ABSTRACT A desirable societal goal may not imply a common understanding of that goal. As organiza... more ABSTRACT A desirable societal goal may not imply a common understanding of that goal. As organizations seek to foster inclusion through a focus on diversity, understanding the operational definition employed by stakeholders becomes important. This study focuses on how candidates applying for employment address their diversity-related qualifications when specifically asked to do so. A model-driven qualitative coding system is used to characterize the diversity-related terminology in the cover letters of 111 applicants to a post-doctoral faculty fellowship position at a research university open to all academic disciplines. Applicants describe their strengths related to developing diversity-related curriculum and scholarship, aiding the recruitment and retention of a broad range of students and faculty, and establishing community partnerships to advance diversity. The analysis of applicants’ letters indicates that applicants refer to race, ethnicity, gender, and class dimensions of diversity most frequently, suggesting that operational definitions tend to be more limited to traditionally and legally established taxonomies of human difference.
ABSTRACT Canada and the United States share a border with one of the longest peaceful existencies... more ABSTRACT Canada and the United States share a border with one of the longest peaceful existencies in the world. Yet relationships between the two countries, while seemingly routine, often lack transparency and mutual comprehension. Of particular concern in Canada is a growing impression that public discourse in the United States considers Canadian governance to be flawed. This article employs the cases of terrorism and SARS to examine discourse regarding Canadian public administration in the United States press. The results of this analysis not only demonstrate elements of the American understanding of Canada but also speak to the role of peer nations in domestic policy discourse. Le Canada et les États-Unis partagent une frontière marquant une des coexistences pacifiques les plus longues du monde. Les relations entre les deux nations, apparemment sous le sceau de la routine, manquent en fait souvent de transparence et de compréhension mutuelle. Une préoccupation particulière au Canada concerne le sentiment que le discours public aux États-Unis présente habituellement la gouvernance canadienne comme défaillante. Cet article considère les cas du terrorisme et du SRAS pour examiner le discours relatif à l'administration publique canadienne dans la presse des États-Unis. Des résultats de cette analyse se dégage une impression mitigée sur la gouvernance canadienne vue des USA, pointant délibérément des carences face à un risque émergent chez leur voisin pour créer l'urgence d'une action publique ciblée, et en même temps, évitant tout sous-entendu d'incapacité du gouvernement local à gérer avec succès le nouveau défi. La frontera entre Canadá y Estados Unidos representa una de las coexistencias pacíficas más duraderas del mundo. Sin embargo, las relaciones entre estas dos naciones, aunque aparentemente buenas, a menudo carecen de transparencia y entendimiento mutuo. A este respecto, existe en el discurso público en Estados Unidos una tendencia a representar la gobernanza canadiense como defectuosa que despierta cierta inquietud en Canadá. En este artículo, el terrorismo y SRAS (síndrome respiratorio agudo severo) son utilizados como estudios de caso con el fin de analizar el discurso de la prensa estadounidense sobre la administración pública de Canadá. Los resultados de este análisis indican una ambivalencia en la idea sobre la gobernanza canadiense ya que, mientras que por una parte se destacan defectos de gestión relacionados con el riesgo ascendiente en el país vecino — con el objetivo de urgir a las autoridades públicas a la acción, por otra parte se evita cualquier insinuación de que el gobierno sea incapaz de hacer frente a este nuevo reto.
