The Community Patrol Officer Program (CPOP), launched in New York in 1984, was designed to solve problems at the community level through the neighbourhood patrol officer. The authors of this volume present the research and findings of the CPOP. The multi-dimensional role the police officers were expected to play is examined and issues such as the effectiveness of the officers in implementing their new role, the obstacles they encountered, the attitudes of the officers and the perceptions of the community are explored. The book also suggests measures for improving and implementing similar programmes.
In this book leading scholars and practitioners present the latest research and theory in customer satisfaction and services marketing with a wealth of stimulating ideas. Topics discussed include: the measurement of the managerial impact on service quality improvement; new methods of assessing the various elements of service quality; and philosophies of the nature of customer value. The diverse viewpoints of the contributors reveal the variety of emerging ideas on the subject of service quality.
The issues of soundness of qualitative research are examined in this book. Contributors discuss how a researcher does qualitative research, considering such questions as: whether one deviates from the developer's protocol and what the ramifications are of such deviation; how students learn to acquire the conceptual skills necessary to conduct qualitative inquiry and how theory `emerges' from the data. The book discusses group effect in focus groups and describes an observational method using videotaped data. The various schools of phenomenology and their major characteristics of excellence are explained, and the Glasserian and Straussian methods of grounded theory are compared. Issues of ethics and scientific integrity are also raised. Each chapter, dealing with a matter that has not yet been resolved or addressed in the literature, is preceded by a dialogue in which contributors raise questions and comment upon the concept presented.
Basic techniques for achieving group success are described in the latest edition of this popular handbook for group facilitators, which clearly details when, how and why to use each technique. Concrete examples are provided for each technique, and its application to a wide range of topics is discussed. These include contract negotiation, mediation, confrontation, gatekeeping, focusing, responding to feelings, rewarding effort and achievement, information management and summarizing. Completely revised and updated, this edition includes improved practice exercises, an expanded discussion on the nature of group success, and a new section which relates leadership techniques to group-specific cases.
This useful volume offers alternatives to the dominant quantitative paradigm in social work research. It provides exemplary studies of social work problems using a diversity of qualitative approaches, including field observations, interviews, single cases, organizational documents and literary narratives. The studies, all made by social workers, range from examining surface content to the analysis of deep structures of discourse.
Theoretical Foundations and Methodological Frontiers
This book brings together key scholars and practitioners from a range of fields in order to advance epidemiological and gerontological research into the role of religion in physical, psychosocial and mental health. Part One addresses such issues as hope, forgiveness, the psychodynamics of faith and belief, and coping in a theoretical context. Part Two seeks to advance the methodological sophistication of research in this area, with an emphasis on measurement and design issues.
This clearly-written book provides an introduction to a cognitive-ecological approach to counselling and clinical practice. The authors examine theoretical underpinnings and key components, and discuss the strengths and limitations of the approach. They present examples that show practitioners how the model can enhance work with clients and apply it to relevant stages of practice - including assessment, goal setting and intervention planning.
How we think about health problems, and what we do about them, is largely determined by how they are reported on television, radio and in the newspapers. Often, crucial issues of public health policy are debated and decided on only after they are made visible by the media. The concept of media advocacy as a central strategy for the prevention of public health problems is discussed in this unique book. Traditional communication strategies like social marketing focus on giving people a message; media advocacy gives people a voice. The book lays out the theoretical framework and practical guidelines to successful media advocacy strategies and includes case studies on such vital issues as AIDS and alcohol abuse.
This volume will serve as an indispensable reference for the rural health practitioner facing uniquely rural concerns in health promotion, patient care and professional practice.