A REVIEW OF STRESSORS IN THE HOME

Stress can be defined as a dependent variable, an independent variable or as an interactive variable. The most workable definition is the latter, ‘the transactional model’. This describes stress as a ‘lack of fit’ between an organism and the environment in which an imbalance occurs at a cognitive level between perceived demand and perceived capability producing an unpleasant, emotional experience and a stress response. Stressors in the domestic environment may be noxious stimuli, social stressors, phenomenological stressors, or developmental stressors; all of which are discussed. In conclusion, the studies reviewed are suggested as failing to consider the large number of variables involved and in addition more work on the relationship between work stress and home life should be undertaken.     

Dispersed alarm systems – a review

The increase in the number of retired, elderly and very old in society has begun to pose the problem of how to provide access to care services for those in households which are not purpose built, specially adapted and serviced accommodation. Liberalization of telecommunications in the U.K. allied to technical advances have allowed ‘dispersed alarm systems’ to be developed and thus provide a means of communication between isolated elderly people in distress and a central emergency service. The selection of an appropriate system and its management are discussed in this paper.     

Measurement Entering the 21st Century: A Clear or Blocked Road Ahead?

While progress has been made in rendering financial statements more relevant by the inclusion of current value information, a piecemeal standard-by-standard approach has resulted in a lack of consistency in the specification of the valuation bases. At the international level there is disagreement between standard- setters on a unifjing concept, with some advocating value to the entity and others favouring fair value. The IASC has a high-level steering committee addressing the key issues related to financial performance and it will be interesting to see if it can facilitate the progressive swing to current value by providing a sensible framework within which to report value changes.     

Children's role in the domestic economy

Studies of family finances have largely concentrated on adults. This paper examines the neglected role of children in the receiving and spending of money and reports on an investigation of children's own views on their involvement in handling money. It is shown that pocket money is an institution perceived by both parents and children to be as much a mechanism for transferring adult values about expenditure and saving as to give children independent access to money. Many children receive cash from outside the nuclear family. particularly as part of a wider exchange network of kin. Some money is given freely, some is provided in return for domestic tasks performed by children.