Domestic violence is increasingly recognized as a serious social problem in Missouri. Protection ... more Domestic violence is increasingly recognized as a serious social problem in Missouri. Protection orders are designed to offer individuals some level of safety, but nationally it is estimated that a quarter of such orders are not followed and enforcement is inconsistent. Noncompliant batterers typically increase the level of threats, coercive tactics and violence, and often the victims must relocate to hide from the abuser. These relocated victims need protection in new communities, but frequently they run into difficulties because of different legal jurisdictions across county and state lines. The Full Faith and Credit provisions of the Federal Violence Against Women Act of 1994 offer remedies to this problem, but states (including Missouri) have experienced considerable difficulties in implementation of the provisions of this act. Such problems include lack of coordination among jurisdictions, low levels of understanding about the law, scarce government resources for addressing impediments, and failure to enforce protection orders. Local Coordinated Community Responses Stronger state and federal laws are the foundation of prosecution and rehabilitation efforts against domestic violence, but successful implementation of domestic violence laws, particularly the enforcement of adult protection orders, requires the collaborative leadership of judges, clerks, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and domestic violence advocates. A coordinated community response, developed by the domestic violence professionals working in a geographical area, is the most promising method of fostering a coherent, comprehensive response to domestic violence.
Modern disability policy seeks a balance between individual and social responsibility for disabil... more Modern disability policy seeks a balance between individual and social responsibility for disability. Striking this balance involves redefining issues related to disability. This article presents an analysis of the issue definition process on autism in Canada. The findings suggest although autism became an increasingly present issue in public discourse in Canada during the last 20 years, no specific aspect of the autism experience became defined as an urgent public problem. Furthermore, public discourse surrounding autism focuses on health care, challenging ongoing development of rights-based disability policy.
Neurodiversity and neurological disabilities reflect rising public sector challenges. Both refer ... more Neurodiversity and neurological disabilities reflect rising public sector challenges. Both refer to the same set of medical conditions, but speak to different aspects of diversity affecting the public sector. Neurodiversity describes features of neurological difference associated with ...
Of all of the agenda types in disability policy subsystems, celebration and cure might seem to fa... more Of all of the agenda types in disability policy subsystems, celebration and cure might seem to fall into the most natural of tensions. Taking pride in the presence of something is difficult to do while simultaneously attempting to eradicate it. In considering cure oriented agendas, it is important to keep in mind that curing something is fundamentally an all or
Children with disabilities often require a variety of services to develop to their full potential... more Children with disabilities often require a variety of services to develop to their full potential. Currently, centralized services and residential institutions have become less accepted as a matter of course. Interagency Coordinating Councils (ICCs) were created to lead integration of services for children with disabilities in the context of decentralized service provision and a growing preference for person-centered, community-based services. In this article, the authors examine the federal ICC and several state ICCs in a case study of the challenges associated with orchestrating multilevel interagency collaboration. Emergent themes of interorganizational infrastructure, the shaping of participation, and service purposes and priorities are discussed as important elements of the ongoing creation of a new governance of services for children with disabilities.
Though ultimately beneficial to society, interactions between science and politics require carefu... more Though ultimately beneficial to society, interactions between science and politics require careful tending. Because science is an exercise in trial and error, public policy development can be affected by both scientific missteps and the length of time it takes to produce reasonable scientific certainty. Introduction of scientific findings, especially more preliminary ones, into the political process has a mixed record. Understanding how these tensions play out in contemporary politics is important for both disability studies and policy studies generally. This article explores how science and scientific evidence is employed by stakeholders engaged with autism policy development in the United States.
Autism has gained the attention of policy makers and public administrators in recent years. The s... more Autism has gained the attention of policy makers and public administrators in recent years. The surge in prevalence, in tandem with a growing social preference for community inclusion of individuals with disabilities, strains a variety of policy infrastructures. Autism and related disorders, which were first described in 1943, were originally thought to be extremely low incidence and usually coincident with mental retardation. In accordance with the disability policy paradigm of the era, public services for autism were provided predominantly in institutional settings. Since then, however, autism and related disorders have come to be understood as more common than was originally thought and more rarely associated with mental retardation. In this article, shift-share analysis is used to gain insight into how the growth in autism incidence is being differentially experienced and recorded within a single arena of policy across the United States. The challenges associated with a sudden g...
This article examines autism policy narratives in Canada and the United States. In both nations, ... more This article examines autism policy narratives in Canada and the United States. In both nations, meta-narratives emerged, establishing federal autism policy. Whereas the stories associated with these meta-narratives shared starting points, the stories unfolded in nationally distinct ways.
