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AIDS funding: competing needs and the politics of priorities.

Despite the Department of Health and Human Service's 1983 claim that AIDS is the nation's "number one health priority," funding for AIDS research, prevention, and treatment remains inadequate. Worse, it is often marshaled from or juxtaposed against other necessary health allocations. Consequent AIDS-related resource crises include diverting funds for research on other diseases to AIDS investigations, propping up AIDS prevention efforts at the expense of traditional sexually transmitted disease control programs, and pitting the health needs of AIDS patients against the needs of those seeking other urgent health services, e.g., prenatal care. While this forced competition typically is blamed on fiscal constraints, examination of federal spending priorities suggests that it results principally from Reagan Administration policies. This Administration has consistently boosted military spending at the expense of social and health services, and has deliberately undermined efforts to obtain sufficient and new allocations for AIDS. In order to avert political divisions spurred by competition for currently scarce resources, AIDS and other health activists together must argue that excessive military allocations must be shifted to health research and services, and that a national health program must be implemented, if AIDS programs are to be funded appropriately without jeopardizing other necessary health initiatives.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

The international political economy of food: a global crisis.

The largest gap between national regulation and transnational economic organization is in the agro-food sector. This gap is the legacy of the post-World War II food regime, whose implicit rules gave priority to national farm programs (including import controls and export subsidies); placed the United States at the center; generated chronic surpluses; and allowed international power to take the unusual form of subsidized exports of surplus commodities, particularly wheat. The author analyzes the emergence and contradictions of the postwar food regime as a tension between replication and integration of national agro-food sectors, often interpreted as "export of the U.S. model." By the early 1970s, replication led to international economic conflict, while transnational corporations found national regulatory frameworks to be obstacles to further integration of a potentially global agro-food sector. A new axis between Asian import countries and new agricultural countries, such as Brazil, has destabilized the Atlantic-centered food regime, without creating a new regime. Alternative future regime are identified, based on the shift from agriculture to food, employment, and land use as political issues: private global regulation or democratic regulation of nested, regional agro-food economies, federated at the international level.

Agriculture↗

The political implications of psychosocial work redesign: a model of the psychosocial class structure.

The goal of this article is to further illuminate the poorly understood distribution of psychosocial well-being at the national population level (the distribution of conventional economic well-being is, of course, well understood). After reviewing psychosocial phenomena that cannot be predicted by the "conventional" class structure, the author introduces a new definition of production output value (New Value), more closely related to psychosocial well-being. A psychosocial class structure model is presented based on nine occupational subgroups in four status levels, representing both conventional and New Value-based status differences. An empirical analysis of 38 occupations in the U.S. work force (U.S. Quality of Employment Surveys 1969, 1972, 1977) uses psychosocial job dimensions of decision latitude, psychological demands, physical exertion, and social support. The author reviews job redesign strategies for three New Value "impoverished" groups with routinized, bureaucratized, and commercialized jobs, and the conditions for economic stability and political participation related to the psychosocial class structure model. Conflicts arising between conventional and New Value-based policies are discussed.

Decision Making↗

State (political) torture: some general, psychological, and particular aspects.

This article reviews some general and particular aspects of state political torture as it is practiced in several Latin American countries in an attempt to secure domination and prevent change. The purposes, methods and effects of such torture are discussed. The article also elaborates on some of the elements that participate in the making of the torturer, the contradictions that he faces, and the psychological mechanisms that assist him in his attempt to resolve such contradictions. Emphasis is given to the question of who is the real torturer.

Humans↗

Blaming the aged victim: the politics of scapegoating in times of fiscal conservatism.

The ideology and process of victim blaming have undergone profound changes as a consequence of recent sociopolitical developments. This paper examines a newer and more pernicious form of victim blaming, with particular attention to the ways it has been directed at the elderly in American society. Several contexts are presented within which we may view recent budget cuts affecting the elderly in order to analyze the scapegoating of the aged as a primary "cause" of the fiscal crisis. These contexts include the cyclical nature of social problems, which expand or contract in accordance with the dominant needs of the economy; the "fiscal crisis mentality"; the philosophy and tactics of decentralization; and the Reagan Administration's move toward an "ideological definition of reality." Each of these contexts is seen as fitting within the overarching context of the current economic crisis and the intensified class conflict and related outcomes which it has generated. Unlike the victim blaming of the 1960s and early 70s, which defined "the elderly" as a social problem and devised solutions (e.g. expanded Social Security benefits, Medicare and Medicaid) for dealing with that problem, the victim blaming of the 1980s is seen as defining these earlier "solutions" as part of the problem. Not only are the aged problematic, but ameliorative programs are seen as "busting the federal budget" and in need of dismantling and/or shifting to other levels of government and the private sector. Education grounded in political-economic analyses of the "aging problem," aimed in part at overcoming structurally induced divisiveness among oppressed groups, is suggested as an important deterrent to the increased polarization which the current fiscal crisis mentality has nurtured.

