Vocational Success Research Articles

Sexuality, Politics, and Social Control in Virginia, 1920-1945 (review)

Reviewed by: Sexuality, Politics, and Social Control in Virginia, 1920-1945 Gregory Michael Dorr Pippa Holloway . Sexuality, Politics, and Social Control in Virginia, 1920-1945. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006. xi + 258 pp. $59.95 (cloth, ISBN 10: 0-8078-3051-8; ISBN-13: 978-0-8078-3051-2); $19.95 (paperbound, ISBN-10: 0-8078-5764-5; ISBN-13: 978-0-8078-5764-9). In Sexuality, Politics, and Social Control in Virginia, 1920–1945, Holloway takes issue with previous scholarship and expands our understanding of state-building in Virginia. She depicts the Old Dominion's political elite constructing a stable, distinctively southern social order by relying on the complex interplay of race, class, and gender—all bound by issues of sexuality. Holloway strings together disparate topics—eugenic sterilization and marriage restriction, movie censorship, venereal-disease [End Page 220] control, efforts to regulate barbers, premarital venereal-disease testing, and birth control—to demonstrate that "sexual regulation was both a flexible tool that could be deployed in diverse ways in changing times and a productive technique that created classes of rulers and subjects" (p. 6). Properly deployed, sexual regulations buttressed the status quo. While perfect "social control" was never achieved, these regulations exerted profound power. Holloway's first chapters recount the passage and enforcement of Virginia's eugenic sterilization and antimiscegenation laws, and the creation of the state's board of motion picture censors. That elite Virginians—including the state's medical profession—created social policy by coupling eugenics with more traditional race, class, and gender concerns is not news. Nor is it surprising that the enforcement of eugenics laws identified and further stigmatized already-marginal populations (women, the poor, African Americans). Holloway is not (as she implies) the first to recognize that lawmakers enacted these measures as much to tighten the state's purse strings as to protect Virginia's gene pool, but her analysis of overlooked evidence demonstrates how quasi-medical, eugenic definitions of "normal" and "abnormal" sexual behavior reinforced the prerogatives of Virginia's ruling elite. Her treatment of the Virginia State Board of Censors looks beyond race to sexuality as the underlying issue provoking the censors' ire: by controlling what forms of sexuality Virginians could see on-screen, the censors slowed changes in sexual mores and conserved elites' power. Holloway next examines venereal disease (VD) control and birth control. Fears about aberrant sexuality combined with race, gender, and class prejudices to convince "white, elite male policy makers that many of those suffering with venereal disease were dangerous and irresponsible" (p. 78), and that birth control "spoke as much to concern for the needs of the poor as to a eugenic agenda" (p. 140). In this atmosphere, elite white Virginians sought to manage federal VD control efforts during the world wars. Officials used rhetoric about sexuality to reconcile federal imperatives and the local political economy—all in the name of national defense. Simultaneously, African Americans turned federal VD control efforts to their own ends, attracting federal and philanthropic money and attention. Similarly, proliferating birth control clinics helped women attain increased sexual autonomy, easing the child-rearing burden on poor women of both races. The result was improved socioeconomic status. These incursions into elite, white male power presaged the emergence of more effective challenges to negative stereotypes of blacks and women during the later civil rights and women's liberation movements. The book ends with case studies of Richmond and Norfolk during World War II. In Richmond, the successful invocation of sexual rhetoric inspired public policies that fostered an "orderly city" characterized by venereal-disease control, racial quiescence, and political harmony. In Norfolk, however, the ham-handed manipulation of sexually charged issues failed to bolster elite power, securing the city's ignominy as a southern Sodom. In apposition, these chapters throw sexuality's influence on state-building into stark relief. [End Page 221] Holloway's observation that elite Virginians manipulated notions of sexuality alongside traditional stereotypes to control marginalized populations is not stunning. Yet a short review cannot do justice to the nuance of her argument, its effective depiction of sexuality's many "contested terrains" and of how elite Virginians' reliance on regulating sexuality ironically planted...

