Proposes alternative, empowering view of empowerment as a paradigm that increases behavior potential of people, both individually and in organizations. Behavior potential is defined as totality of behaviors available to a person. It is argued that an individual is empowered in possessing a repertoire of behaviors and in being able to express and…

Examined data from 809 Illinois residents surveyed in 1985. Found marriage had trade-offs for women's sense of control: it increased it by increasing household income, but it decreased it, probably by decreasing autonomy. With household income held constant, nonmarried women had highest sense of control of any group. For men, marriage had less…

This article analyzes arguments for a written form of American Sign Language (ASL) and suggests the need for empowerment of people who are deaf. It concludes that suggestions to "alphabeticize" ASL or to utilize English glosses would not be appropriate, and proposes that deaf people themselves develop a visual symbol system. (DB)

This speech, given by the recipient of the American Library Association (ALA) Author Achievement Award in 1990, discusses the responsibilities of writers of young adult fiction. Issues addressed include problems in growing up, declaring independence from your peers, and the importance of the role of librarians. (LRW)

Discusses empowering youth as means of prevention/intervention. Considers empowerment programs such as those used by Ekerd Therapeutic Wilderness Camping System. Focuses on challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities of extended wilderness trips. Notes that proactively empowering adolescents requires adult leaders who are sensitive to…

Measured anxiety and autonomy in kibbutz father-orphaned (n=28) and nonorphaned (n=42) adolescents. Found no significant differences on levels of manifest anxiety and autonomy. When groups were broken down according to gender and age, found that older father-orphan girls manifested significantly greater anxiety than any group and significantly…

Studied effectiveness of intervention to help frail elders to record advance directives (ADs). In collaboration with physicians and lay volunteer, social worker provided information/counseling to elderly subjects, families, and proxies in series of visits to geriatric evaluation and management clinic. Seventy-one percent of subjects recorded ADs.…

Used nationally representative sample of 2,031 adults aged 18 to 90 to compare housework and family care as primary activity with paid work and with volunteer work, leisure activities, home and yard maintenance, and schoolwork. Found that unpaid domestic work was more routine, and it provided less intrinsic gratification and fewer extrinsic…

Urges rehabilitation professionals to identify, through scientific studies, the factors that contribute to their client's quality of life on the basis of the client's assumptions, perceptions, goals, and values. Both culturally relevant theoretical foundations and measurement-methodology issues are addressed. (DB)

Studied the role of popular culture in the literacy curriculum by focusing on superhero role play by 57 6- and 7-year-olds. Findings suggest that superhero play is strongly attractive to girls, who explore agency and autonomy through such plays. (SLD)

Community health nurses (n=96) taking distance-learning courses preferred flexible but highly structured materials with clear guidance and support. There appears to be some conflict between learning style and the autonomous nature of distance learning. (SK)

Used hypothetical vignettes to examine the development of children's and adolescents' understanding of nurturance and self-determination rights. Found that 8- to 12-year-olds were significantly less likely than 14- to 16-year-olds to identify nurturance and self-determination rights as salient. Reasoning about self-determination rights, but not…

The authors examine the concept of subjectification, using Judith Butler's theorizing of subjection to investigate their memories of being subjected in school settings and analyze subjectification. Their collective biography highlights aspects of the achievement of the individual appropriated schoolgirl subject who simultaneously constitutes…

Telephone survey of 2,592 people found that their sense of personal control was positively affected by nonroutine, autonomous, fulfilling, or nonisolated work. Women's low personal control was attributed to overrepresentation in part-time work and homemaking. Homemakers reported more autonomy than did paid workers; female paid workers performed…

Examined relations between personality and parenting behavior in 78 mothers of adolescent boys. Results suggest that mothers high in dependency relate to competent sons in ways that encourage independence, but relate to their less competent sons in ways that may foster dependency by thwarting attempts at autonomy. (SLD)