Aged↗

Allocating resources to health care: is the QALY (Quality Adjusted Life Year) a technical solution to a political problem?

The allocation of health care resources has always been and will remain a contentious issue. Classically, the arguments have been posed in terms of the "need" for health care and/or the "right" to treatment. More recently, there have been attempts to shape the debate in consequentialist terms, by introducing a composite outcome measure. In the United Kingdom, the QALY (Quality Adjusted Life Year) has been promoted enthusiastically. But, like many other such proposals, it is a dodo, and one that is potentially politically dangerous.

Decision Making↗

Economics and politics in the assessment of causes of building illness: the NAS/NRC Report on Indoor Pollutants.

How do some health scientists manage to avoid obvious antecedents of disease that are centered in the workplace? The 1981 National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council (NAC/NRC) report entitled Indoor Pollutants is analyzed as an example of this avoidance. Although the report contributes to the understanding of technical problems of indoor pollution, its orientation and some of its conclusions are difficult to reconcile with known scientific findings. Reports of investigations done in response to complaints of white-collar workers are largely ignored, as are reports showing hazardously high carbon monoxide levels from cooking in the home and accounts of misuse of gas ranges for supplemental home heating on the part of low-income families. The major blame for indoor pollution is placed on human behavior, especially smoking; however, most investigations of building illness find not tobacco smoke but inadequate ventilation to be the major source of illness. The report demonstrates the limited viewpoint that continues to ignore the productive processes that dominate social relationships, including the economic and political forces that determine workers' activities and their work environment. Continuance of such an approach will hinder future investigations as to the true causes of building illness and detract from efforts to assign the proper social responsibilities for effecting the changes necessary to reduce health risks for white-collar workers.

Air Pollutants↗

[Childbirth without pain. Politics in France during the cold war. ].

Dr. Lamaze introduced Natural Childbirth (ASD) in France in 1951. While this event is significant to the history of obstetrics and women's experience, we would like to concentrate upon another aspect here: how it is situated within the political debates of the period. In the midst of the Cold War, Lamaze was a sympathizer, although not a member of the Communist Party (PCF). He ran a maternity clinic for the CGT, a union affiliated with the PCE During a trip to Russia in 1951, he discovered a new method to relieve pain in labour through a psychological technique inspired by Pavlov. Upon his return, when he dedicated his energies towards the popularization of ASD, he looked for support from the PCF and to draw upon their propaganda network; this subsequently aroused suspicion and hostility. A few years later, ASD received the blessing of women's groups won over by its improvements to birthing. At the moment of Lamaze's triumph, he fell victim to a resurgence of Stalinism. With his team, he denounced the Soviet invasion of Hungary and lost the financial support of the unions which owned the clinic. Exhausted and profoundly disappointed, he died in March 1957.

Communism↗

Treaties and tuberculosis: First Nations people in late 19th-century western Canada, a political and economic transformation.

This paper examines the explosion of tuberculosis infections among First Nations communities of western Canada during the critical period from Canada's acquisition of the Northwest to the early 1880s. In the early 1870s, the disease was relatively rare among the indigenous population of the plains. Within a few years, the situation changed dramatically. By the early 1880s, TB was widely recognized to be the primary cause of morbidity and mortality among First Nations populations. Rather than direct infection from the burgeoning European population in the region, the explosion of the disease was caused by sudden ecological, economic, and political changes in the west that were primarily the result of the imposition of Canadian hegemony.

Canada↗

The politics of breast imaging.

There are numerous political issues concerned with the roles of breast imaging in the detection, diagnosis, and management of breast cancer. These include issues regarding screening mammography, quality control, and results including cost-effectiveness of medical-legal considerations, but also their relation to overall health care of other societal needs.

Journal Article↗

Empowering nurses for politically astute change in the workplace.

While studies of the shortage of nurses have documented the need for nurses to play a greater role in decision-making processes in their workplaces, it cannot be assumed that nurses have the confidence or skills for making changes in the workplace in politically astute ways that will be effective. This article describes a continuing education program that was designed to prepare nurses to realize their potential power and to develop skills for effectively bringing about changes in their workplaces. Based on a feminist model of empowerment, the program content and methods reflected three dimensions of empowerment: consciousness-raising, building self-esteem, and skill development. Both short- and long-term evaluations (immediate and at 7 months) demonstrated that education can be a vehicle for empowering nurses to effectively bring about changes in their workplaces. The program was sponsored by the Manitoba Nurses Union, The University of Manitoba Continuing Education Division, and The University of Manitoba School of Nursing.

Decision Making, Organizational↗

The Lazarus Project: the politics of empowerment.