In recent years, a great deal of scholarship has examined the adequacy of special education and o... more In recent years, a great deal of scholarship has examined the adequacy of special education and other support services for children with disabilities in the U.S. and in other industrialized states. By contrast, there has been comparatively little study of services for children with disabilities in developing countries. In this paper, we attempt to bridge this gap in the literature. Focusing on the case of Mexico, we examine the provision of special education and other support services, and the availability and cost of private services. The focus of the analysis is on children with autism. Drawing upon a theoretical approach that combines modern political economy and comparative institutionalism, we also develop a tentative explanation of the politics of policymaking among parents and other stakeholders in the autism advocacy community.
Data from the Family Experiences with Autism Survey are used to identify factors associated with ... more Data from the Family Experiences with Autism Survey are used to identify factors associated with financial problems in families that have a child with autism. Likelihood of financial problems was positively associated with use of medical interventions, having unreimbursed medical or therapy expenses, and having relatively lower income. Use of speech and language therapy was negatively associated with likelihood of financial problems. Many survey respondents forfeited future financial security and even experienced bankruptcy to provide needed therapy for a child with autism. Specific ways that financial advisors can help families that have a child with autism are outlined.
Individuals with disabilities often report difficulty interacting with health care professionals.... more Individuals with disabilities often report difficulty interacting with health care professionals. Addressing this challenge requires greater understanding of factors that exacerbate the odds of negative interactions between health care providers and patients with disabilities. Drawing on the qualitative research describing the features of such incidents, we use logistic regression to explore two dimensions of this dynamic: negative experiences with health care providers (e.g., doctors, specialists) and negative experiences with health insurance carriers (e.g., for profit or non-profit health insurance organizations). Using a non-probability sample of American families who have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we find that negative experiences with health care providers are associated with the family’s income level, as well as changes in parental labor force participation. The odds of a negative interaction with the insurance carrier are intensified when the family experi...
In issue definition related to rights based policy, Canada has been stereotypically understood as... more In issue definition related to rights based policy, Canada has been stereotypically understood as taking a more positive, human rights centered approach whereas the United States has been expected to take a more negative, civil rights based tact. While this difference in approach is expected to be a key to a broad base of differences between the two nations and societies, the difference is arguably unusually relevant in the disability policy arena. After all, recent changes in the understanding of disability is transforming disability from an issue of personal culpability overseen by medical professionals and tempered by charitable efforts to an issue of shared social and personal construction for which society at large is responsible. As the incidence of disability continues to rise, broad changes in social, political, and economic infrastructures are the expected result of recent innovations in disability related policy. These changes will affect society well beyond the lives of individuals with disabilities. Over the past decade, Canada, the United States, and several other counties have experienced a surge in the reported incidence of autism. The public management of needs related to the autism baby boom is an unfolding process. This year the Canadian Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case of Auton v. British Columbia, which is focused on the question access to intensive therapy
In recent years, a great deal of scholarship has examined the adequacy of special education and o... more In recent years, a great deal of scholarship has examined the adequacy of special education and other support services for children with disabilities in the U.S. and in other industrialized states. By contrast, there has been comparatively little study of services for children with disabilities in developing countries. In this paper, we attempt to bridge this gap in the literature. Focusing on the case of Mexico, we examine the provision of special education and other support services, and the availability and cost of private services. The focus of the analysis is on children with autism. Drawing upon a theoretical approach that combines modern political economy and comparative institutionalism, we also develop a tentative explanation of the politics of policymaking among parents and other stakeholders in the autism advocacy community.
