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  Aunting: Cultural Practices That Sustain Family and Community Life

  Laura L. Ellingson and Patricia J. Sotirin

  Whether related by biology, marriage, circumstance, or choice, aunts embody a uniquely flexible familial role. The aunt-niece/nephew relationship--though often overlooked--is critical and complex, one that appears at the core of a resilient, healthy family life. In this engaging book, Laura Ellingson and Patricia Sotirin construct a consideration of "aunts" that moves from noun to verb. "Aunts" is more than a group of people or a role; instead, "to aunt" is a practice, something people "do." Some women "aunt" as second mothers, friends, or mentors, while others play more peripheral roles. In either case, aunts nonetheless significantly impact their nieces and nephews' life choices. Drawing on personal narratives that represent a rich cross section of society, Ellingson and Sotirin construct a cohesive story of the diversity of aunting experiences in the contemporary United States. Skillfully written, Aunting recovers the enormous potential of this dynamic kinship relationship and offers a model for understanding and supporting the variety of families in society today.

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  Restorative Justice for Domestic Violence Victims: An Integrated Approach to Their Hunger for Healing

  Marilyn Fernandez

  Restorative Justice for Domestic Violence Victims uses a rich and detailed set of interviews and complementary survey data to make a strong case for introducing restorative justice principles into the existing menu of services for victims of domestic violence. Guided primarily by concerns of victim safety, domestic violence theorists and practitioners have been wary of introducing restorative justice principled programs in the domestic violence arena. While remaining cognizant of safety concerns, Marilyn Fernandez weaves together the theories, concepts, and research in the restorative justice and domestic violence traditions and uses the voices of domestic violence victims to make a case for restorative justice programs. In the process, Fernandez helps readers, academicians, students, and practitioners, understand the complex nature of domestic violence and the lives of its victims.

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  Asian American Political Action: Suburban Transformations

  James Lai

  Where are Asian Americans gaining political power in the United States today? And how? Looking beyond traditional conceptions of immigrant political behavior in "gateway" cities, James Lai comprehensively analyzes how Asian Americans are not only winning elected office, but also sustaining representation, in places as diverse as California, Texas, Wisconsin, and Maryland.
  
  Lai's multidimensional approach and vivid case studies illustrate both the unique characteristics and the political commonalities of Asian communities throughout the United States: their core populations, civic organizations, political leanings, and specific electoral challenges and successes. The result is a complex portrait of the breadth of Asian American participation in contemporary multiracial politics.

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  Contemplative Practices in Action: Spirituality, Meditation, and Health

  Thomas G. Plante PhD, ABPP

  This groundbreaking primer illuminates contemplative methods that can improve mental and physical health.

  • Foreword by renowned author and scholar Huston Smith, subject of the five-part PBS special, The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith

  • Contributions from 13 expert authors

  • Case studies showing how contemplative practices are being used to cope with modern stress and disorders among groups as diverse as caregivers, pregnant women, people living with HIV, and veterans dealing with PTSD

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  Contemporary Clinical Psychology, 3rd Edition

  Thomas G. Plante PhD, ABPP

  A realistic and contemporary portrayal of the dynamic field of clinical psychology

  Thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the most current topics professionals will face in clinical practice, the Third Edition takes an integrative biopsychosocial approach throughout and features:

  • New coverage of innovations in psychotherapy and their implications for interventions, changing populations, and assessment

  • Up-to-date discussion of empirically supported treatments, technology-assisted treatments such as Web-based interventions, and new cognitive behavior treatments such as ACT

  • Insights into prevention, ethics, evidence-based treatments, and confidentiality laws and regulations including HIPAA

  • Case studies detailing the theoretical conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of clients

  • Chapter-ending Big Picture synopses and lists of key points and terms, as well as unique Real Students, Real Questions sections featuring actual questions asked by clinical psychology students

  • Firsthand career advice from a diverse group of mental health professionals

  • Current and future trends, plus a step-by-step road map that covers all aspects of becoming a clinical psychologist

  This broad-spectrum overview of the art and science of clinical psychology explores many different perspectives in many different settings. Author Thomas Plante draws from his own experience as a practicing clinician and college professor to reveal how science and application function together in the day-to-day practice of psychology.

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  "To toil in that vineyard of the Lord" : Contemporary Scholarship on Junípero Serra

  Robert M. Senkewicz and Rose Marie Beebe

  Contents: Chronology of the life of Junípero Serra; The representation of Junípero Serra in California history by Robert M. Senkewicz; Chisli, Canuch, and Junípero Serra : Indian responses to Missión San Diego, 1769-1788 / by James A. Sandos and Patricia B. Sandos; Junípero Serra's California sacramental community / by Steven W. Hackel; Junípero Serra and the Santa Bárbara Channel / by Rose Marie Beebe and Robert M. Senkewicz; Seeing the Serra documents through the eyes of an archivist / by Lawrence Scrivani.

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  Eucharist and American Culture: Liturgy, Unity, and Individualism

  Dennis C. Smolarski SJ

  Liturgy, which tries to foster the unity of the body of Christ, can be a countercultural experience since trends in modern American society emphasize individualism.
  
  In John 17, Jesus prays that all may be one, a theme which appears in other ways in other parts of scripture (such as the image of one bread-one body ) and in writings throughout Christian history. In contrast, U.S. society is characterized by individualism and, according to various recent scholarly publications, is becoming more individualistic. Americans are less likely now to participate in social groups than they were a couple of decades ago. As a result, some aspects of good liturgy, for example, common posture or communal singing, are increasingly countercultural.
  
  This book looks at the various ways the call to unity of the followers of Christ appears in scripture and in Christian tradition up to the present. It also looks at the works of secular authors such as Alexi de Tocqueville, Robert Bellah, Robert Putnam, and Jean Twenge, among others, and how they evaluate the challenges of American life, especially in the contemporary era, regarding the more and more individualistic behavioral aspects. It then goes through the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and shows how liturgy tries to bring about the unity Christ prayed for. Finally, the book tries to address the problems faced in making unity a reality in contemporary American culture.

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  Support Processes in Intimate Relationships

  Kieran T. Sullivan and Joanne Davila

  In the past twenty years or so, research on support processes in relationships has emerged as a distinct development in the field. Researchers have drawn from studies in the fields of communication, social support, and intimate relationships to conduct research examining support processes in relationships on micro and macro levels. Theoretical models of support processes in intimate relationships have been developed and increasingly sophisticated methodologies and data analytic techniques are being used to accumulate considerable and convincing evidence of the importance and complexity of support processes in intimate relationships. This edited book offers a broad yet coherent view of the field, showcasing novel, state-of-the-art research and theory on support processes in intimate relationships. Cutting-edge scholarly work is compiled in one accessible volume, which is designed to provoke and guide new research on social support. The book is divided into five sections designed to reflect emerging themes in the literature on support processes and intimate relationships. "Getting What One Wants: Perceived Support in Intimate Relationships" highlights the importance of offering support that is consistent with the needs of the recipient. "Providing What Partners Need: Interpersonal Aspects of Support" focuses on the importance of empathic understanding, validation of support seekers' needs, attachment styles, and the emotional context for effective support provision. "Complexities of Support Processes in Individual and Couple Well Being" highlights the complex nature of support, presenting research on the effects of partner support on coping with stress, differential responses to daily support, and the importance of providing support for positive events. "Support in the Context of Health-related Problems and Behaviors" is comprised of chapters describing the effects of support on health, illness, and injury. Finally, "Culture and Gender" presents research that explores the role of gender and culture in support processes in couples.