The present investigation extends the work of Bowen et al. (2016a, 2016b) by proposing and testin... more The present investigation extends the work of Bowen et al. (2016a, 2016b) by proposing and testing a similar measure of Comprehensive Airman Fitness (CAF) for the civilian spouses of USAF active-duty members. The 12-item spouse measure was validated empirically through confirmatory factor analysis of four fitness components and an overall or total fitness measure of CAF.
The social organization theory of action and change accounts for transitions families face in com... more The social organization theory of action and change accounts for transitions families face in community contexts. This perspective aligns with family stress and resilience theories, including the contextual model of family stress. Our discussion focuses on transitions of military families, including the continually changing nature of military family life. The military environment provides an opportunity for understanding family vulnerability and resilience from a community perspective, in effect, a perspective centered on contexts. Contexts include matters that families have control over and those they are unable to affect. The roles of shared responsibility and collective competence in moving families and communities forward are discussed, as are pivotal roles of informal networks and formal systems. Findings that align with this theorizing include influence of the military system and culture on families, as well as how sense of community emerges as a pivotal factor for family well...
Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion, 2014
The ecology of individual and family life suggests that humans and their primary social groups ar... more The ecology of individual and family life suggests that humans and their primary social groups are surrounded by multiple layers of influences, including other individuals, families, and larger social groups as well as complex geographic, economic, and political systems. Many of these social influences on individuals and families are captured by the term community, broadly signifying collectives of individuals and families that are connected by virtue of geography, sentiment, intention and purpose, or happenstance.Whether individuals are active or passive participants in community life, individuals will experience community influences. Community capacity is comprised of two essential elements, which are shared responsibility for the general welfare of the community and its individual members and collective competence for addressing community needs and confronting situations that threaten the safety and well-being of community members. We contend that, in concert, these elements enable communities to deal more effectively with positive challenges as well as adversity and to achieve individual, family, and community results more effectively. Our discussion parses a model of community capacity building and shows its interface with multiple dimensions of health. Along the way we cite capacity-building examples already found in communities as well as scientific research from the health and human development disciplines. We make several assumptions about individuals, families, and communities. Among them are that (1) individuals are social creatures open to interacting with others, (2) families (whether biological or relational in composition) are the core social group in any community, (3) collectives (individuals and families) are able to accomplish more than either individuals or families can alone, and (4) community culture, structure, and organization provide an important context for individual and family functioning and the achievement of desired results.
This study used structural equation modeling to examine a strengths‐based, community practice mod... more This study used structural equation modeling to examine a strengths‐based, community practice model to explore the relationship between formal and informal community‐based social networks and family adaptation in military communities. “Sense of community” was examined as a critical mediating variable. Results provide support for the practice model. Several important insights were revealed about the strength and nature of pathways between components in the model. Results suggest that communities (including the workplace) can be important sources of tangible information and expressive support. Other important implications for community practice and research are discussed.
Traditional practice models of family support often lack a community focus. Increasingly, human s... more Traditional practice models of family support often lack a community focus. Increasingly, human service professionals who work with families focus their intervention and prevention efforts on the communities in which families live and work. The Family Advocacy Division of the United States Air Force recently revised its program standards to address community issues in an effort to strengthen families through community-based prevention activities. This article presents a basic framework designed to inform this expanded practice initiative. Key terms are defined for understanding communities as a context for family life, including community results, community capacity, and social capital. The model is considered to have implications for informing community-oriented interventions in both military and civilian communities.
The pilot test results of the 2011 SRI-S (Support and Resilience Inventory for Spouses), involvin... more The pilot test results of the 2011 SRI-S (Support and Resilience Inventory for Spouses), involving data from 1,018 AF Key Spouses, suggest that the re-designed SRI-S is a theoretically grounded and empirically reliable and valid assessment tool. The three spouse resiliency capacity domains (social connections, individual fitness, and positive behaviors) offer actionable targets for AF intervention and prevention planning. Overall, the Key Spouse pilot test participants felt comfortable with the questions asked and had confidence in the privacy of their answers. They reported the SRI-S to be easy to use and an overall positive experience. A careful assessment is the first step in evidence-based practice, and the 2011 SRI-S offers a reliable and valid quantitative assessment tool that can be used for intervention and prevention planning in combination with other available sources of information about AF civilian spouses and their families. The use of the SRI-S is intended to inform th...
Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 2011
The Road of Life, a life course metaphor, is used as the backdrop for a theoretically anchored mo... more The Road of Life, a life course metaphor, is used as the backdrop for a theoretically anchored model, The Resiliency Model of Role Performance, which has been developed to account for variation in the ability of service members and their families to meet their role responsibilities in the context of military life and duties. This model incorporates a focus on
The present investigation extends the work of Bowen et al. (2016a, 2016b) by proposing and testin... more The present investigation extends the work of Bowen et al. (2016a, 2016b) by proposing and testing a similar measure of Comprehensive Airman Fitness (CAF) for the civilian spouses of USAF active-duty members. The 12-item spouse measure was validated empirically through confirmatory factor analysis of four fitness components and an overall or total fitness measure of CAF.
The social organization theory of action and change accounts for transitions families face in com... more The social organization theory of action and change accounts for transitions families face in community contexts. This perspective aligns with family stress and resilience theories, including the contextual model of family stress. Our discussion focuses on transitions of military families, including the continually changing nature of military family life. The military environment provides an opportunity for understanding family vulnerability and resilience from a community perspective, in effect, a perspective centered on contexts. Contexts include matters that families have control over and those they are unable to affect. The roles of shared responsibility and collective competence in moving families and communities forward are discussed, as are pivotal roles of informal networks and formal systems. