Jonathan N. Livingston

Mental Health Practice with Arab Families: The Implications of Spirituality vis-à-vis Islam

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, it has become apparent that the inclusion or acknowledgment of spiritualism is critical to mental health practice regarding Arab families. Regretably, research on Arab families today is all but non-existent. Islam is the fastest growing form of spirituality in Central Asia. Practitioners who do not acknowledge this fact will be at a severe disadvantage in their attempts to treat Arabic clientele. It is not compulsory that practitioners endorse client belief systems or other aspects of their spirituality, but practitioners should acknowledge said systems as a critical point in the clients frame of reference. In the interest of social justice they are thus challenged to develop creative treatment strategies less confined to Western bias.

Association of uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 2B gene variants with serum glucuronide levels and prostate cancer risk.

AIMS Uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 2B (UGT2B) enzymes conjugate testosterone metabolites to enable their excretion in humans. The functional significance of the UGT2B genetic variants has never been described in humans. We evaluated UGT2B variants in relation to plasma androstane-3α,17β-diol-glucuronide (AAG) levels and the prostate cancer risk. RESULTS AAG levels were measured in sera from 150 controls and compared to the polymorphisms of UGT2B17, UGT2B15, and UGT2B7. Genomic DNA from controls (301) and cases (148) was genotyped for the polymorphisms, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression analyses. Having two copies of UGT2B17 was associated with higher AAG levels in controls among Whites (p=0.02), but not Blacks (p=0.82). Logistic regression models adjusting for age and race revealed that homozygosity for the G allele of the UGT2B15(D85Y) polymorphism was directly associated with the prostate cancer risk (OR=2.70, 95% CI=1.28, 5.55). CONCLUSIONS While the small sample size limits inference, our findings suggest that an association between the UGT2B17 copy number variant (CNV) and serum AAG levels in Whites, but unexpectedly not in Blacks. This novel observation suggests that genetic determinants of AAG levels in Blacks are unrelated to the UGT2B17 CNV. This study replicates the results that show an association of UGT215(D85Y) with an increased prostate cancer risk.

Islam and Asia Pacific Muslims: The implications of spirituality for social work practice

Among Asia Pacific Muslim populations, spirituality is fundamental. The implications of spirituality for social work intervention with Muslim populations include the need for social work practitioners to acknowledge, and when appropriate, apply values, belief systems, and other Islamic specific spiritual criteria. The dampening effects of traditional social work practice without Islamic spiritual resources will lessen the potential of social work intervention. Effective and efficient social work practice, involving Asia Pacific Muslim clientele, must necessarily incorporate knowledge of Islam. The ability of social workers to accurately perceive, conceptualize, and interact therapeutically with Asia Pacific Muslim clients is a necessity in a rapidly changing and complex world.

Black Studies and Political Ideology as Predictors of Self-Esteem: A Call for a New Direction

This article assesses the relationship between enrollment in Black studies courses, political ideology, and self-esteem in Black college students. Although a number of studies have focused on racial identity and self-esteem, few have investigated how a race-first political consciousness among African Americans develops and whether it is related to healthier psychological outcomes. To elucidate the relationship between Black nationalism, Black studies courses, and self-esteem, 231 students from an historically Black college in the Southeast are sampled. Preliminary analysis indicates enrollment in Black studies courses is related to nationalism and self-esteem. However, subsequent regression analysis controlling for classification indicates enrollment in Black studies courses is not a significant predictor of self-esteem or Black nationalism. Black nationalism predicted self-esteem, and older African American students reported higher nationalism scores. The findings suggest early exposure to Black studies courses among students may prove beneficial and predictive of psychological well-being in African American college students.

Cultivating Consciousness Among Black Women: Black Nationalism and Self-Esteem Revisited

This study was conducted to assess the relationship between political ideology and self-esteem among African American female college students. From a historically Black university, 164 women were sampled. A series of standard multiple regression were employed to assess the relationship between political ideology, age, and self-esteem. Results of the study indicated that Black Nationalism was a significant predictor of self-esteem and that age was not a significant predictor of Black Nationalism. The findings of this study suggest that a political ideology may be predictive of well-being in African American women. Future research needs to assess the impact of maturation in the development of political ideology across the lifespan. Furthermore, research on Black women’s political ideas may contribute to the literature and broaden our understanding of what factors precede a strong Black identity and, subsequently, affect psychological health.

Family Structure, Racial Socialization, Perceived Parental Involvement, and Social Support as Predictors of Self-Esteem in African American College Students

The present study was a correlation survey examination of self-esteem among African American college students. The constructs of racial socialization, parental involvement, social support, family structure, and self-esteem were examined among 98 African American college students residing in the central region of North Carolina. To examine these relationships, Pearson product correlation, multiple regressions, and ANOVA were run to analyze data. Conventional wisdom suggested that changes in family structure such as the dissolution of a two-parent family would have short-term and long-term effects on children and a wide range of psychosocial outcomes. However, the current study found no significant mean differences in self-esteem across family structures. By examining self-esteem in the sample population, this study identified that social support and parental involvement were significant factors that contributed to the development of self-esteem in African American adults.

Feeling No Ways Tired: A Resurgence of Activism in the African American Community

A considerable amount of the literature on African American activism has been focused on the mainstream political participation and the civil rights and Black Power movements. Subsequent research in this era has primarily focused on the church and post–civil war reconstruction efforts. Few contemporary studies have assessed activist efforts among African Americans and the factors that may influence their involvement. The current study investigates what factors are related to activism among African American church members. To better understand the factors that influence activism, 187 African American church members from two Midwestern cities were sampled. Employing Pearson correlations and hierarchical regression analysis revealed that racial centrality, psychological empowerment, and activism each significantly influence activist behavior among African Americans. Given the zeitgeist of the times (i.e., Ferguson, Eric Garner, and the Black Lives Matter movement), further research is needed to understand what factors may encourage African Americans to become involved and effectuate change in their respective communities.

Assessing the Links among Maternal Nonstandard Work Schedules, Early Learning Environments and Young Children’s Academic Achievement

Social scientists have well established that the proximal and distal environments children experience at a young age have lasting effects on their later development. In contemporary U.S. society, child care serves as a focal environment for children aged birth to five [1]. In contrast to prior decades, a majority of children today spend substantial amounts of time in early care and education settings before school entry, often beginning in infancy. In 2002, approximately 10 million children under the age of five were in child care for an average of 32 hours per week. These trends have been largely shaped by the changing economic landscape, particularly for women. For example, in 1975, approximately 20 percent of mothers with children under the age of 6 held a paid job [2]. Three decades later, this number had more than tripled, to a rate of 64 % [3]. While young children with employed mothers spend roughly twice as much time in child care as those whose mothers are not employed, it is notable that children in the latter group still spend an average of 18 hours per week in a care setting [4]. These findings emphasize the important role that child care plays in the daily lives of many American families. Questions about the long-term effects of child care on children’s later academic and social outcomes are of great interest to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers and have been the focus of considerable research in recent decades. Initial research on child care was driven by the increase in women’s paid labor force participation. The original line of inquiry was whether time away from mothers would be harmful to children. Given no evidence that child care per se is positive or negative for children’s development, more recent lines of inquiry have focused on the type and quality of care that children experience and the extent to which different arrangements meet the needs of children and their families. One central focus of this literature has been parental employment (particularly maternal employment) and its role in shaping the child care decision of families with young children. In recent years, societal-level changes in the timing and scheduling of work have created new demands for families, raising questions about the implications of nonstandard work schedules for children and family life. A small, emerging body of research on maternal nonstandard work suggests that there may be varying patterns of child care utilization among mothers who work nonstandard schedules compared to those working standard schedules, with Volume 8 Issue 2 2017

The Impact of Parental Stress and Social Support on Behavioral Outcomes of Children in African American Single-Mother Households

The purpose of current study was to assess the relationship between parental stress, social support, and child behavior outcomes among single African American mothers. Mean differences and standard multiple regression analyses were employed to test the associations among parental stress, social support, and child behavior. Results indicated that parental stress and social support are related to internalized and externalized behaviors for African American children. Additionally, social support was found to moderate the relationship between parental stress and child behaviors. These results have implications for future research and interventions with single African American mothers and their children.

The Relationship between Perceived Parental Discord and Differences in Attitudes towards Romantic Relationships among African American College Students

This study aimed to address relationships between perceptions of parental conflict and romantic relationship attitudes as recalled by African American college students. Two hundred twenty-four African American college students were asked to recall conflict between their parents and answer survey questions reflective of attitudes towards their own romantic relationships. Standard multiple regression analysis show that perceptions of parental discord was a key predictor of African American college students’ perceptions of the direct impact of parental discord. Moreover, Pearson product-moment correlations also indicated strong positive relationships between college student’s perceptions of parental conflict during childhood and the perceived impact of discord. Further investigation is needed to address conflict between African American couples, and understand the ways in which parental interactions influence the romantic relationships of children as they transition into young adulthood.