Involvement In Various Activities Research Articles

PELATIHAN PEMANFAATAN TEKNOLOGI CHATGPT UNTUK SURAT MENYURAT KADER PKK DESA CIMULANG BOGOR

The use of technology is the key to increasing effectiveness and efficiency in communication. One technology that is currently developing is chatbot, a computer program that can interact with humans via chat or text messages. Chatbots can speed up the flow of communication, simplify information retrieval, and increase the level of community involvement in various activities. Training in the use of ChatGPT Technology for writing correspondence is important considering the need for efficiency and quality in written communication, especially for Village PKK cadres. This training aims to improve cadres' ability to use ChatGPT technology to compose correspondence more effectively and efficiently. With this training, several significant outcomes were achieved. First, there will be an increase in productivity in the preparation of official and informal letters by Village PKK cadres, because the use of ChatGPT technology will speed up the process of writing and sending letters. Second, it can improve the quality of cadres' written communication, so that the message conveyed can be more clearly and effectively understood by the recipient. Lastly, the use of ChatGPT Technology can expand the scope of messages delivered to the people of Cimulang Village, Bogor, so that important information and education can be broader and more easily accessible to all residents. This training not only supports the efficiency and quality of communication but also strengthens relations between cadres and society as a whole.

Didactic features of the implementation in educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia of professionally oriented disciplines related to countering crimes committed using information and communication technologies

The subject of the study is the peculiarities of teaching information and communication technologies in educational institutions of higher education.The object of the study is the implementation of professionally oriented disciplines related to countering crimes committed using information and communication technologies in educational institutions of higher education of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The authors consider in detail the introduction of information and communication technologies into the educational process, their effectiveness in solving applied tasks to improve the educational process, increase the activity of students through their involvement in various activities and stimulating educational activity. The authors pay special attention to the use of information and communication technologies in the pedagogical process of educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The authors reveal the problems of implementing professionally oriented disciplines related to countering crimes committed using information and communication technologies. In the course of the research, the dialectical method of scientific cognition was used, as well as a set of general scientific and special methods for studying the theoretical foundations of pedagogy, creative understanding of the problems of using information and communication technologies in the educational process. The introduction of scientific conclusions and recommendations into the practice of teaching professionally oriented disciplines are made. The main conclusions of the conducted research are the ways proposed by the authors to solve the problems of implementing professionally oriented disciplines. The main didactic questions "Who should be trained?", "What should be taught?", "How should training be conducted?" are considered and "Who will provide training?" professionally-oriented training related to countering crimes committed using information and communication technologies. A special contribution of the authors to the study of the topic is their proposed methodology for teaching students and cadets of universities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia to counter crimes committed using information and communication technologies. The authors note that the training should be carried out using an interdisciplinary approach, including elements of jurisprudence, information technology, psychology, sociology and other relevant fields of knowledge. The novelty of the research lies in the disclosure of the basic didactic principles of the implementation of professionally oriented training related to countering crimes committed using information and communication technologies.

Post-Pandemic Assessment of Parental Involvement in the DREAMS Day Care: Basis for a Proposed Plan of Action

The study titled "Post-Pandemic Assessment of Parental Involvement in the DREAMS Day Care: Basis for a Proposed Plan of Action" aimed to evaluate the extent of parental engagement in the DREAMS Day Care Program, a community extension activity of San Pablo Colleges, after the COVID-19 pandemic. Parental involvement is crucial for fostering a supportive and enriching learning environment for young children, particularly during challenging times. This research sought to assess the impact of the pandemic on parental participation and identify potential areas for improvement to develop an action plan for enhanced parental involvement. Using a descriptive-quantitative approach, data was collected from 25 parents through a researcher-made survey questionnaire. The results revealed a very positive extent of parental involvement in various activities related to their child's preschool education. The majority of parents strongly agreed on indicators like active support in learning activities, regular communication with teachers, participation in school events, and discussions with their child about their preschool experiences. The study acknowledges that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, parents remained actively involved in their child's education. It emphasizes the importance of promoting and supporting parental involvement in early childhood education to create a strong foundation for children's future success and well-being. In order to further enhance parental engagement, the proposed plan of action includes initiatives such as enhancing communication and updates to parents, offering workshops on supporting their child's learning, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, providing opportunities for parental volunteering, and addressing any barriers hindering parental involvement.

