Volume 2, Issue 2, 2008

Six Thinking Hats for Group Supervision with Counselor Interns
Chi-Sing Li, Daniel G. Eckstein, Sheryl Serres, Yu-Fen Lin

Abstract
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how counselors can utilize de Bono’s (1999) Six
Thinking Hats problem-solving technique in group supervision with counselor interns. Part one of the article focuses on an introduction to the technique including a theoretical rationale and
supporting research. Part two is a detailed description of the process of using the model as a
supervision technique with a group of counselor interns. Part three features a case study of a
scenario encountered by a group of counselor interns. Finally, a brief review of the technique and
its advantages in individual and group supervision conclude the article. Full Article

Varieties of Capitalism and Inequality: Canada from a Comparative Perspective
Prosper M. Bernard

Abstract
The article compares Canada among liberal market economies (LMEs) and Nordic social market economies (SMEs) with respect to economic inequality. The cross-national data depict a Janusfaced portrait of Canada: it has had invariably one of the most egalitarian societies among LMEs, but wage inequality is comparable to that of the United States. Using the varieties of capitalism (VOC) approach, this study explores the individual and combined effects of different labor market institutions, educational and training systems, and welfare states on cross-national differences in market income inequality. Moreover, it compares the redistributive effects of those countries’ welfare states. The article argues that Canada’s mixed inequality profile is the result of a unique configuration of domestic political-economic institutions. Full Article

The Rise of Obesity in Young Women: Does the Media Have An Impact?
Sara Martino, Kristin Dillon, Brennan Jordan

Abstract
Previous studies have examined adolescent girls’ body dissatisfaction in relation to ideals and media exposure (Tiggeman, 2006; Vandereycken, 2006; Grogan, Knott, et al., 1996; McCarthy, 1990). However, a newer and equally important issue may also be related to media exposure in the rise of obesity among women. Five focus groups were conducted, with a total of 31 participants ranging in age from 18-25, over the course of an academic year at a northeastern Liberal Arts College. The focus groups explored media exposure and its relationship to the rise of obesity in recent years. Participants in each of the five focus groups completed the Body Shape Questionnaire. Results indicated six consistent themes across all groups: media images, age of media influence, quick fixes, women and exercise images, lazier lifestyle and views of obesity. Directions for future research are discussed. Full Article

Socioeconomic Determinants of Infant Mortality in Kenya: Analysis of Kenya DHS 2003
Hisham Elmahdi Mustafa and Clifford Odimegwu

Abstract
One of the Millennium Development Goals is the reduction of infant and child mortality by two-thirds by 2015. In order to achieve this goal, efforts are concentrated at identifying cost-effective strategies as many international agencies have advocated for more resources to be directed to health sector. One way of doing this is to identify and rank-order the importance of the socioeconomic factors that affect infant mortality. This will help in prioritizing the factors that need to be manipulated for effective health interventions in the face of competing scarce resources. The purpose of this study is to examine the relative importance of major biosocial, demographic and economic factors associated with infant mortality in Kenya. The study is an analytical cross-sectional design through secondary data analysis of the 2003 Kenyan Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) dataset for children. Series of logistic regression models were fitted to select the significant factors affecting infant mortality both in urban and rural. The magnitude of the significance for each selected variable was tested using the Wald’s test, and hence the factors were rank-ordered according to their overall P-value. While infant mortality rate in 2003 was 79.6 per 1000, its significant determinants are breastfeeding, ethnicity and sex of the child while birth order and intervals are significant variables in the rural areas. Focus of interventions in child health with a view to achieving the MDG will be on the social and economic empowerment of women via education and employment while breastfeeding promotion will be encouraged.
Full Article