Preterm Infants as Young Adults: A Swedish National Cohort Study

Increasing numbers of infants born preterm survive into adulthood. In this study, we analyzed the effect of having been born preterm on disability and vocational success in young adults. A Swedish national cohort of 522,310 infants born in 1973-1979 were followed up for disabilities and income in national registers in 2002 at the age of 23 to 29. Hypotheses were tested in multivariate analysis with logistic regression models on the log scale for dichotomized outcomes and linear regression for continuous variables. There was a stepwise increase in disability in young adulthood with increasing degree of preterm birth. A total of 13.2% of children born at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation and 5.6% born at 29 to 32 weeks' gestation received economic assistance from society because of handicap or persistent illness, which is equivalent to nearly 4 [corrected] times the risk of those born at term after adjustment for socioeconomic and perinatal confounders. Moderate (33-36 weeks' gestation) and marginal (37-38 weeks' gestation) preterm birth also carried significantly increased risks for disability and were responsible for 74% of the total disability associated with preterm birth. Preterm birth was associated with a lower chance of completing a university education and a lower net salary in a stepwise manner. The total economic gain for Swedish society, in terms of taxes and decreased costs for benefits, if all long-term effects of preterm birth could have been prevented in the birth cohorts in this study, would have amounted to 65 million euros in 2002 alone. The majority of adults who were born very preterm lived an independent and self-supportive life. Moderately preterm birth carries a considerable risk for long-term impairment. There are strong economic incentives for secondary prevention of disability associated with preterm birth.

Effects of co-occurring disorders on employment outcomes in a multisite randomized study of supported employment for people with severe mental illness

Effects of co-occurring disorders on work outcomes were explored among individuals with severe mental illness who were participating in a multisite randomized study of supported employment. At seven sites, 1,273 people were randomly assigned to an experimental supported employment program or a control condition and followed for 2 years. Multivariate regression analysis examined work outcomes including earnings, hours worked, and competitive employment, as well as whether psychiatric disability was disclosed to coworkers and supervisors. Individuals with any comorbidity had lower earnings and were less likely to work competitively. Those with physical comorbidities had lower earnings, worked fewer hours, and were less likely to work competitively. Disclosure was more likely among those with both cognitive and physical comorbidities, as well as those with learning disabilities. Competitive employment was less likely among those with intellectual disability, visual impairment, and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome. The experimental condition was positively related to all outcomes except disclosure. The results suggest that, with some exceptions, comorbidities affect employment outcomes, requiring tailored services and supports to promote vocational success.

Change in Work Performance in Vocational Rehabilitation for People with Severe Mental Illness: Distinct Responder Groups

Vocational rehabilitation aims to improve work performance. Few studies have examined the course of work performance during vocational rehabilitation. It remains unclear whether all subjects profit equally from rehabilitation programs regarding improvement of work performance. The purpose of this study is to examine the course of work performance in order to differentiate between responder groups and to distinguish between those groups regarding sociodemographic status, psychiatric diagnosis, level of individual satisfaction and vocational rehabilitation success. Work performance of N = 125 subjects with severe mental disorders was rated on intake to the rehabilitation program and six months later with the German version of the Work Personality Profile (WPP). A cluster analysis was conducted to identify different responder groups. Groups with poor, moderate, improving and superior work performance were identified. These groups differed in educational level, psychiatric diagnosis, individual satisfaction and rehabilitation outcome. Not all subjects profit equally from vocational rehabilitation in terms of improvement of work performance. Unfavorable courses of work skills were shown for participants with schizophrenia and low education. Low individual satisfaction with performance is related to consistently low or moderate performance. Group differences predicted reintegration success. Future research should focus on different responder groups and their identification in early stages of the rehabilitation process to ensure appropriate assistance, particularly for subjects with poorer performance.