A holistic approach to student empowerment and assessment of its impact on educational outcomes through psychological ownership

ABSTRACT In the wake of many emergent challenges facing higher education institutes (HEIs), this paper investigates the role of student empowerment in achieving desirable academic and experiential outcomes. Drawing on the self-determination and ownership theories, the study explores how students’ satisfaction and perceived learning can be improved through their involvement in various activities within and beyond classrooms. It is further posited that such involvement encourages empowerment and fosters psychological ownership, which is critical for meeting the aforementioned holistic outcomes. The study deploys a mixed-method research design and uses Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyse the data collected from the sample of 428 students. Besides supporting the majority of the proposed hypotheses, the results establish psychological ownership to be a crucial link between student empowerment and educational outcomes. More significantly, the findings demonstrate the importance of carefully considered and planned involvement practices in achieving such outcomes. To this end, the paper discusses and offers several recommendations and implementation pathways that could potentially serve as a playbook for the instructors and administrators at various HEIs.

Involvement of rural households along enterprise value chain of the indigenous black-soap from ash-derived alkali

The study assessed the involvement of rural households along the indigenous black-soap enterprise value chain in Oyo State, Nigeria. It specifically described selected socio-economic characteristics of the respondents; examined their reasons for involvement in the enterprise; identified their involvement in various activities at every stage along the enterprise value chain and determined their involvement levels. 210 respondents were selected for the study using a multistage sampling procedure. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using an interview schedule and FGD respectively. Appropriate descriptive statistical tools were used to summarize the data while ANOVA was used to test the hypothesis. Results showed that the mean initial business capital was ₦12,817.63 while the mean monthly income was ₦21,953.03. Respondents were involved in the black-soap enterprise because it serves as a means of livelihood for the households (mean = 2.91) and is profitable (mean = 2.80). Involvement was high in the production stage, low in the value addition stage and moderate in the marketing stage. At p ≤ 0.01, a significant difference exists in the overall involvement level along the value chain across the study area (F = 8.99**). The study concluded that respondents’ overall involvement along the black-soap enterprise value chain was moderate.

Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Program Pemberdayaan Kesejahteraan Keluarga di Kelurahan Wandoka Kabupaten Wakatobi

This study aims to determine the participation of women in the Family Welfare Empowerment Program in North Wandoka Village, Wangi-Wangi District, Wakatobi Regency. This research uses descriptive research with a quantitative approach, which is a research method used to examine the condition of natural objects, so the researcher is the key instrument. The findings show that community involvement in the primary PKK program went quite well, because of the community's knowledge to participate through involvement in events carried out by the PKK driving team in North Wandoka Village. Furthermore, community involvement in the main PKK program can be considered as community self-help, both in terms of manpower and supplies. The problem in North Wandoka Village is the lack of public education. It is recommended that the involvement of the North Wandoka Village community in the PKK program be increased again, and the PKK mobilizing team as the executor of tasks in North Wandoka Village to maximize community involvement in various activities.

Otaku Dadakan: Studi Kasus Penggemar Anime One Piece di Kalangan Mahasiswa

nime (Japanese animation) which currently become popular in the community has resulted in the emergence of various anime products, such as action figures, posters, comics, and even animated films. One of the most popular anime is One Piece, and its rabid fans are known as anime otaku. This anime otaku phenomenon not only occurs in Japan, but also throughout the world, including Indonesia. This article deals with newcomers who are interested in popular anime, and call themselves otaku, labeled as impromptu otaku by anime otaku.
 Using a qualitative approach, this research was conducted through social media Instagram and TikTok. The research informants were ten students, who came from public and private universities in the city of Makassar. They consist of six men and four women, whose age range between 19 and 25 years. Data was collected using in-depth interview and observation techniques.
 One Piece is one of the anime that has a high rating and is the most popular anime of all time. For impromptu otaku, this is considered as “the king of anime", so that fanaticism towards anime is only focused on the One Piece anime, even though there are many other anime that also have high ratings. While anime otaku are not just fans of one anime. In the process of choosing anime One Piece, a person goes through three stages, namely selection, interpretation, and reaction stages. One of the aspects that makes One Piece as an interesting anime for otaku is how One Piece is able to raise spirits through motivational words uttered by certain characters in the One Piece anime. The identity of impromptu otaku is shown through their involvement in various activities, showing that they are fans of One Piece anime, namely following One Piece developments on the internet and social media, collecting One Piece-themed merchandise, and joining the fan community. This indicates that impromptu otaku realizes their "class" when compared to anime otaku. Thus, by participating in related activities they hope to be aligned as anime otaku.

