Potential implications of new information concerning manganese Ohio community health effects studies.

Several epidemiology studies have been conducted in Ohio communities where industrial facilities with manganese emissions are located. New information not addressed in the published papers for this research has been disclosed by U.S. federal agencies pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. This paper describes the newly available information, presents statistical analyses of the new summary data, and explores how this information potentially impacts the conclusions of the published research. Based on a statistical analysis of the newly available data, we found very few, and no consistent, statistical differences for various illnesses, self-reported symptoms, and neuropsychological/neuromotor test results between one community with a manganese emission source and a control town that were part of the initial research. Further, we determined that the distribution of total suspended particulate manganese air concentrations did not correlate with the distribution of the more biologically relevant respirable manganese concentrations when data from two communities with potential manganese emissions were combined. These results are important, particularly in determining whether the studies should influence regulatory reference values related to manganese. We recommend that the full health effects data set associated with the published research be made available and re-evaluated to address the issues identified in this paper.

Evaluating sense of community in the residential environment from the perspectives of symbolic interactionism and architectural design.

The paper fills the gap between the design and the actuality of how buildings, and its surroundings, urban design, and the built environment influence its occupants' behavior and interactions. We assess how the built environments can be influenced by humans and their control, both physical and symbolically, of the urban landscapes. In this regard, our paper merges symbolic interactionism, sense of community, and architectural design to aid our understanding of the man-environment relationship. Specifically, we assess qualitative data on Ekbatan Residential Complex in Tehran. We use Ekbatan as a case study to see how a sense of community among residents reflects both physical features of the complex and the symbolic meaning attached to these features by residents and those living outside the community. We conclude by suggesting that combining the interests of urban sociologist, community psychology, and architects via symbolic interactionist concepts may be a fruitful avenue for studying factors affecting sense of community and larger urban processes.

What factors contribute to the risk of depression in epilepsy?--Tasmanian Epilepsy Register Mood Study (TERMS).

OBJECTIVE: To model the factors associated with depression in a community sample of people with epilepsy. The factors investigated were derived from proposed risk factors for depression from patients with epilepsy, other chronic illness, and the general population. METHODS: Multivariate analysis using general linear regression models of factors associated with depression in the Tasmanian Epilepsy Register Mood Study (TERMS), a cross-sectional community sample of 440 patients with epilepsy. RESULTS: A model with acceptable fit was created that explained 66% of the variance of depression. Associated factors included in this model were neuroticism, physical functioning, social support, past history of depression, and stressful life events. SIGNIFICANCE: In this cross-sectional study designed specifically to investigate depression in epilepsy, we showed that general risk factors for depression in other illness and in the general population are also important in patients with epilepsy, with little support for disease-related risk factors.

Contemporary trends in heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction after myocardial infarction: a community study.

Major changes have recently occurred in the epidemiology of myocardial infarction (MI) that could possibly affect outcomes such as heart failure (HF). Data describing trends in HF after MI are scarce and conflicting and do not distinguish between preserved and reduced ejection fraction (EF). We evaluated temporal trends in HF after MI. All residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota (n = 2,596) who had a first-ever MI diagnosed in 1990-2010 and no prior HF were followed-up through 2012. Framingham Heart Study criteria were used to define HF, which was further classified according to EF. Both early-onset (0-7 days after MI) and late-onset (8 days to 5 years after MI) HF were examined. Changes in patient presentation were noted, including fewer ST-segment-elevation MIs, lower Killip class, and more comorbid conditions. Over the 5-year follow-up period, 715 patients developed HF, 475 of whom developed it during the first week. The age- and sex-adjusted risk declined from 1990-1996 to 2004-2010, with hazard ratios of 0.67 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54, 0.85) for early-onset HF and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.86) for late-onset HF. Further adjustment for patient and MI characteristics yielded hazard ratios of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.66, 1.11) and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.88) for early- and late-onset HF, respectively. Declines in early-onset and late-onset HF were observed for HF with reduced EF (<50%) but not for HF with preserved EF, indicating a change in the case mix of HF after MI that requires new prevention strategies.

The Science-Based Pathways to Understanding False Confessions and Wrongful Convictions.