The problems associated with institutionalized care of the frail elderly are complicated and require interdisciplinary problem solving. This paper explains the conceptual framework and initial implementation of the Lazarus Project, a pilot project in a nursing home that offers an alternative governing philosophy for residential living. The framework is a community model based on democratic governance, which empowers those who work and live within the nursing home facility. Implementing a community model in an institution is a political process that requires an awareness of power relationships and structures. Strategies for institutional change are directed at alteration of the hierarchical power structures so that power is shared and decision making collaborative.

Aged↗

Project possibility: a model of care and the politics of change.

As a strategy to counter the current crisis of recruitment and retention in nursing a new model of care designed to introduce the second and third level of nurse into what was previously an almost exclusively registered nurse workforce, has been implemented in collaboration with clinicians, educators and managers, at a leading private hospital. This paper articulates the salientfeatures of the model, key processes involved in the model's introduction to the staff and explores the complex politics surrounding its implementation and ongoing evaluation.

Australia↗

Telling our story. Catholics can cultivate genuine hope by emphasizing the human dimension in culture and politics.

In the West the experience of modernity frequently leads people to ask whether they are running things or things are running them. The answer lies in the connection between modernity and religious tradition. Are there useful and constructive and effective ways of thinking about the task of our living as though what Jesus taught and did makes sense, makes sense in a modern world that thinks and acts as if it has or will soon have all answers? Perhaps everything will turn out all right, but such optimism should not be confused with hope. As Vaclav Havel explains, hope "is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." To cultivate a perspective from which things can make sense, Catholics need to find a way to tell their story so that it has relevance in the modern world. In particular, Catholics must find stories that will account for the shift that had been building in our culture over centuries but that the Church only fully acknowledged during the papacy of John XXIII. To some extent, the stories will have to offer a counterstatement to the unintended negative effects of certain facets of the modern agenda. The stories will have to address the overemphasis on individuality that has resulted from the democratization of politics and culture, the uncritical belief that change is always for the better, and the modern world's power to overwhelm our ability to think critically about it. Finally, the stories will have to return a human dimension to economic and cultural life.

Canada↗

Care of the dying: a Catholic perspective. Part II: Social and political context--Catholic providers must exemplify a caring community. Catholic Health Association.

Fears of abandonment and isolation in an institution have increased the public demand for euthanasia and assisted suicide. To quell this movement, Catholic healthcare providers must provide a caring community where patients and care givers enable each other to confront the fear of death and find support in living with human limitation. To begin to address the social and political dimensions of issues about the end of life, Catholic healthcare providers must use clear and consistent definitions of the terms used to describe these issues, such as death with dignity, right to die, euthanasia, allowing to die, and assisted suicide. By acknowledging the influence of the media in forming attitudes and opinions, healthcare institutions can seize opportunities for public education on fundamental human and religious values. The first effort has to be directed toward educating members of the media. The Catholic Church supports the concept of advance directives, which provide an opportunity for people to express their values and the ways they would expect those values to be honored in decisions about medical treatment. Courts' role in resolving decisions about treatment should be limited. Patient self-determination is best exercised when a patient (or surrogate), in consultation with a physician, decides what is best. Catholic healthcare institutions should advocate for legislation that fosters an appropriate balance between protecting a patient's right to self-determination and the state's interests to protect life. At the same time, institutions' advocacy efforts should demand sufficient resources for holistic care for the dying.

Advance Directives↗

A report from the front line: policy & politics in health reform.

With federal action on health care reform at a standstill, states are faced with the choice of waiting for Washington or moving ahead. But states will have a hard time taking action in the face of economic problems and the need for additional revenues to address the problems of the uninsured. Grass roots advocacy is essential to put health care reform on the political agenda at all levels. Key elements of reform include allocating responsibility for payment and establishing methods of cost control. States have achieved limited success in controlling costs and expanding access but a federal framework is necessary if real progress is to be made.

Cost Control↗

The politics of Alzheimer's special care units: lessons to be learned from the demented?

The development of nursing home special care units for Alzheimer's Disease is linked to the political emergence of the disease in the past two decades. This article will explore the response of the nursing home industry to Alzheimer's Disease in the way of special care programs. Similarities and differences between the demented population and other groups served in nursing homes will be highlighted. Issues to be addressed before special care programs are developed for other populations will be suggested.

Aged↗

[Attempt to assimilate the initial basis of medicine and autopsy practice under conditions of the Ukhto-iznem camp for political prisoners].

The author recalls heavy labor and work in hospitals of the Ukhto-Izhem penitentiary for political prisoners where he spent 8 years (1938-1946) including 5 years as a prisoner. Being in the past a student of an industrial technical school, in the penitentiary he worked as a medical assistant, doctor, pathologist. His first research was dermal lesions in pellagra. The prisoners who worked as assistants and physicians contributed much to improving diagnosis and treatment in the penitentiary. The author in the future received medical education and worked as a pathologist and eventually became a professor.

Autopsy↗