NCJ Number
48871
Date Published
1973
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE ATTITUDES OF MALE AND FEMALE STAFF MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS IN A DRUG-FREE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY PROGRAM IN NEW JERSEY ARE COMPARED.
Abstract
STUDY SUBJECTS WERE 25 MALE AND 9 FEMALE STAFF MEMBERS AND 73 MALE AND 23 FEMALE RESIDENTS OF A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR THROUGH INTENSIVE SOCIAL CONTROL ACTIVITIES. STAFF MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TREATMENT PROGRAM AND ABOUT THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES AMONG BOTH STAFF MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS APPEAR TO REFLECT ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES THAT ARE UNIVERSAL IN SOCIETY. THERE ARE MORE MALES THAN FEMALES ON THE GENERAL AND CLINICAL STAFF, AND NO FEMALES ON THE EXECUTIVE STAFF. ALTHOUGH MALE AND FEMALE STAFF MEMBERS HOLD SIMILAR ATTITUDES, THE SMALLER NUMBER AND RELATIVE LACK OF POWER OF FEMALE STAFF MEMBERS APPEAR TO BIAS THE SYSTEM TOWARD MALE CLIENTS. STAFF MEMBERS TEND TO VIEW THE PROBLEMS OF FEMALE DRUG ADDICTS AS STEMMING FROM INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, WHEREAS THE PROBLEMS OF MALE ADDICTS ARE VIEWED IN TERMS OF COMPETENCE AND ACHIEVEMENT. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN STAFF MEMBERS' AND CLIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF CLIENTS' PROBLEMS. ALTHOUGH MOST STAFF MEMBERS FELT THAT MALE AND FEMALE CLIENTS RECEIVED THE SAME JOB ASSIGNMENTS IN THE PROGRAM, IN REALITY JOB ASSIGNMENTS REFLECTED TRADITIONAL MALE-FEMALE DIFFERENCES. THESE AND OTHER FINDINGS LEAD TO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ATTITUDINAL TRAINING OF MALE STAFF MEMBERS REGARDING RIGHTS, ROLES, AND PROBLEMS OF FEMALE CLIENTS, GREATER INVOLVEMENT OF FEMALE STAFF MEMBERS IN POLICYMAKING, AND OTHER MEASURES TO ENHANCE DRUG TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS FOR WOMEN. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)