Мотивационно-личностные особенности обучающихся в поликультурной среде сельской местности

The article discusses features of motivation and personality in adolescents studying in multicultural schools located in rural ares and offers psychological and pedagogical technologies for the study and prevention of negative phenomena. The materials of an empirical study obtained on a sample of 30 students of 8-9 grades of three rural schools of the Tula region are described. We used the questionnaires developed by ourselves as well as the following techniques: "Scale for assessing the need for achievement" (Yu.M. Orlov), "Motivation for success" (T. Ehlers), "Meaning-of-life orientations test" (D.A. Leontiev), "Lifestyle index" (a questionnaire by Plutchik-Kellerman-Conte). To prevent the negative phenomena in rural adolescents in a multicultural environment, the program "Strive for Change" was developed and tested. It includes the following areas of focused work: self- knowledge and self-development; development of the adolescent community; relationships with peers and adults; involvement in various activities based on the needs and interests of adolescents; actualization of professional self-determination; interaction with the family, class teacher, social worker; promoting the interest in representatives of various nationalities. We also provided several recommendations to teachers and parents on how to establish an appropriate environment for rural adolescents that would promote successful development of their motivation and personality. We suggest that such environment should meet the following requirements: the psychological and pedagogical work should be aimed at shaping the identity of a rural community member; families and schools should join their efforts in supporting traditions and transforming the rural society; any prevention programs and its methodological framework should be based on psychological and educational technologies that take into account the social and individual features of rural adolescents; interactions with adolescents should involve active engagement in socially significant activities based on their interests and abilities.

TECHNICAL MODELING IN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF SCHOOLCHILDREN

The article considers the possibilities of purposeful influence on the development of schoolchildren creative potential, their involvement in various activities, self practical work in the field of education “Technology”. They can be effectively implemented through the use of modern pedagogical and technological systems, which are based on the principles of design and technological activities, which provides simultaneous development, training and education of students by involving them in active creative work.
 It is established that the creative process is characterized by the unity of theoretical knowledge and practical experience and the theory is tested in practice, but in practice the issues appear that require a theoretical solution. For technical creative activity the theoretical preparation of schoolboys consists in providing them with a system of knowledge, methods and ways of designing, receptions of the decision of creative problems and technical knowledge. Experience of practical work appears on the basis of the formation of skills and abilities to work with instruments and perform technological operations.
 It is described that the continuity of this process in creative activity is of great importance, and the episodic nature is ineffective. The education of constant interest in creative work is carried out continuously, systematically during all years of schooling by creative activities. The effectiveness of creative work has a significant impact on the education of creative personality traits. The result is that the student has more opportunities to implement in their intellectual and practical activities the necessary corrections to the concepts and images of technical objects and processes, which result in fundamentally new solutions. 
 It is shown that project-technological activity as the main didactic unit promotes: formation of skills, creative system thinking, technological culture and ethics, strengthening of imagination. It is a powerful stimulus for the emergence of new creative ideas in students, the search for alternative solutions, their analysis and synthesis, and in the future provides a basis for innovative thinking and action. Implementation of personality-oriented paradigm of labor training of students; ensures the unity of education and upbringing of students, preparing them for professional self-determination, the desire for self-education.
 It is proved that the lessons of technical work open wide opportunities for improving the creativity of students. The use of methods of teaching students technical modeling in the process of organizing design and technological activities in the lessons of labor training contributes to this. It is important for the teacher to make the most of all opportunities for the formation of a technologically advanced personality, the level of development of which is not possible without proper creative abilities obtained in technical modeling in the process of organizing design and technological activities of students.

