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Change inevitable, but can be controlled to
improve quality of life
Newswise — A new book by faculty members in
Virginia Tech's Institute for Society,
Culture and Environment (ISCE) and
colleagues from across the world explores
the contexts within which individuals,
families, and communities develop and change
– and strategies for improving life.
Pathways of Human Development: Explorations
of Change
(Lexington Books, 2009) explores the good
and the bad of human development, including
health and adaptation, social anxiety
disorder, risk and protective factors and
risk behaviors, parent-child relationships,
adolescent sexuality, culture,
intergenerational relationships, family
stress and adaptation, and community
resilience.
"Based on their research, the authors
explore the contexts in which individuals,
families, and communities develop and
change," said ISCE Director Karen A.
Roberto.
"In addition, the work identifies potential
strategies critical for enhancing
developmental outcomes and thus, improving
quality of individual, family, and community
life."
"For example," said ISCE Senior Research
Fellow Jay A. Mancini, "Making positive
changes in communities is related to
community members feeling some
responsibility for the well-being of others
and working together in ways that improve
community life.
"We
have identified four types of communities as
a result: synergetic, able, relational, and
disengaged. They vary on how well community
members come together when there are adverse
situations."
The book, which is edited by Mancini and
Roberto, is the product of the 2008 ISCE
summit in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland,
which brought together 18 social and
behavioral scientists from Virginia Tech,
other universities, and the private sector
in England, Ireland, and Canada to discuss
societal and individual change over the
lifespan and investigate critical global
issues affecting human development.
Chapter topics related to individuals
include "Positive Turning Points in the
Dynamics of Change over the Life Course," by
Robbie Gilligan, professor of social work
and head of the School of Social Work and
Social Policy at Trinity College; "Risk and
Protective Factors for Drug Use among
American Youth," by Kee Jeong Kim, assistant
professor in human development in the
College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
at Virginia Tech; and "Social Anxiety
Disorder in Youth," by Thomas H. Ollendick,
University Distinguished Professor and
director of the Child Study Center in the
Department of Psychology in the College of
Science at Virginia Tech.
"Although social anxiety is not new, and to
some extent we all experience socially
anxiety at times, what is so important is
that the pathway to social anxiety is not
direct and it can result from many different
influences," said Ollendick.
"Some suggest an 'anxiety gene' whereas
others look to other biological influences
and experiences that occur across
development. The context is vitally
important," he said.
"Even a gene in the absence of an activating
context is inert. The disorder is a complex
one."
Chapters related to families include
"Parenting in Chinese Societies," by Susan
Chuang, assistant professor in the
Department of Family Relations and Applied
Nutrition at the University of Guelph; and
"Transformation among Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren," by Megan L. Dolbin-MacNab,
assistant professor of human development at
Virginia Tech.
"Grandparents raising grandchildren
experience numerous challenges that can
compromise their well-being," said
Dolbin-MacNab.
"Identifying factors and processes that
underlie why some grandparents successfully
adapt to raising their grandchildren while
others do not is critical to improving
outcomes for grandparents and grandchildren
alike."
Chapters related to society include "The
Dynamics of Families, Social Capital, and
Social Change," by Rosalind Edwards,
professor in social policy and director of
the Family and Social Capital Research Group
at London South Bank University; and "From
Welfare to Well-Being: Turning Things Around
Among Homeless Veterans," by Hugh Milroy,
chief executive of Veterans Aid, a United
Kingdom-based charity.
Roberto said the book will benefit
professionals working in areas related to
prevention and intervention.
It will also be a resource for professionals
researching aspects of human development and
teaching upper-level undergraduate and
graduate students in the social and
behavioral sciences.
Learn more about Virginia Tech's Institute
for Society, Culture and Environment at:
www.isce.vt.edu
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