This review shows that there is now a solid scientific evidence base for the "expert" evaluation of disputed confession cases in judicial proceedings. Real-life cases have driven the science by stimulating research into "coercive" police questioning techniques, psychological vulnerabilities to false confession, and the development and validation of psychometric tests of interrogative suggestibility and compliance. Mandatory electronic recording of police interviews has helped with identifying the situational and personal "risk factors" involved in false confessions and how these interact. It is the combination of a detailed evaluation and analysis of real-life cases, experimental work, and community (and prison/police station) studies that have greatly advanced the science over the past 40 years. In this review, the story of the development of the science during this "golden era" is told through the three established error pathways to false confessions and wrongful convictions: misclassification, coercion, and contamination. A case study of a major miscarriage of justice is used to highlight the key issues at each stage of the error pathways and it shows the continued resistance of the judiciary to admit mistakes and learn from them. Science is a powerful platform from which to educate the police and the judiciary.

Chronic constipation and co-morbidities: A prospective population-based nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic constipation (CC) is common in the community but surprisingly little is known about relevant gastro-intestinal (GI) and non-GI co-morbidities. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the epidemiology of CC and in particular provide new insights into the co-morbidities linked to this condition. METHODS: In a prospective, population-based nested case-control study, a cohort of randomly selected community residents (n = 8006) were mailed a validated self-report gastrointestinal symptom questionnaire. CC was defined according to Rome III criteria. Medical records of each case and control were abstracted to identify potential CC comorbidities. RESULTS: Altogether 3831 (48%) subjects returned questionnaires; 307 met criteria for CC. Age-adjusted prevalence in females was 8.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 7.1-10.3) and 5.1 (3.6-6.7) in males, per 100 persons. CC was not associated with most GI pathology, but the odds for constipation were increased in subjects with anal surgery relative to those without (odds ratio (OR) = 3.3, 95% CI 1.2-9.1). In those with constipation vs those without, neurological diseases including Parkinson's disease (OR = 6.5, 95% CI 2.9-14.4) and multiple sclerosis (OR = 5.5, 95% CI 1.9-15.8) showed significantly increased odds for chronic constipation, adjusting for age and gender. In addition, modestly increased odds for chronic constipation in those with angina (OR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.9) and myocardial infarction (OR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.0-2.4) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Neurological and cardiovascular diseases are linked to constipation but in the community constipation is unlikely to account for most lower GI pathology.

Prevalence and risk factors for dysphagia: a USA community study.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia is considered an alarm symptom but detailed population-based data on dysphagia are lacking. We aimed to estimate in a representative USA Caucasian population, the prevalence of dysphagia and potential risk factors. METHODS: A modified version of the previously validated Bowel Disease Questionnaire was mailed to a population-based cohort (n = 7640) of Olmsted County, MN. Dysphagia was measured by one validated question 'In the last year, how often have you had difficulty swallowing (a feeling that food sticks in your throat or chest)?' The medical records were reviewed for organic causes of dysphagia. The associations of reported frequency of dysphagia with potential risk factors were assessed using logistic regression models. KEY RESULTS: The sex-specific, age-adjusted (US White 2000) prevalence for dysphagia experienced at least weekly was 3.0% (95% CI: 2.2, 3.7) in females and 3.0% (95% CI: 2.0, 4.0) in males. Those with frequent heartburn (OR = 5.9 [4.0, 8.6]) and acid regurgitation (OR = 10.6 [6.8, 16.6]) were significantly more likely to report frequent dysphagia. Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use was significantly associated with frequent (3.1, 95% CI 2.2, 4.4) and infrequent dysphagia (1.5, 955 CI 1.3, 1.8). Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) was the most common diagnosis in those reporting dysphagia on the medical record; other organic explanations were rare and only found in the frequent dysphagia group. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Frequent dysphagia is not rare in the community (3%), occurs in both women and men across all adult age groups, and is most likely to indicate underlying GERD.

Ankle Accelerometry for Assessing Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls: Threshold Determination, Validity, Reliability, and Feasibility.