Changes in Selected Aspects of Environmental Management: The Case of Natura 2000 in South-Eastern Poland

Purpose: The aim of the study was to check whether in recent years there have been changes affecting selected, important aspects of managing Natura 2000 areas at the local level towards their more effective protection, and whether the attitude of local authorities to these forms of protection as a potential factor stimulating the socio-economic development of communes is changing. Design/Methodology/Approach: The panel study included a group of people managing the work of local governments in 87 municipalities located in the Lublin Voivodeship in south-eastern Poland. All these administrative units are characterized by the presence of Natura 2000 areas. The method of a diagnostic survey based on a questionnaire was used. The form contained closed-ended questions, one of the proposed options had to be selected at each point. The answers were assigned an appropriate score and statistically tested using the signs test based on the Bernoulli binomial distribution. Findings: As a result, positive changes from the point of view of nature conservation were found, such as: an increase in the number of officials with appropriate education and substantive preparation, possession by local governments of newer documentation in the field of nature inventory, increasing the frequency of carrying out environmental impact assessments and a more favorable attitude of commune mayors to the presence of Natura 2000 areas in the context of its impact on local development. At the same time, there has been a deterioration in the timeliness of spatial development studies on which local development plans are based. Practical Implications: The conclusions of the study can be used primarily by institutions responsible for the development and implementation of environmental policy. In particular, mechanisms should be taken to encourage local self-government authorities to even greater involvement in various activities for the protection of natural resources. Originality/Value: The article indicates the trends of changes in the management of protected natural values at the lowest local government level. These changes will gain in importance with the implementation of formal Natura 2000 protection plans.

Effectiveness of microfinance institutions: Perspective of beef cattle farmers in Sinjai District, South Sulawesi Province

Microfinance institutions have been present in several countries as informal financial institutions to overcome the low access to formal financial institutions. The objectives of MFIs in Indonesia, as contained in Law No. 1 of 2013 on MFIs, are that they aim to improve community access to micro-scale finance, increase economic empowerment and community productivity, and improve the incomes and well-being of the community, particularly the poor and/or income earners low. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of microfinance institutions for beef cattle farmers in South Sulawesi. This research is a descriptive study conducted on several MFIs in Sinjai district. The questionnaire as a research tool was used to collect data while still referring to the Covid-19 prevention protocol in the community. Also, the FGD was carried out in compliance with the distance and the limited number of people and made known virtually through online seminars. Data analysis with descriptive statistics. The results showed that the existence of MFIs in rural areas was considered effective as breeders had easy access to finance without collateral, increased participation of MFI members and their involvement in various activities in rural areas, and increased livestock ownership and income generation of the breeders.

Psychometric properties and diagnostic criteria of Scale for the assessment of negative symptoms (SANS) in schizophrenia

The Scale for the assessment of negative symptoms (SANS) is one of the most widely used clinical assessment tools for negative symptoms.Thepurposeof this study was psychometric analysis and modification of the SANS with the definition of criteria for assessing the severity of negative symptoms in the dynamics of therapy in patients with schizophrenia.Materialandmethods:The study involved 157 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, the age range of participants ranged from 18 to 59 years. Psychometric analysis was done on the base of the Rush measurement with the definition of criteria for assessing the severity of negative symptoms based on the index of minimum detectable changes for 95% probability (Minimum detectable change95%— MDC95%).Results:Five SANS diagnostic items with low construct validity were identified. The technique was modified by excluding these invalid items. SANS was modified by eliminating of 5 invalid items. The modified version of SANS demonstrated high reliability (reliability index = 0.97) and discriminativeness (the ability to differentiate 12 metric levels of severity of negative symptoms). Factor analysis revealed the heterogeneity of the metric structure of the technique: points in the first group reflect the impoverishment of speech and emotional manifestations, points in the second group reflect the decrease of the patient’s involvement in various activities and restriction of social interaction. Thus, the two-dimensional structure of the SANS scale (“expression” factor and “motivation” factor) is fully consistent with the modern concept of negative symptoms, which allows to consider the total SANS score as an indicator of the severity of the negative syndrome construct. In the course of the metric analysis, the criteria for assessing the severity of negative symptoms in the dynamics of the therapy were determined.Conclusion:The modified version of SANS has adequate psychometric characteristics. The diagnostic criteria are suitable for use in clinical practice and research.

Village Fund Management: Pattern of Community Participation for Village Development

This study has aim to describe the pattern of community participation in the management of village fund (VF) for the development in Tangah village, Susoh District, Southwest Aceh regency. This research was conducted through qualitative approach as the research design. The location of the research is in Tangah village, Susoh district, Southwest Aceh regency, Aceh, Indonesia. The data were divided into primary and secondary data. In collecting primary data, observation and interview techniques were used. The research informants include government officials of Tangah village, community leaders, and community memebrs of Tangah village. Documentation study as secondary data were collected from various documentations. From the analysis, it can be concluded that In the implementation of VF in Tangah village, it turns out that the process has followed the stages that were adopted from Law No. 6 of 2014 on Villages. The support and participation of various parties in there illustrates the presence of community involvement in various activities and programs of community empowerment and village economic development, although the significance is still not optimal.