Ethical, Career, Organizational, and Service Values As Predictors of Hospitality Traineeship Interest

The personal values held by individuals can have a powerful influence over behavior in the workplace. Such values exert a critical effect not only upon the vocational success of employees, but also upon the financial achievements of the enterprise within which they work. Human values within the workplace may be understood as comprising four domains: personal ethics, career values, organizational values, and service quality values. Each type of value, moreover, has been found to be a potent determinant of workplace problem solving. This study has sought to examine predictive associations between a range of ethical, career, organizational, and service quality values, and responses to future employment interest in the form of a hospitality industry traineeship. Findings suggest that hospitality industry traineeship employment was regarded as highly desirable; ethical values were among the most highly rated among the value precept types. Service quality values were found to be predictive of many of the traineeship employment responses, whereas ethical values predicted the most committed hospitality industry traineeship employment response. Ethical values also emerged as being associated with the employment acquisition response most likely to involve face-to-face interaction within the actual work context. Neither career nor organizational values emerged as salient in the prediction of hospitality industry traineeship interest. These results hold implications for both employers and for educational institutions. While findings in regard to personal ethics and service quality values might be looked upon as positive dispositions within prospective employees, a need was revealed for tourism/hospitality human resource managers to promote an awareness of the importance of dispositions that would lead to career enhancement and constructive organizational citizenship values. Educational providers might also participate in this process, facilitating within each individual the development of these work values, through an educational style that encourages a reflective, analytical, and problem-solving perspective.

Listening for Recovery: The Vocational Success of People Living with Mental Illness

Mental health occupational therapists work with some individuals who want employment but who are not successful at finding or keeping a job. The purpose of this qualitative study was to suggest factors contributing to vocational success. The investigators interviewed 8 participants who were recovering from psychosis. The interview texts were coded and analyzed for emerging themes. Three themes emerged that describe how the participants achieved vocational success: self-assessing their mental health regularly, actively working to maintain and improve their mental health, and striving to feel connected to others at work. The results are consistent with previous studies that found that a positive fit between a worker and the workplace is linked to the worker feeling connected to and valued by the workplace. This study suggests that supporting the ways individuals assess and promote their own mental health and recovery will contribute to their success at work. Occupational therapists are urged to help people find workplaces where they feel encouraged and comfortable as this appears to be an important factor in vocational success.

Symptoms versus neurocognitive skills as correlates of everyday functioning in severe mental illness

A critical review of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies conducted from 2001–2005 investigating the relationship of symptoms and neurocognitive skills to everyday functioning in patients with severe mental illness was completed. Literature and bibliographic searches identified seven studies, which were grouped according to the methodology of measurement of everyday function selected: clinician-rated scales of psychosocial function based on patient and proxy report; performance-based measures of functional capacity; or competitive vocational success. Results of the review revealed that negative symptoms, such as social withdrawal, psychomotor slowing and blunted affect, and neurocognitive measures of attention, executive function, working memory, verbal memory and psychomotor speed, were most commonly linked to all three domains of everyday function. With the exception of one study, there was no evidence of a relationship between positive symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations, and everyday function. The implications of these findings for guiding future research are discussed.