Canada and the United States share a border with one of the longest peaceful existencies in the w... more Canada and the United States share a border with one of the longest peaceful existencies in the world. Yet relationships between the two countries, while seemingly routine, often lack transparency and mutual comprehension. Of particular concern in Canada is a growing impression that public discourse in the United States considers Canadian governance to be flawed. This article employs the cases
ABSTRACT A desirable societal goal may not imply a common understanding of that goal. As organiza... more ABSTRACT A desirable societal goal may not imply a common understanding of that goal. As organizations seek to foster inclusion through a focus on diversity, understanding the operational definition employed by stakeholders becomes important. This study focuses on how candidates applying for employment address their diversity-related qualifications when specifically asked to do so. A model-driven qualitative coding system is used to characterize the diversity-related terminology in the cover letters of 111 applicants to a post-doctoral faculty fellowship position at a research university open to all academic disciplines. Applicants describe their strengths related to developing diversity-related curriculum and scholarship, aiding the recruitment and retention of a broad range of students and faculty, and establishing community partnerships to advance diversity. The analysis of applicants’ letters indicates that applicants refer to race, ethnicity, gender, and class dimensions of diversity most frequently, suggesting that operational definitions tend to be more limited to traditionally and legally established taxonomies of human difference.
ABSTRACT Canada and the United States share a border with one of the longest peaceful existencies... more ABSTRACT Canada and the United States share a border with one of the longest peaceful existencies in the world. Yet relationships between the two countries, while seemingly routine, often lack transparency and mutual comprehension. Of particular concern in Canada is a growing impression that public discourse in the United States considers Canadian governance to be flawed. This article employs the cases of terrorism and SARS to examine discourse regarding Canadian public administration in the United States press. The results of this analysis not only demonstrate elements of the American understanding of Canada but also speak to the role of peer nations in domestic policy discourse. Le Canada et les États-Unis partagent une frontière marquant une des coexistences pacifiques les plus longues du monde. Les relations entre les deux nations, apparemment sous le sceau de la routine, manquent en fait souvent de transparence et de compréhension mutuelle. Une préoccupation particulière au Canada concerne le sentiment que le discours public aux États-Unis présente habituellement la gouvernance canadienne comme défaillante. Cet article considère les cas du terrorisme et du SRAS pour examiner le discours relatif à l'administration publique canadienne dans la presse des États-Unis. Des résultats de cette analyse se dégage une impression mitigée sur la gouvernance canadienne vue des USA, pointant délibérément des carences face à un risque émergent chez leur voisin pour créer l'urgence d'une action publique ciblée, et en même temps, évitant tout sous-entendu d'incapacité du gouvernement local à gérer avec succès le nouveau défi. La frontera entre Canadá y Estados Unidos representa una de las coexistencias pacíficas más duraderas del mundo. Sin embargo, las relaciones entre estas dos naciones, aunque aparentemente buenas, a menudo carecen de transparencia y entendimiento mutuo. A este respecto, existe en el discurso público en Estados Unidos una tendencia a representar la gobernanza canadiense como defectuosa que despierta cierta inquietud en Canadá. En este artículo, el terrorismo y SRAS (síndrome respiratorio agudo severo) son utilizados como estudios de caso con el fin de analizar el discurso de la prensa estadounidense sobre la administración pública de Canadá. Los resultados de este análisis indican una ambivalencia en la idea sobre la gobernanza canadiense ya que, mientras que por una parte se destacan defectos de gestión relacionados con el riesgo ascendiente en el país vecino — con el objetivo de urgir a las autoridades públicas a la acción, por otra parte se evita cualquier insinuación de que el gobierno sea incapaz de hacer frente a este nuevo reto.