WOMEN'S ACTIVITIES IN THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD (570-632 AD)

The main problem in this study is to uncover three problems related to women in the time of Muhammad. First, regarding the position of women during the time of Muhammad. Second, concerning the extent of women's involvement in various activities during the time of Muhammad, both in the period before and after it. Third, what problems were faced by women at that time and how they affected their activities. This research is based on the library research of the earliest classic books in the UIN SGD Bandung Library and the al-Musaddadiyyah Garut Foundation Library, such as Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, al-Waqidi, Ibn Sa'd, and al- Tabari. The results of this study indicate that Muhammad was a person who cared deeply about human rights especially those relating to women. This conclusion is proven by his attitude which always defends the oppressed. He always displayed this defence attitude before being appointed as a prophet, and even more firmly when he was appointed as a prophet. The different characteristics of Muhammad's attitude towards women before and after the prophecy were influenced by economic factors, security, and the social system that prevailed in each of these periods.

Cultural Sustainability in Ethnobotanical Research with Students Up to K-12

In the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), education plays a fundamental role. However, traditional methodologies do not favor the enrichment and personal development essential to promote global awareness. The use of active methodologies based on experiences improve the quality of learning. This work describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of the acquired knowledge of a didactic proposal for non-formal education as a support for regulated education based on botany content. Firstly, a workshop was held, where young people participated directly in developing field work with a real scientific methodology. Subsequently, a group of students was chosen to be interviewed to obtain a global vision of the learning they obtained. The motivation of the students was quite positive, which allowed us to obtain voluntary participation in the field work and also gave the students a participative attitude throughout the development of the workshops. Four months later, this positive attitude remained during their direct involvement in various activities, and the students still remembered the fundamental content discussed. Relating the didactic proposal to its immediate environment was shown to increase interest in learning and value in its own context. The results of this educational experience have been very positive, as knowledge was acquired, and interest in the preservation of the environment and the profession of a researcher was promoted.

POPULARIZATION OF YOUTH SPORTS: INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION OF FLOORBALL CLUB “LEMBERG” ACTIVITIES ON THE INTERNET

The article analyzes the importance of popularizing youth sports, in particular floorball. The analysis of the normative and legislative base, as well as the main forms of propaganda and advertising is carried out. The scientific works of numerous scientists-specialists in the field of sports on the promotion of a healthy lifestyle among young people and involvement in various activities, including floorball, are also analyzed. The main forms of propaganda, advertisements and agitation in Ukraine are described. Emphasis is placed on the need to strengthen in our time the propaganda and advertising of physical culture and sports, purposeful dissemination and popularization of physical culture knowledge in order to persuade the population not to settle in the population. The advantages of social networks in the promotion of sports clubs, in particular the social network Facebook, are emphasized. Information and functional models have been developed. It is noted that the construction of a formal model makes it possible to comprehend the essence of the studied social phenomena and to identify the main connections and regularities, as well as the fact that the use of use is important. It is specified that in any case the results of the analysis of formal modeling are used for specification of the content and cognitive model. The information model illustrates the stages of creating a post on Facebook and the process of creating a page for FLK “Lemberg”. The functional model displays information flows and gradually details the processes of data flow. Emphasis is placed on the importance of advertising and information representation of youth sports on the Internet. It is proposed to use the social network Facebook to promote little-known sports in Ukraine. During the development of methods and methods of coverage of advertising and information activities, emphasis was placed on the active activities of the Lemberg floorball club. Effective means of advertising activity of the club are analyzed and demonstrated.