Constructing a Theory for Scaling and More

The developments that Geoffrey West and James Brown review in their article “Life’s Universal Scaling Laws” (Physics Today, September 2004, page 36) are important, but they fit into a much greater theoretical framework. West and coauthors’ first paper appeared in April 1997. 1 1. G. B. West, J. H. Brown, B. J. Enquist, Science 276, 122 (1997) https://doi.org/10.1126/science.276.5309.122. I published the basic idea behind their approach to the modeling of tree flows one year earlier 2 2. A. Bejan, J. Adv. Transportation 30, 85 (1996) https://doi.org/10.1002/atr.5670300207. as part of the constructal theory of organization in nature. Constructal theory, reviewed in my 1997 book Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics , 2nd edition (Wiley) and more recently, 3 3. A. Bejan, Shape and Structure: From Engineering to Nature, Cambridge U. Press, New York (2000). is now a growing field, with articles appearing regularly, including in physics journals. 4 4. L. Ghodoossi, N. Egrican, J. Appl. Phys. 93, 4922 (2003) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1562008 S. M. Senn, D. Poulikakos, J. Appl. Phys. 96, 842 (2004) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1757028. Constructal theory is about the generation of shape and structure in nonequilibrium thermodynamic systems—flow systems—in general. Simply put, the constructal law states, “For a finite-size flow system to persist in time (to live), it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier access to the currents that flow through it.” 2,3 2. A. Bejan, J. Adv. Transportation 30, 85 (1996) https://doi.org/10.1002/atr.5670300207.3. A. Bejan, Shape and Structure: From Engineering to Nature, Cambridge U. Press, New York (2000). The constructal law is not about what flows—fluid, energy, momentum, goods, or people—but about how the flow system generates its architecture. The three key assumptions that West and coauthors stated in 1997 and that West and Brown reviewed in their Physics Today article are present in constructal theory, not as convenient assumptions to make a model work, but as invocations of the constructal law. In particular, a space-filling tree architecture can be deduced from the constructal law. Constructal trees are not fractal objects.In a constructal tree there are at least two flow modes. The slow mode, which describes low-conductivity, low-permeability, high-unit-cost processes such as diffusion or walking, corresponds to interstices in the tree architecture. The fast mode, which describes high-conductivity, high-permeability, low-unit-cost processes such as flowing water and moving vehicular traffic, corresponds to channels in the architecture. Interstices and channels optimally connect to form a “tree,” in which the resistance across interstices is balanced against the resistance along channels.Because West’s three assumptions are consequences of constructal theory, every successful derivation of an allometric law that West and coworkers make is an affirmation of the validity of that theory.In return, every successful invocation of the constructal law in domains far removed from the living flow systems of West and coauthors is an indication not only that their model is correct but that it is an integral part of a theoretical framework that unites biology with physics and engineering. In addition to allometric laws, constructal theory covers many phenomena that fall well outside the biological scaling reviewed by West and Brown. Some examples are turbulent flow structure in various flow configurations, cracks in shrinking solids, the structure of animal hair, refraction in geographical economics, flight, atmospheric and oceanic circulation, and the structure of power plants and refrigeration plants—that is, the architecture of “human-plus-machine” species.West and Brown conclude by asking, Is all life organized by a few fundamental principles? According to constructal theory, the answer is yes.REFERENCESSection:ChooseTop of pageREFERENCES <<CITING ARTICLES1. G. B. West, J. H. Brown, B. J. Enquist, Science 276, 122 (1997) https://doi.org/10.1126/science.276.5309.122. Google ScholarCrossref, ISI2. A. Bejan, J. Adv. Transportation 30, 85 (1996) https://doi.org/10.1002/atr.5670300207. Google ScholarCrossref, ISI3. A. Bejan, Shape and Structure: From Engineering to Nature, Cambridge U. Press, New York (2000). Google Scholar4. L. Ghodoossi, N. Egrican, J. Appl. Phys. 93, 4922 (2003) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1562008 , Google ScholarCrossref, ISI S. M. Senn, D. Poulikakos, J. Appl. Phys. 96, 842 (2004) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1757028. , Google ScholarCrossref, ISI© 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Perceived Gender of a Pastor's Name and Ratings of Vocational Success

Undergraduate students (16 men and 16 women) from a Christian university read a 1-page description of a pastor named either "Carl Anderson" or "Carol Anderson." Students rated each named pastor on four items summed for a measure of vocational success. We predicted, based on role congruity, that students would rate a female-named pastor lower than a male-named pastor on the measure, but women's ratings of pastoral vocational success were significantly higher. Men's ratings did not differ significantly for the male- and female-named pastors. Power was low so further research is appropriate.