PURPOSE: Ankle accelerometry allows for 24-hr data collection and improves data volume/integrity versus hip accelerometry. Using Actical ankle accelerometry, the purpose of this study was to (a) develop sensitive/specific thresholds, (b) examine validity/reliability, (c) compare new thresholds with those of the manufacturer, and (d) examine feasibility in a community sample (low-income, urban adolescent girls). METHOD: Two studies were conducted with 6th- through 7th-grade girls (aged 10-14 years old): First was a laboratory study (n = 24), in which 2 Actical accelerometers were placed on the ankle and worn while measuring energy expenditure (Cosmed K4b2, metabolic equivalents [METs]) during 10 prescribed activities. Analyses included device equivalence reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], activity counts of 2 Acticals), criterion-related validity (correlation, activity counts and METs), and calculations of sensitivity, specificity, kappa, and receiver-operating characteristic curves for thresholds. The second was a free-living study (n = 459), in which an Actical was worn for more than 7 days on the ankle (full 24-hr days retained). Analyses included feasibility (frequencies, missing data) and paired t tests (new thresholds vs. those of the manufacturer). RESULTS: In the laboratory study, the Actical demonstrated reliability (ICC = .92) and validity (r = .81). Thresholds demonstrated sensitivity (91%), specificity (84%), kappa = .73 (p = .043), area under curve range = .81-.97. In the free-living study, 99.6% of participants wore the accelerometer; 84.1% had complete/valid data (mean = 5.7 days). Primary reasons for missing/invalid data included: improper programming/documentation (5.2%), failure to return device (5.0%), and wear-time ≤ 2 days (2.8%). The moderate-to-vigorous physical activity threshold (> 3,200 counts/minute) yielded 37.2 min/day, 2 to 4.5 times lower than that of the manufacturer's software (effect size = 0.74-4.05). CONCLUSIONS: Validity, reliability, and feasibility evidences support Actical ankle accelerometry to assess physical activity in community studies of adolescent girls. When comparing manufacturers' software versus new thresholds, a major difference was observed.

Self-harm in young people: Prevalence, associated factors, and help-seeking in school-going adolescents.

Adolescent self-harm is recognized as a serious public health problem; however, there is little reliable comparative data on its prevalence or characteristics, or on the extent of help-seeking for self-harm. The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence and associated factors of adolescent self-harm in an urban region in Ireland, and to investigate help-seeking behaviours for self-harm. This was a cross-sectional study of 856 school-going adolescents, employing an anonymous self-report questionnaire. A lifetime history of self-harm was reported by 12.1% of adolescents. Factors independently associated with self-harm included exposure to self-harm of a friend/family member. Professional help-seeking was uncommon prior to (9%) and after (12%) self-harm. Furthermore, only 6.9% of adolescents presented to hospital as a result of their last self-harm act. These findings indicate that self-harm is common in adolescents; however, seeking professional help is not a common phenomenon, and those who present to hospital represent the 'tip of the iceberg' of adolescent self-harm. Identifying the prevalence of self-harm and associated factors, in addition to help-seeking behaviours, in young people is important to determine the preventative programmes to target 'at-risk' groups. Mental health nurses have an important and increasing role to play in such school-based initiatives.

Learning by Observing and Pitching In and the Connections to Native and Indigenous Knowledge Systems.

This chapter opens a broader dialogue of Learning by Observing and Pitching-In (LOPI) with Native and Indigenous Studies, and Native and Indigenous Education, drawing particular attention to how LOPI can provide a model for better understanding Indigenous pedagogy in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). As Battiste (2002) pointed out, "Indigenous pedagogy values a person's ability to learn independently by observing, listening, participating with a minimum of intervention and instruction." Like LOPI, IKS include ways of knowing and ways of being in the world, with life-long processes and responsibilities that model competent and respectful behavior. The chapter explores similarities and differences between IKS and LOPI by analyzing each perspective's scope, defining features, and foundational origins, as well as what each contributes to our understanding of Native and Indigenous communities, especially in terms of learning and incorporation into adulthood and family and community life.

Social disorder and diagnostic order: the US Mental Hygiene Movement, the Midtown Manhattan study and the development of psychiatric epidemiology in the 20th century.