A Licenciatura em Educação do Campo da Universidade Federal de Viçosa: perfil e perspectivas dos egressos do curso

O presente estudo, oriundo da pesquisa intitulada “Egressos da Licenciatura em Educação do Campo da Universidade Federal de Viçosa”, tem como propósito a caracterização dos egressos da primeira turma da Licenciatura em Educação do Campo da UFV (LICENA), bem como a avaliação realizada por eles sobre a formação vivenciada no curso. Estes dados, coletados através da aplicação de questionários e entrevistas, revelaram que a primeira turma de egressos da LICENA é composta por uma diversidade de sujeitos do campo, os quais mantêm envolvimento com várias atividades no meio rural, bem como integram diversos movimentos sociais e sindicais camponeses. Além disso, no tocante à avaliação do curso, de acordo com a perspectiva dos egressos, destaca-se que proposta formativa do curso ainda enfrenta desafios, tanto no âmbito da formação de educadores do campo, quanto na inserção profissional destes sujeitos na área proposta pelo curso. 
 Palavras-chave: Educação do Campo, Licenciatura em Educação do Campo, Egressos.
 
 Profile and perspectives of the first completes of the Licensing Education in the Countryside of the Federal University of Viçosa 
 ABSTRACT. This study, resulting from research titled “Licensing Education in Countryside of the Federal University of Viçosa” is intended to characterize the first class egresses of the Licensing Education of the UFV (LICENA) as well as the evaluation made by them about the in-course training. These data, collected through the application of questionnaires and interviews revealed that the first class egresses of LICENA is composed by a diversity of countryside subjects, who maintain involvement in various activities in the rural environment, as well as how they integrate peasant social and union movements. In addition, regarding the course evaluation, according to the perspective of the egresses, it stands out that the course proposal still faces challenges, both in the training of countryside educators and in the professional insertion of these subjects in the area proposed by the course. 
 Keywords: Rural Education, Licensing Education in Countryside, Egresses.
 
 El Grado en Educación Rural de la Universidad Federal de Viçosa: perfile y perspectivas de los egresados ​​del curso
 RESUMEN. El presente estudio, a partir de la investigación titulada "Egresados ​​de la Licenciatura en Educación Rural de la Universidad Federal de Viçosa", tiene como objetivo caracterizar a los egresados ​​de la primera promoción de la Licenciatura en Educación Rural de la UFV (LICENA), así como la evaluación realizada por ellos sobre la formación vivida en el curso. Estos datos, recolectados a través de la aplicación de cuestionarios y entrevistas, revelaron que la primera promoción de egresados ​​de LICENA está compuesta por una diversidad de sujetos del campo, quienes mantienen involucrados con diversas actividades en el medio rural, además de integrar diferentes movimientos sociales y sindicales campesinos. Además, en lo que respecta a la evaluación del curso, según la perspectiva de los egresados, se destaca que la propuesta formativa del curso aún enfrenta desafíos, tanto en el ámbito de la formación de educadores rurales, como en la inserción profesional de estas materias en el ámbito propuesto por la curso.
 Palabras clave: Educación Rural, Licenciatura en Educación Rural, Graduados.

Student Life as Relational Networks. Connecting in College: How Friendship Networks Matter for Academic and Social Success by Janice M. McCabe