Domestic violence is increasingly recognized as a serious social problem in Missouri. Protection ... more Domestic violence is increasingly recognized as a serious social problem in Missouri. Protection orders are designed to offer individuals some level of safety, but nationally it is estimated that a quarter of such orders are not followed and enforcement is inconsistent. Noncompliant batterers typically increase the level of threats, coercive tactics and violence, and often the victims must relocate to hide from the abuser. These relocated victims need protection in new communities, but frequently they run into difficulties because of different legal jurisdictions across county and state lines. The Full Faith and Credit provisions of the Federal Violence Against Women Act of 1994 offer remedies to this problem, but states (including Missouri) have experienced considerable difficulties in implementation of the provisions of this act. Such problems include lack of coordination among jurisdictions, low levels of understanding about the law, scarce government resources for addressing impediments, and failure to enforce protection orders. Local Coordinated Community Responses Stronger state and federal laws are the foundation of prosecution and rehabilitation efforts against domestic violence, but successful implementation of domestic violence laws, particularly the enforcement of adult protection orders, requires the collaborative leadership of judges, clerks, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and domestic violence advocates. A coordinated community response, developed by the domestic violence professionals working in a geographical area, is the most promising method of fostering a coherent, comprehensive response to domestic violence.
Modern disability policy seeks a balance between individual and social responsibility for disabil... more Modern disability policy seeks a balance between individual and social responsibility for disability. Striking this balance involves redefining issues related to disability. This article presents an analysis of the issue definition process on autism in Canada. The findings suggest although autism became an increasingly present issue in public discourse in Canada during the last 20 years, no specific aspect of the autism experience became defined as an urgent public problem. Furthermore, public discourse surrounding autism focuses on health care, challenging ongoing development of rights-based disability policy.
Neurodiversity and neurological disabilities reflect rising public sector challenges. Both refer ... more Neurodiversity and neurological disabilities reflect rising public sector challenges. Both refer to the same set of medical conditions, but speak to different aspects of diversity affecting the public sector. Neurodiversity describes features of neurological difference associated with ...
Of all of the agenda types in disability policy subsystems, celebration and cure might seem to fa... more Of all of the agenda types in disability policy subsystems, celebration and cure might seem to fall into the most natural of tensions. Taking pride in the presence of something is difficult to do while simultaneously attempting to eradicate it. In considering cure oriented agendas, it is important to keep in mind that curing something is fundamentally an all or
Children with disabilities often require a variety of services to develop to their full potential... more Children with disabilities often require a variety of services to develop to their full potential. Currently, centralized services and residential institutions have become less accepted as a matter of course. Interagency Coordinating Councils (ICCs) were created to lead integration of services for children with disabilities in the context of decentralized service provision and a growing preference for person-centered, community-based services. In this article, the authors examine the federal ICC and several state ICCs in a case study of the challenges associated with orchestrating multilevel interagency collaboration. Emergent themes of interorganizational infrastructure, the shaping of participation, and service purposes and priorities are discussed as important elements of the ongoing creation of a new governance of services for children with disabilities.
Though ultimately beneficial to society, interactions between science and politics require carefu... more Though ultimately beneficial to society, interactions between science and politics require careful tending. Because science is an exercise in trial and error, public policy development can be affected by both scientific missteps and the length of time it takes to produce reasonable scientific certainty. Introduction of scientific findings, especially more preliminary ones, into the political process has a mixed record. Understanding how these tensions play out in contemporary politics is important for both disability studies and policy studies generally. This article explores how science and scientific evidence is employed by stakeholders engaged with autism policy development in the United States.
Autism has gained the attention of policy makers and public administrators in recent years. The s... more Autism has gained the attention of policy makers and public administrators in recent years. The surge in prevalence, in tandem with a growing social preference for community inclusion of individuals with disabilities, strains a variety of policy infrastructures. Autism and related disorders, which were first described in 1943, were originally thought to be extremely low incidence and usually coincident with mental retardation. In accordance with the disability policy paradigm of the era, public services for autism were provided predominantly in institutional settings. Since then, however, autism and related disorders have come to be understood as more common than was originally thought and more rarely associated with mental retardation. In this article, shift-share analysis is used to gain insight into how the growth in autism incidence is being differentially experienced and recorded within a single arena of policy across the United States. The challenges associated with a sudden g...
This article examines autism policy narratives in Canada and the United States. In both nations, ... more This article examines autism policy narratives in Canada and the United States. In both nations, meta-narratives emerged, establishing federal autism policy. Whereas the stories associated with these meta-narratives shared starting points, the stories unfolded in nationally distinct ways.
