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"History indicates that there are powerful routes to liberation from oppression that do not involve violence. Mohandas Gandhi called for a science of nonviolent action, one based on satyagraha, or the 'insistence on truth.' As Gandhi understood, nonviolent resistance is not passive, nor is it weak; rather, such action is an exercise of power. Despite the success of Gandhi's 'Quit India' movement, the resources dedicated to the application of rigorous science to nonviolent struggle have been vanishingly small. By contrast, almost unimaginable levels of financial and human resources have been devoted to the science and technologies of killing, war, and collective violence. Mark Mattaini reviews the history and theory of nonviolent struggles against oppression and discusses recent research that indicates the substantial need for and advantage of nonviolent alternatives. He then offers a detailed exploration of principles of behavioral systems science that appear to underlie effective strategic civil resistance and 'people power.' Strategic Nonviolent Power proposes that the route to what Gandhi described as the 'undreamt of and seemingly impossible discoveries' of nonviolent resistance is the application of rigorous science. Although not a simple science, Mattaini's application of ecological science grounded in the science of behaviour brings exceptional power to the struggle for justice and liberation. At a time when civil resistance is actively reshaping global political realities, the science of nonviolent struggle deserves the attention of the scientific, activist, strategic, military, spiritual, and diplomatic communities, as well as the informed public"--Provided by publisher

Rubin and Knox argue that single-case designs are currently overemphasized in social work education and are of more limited value in practice than is commonly stated. These conclusions are based on confusions between research and practice, misunderstandings and misstatements of the relative utility of single-case and group designs for both, and neglect of the basic literature regarding single-case designs and visual analysis. In addition, the Rubin and Knox arguments appear to be based on overinterpretation of the results of a study of an ineffective intervention.

Behavior analysis has made major contributions to social work practice on the individual, family, group, and organizational levels. Combining recent advances in behavioral theory, particularly Skinner's concept of cultural practices and Glenn's work related to sets of inter locking contingencies, with a review of the available empirical literature, behavior-analytic principles can now clearly begin to provide guidance for practice at a community level. In this article, applications of these principles for increasing the level and quality of community participation, building prosocial community practices, and reducing undesirable community practices are examined. Of particular importance is the emerging evidence for the need to emphasize strategies focusing on positive reinforcement to shape and maintain desirable actions, as opposed to coercive efforts to suppress undesirable ones. Essential skills of behavioral practice also are identified, as are critical directions for further conceptual development, practice, and research.

Addiction to "crack" cocaine has rapidly emerged as a crucial social and political problem, particularly in major urban areas. Working as they do in child and family services, health and mental health, and other major social institutional settings, as well as in clinical and policy positions dealing directly with crack users, social workers deal increasingly with the resulting casualties. The current knowledge base is limited, but sufficient information about this substance, and addictive behavior in general, currently exists to provide tentative directions for clinical practice, pilot projects in prevention and treatment, and community-level intervention. This article considers the existing information, examining the data from an operant perspective that focuses particularly on potentially manipulable environmental factors, congruent with the ecosystemic perspective that uniquely characterizes social work practice. Probable crucial contingencies are identified, and directions for future work are suggested.

The ecosystems perspective offers a framework for assessment that takes into account the contextual web within which the client is inextricably enmeshed. To be immediately useful, however, the perspective must be operationalized. Contextual behavior analysis offers an approach to assessment that is systemic, operationalized, prescriptive, and amenable to rigorous evaluation. The broad contours of the ecosystems perspective and contemporary contextual behavior analysis are sketched. Using a case vignette, the steps involved in the analysis and the advantages of using graphic aids in the process are outlined. Finally, the advantages of the approach for clinical practice settings are discussed.

The approach taken in this volume suggests that the science of behavior (often called behavior analysis and sometimes behaviorology) has much more to offer for reducing human problems than is widely recognized. In this volume, the editors and authors hope to show that the science of behavior has much to offer to contemporary society, beyond its usefulness in narrow niches like special education and developmental disabilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)

Mohandas Gandhi often indicated that nonviolence was "a science," and he appears to have meant this literally. Consistent with this vision, in this paper, we outline and apply principles of behavioral systems science, an emerging data-based approach to understanding the dynamics of complex cultural systems, to the practice of constructive noncooperation (Gandhi's "constructive programme"). Although Gandhi emphasized that constructive action was the most important and potent of nonviolent strategic options, constructive alternatives have been the least developed in the literature of nonviolent struggle. The reconceptualization of constructive noncooperation in behavioral systems terms offered here suggests that rigorous analysis of Havel's "living in truth" and Gandhi's "truth force" may be both possible and practically useful in challenging oppression and supporting human rights.

Welfare reform is high on the national agenda. This article clarifies facts about the welfare system, provides behavioral analyses of welfare and working, and reviews current and potential policy initiatives with potential for producing lasting solutions. The most frequent approach to the issue has been to cut benefits and exhort those on welfare to obtain employment, which may not be available or for which they may not be prepared However, the demand to look more closely before cutting already desperately limited resources for families and children is not simply the cry of the old-time liberal; it is also the conclusion of the careful empiricist. Analysis of the data suggest that (a) the most effective approaches will be those that are based primarily on offering adequate supports and incentives and (b) indiscriminate cuts and sanction-based programs are often based in myth and are likely to be ineffective and produce undesirable side effects.