Hart’s (2006) dissertation also considered young children’s attachment, 5-year-olds

attachment security, and coping strategies when presented with stressful story
stems. This qualitative study of 13 children used a modified version of Bretherton,
Ridgeway, and Cassidy’s (1990) story stems and contextual analysis methodology.
This approach uses prompt questions that allow the child to provide their own
details and conclusions to a story. The author coded responses to indicate security
of attachment according to seven predetermined categories: sense of self agency,
nurturing and protection, denial, authority, violence, relationship with others, and
mood. Each story stem was evaluated in the context of these categories and
definitions
of attachment were used to understand the responses in relation to their
perceptions of attachment. Findings were discussed in the context of each child’s
story response and perception of attachment. There were noticeable similarities in
coping strategies by most of the children. Most children created story stems that
demonstrated a sense of self-reliance or trust that their caregiver would aid them
with the problem presented. In addition, they were typically able to solve the
problems
in a logical and coherent manner. The results here point to the importance
of story stems as a clinical tool to be used with this difficult-to-assess age-group.
Finally, Bennett (2001) explored the attachment process between lesbian coparents
and their internationally adopted children. This primarily qualitative study looked at
15 lesbian couples each with an internationally adopted child. She found that all
children in this study developed attachment to both mothers. However, a large percentage
exhibited a hierarchy of attachment. Despite the nontraditional nature of the family
structure, lesbian couples and heterosexual couples with internationally
adopted
children have a remarkably similar parent–child attachment process. Differences were
most notable when looking at the additional challenges that the lesbian families faced
in regards to diversity. All of these studies focused on children and attachment consider
the critically important context of such attachment:
family and environment. It is clear
that social workers have made an important contribution to our understanding of childhood
attachment.
Elders
African American elders, 11, 127–143
elder abuse, 209, 210
Ethology, 3, 19, 20, 26
Evolution, 1, 20, 25, 26, 62, 71, 81, 83,
129, 174
Exploration. See Exploratory system
Exploratory system, 3, 4, 21, 22, 32,
39, 44, 47, 101, 124, 129, 149–152,
154, 157, 158, 162, 163, 165, 166,
175, 176, 183, 184, 222, 228,
240, 245, 256, 259–262
F
Family and Medical Leave Act, 208
Fathers, 36, 83, 93, 102, 106, 122, 123,
136, 140, 143, 161, 166, 167, 177,
182, 185, 198, 203, 205, 223, 228,
229, 232, 241
Fonagy, P., 40, 115, 117–119, 260
Foster care, permanency planning, 199
Freud, A., 19, 57, 58, 63, 199
Freud, S., 19, 57, 58, 63, 70
G
Gender, 36, 46, 240
General attachment and specific attachment,
50, 257, 258
Grandmothers, 102, 138, 155, 161, 162,
202, 244
Grief (stages of)
despair, 10, 23, 79, 80, 82, 84–86,
90–92, 101
detachment, 10, 19, 80, 82, 92
protest, 10, 19, 22, 26, 80, 82–85, 87,
90–92, 185
reorganization, 23, 80, 82, 84–87,
90–92, 141
Groups
cognitive-behavioral group, 176,
178, 180
group alliance, 176, 177
group attachment, 47, 177
group cohesion, 254, 255
group dynamics, 174, 175
group interventions, 11, 173–189
group processes, 174–177, 179, 185
group therapy, 179, 183
group work, 173
inpatient group, 178
therapeutic group process, 174, 176
H
Hazan, C., 1, 23, 32, 210, 256
Homecare and hospice care, 142, 143
I
Implicit communication, 10, 24, 61–68,
99–101, 110
Implicit relational knowing, 10, 64, 65, 82, 83,
94, 99, 100
Implicit self, 59, 61, 63, 70, 71
Intergenerational transmission of attachment,
5, 11, 115, 147, 150, 153, 166–168,
218, 232, 245
Internal working models, 1, 3, 4, 20, 21, 24,
31, 33, 41, 44, 60, 62–64, 66, 69, 92,
98, 149, 150, 164, 165, 177, 183, 197,
206, 240
Intersubjectivity (or intersubjective), 58, 60,
62, 64–71, 80, 82, 100, 101
Intimacy, 45, 50, 130, 167, 173, 177, 179–180,
184, 185, 210