Zur Definition und Messung von Berufserfolg

Zusammenfassung. Berufserfolg ist als Konstrukt definitorisch unscharf. Wir schlagen ein konzeptuelles Modell zur Unterscheidung verschiedener Facetten von Berufserfolg vor. Dieses enthält drei Ordnungsparameter: 1) das Bezugskriterium mit den Extremen spezifische Arbeit vs. globale Laufbahn, 2) die Datenart mit den Ausprägungen neutrale Kennzahlen, Erfolgsurteile und Zufriedenheitseinschätzungen sowie 3) die Datenquelle mit der Unterscheidung von Akten/Dokumenten, Fremdurteil (beides externe Maße) und Selbstbericht (internes Maß). Sodann betrachten wir einen Teilaspekt des Modells, den Laufbahnerfolg, genauer. Wir stellen Operationalisierungen von Laufbahnerfolg in Bezug auf die drei Datenarten vor und berichten über eine Metaanalyse zum Zusammenhang von externen und internen Maßen des Laufbahnerfolgs. Diese ergibt eine geschätzte Populationskorrelation von ρest= .28, wobei der Zusammenhang für externe Maße und Zufriedenheitseinschätzungen (ρest= .30) homogen ist, nicht jedoch der für externe Maße und selbstberichteten Erfolg. Empfehlungen für die Messung von Laufbahnerfolg werden abgeleitet.

Supported Education Enhancing Rehabilitation (SEER): A Community Mental Health and Community College Partnership for Access and Retention

Individuals who are recovering from psychiatric disabilities often need specialized programs in order to prepare for, gain access to, and sustain participation in college education and the vocational opportunities that will hopefully follow a degree. A unique supported education program located on a community college campus in Spokane, Washington, known as SEER (Supported Education Enhancing Rehabilitation) is a vocational and educational partnership that delivers its services in the form of one-to-one, on-site support, thereby ensuring that educational recovery is not a process consumers will have to endure on their own. This article outlines the unique program components of SEER while recognizing the need for more research attention on the factors that promote educational and vocational success, so that they might be replicated across the country.

Predictors of Student and Career Decision‐Making Self‐Efficacy Among Nontraditional College Women

A study of 354 nontraditional college women found robust levels of confidence in their ability to manage the student role and pursue career‐related tasks. Findings indicated that perceived career barriers and social support accounted for variance in student and career decision‐making self‐efficacy for nontraditional college women with and without children. Social support added to the prediction of self‐efficacy over and above the contribution of perceived barriers. The discussion focuses on recommendations for career counseling interventions to facilitate educational and vocational success among nontraditional college women.

Tying it all together--The PASS to success: A comprehensive look at promoting job retention for workers with psychiatric disabilities in a supported employment program.

Job initiation rates are steadily improving for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses. Yet, job retention rates, especially for those individuals who historically have had difficulty maintaining employment, continue to concern vocational rehabilitation professionals. In this paper, the author develops and refines her ideas that were presented in a previous research paper titled "Differences in Job Retention in a Supported Employment Program, Chinook Clubhouse." A more complete model, "The PASS to Success," is suggested by incorporating existing research with the author's revised work. Components of the model (Placement, Attitude, Support, Skills), can be used to predict vocational success and promote job retention.

The Pathophysiology, Medical Management, and Dental Implications of Children and Young Adults Having Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is considered to be the most common neurobehavioral disorder among school-aged children. Children who have ADHD exhibit symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are extreme for their age. These symptoms adversely affect academic performance, vocational success, and social-emotional development. The disorder is usually treated with stimulant medications, but on occasion antidepressants and certain antihypertensive agents are used. Dentists caring for individuals with ADHD must be familiar with the manifestations of the disease and its associated features so they can garner the maximum level of cooperation from the patient. They must also be familiar with the drugs used to treat the disorder because many of these pharmaceuticals cause adverse orofacial and systemic reactions and may interact with dental therapeutic agents.

The Determinants of Work Adjustment following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Focus for Career Counsellors

This longitudinal study examined the determinants of work adjustment in the traumatic brain injury (TBI) population, using the frameworks provided by Hershenson (1996) and Moos (2002) as a guide for selecting variables. Based on these frameworks, the predictive utility of a range of variables (i.e., self-esteem, perceived support, situational stressors, appraisal of stress and self-efficacy and coping responses) was examined. Eighty-one individuals with TBI provided data for the study. The prediction of work adjustment was improved beyond that accounted for by initial adjustment when these previously-mentioned variables were entered into regression equations. Specifically, short-term work adjustment was associated with high levels of social support and self-efficacy as well as the effective use of problem-solving. In the long-term, however, internal resources such as self-esteem became more important to work adjustment, as did the effects of lesion location and cognitive impairment. Greater focus on these determinants of work adjustment in the career counselling process could foster the development of a preventative approach to TBI vocational rehabilitation. In particular, it may be possible to identify individuals who are likely to experience work adjustment difficulties and assist them to maintain and develop the resources that will, in turn, improve their likelihood of vocational success.

Small Group Intervention for Children With Attention Disorders

Children with attention disorders can experience adverse long-term effects on academic performance, vocational success, and socioemotional development. They experience some level of functional impairment that extends across settings, including the home and school. In combination with medication, group interventions with school-age children were found to be effective for enhancing social behavior. This article describes two practice improvement projects that provided group experiences for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, including disruptive behavior. Four skill domains were addressed: communication, friendship, self-control, and social problem solving. One project provided activities for early school-age children with ADHD who were treated with medication only. Another provided a support group on self-management for freshman boys with ADHD who were also treated with medication only. In both projects, the disruptive behavior of the participants decreased by the end of the group sessions.

Small Group Intervention for Children With Attention Disorders

Children with attention disorders can experience adverse long-term effects on academic performance, vocational success, and socioemotional development. They experience some level of functional impairment that extends across settings, including the home and school. In combination with medication, group interventions with school-age children were found to be effective for enhancing social behavior. This article describes two practice improvement projects that provided group experiences for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, including disruptive behavior. Four skill domains were addressed: communication, friendship, self-control, and social problem solving. One project provided activities for early school-age children with ADHD who were treated with medication only. Another provided a support group on self-management for freshman boys with ADHD who were also treated with medication only. In both projects, the disruptive behavior of the participants decreased by the end of the group sessions.

Correlates of vocational recovery for persons with schizophrenia

The correlates of vocational recovery and vocational success among persons with schizophrenia were examined to identify prospective attributes that might be malleable and accessible to intervention. A national, non-representative sample of 109 individuals with a selfreported diagnosis of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder that met criteria for vocational recovery completed a survey on sustained employment of people with serious mental illness. Eighty-two participants (75%) had uninterrupted employment during the two years prior to entering the study while the rest sustained employment for at least 12 months during the same period of time. Respondents worked from 10 to 64 hours per week in jobs ranging from unskilled to professional and managerial positions. In multivariate analyses, previous work history and current receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) were correlated with current work hours per week; educational level and employment in consumer self-help/advocacy settings were associated with occupational status; and current receipt of SSI/SSDI was correlated with current salary per hour.This study provides evidence that some individuals with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder have the capacity to achieve and maintain successful employment despite the challenges presented by this serious mental illness.

Hmong Perceptions of Disability: Implications for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

The purpose of this study was to identify Hmong perceptions and attitudes toward people with disabilities that may affect vocational rehabilitation success. Nineteen Hmong participants were interviewed for this ethnographic research. Discussion derived from these interviews produced two naturally occurring categories of biological (genetics, illnAss, and injury) and traditional (sin and punishment) perspectives regarding attitudes toward causation of disability. The traditional perspective was found to influence all participants, regardless of acknowledgment in biological factors. Factors found to impact perceptions and attitudes included social status, family involvement, perceived causation, and ideations that negative treatment may be reciprocated down generational lines in the from of disability. Implications for vocational rehabilitation counselors are addressed.

Applying social skills training in the context of vocational rehabilitation for people with schizophrenia.

This paper describes a model for the conceptualization of social skills necessary for the vocational success of people with schizophrenia. Based on this model, a two-part measure was developed and validated to assess social skills necessary for job search and tenure. The measure consists of a 10-item self-administered checklist and a role-play exercise. The self-administered checklist measures clients' perceived competence in handling work-related social situations. The role-play exercise assesses the social skills necessary for job acquisition and maintenance in two simulated situations (participating in a simulated job interview and requesting urgent leave from work). Furthermore, a social skills training module has been designed, which enhances vocational outcome and fills a gap in the existing, commonly used modules. A pilot study shows that the training module together with appropriate professional support afterward is effective in enhancing the social competence and vocational outcomes of persons with schizophrenia. Implications for cross-cultural applications are discussed.