Recent scholarship regarding psychiatric epidemiology has focused on shifting notions of mental disorders. In psychiatric epidemiology in the last decades of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century, mental disorders have been perceived and treated largely as discrete categories denoting an individual's mental functioning as either pathological or normal. In the USA, this grew partly out of evolving modern epidemiological work responding to the State's commitment to measure the national social and economic burdens of psychiatric disorders and subsequently to determine the need for mental health services and to survey these needs over time. Notably absent in these decades have been environmentally oriented approaches to cultivating normal, healthy mental states, approaches initially present after World War II. We focus here on a set of community studies conducted in the 1950s, particularly the Midtown Manhattan study, which grew out of a holistic conception of mental health that depended on social context and had a strong historical affiliation with: the Mental Hygiene Movement and the philosophy of its founder, Adolf Meyer; the epidemiological formation of field studies and population surveys beginning early in the 20th century, often with a health policy agenda; the recognition of increasing chronic disease in the USA; and the radical change in orientation within psychiatry around World War II. We place the Midtown Manhattan study in historical context--a complex narrative of social institutions, professional formation and scientific norms in psychiatry and epidemiology, and social welfare theory that begins during the Progressive era (1890-1920) in the USA.

Donald Pierson e o Projeto do Vale do Rio São Francisco: cientistas sociais em ação na era do desenvolvimento / Donald Pierson and the São Francisco River Valley Project: social scientists in action in the age of development

Amid rapid social changes in Brazil in the 1950s, wide-reaching collective research projects in the social sciences were conducted in partnership between Brazilian and international agencies working in regional development. Cooperation between social scientists and government staff was based on the expectation that social and anthropological studies would orient the changes then under way. By approaching the research program in the São Francisco River Valley, the article examines a turning point in the career of sociologist Donald Pierson, combining analyses of context and content in his intellectual production. Pierson concentrated initially on the institutionalization of the social sciences in Brazil, promoting a standard of sociological work based on scientific research. In his research in the São Francisco River Valley, Pierson adopted a new approach by combining the sociologist’s role as scientist with that of agent of social change, thereby highlighting the importance of the application of sociological knowledge in practice.

Dans les années 1950 au Brésil, au milieu de changements sociaux accélérés, on a entrepris d’importants projets collectifs de recherche en sciences sociales en partenariat avec des agences nationales et internationales intéressées par le développement régional. La coopération entre chercheurs et techniciens de la fonction publique était fondée sur le souhait que les études sociologiques et anthropologiques pourraient guider les transformations en cours. À partir de l’examen du programme de recherches de la Vallée du Rio São Francisco, on cherche, dans cet article, à saisir les inflexions de trajectoire du sociologue Donald Pierson, en y associant l'analyse du contexte et celle du contenu de sa production intellectuelle. Au départ, Pierson s’est concentré sur l’institutionnalisation des sciences sociales au Brésil, en proposant un modèle de travail sociologique calqué sur la recherche empirique. Mais, au cours de ses enquêtes dans la vallée du fleuve, il adopte une nouvelle perspective en incorporant au rôle de spécialiste sociologue celui d'agent du changement social, tout en soulignant l’importance de l'application du savoir sociologique.

Ciências Sociais e saúde no ciclo de pesquisas no Vale do São Francisco (1950-1960) / Social Sciences and health in the research cycle of São Francisco Valley (1950-1960)

No período entre 1940 e 1960, houve ampla produção acadêmica no campo da sociologia e da antropologia dos chamados estudos de comunidade no Brasil. Na era dos grandes projetos no âmbito das Ciências Sociais na década de 1950, envolvendo pesquisas sobre relações raciais, educação e saúde, cabe destacar as pesquisas realizadas no Vale do São Francisco, sob a coordenação do sociólogo Donald Pierson. Privilegia-se, neste artigo, o tema da saúde nesses estudos como um meio para tornar inteligíveis questões relevantes à época, a saber: resistências culturais à mudança; relações entre tradição e modernidade, tensões e complementaridades entre conhecimento científico e práticas populares de cura, entre outros. O exame das pesquisas do Projeto do São Francisco permitiu identificar que a questão da saúde, atrelada aos aspectos socioeconômicos e culturais, emerge como uma chave para o conhecimento das condições de vida e da realidade social das comunidades investigadas. Os cientistas sociais buscaram descrevê-las de maneira pormenorizada e abrangente, tendo o processo de mudança cultural como principal eixo de investigação. Neste artigo apresentamos as pesquisas que compuseram o referido projeto e mostramos como os cientistas sociais abordaram o tema da saúde em seus trabalhos. Ligados pelo tema da saúde, as Ciências Sociais e o contexto do desenvolvimento dos anos 1950 encontram-se reunidos no Projeto do São Francisco, cuja investigação nos permite compreender a dinâmica da mudança social naquele período.

Ciências Sociais e saúde no ciclo de pesquisas no Vale do São Francisco (1950-1960) / Social Sciences and health in the research cycle of São Francisco Valley (1950-1960)

No período entre 1940 e 1960, houve ampla produção acadêmica no campo da sociologia e da antropologia dos chamados estudos de comunidade no Brasil. Na era dos grandes projetos no âmbito das Ciências Sociais na década de 1950, envolvendo pesquisas sobre relações raciais, educação e saúde, cabe destacar as pesquisas realizadas no Vale do São Francisco, sob a coordenação do sociólogo Donald Pierson. Privilegia-se, neste artigo, o tema da saúde nesses estudos como um meio para tornar inteligíveis questões relevantes à época, a saber: resistências culturais à mudança; relações entre tradição e modernidade, tensões e complementaridades entre conhecimento científico e práticas populares de cura, entre outros. O exame das pesquisas do Projeto do São Francisco permitiu identificar que a questão da saúde, atrelada aos aspectos socioeconômicos e culturais, emerge como uma chave para o conhecimento das condições de vida e da realidade social das comunidades investigadas. Os cientistas sociais buscaram descrevê-las de maneira pormenorizada e abrangente, tendo o processo de mudança cultural como principal eixo de investigação. Neste artigo apresentamos as pesquisas que compuseram o referido projeto e mostramos como os cientistas sociais abordaram o tema da saúde em seus trabalhos. Ligados pelo tema da saúde, as Ciências Sociais e o contexto do desenvolvimento dos anos 1950 encontram-se reunidos no Projeto do São Francisco, cuja investigação nos permite compreender a dinâmica da mudança social naquele período.

Between 1940 and 1960, there was extensive academic research in the field of sociology and anthropology of so-called community studies in Brazil. In the era of large projects in the social sciences in the 1950s, involving research on race relations, education and health, we highlight the research conducted in the São Francisco Valley, under the coordination of the sociologist Donald Pierson. Attention is given in this paper to the issue of health in these studies as a means to make intelligible the relevant issues at the time, namely: cultural resistance to change, relations between tradition and modernity, tensions and complementarities between scientific knowledge and folk healing practices, among others. The examination of the research project of San Francisco identified the issue of health, linked to socioeconomic and cultural aspects, emerges as a key to the knowledge of living conditions and social reality of the communities investigated. Social scientists have sought to describe them in detail and comprehensively, taking the process of cultural change as the main axis of research. This paper presents the research that formed the said project and shows how social scientists have addressed the issue of health in their work. Linked by the theme of health, social sciences and the development context of the 1950s are gathered in the San Francisco Project, whose research allows us to understand the dynamics of social change in that period.

Estudos de Comunidade e ciências sociais no Brasil

O objetivo deste artigo é fazer um balanço da literatura sobre os Estudos de Comunidade (EC) no Brasil, destacando o contexto intelectual em que foram produzidos e os debates que suscitaram, especialmente entre as décadas de 1940 e 1960. Método de pesquisa em comunidades, oriundo da Antropologia, em investigações sobre o processo de mudança social, os EC estiveram em voga nos Estados Unidos entre os anos 1920 e 1950, tendo papel fundamental na institucionalização das Ciências Sociais no Brasil. Destacamos três aspectos na produção desses estudos no país, iniciando com uma abordagem conceitual: definições, origem e sua relação com temáticas marcantes nos anos 1950. Em seguida, privilegiamos os aspectos relacionados ao papel dos EC na história das Ciências Sociais no Brasil, com destaque para o processo de institucionalização das Ciências Sociais. Por fim, revisitamos os debates que tais estudos geraram entre os cientistas sociais quanto ao padrão de trabalho sociológico a ser desenvolvido naquele momento.

Estudos epidemiológicos / Epidemiological studies

Os estudos epidemiológicos podem ser primários ou secundários. Dentre os primeiros, arrolamos os seccionais (transversais ou de prevalência) de maior viabilidade de realização, além dos longitudinais (como os que avaliam incidência) e destacamos os que enfocam taxas de morbidade ou mortalidade, e também os de qualidade de vida, de qualidade de atendimento, além dos de análise econômica. Dentre os secundários, mencionamos os advindos de registros regulares, como os da Vigilância Epidemiológica e do DATASUS. Os estudos de intervenção comunitária a serem enfatizados podem ser os relacionados a autocontrole dos pacientes, com base cognitivo-comportamental. A realização e difusão das revisões sistemáticas podem ser úteis para o estudo auto-dirigido e melhoria da qualidade de atendimento pelos clínicos gerais, com papel primordial no atendimento qualificado de grande parte da população com epilepsia ou com evento similar.

The epidemiological studies can be primary or secondary. Among the former, we mention the cross-sectional studies (controlled or not - prevalence studies), which is rather easier in execution, and longitudinal studies (such as those of incidence evaluation). We highlight studies that focus on morbidity or mortality rates, but also those aiming to assess quality of life, quality of care, and economical analysis. Among the secondary ones, we mentioned those from regular registers, such as the Epidemic Surveillance and of DATASUS. The community-based interventional studies should regard patients’ self-control, in particular to approaches cognitive-behavioral based intervention. The construction and spreading of the systematic revisions can be useful for the medical continuous education and improvement of the general practitioner quality of care that covers great part of the population with epilepsy or with event alike.

Estudos de comunidade, ciências sociais e saúde: o ciclo de pesquisas no Vale do São Francisco na década de 1950

Esta dissertação aborda o conjunto de pesquisas de comunidades realizado no âmbito do Projeto de Pesquisas no Vale do São Francisco, eselecendo relações com o processo de institucionalização das Ciências Sociais no Brasil e o processo dedesenvolvimento na década de 1950. Meu argumento é que, diferente das críticas que predominaram nos anos 1950 e 1960, os Estudos de Comunidade contribuíram para a análise do tema da mudança social no país. O Projeto do São Francisco foi organizado e dirigido pelo sociólogo norte-americano Donald Pierson nos anos 1950. Representa aconvergência de questões fundamentais naquele período, especialmente no que concerne à investigação do processo de Esta dissertação aborda o conjunto de pesquisas de comunidades realizado no âmbito do Projeto de Pesquisas no Vale do São Francisco, estabelecendo relações com o processo de institucionalização das Ciências Sociais no Brasil e o processo de desenvolvimento na década de 1950. Meu argumento é que, diferente das críticas que predominaram nos anos 1950 e 1960, os Estudos de Comunidade contribuíram para a análise do tema da mudança social no país. O Projeto do São Francisco foi organizado e dirigido pelo sociólogo norte-americano Donald Pierson nos anos 1950. Representa a convergência de questões fundamentais naquele período, especialmente no que concerne à investigação do processo de mudança social por que passavam diversas comunidades do interior do país, e à temática do desenvolvimento. Pierson contou com a colaboração de Alceu Maynard Araújo, Alfonso Trujillo Ferrari, Esdras Borges Costa, Fernando Altenfelder Silva, Levy Cruz e Octavio da Costa Eduardo, seus alunos e colegas de trabalho na Escola Livre de Sociologia e Política de São Paulo. Os Estudos de Comunidade tiveram um papel fundamental na institucionalização das Ciências Sociais no Brasil, que então passavam por um momento de afirmação de sua cientificidade. Nesse processo, os Estudos de Comunidade foram considerados por diversos cientistas sociais um caminho mais eficaz para superar uma produção de caráter mais ensaístico. Por outro lado, esses estudos surgiam com o propósito prático de oferecer subsídios ao trabalho de técnicos responsáveis pela implantação de projetos de desenvolvimento e mudança social. O Projeto do São Francisco propunha a investigação minuciosa dos diversos aspectos que compunham a estrutura sociocultural de comunidades rurais, e foi incorporado à conjuntura desenvolvimentista mediante a possibilidade de tornar inteligível: 1) a cultura dessas comunidades para os agentes da mudança (administradores, médicos, agrônomos, etc.), a fim de que suas ações tivessem o efeito desejado; 2) as estratégias de resistência às mudanças observadas entre as populações rurais, consideradas entraves ao desenvolvimento; e 3) o processo de mudança social em termos assimiláveis para essas populações rurais. No primeiro capítulo procuramos mapear as posições assumidas por cientistas sociais acerca dos EC, no intuito de contextualizá-los intelectualmente. Contemplando considerações de autores que avaliaram positivamente os EC, como também os que levantaram objeções à sua realização, alinhamo-nos à perspectiva que os recoloca no debate acadêmico, repensando o seu papel na história das Ciências Sociais. No segundo capítulo abordamos a origem do Projeto do São Francisco, reconstituímos o processo de execução das pesquisas e apresentamos as monografias, articulando-os ao contexto histórico em que foram produzidas, e às trajetórias profissionais de cada um dos pesquisadores envolvidos. O terceiro capítulo aborda a obra O Homem no Vale do São Francisco, de Donald Pierson, que nos permite ter uma visão de conjunto em relação às demais pesquisas no Vale, em função de sua angular ampliada de investigação. Em seguida, analisamos os estudos do Projeto do São Francisco à luz da interface entre o processo de mudança social e a temática da saúde, presentes em todos eles.

Estudos de comunidade, ciências sociais e saúde: o ciclo de pesquisas no Vale do São Francisco na década de 1950 / Community studies, socials sciences and health: the cycle of researches in the Vale do São Francisco in the 1950s

Esta dissertação aborda o conjunto de pesquisas de comunidades realizado no âmbito do Projeto de Pesquisas no Vale do São Francisco, estabelecendo relações com o processo de institucionalização das Ciências Sociais no Brasil e o processo dedesenvolvimento na década de 1950. Meu argumento é que, diferente das críticas que predominaram nos anos 1950 e 1960, os Estudos de Comunidade contribuíram para a análise do tema da mudança social no país. O Projeto do São Francisco foi organizado e dirigido pelo sociólogo norte-americano Donald Pierson nos anos 1950. Representa aconvergência de questões fundamentais naquele período, especialmente no que concerne à investigação do processo de mudança social por que passavam diversas comunidades do interior do país, e à temática do desenvolvimento. Pierson contou com a colaboração de Alceu Maynard Araújo, Alfonso Trujillo Ferrari, Esdras Borges Costa, Fernando Altenfelder Silva, Levy Cruz e Octavio da Costa Eduardo, seus alunos e colegas de trabalho na Escola Livre de Sociologia e Política de São Paulo. Os Estudos de Comunidade tiveram um papel fundamental na institucionalização das Ciências Sociais no Brasil, que então passavam por um momento de afirmação de sua cientificidade. Nesse processo, os Estudos de Comunidade foram considerados por diversos cientistas sociais um caminho mais eficaz para superar uma produção de caráter mais ensaístico. Por outro lado, esses estudos surgiam com o propósito prático de oferecer subsídios ao trabalho de técnicos responsáveis pela implantação de projetos de desenvolvimento e mudança social.

This study examines the Valley of the São Francisco Research Project’s studies, related to the process of institutionalization of Social Sciences in Brazil and development process, which marked 1950 decade. Although the criticism that predominate in the 1950’sand 1960’s, my argument is that the Community Studies contributed to analyze social changes in Brazil. The São Francisco Project was organized and directed by American sociologistDonald Pierson in the 1950’s. It represents the convergence of important questions at that time, specially about investigations of rural communities’ social changes and ideas ofdevelopment. Pierson counted with collaboration of Alceu Maynard Araújo, Alfonso Trujillo Ferrari, Esdras Borges Costa, Fernando Altenfelder Silva, Levy Cruz e Octavio da Costa Eduardo, his students and colleagues at Free School of Sociology and Politics of São Paulo.The Community Studies played a fundamental role in the institutionalization of the Social Sciences in Brazil, which at that time had been going through a period of affirmation of its scientificity. In this process, the Community Studies were considered by social scientists amore effective way to overcome a more essayistic approach. On the other hand, these studies would come in order to offer subsidies to the work of technicians who were responsible forimplementing projects of social development and change. The São Francisco Project proposed a detailed investigation of many aspects ofsociocultural structure of rural communities, and it was incorporated to development conjuncture by the possibility of making intelligible: 1) communities’ culture to changesagents (administrators, physicians, agronomists, etc.), so that their actions would have the desired effect; 2) the strategies of resistance to changes, observed between rural populations,considered obstacles to development; and 3) the social change process in assimilable terms to rural populations...