In recent years, a great deal of scholarship has examined the adequacy of special education and o... more In recent years, a great deal of scholarship has examined the adequacy of special education and other support services for children with disabilities in the U.S. and in other industrialized states. By contrast, there has been comparatively little study of services for children with disabilities in developing countries. In this paper, we attempt to bridge this gap in the literature. Focusing on the case of Mexico, we examine the provision of special education and other support services, and the availability and cost of private services. The focus of the analysis is on children with autism. Drawing upon a theoretical approach that combines modern political economy and comparative institutionalism, we also develop a tentative explanation of the politics of policymaking among parents and other stakeholders in the autism advocacy community.
Data from the Family Experiences with Autism Survey are used to identify factors associated with ... more Data from the Family Experiences with Autism Survey are used to identify factors associated with financial problems in families that have a child with autism. Likelihood of financial problems was positively associated with use of medical interventions, having unreimbursed medical or therapy expenses, and having relatively lower income. Use of speech and language therapy was negatively associated with likelihood of financial problems. Many survey respondents forfeited future financial security and even experienced bankruptcy to provide needed therapy for a child with autism. Specific ways that financial advisors can help families that have a child with autism are outlined.
Individuals with disabilities often report difficulty interacting with health care professionals.... more Individuals with disabilities often report difficulty interacting with health care professionals. Addressing this challenge requires greater understanding of factors that exacerbate the odds of negative interactions between health care providers and patients with disabilities. Drawing on the qualitative research describing the features of such incidents, we use logistic regression to explore two dimensions of this dynamic: negative experiences with health care providers (e.g., doctors, specialists) and negative experiences with health insurance carriers (e.g., for profit or non-profit health insurance organizations). Using a non-probability sample of American families who have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we find that negative experiences with health care providers are associated with the family’s income level, as well as changes in parental labor force participation. The odds of a negative interaction with the insurance carrier are intensified when the family experi...
In issue definition related to rights based policy, Canada has been stereotypically understood as... more In issue definition related to rights based policy, Canada has been stereotypically understood as taking a more positive, human rights centered approach whereas the United States has been expected to take a more negative, civil rights based tact. While this difference in approach is expected to be a key to a broad base of differences between the two nations and societies, the difference is arguably unusually relevant in the disability policy arena. After all, recent changes in the understanding of disability is transforming disability from an issue of personal culpability overseen by medical professionals and tempered by charitable efforts to an issue of shared social and personal construction for which society at large is responsible. As the incidence of disability continues to rise, broad changes in social, political, and economic infrastructures are the expected result of recent innovations in disability related policy. These changes will affect society well beyond the lives of individuals with disabilities. Over the past decade, Canada, the United States, and several other counties have experienced a surge in the reported incidence of autism. The public management of needs related to the autism baby boom is an unfolding process. This year the Canadian Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case of Auton v. British Columbia, which is focused on the question access to intensive therapy
In recent years, a great deal of scholarship has examined the adequacy of special education and o... more In recent years, a great deal of scholarship has examined the adequacy of special education and other support services for children with disabilities in the U.S. and in other industrialized states. By contrast, there has been comparatively little study of services for children with disabilities in developing countries. In this paper, we attempt to bridge this gap in the literature. Focusing on the case of Mexico, we examine the provision of special education and other support services, and the availability and cost of private services. The focus of the analysis is on children with autism. Drawing upon a theoretical approach that combines modern political economy and comparative institutionalism, we also develop a tentative explanation of the politics of policymaking among parents and other stakeholders in the autism advocacy community.
Canada and the United States share a border with one of the longest peaceful existencies in the w... more Canada and the United States share a border with one of the longest peaceful existencies in the world. Yet relationships between the two countries, while seemingly routine, often lack transparency and mutual comprehension. Of particular concern in Canada is a growing impression that public discourse in the United States considers Canadian governance to be flawed. This article employs the cases
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