Presents framework for defining paradigms within the field of marital and family therapy. Describes paradigm crisis in marital and family therapy as resulting primarily from practical-theoretical, professional, and political concerns rather than scientific anomaly. Defines the psychomedical and the social systems paradigms according to basic…

Clarifies concepts of linearity and circularity as applied to marital and family therapy. Defines distinct and theoretically legitimate meanings of linearity (proportionality, unilaterality, temporality). Redefines circularity into two distinct meanings (recursivity and holicity). Concludes with call for continued deconstruction of social systems…

The author argues for the examination of certain historical materials that have already considered educational reform as a basis for current reform movements. She examines an earlier journal, "The Social Frontier," and its views on curriculum to illustrate this point. She relates the publication's themes to contemporary topics in…

Discusses how and why older persons with developmental disabilities have emerged as special category. Discussion makes reference to social systems theory, reviews social systems theory, and presents basic systemic tenets. Uses these tenets to examine historical development of social gerontology and present trends in service delivery system.…

Proposes a model to explain gender-role linked trend of occupational sex segregation, summarizing evidence to support the proposed mediating psychological mechanisms, and discusses the social experiences that shape gender differences on these mediators. Reviews the economic and psychological costs associated with traditional female choices.…

The flow diagrams in this document provide cognitive maps to aid in synthesizing diverse areas of knowledge in a special brand of field theory. A model is presented which highlights the domains of structural functionalism (with concepts of cultural, personal and societal systems) and symbolic interactionism (with the concepts of self, sentiments…

This game focuses on techniques for identifying coalitions or subgroups within larger social systems; and generates a wealth of data that not only serve to dramatize social dynamics, but also can be used to identify the structure of coalitions and the degree to which particular individuals exert interpersonal influence. (Author/CMV)

Reviews conceptual models of the family. Striking correspondences are observed between the major sociological models (structure-functional, interactional-situational and family developmental) and the major clinical models (family structural, family process and multigenerational). The general paradigms underlying the models of both disciplines are…

The application of a social theory perspective to an analysis of the concept of restructuring is the purpose of this report. Restructuring is a conjunctive concept that involves changes in a school district's pattern of rules, roles, relationships, and results. A systemic viewpoint examines the reciprocal interactions between structure and process…

In the Federal Republic of Germany, a welfare state, the elderly profit from social security measures to a lesser extent than does the rest of the population. As of yet, the older population has had very little importance in the political arena. Many policy outcomes directly affecting the living conditions of the older population are uncontrolled…

Many attempts have been made to explain how modern Japan has, with speed and minimal stress, become competitive with Western nations in terms of military strength and industrial productivity. One factor commonly mentioned is the "groupishness," the collective orientation,that is basic to Japanese society. Some research has suggested that…

This paper suggests that community psychology may be going through an identity crisis because of its lack of empirical demonstrations of community intervention effectiveness, and an ecologically valid intervention research base. Although the majority of research in community psychology has used an individualistic paradigm that conceptualizes…

Research in organizational development and ecological psychology has demonstrated the importance of viewing organizations from a systems perspective. Organizational innovations are planned, designed, and implemented in increasingly complex and dynamic ecosystems. This paper presents a model of organizational change which was developed using a…

Highlights some ethical issues that have begun to receive attention in health education and argues for greater emphasis on ethical dimensions in public health policies. Using selected moral principles, the article examines issues of individual responsibility, biases in interventions, societal obsessions with health, and the role of the health…

This paper explores radical critical theory, which questions the most fundamental assumptions of traditional family sociology by posing alternative ways of uncovering the realities of marriage. The first section provides a background in radical-critical theory, while the second section attempts to locate the radical-critical perspective within the…