Suchergebnisse

Looks at the contemporary debate on US immigration, focusing particularly on the increasing articulation of eugenics. Notes that, at times of economic and moral crisis, biological generalizations tend to resurface to provide support for the existing system of privilege and rights, and that the information superhighway provides the perfect vehicle for rapidly spreading beliefs and information. Addresses three specific issues – the genetically determined traits and behaviours of specific racial groups, culture as an expression of biological characteristics, and immigration destroying the racial purity of American society. Outlines briefly US history of immigration. Airs the current concerns on US immigration – pinpointing that concern lies not in immigration per se., which has declined in the last decade, but in the changing national origin of new immigrants, that is immigrants are now mainly Latin American or Asian, which is seen as a threat to Anglo‐Saxon hegemony. Refers to the work of the Pioneer Fund, exploring human variation through the racial basis of intelligence and propensity to violence and/or crime. Claims that scientific language has been adapted to reinforce worries about immigration reducing the supremacy of America's culture.

Discusses US use of drug testing in the workplace, screening employees for smoking, AIDS, genetic traits and reproductive hazards. Attributes this to the costs employers face in insurance, litigation and compensation. Points out that the purpose of drug testing is to circumvent management responsibility for: accidents in the workplace, stress, bad management practices, and disregarding health and safety initiatives. Acknowledges that the tests are harmful and indefensible. Reports that 81 per cent of members of the American Management Association in 1996 conducted drug testing. Claims that screening is the alternative to monitoring – that is screening out individuals who are seen as high risk in some way – yet that misses the point – the focus should be on making hazardous working conditions safe. Indicates that companies may use drug testing as a means of deterring drug users from gravitating towards their organization. Mentions that workplace‐induced stress can lead to substance abuse and that, therefore it is management driven, rather than being a problem the worker brings to the workplace. Quotes a number of company physicians who object to policing drug use. Indicates that drug testing has diverted attention away from health and safety issues and hazardous working conditions.

Debates why and how some practices become universal – taking as a case in point closed‐chest massage (CCCM). Points out that CCCM was recognized in 1960 and its use generated heated debates, which altered the technique and reshuffled existing infrastructures. Claims that debates act as a catalyst for university. Investigates the emergence of CCCM, the debate on the merits (or otherwise) of closed versus open‐chested cardiac massage, and who could use the method of CCCM. Indicates that CCCM only became universally practised when it was incorporated into the infrastructure for dealing with emergency cases, and thus became taken for granted.

The current study sought to extend research on shyness from a focus on individuals and dyadic interactions to the role of shyness in small decision-making groups by examining attributions for group performance by shy and not-shy persons and the affect experienced as a result of performance feedback Seventy-four participants were randomly assigned to small groups and completed a decision-making task. When given performance feedback, not-shy participants made group-serving attributions and experienced more positive affect following group success than failure. Shy participants minimized their responsibility for both group success and failure, attributed the cause of success equally between the group and the situation, and attributed the cause of failure to the group itself. Shy participants' affect did not vary as a result of the performance feedback. Shy persons, based on their self-reports, appeared to isolate themselves within the group, attending to group interactions but withholding ideas and not fully participating.

The effect of solo status was investigated in 32 same-sex small groups in which the racial status of one of the four members was systematically varied to reflect African American and White group majorities. During one task-oriented session, each group member made ratings of one another and selected one member to be leader on a future task. Judgments of solos varied as a function of their racial status. African American solos were judged more favorably and were more often selected to be leader than were White targets in both African American and White majorities. More generally, these findings indicate that theories of relative numbers and salience effects that explain group processes in gender contexts do not apply in the same way to race contexts. Implications of these findings for organizational settings, and interracial interaction in small groups are discussed.