Reviewed by: Student Life as Relational Networks. Connecting in College: How Friendship Networks Matter for Academic and Social Success by Janice M. McCabe anthony lising antonio Student Life as Relational Networks. Connecting in College: How Friendship Networks Matter for Academic and Social Success Janice M. McCabe Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2016, 226pages, $30.00 (softcover) As student affairs practitioners and researchers, we are often taught to view our campuses as communities of individuals. Our counseling backgrounds prompt us to see individual differences, take into account individual circumstances, and work with students on a case-by-case basis. Likewise, our research training prompts an autonomous agentic view of students whereby we presume independent decision-making and action amidst varying contexts and environments that make up the college milieu. And further, we all base much of our current work on a foundation of empirical and theoretical literature that for over half a century has reinforced an independent-individual conception of college student behavior. This bias toward individualism is highly effective, particularly from a developmental point of view. We understand that students develop psychosocially on individualized trajectories, and this understanding helps us support the particular challenge that they are facing. The last two decades, however, have witnessed a successful challenge to the primacy of the individualist perspective in social science. In 1997, sociologist Mustafa Emirbayer published “The Relational Manifesto,” a call to scholars to pursue our understanding of the social world from a relational frame, wherein we conceptualize action among individuals as not only interdependent but fully formulated by the relations they inhabit. More recently, Clarke and antonio (2012) made a similar plea directed to scholars of higher education, imploring them to develop “a better understanding of the nature and structure of the relations in which students are embedded, the learning outcomes that are attributable to them, and the organizational factors that affect such structures” (p. 32). Janice McCabe answers these calls with the first book-length study of college students using a relational approach. Connecting in College is a major contribution toward moving the study of college students in this much needed direction. McCabe, a sociologist trained at Indiana, takes seriously the assumption that student action is in fact dependent on the relationships with whom they are tied or connected. McCabe’s work lies in the well-cultivated area of academic and social success, but her relational framing raises an entirely new question: How does the structure and character of student friendship ties matter? Using a mixed-method approach, McCabe examines the friendship networks of 67 undergraduates at a large, public research university in the Midwest. She purposefully sampled students across involvement in various activities as well as oversampled Black and Latinx students (together about half of the sample). McCabe chose not to oversample the similarly sized Asian American Pacific Islander population (there are 3 in the sample), noting that other marginalized groups do not suffer similar educational inequities. This rationale is disputed by the literature (Museus & Kiang, 2009) and represents a lost opportunity for this important study. Native Americans appear to be a tiny fraction of the student population [End Page 472] and also were not studied. She makes use of surveys and interviews collected from students while attending college and 5 years later, allowing for an examination of how friendship networks change after college. McCabe’s relational approach nets us a new vantage point on student life. She carefully collects from informants a description of their friends—and most importantly—information on how their friends are connected to each other. The resulting collection of these egocentric friendship networks are descriptions of students, not as singular individuals, but as people inextricably woven into a web of friendships that provide social and academic support. McCabe finds three unique network structures among her sample, dedicating a chapter each to students possessing them: tight-knitters, compartmentalizers, and samplers. Tight-knitters have a single group of friends that are generally all friends with each other. This group tends to describe their friends as socially supportive and emotionally close, with a fictive kinship quality. Within these networks there is a sense of community, easily shared information and other resources, and a fair amount of...

Risk Factors of Human African Trypanosomiasis in Mbuji Mayi, Eastern Kasai Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Aims: Our study is aimed at determining the risk factors of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in Mbuji Mayi, Eastern Kasai Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Study Design: We used a case-control design with a ratio of 2 controls for every HAT case. Place and Duration of Study: Our multidisciplinary research team collected primary data on cases of HAT patients treated at the Referral and Treatment Center of Dipumba in Mbuji Mayi in 2012 and on their controls of similar gender and age, living in Mbuji Mayi, but free of HAT infection. Methodology: We analyzed data, using both descriptive and analytical statistical procedures such univariate and multivariate methods of logistic regression. The association between the different factors studied and HAT infection has been determined by estimating the odds-ratio (OR) with a confidence interval (CI) of 95% and a P-value of less than 0.05. We interviewed 180 subjects (60 cases and 120 controls). Results: The 60 cases were predominantly male (male-female ratio of 2.2:1) with the majority (53%) in the age group of 20-40 years. Subjects in the age group of over 40 represented 28.3% of the patients. The same patterns were seen in the control group. The age of interviewees varies from 11 to 65 years. HAT cases reported drawing water from wells (16.7% vs 6.7%; P > .05), walking along the river bed and in the peat lands (11.7% vs 9.2%; P > .05) at a higher rate than controls. The HAT cases reported involvement in various activities that put them in much closer proximity with water sources: bathing (8.3% vs 6.6%; P >.05), dishwashing and laundry (20% vs 37.5%), fetching household water (50% vs 24.2%; P .05). Conclusion: Involvement in activities that connect with water sources increases the risk of acquiring HAT infection in Mbuji Mayi.

Couple relationship quality, coparenting, and fathering in Taiwan

This study examined connections among couple relationship quality, coparenting, and mother and father involvement in 100 families from urban Central Taiwan. Fathers and mothers with at least one school-age child completed questionnaires regarding their couple satisfaction and consensus, coparenting techniques and consistency, and involvement in caregiving, socialisation, physical play and exploration, outdoor games and sports, leisure, and positive communication activities with their children. Findings revealed associations among levels of father involvement in various activities, and between mother and father involvement, particularly, in similar activities. Findings also revealed connections between mother and father perceptions of the couple and coparenting relationship and father involvement in a variety of activities. Father perceptions of coparenting techniques and coparenting consistency, and mother report of her involvement practices emerged as the most consistent predictors of father involvement across the six activity types. These findings highlight the importance of interconnectedness, cooperation, and shared roles amongst coparenting partners, and are reflective of collectivist cultural norms in Asian societies which stress concern for and cooperation with others in social relationships.