservation Practice provides the most extensive documentation to date on potential program benefits of intensive family preservation services using program descriptions and research findings from established practice centers across the country. Policymakers and practitioners need to read this book. Faced with the task of providing a safe alternative to foster care for children who have been abused or neglected, the material compiled in this text is essential to a realistic assessment of potential outcomes for children and families at high risk." --Linda Heisner, Director Office of Family & Children's Services, Maryland Department of Human Resources, Baltimore "This is a scholarly, down-to-earth book for all those who serve children and their parents. Bold, imaginative and practical, this volume crosses those disciplinary lines that separate social work, medicine, nursing, psychology, law, and education; and it captures how paraprofessionals function as supervised "experts" in transmitting the hands-on knowledge from all these disciplines into front-line, state-of-the-art, home-centered services for children at risk of losing their parents and their vitality. This book is a vital resource because it packs hard-earned empirical knowledge into an upward spiral of rediscovering and innovating community-based, home-centered services for disadvantaged children and their parents; and for those dedicated adults who have the competence and the passion to serve them." --Albert J. Solnit, M.D., Sterling Professor Emeritus, Yale University and Commissioner, Department of Mental Health, Connecticut

The editor has shown clearly the new dimensions in sociology of religion which the classical schools neglected as personal and private concerns and which do not fit into the positivistic approach to the study of religion. This book introduces new pardigms in the study of sociology of religion to be developed in the context of new religious movements.... This book is a valuable addition to the fields of sociology of religion and new social movements. --Economic and Political Weekly From the evangelical and charismatic Christianity to the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, society today is witnessing an explosion of religious activity and revival. Yet, since the 1960s, sociologists have been proclaiming that religion has been in its death throes. Can such dynamic religious forces be at work if religion is dying? What is happening? And what do we expect to happen to religion in the coming decades? In A Future for Religion?, a leading team of scholars responds to these questions and offers a glimpse of where religion is heading. In their analyses, the authors explore several areas traditionally excluded from sociology of religion texts: religious experience, emotional renewal, religion and the body, comparative analyses, the links between religion and politics, social movements, and immigration. Each chapter summarizes a particular direction, provides data from current research, and offers an agenda for future research. Written in an accessible, inviting style, A Future for Religion? is ideally suited to courses in the sociology of religion. "This is a useful and sometimes very interesting handbook....It combines theory and practical sense in good measure." --Seminar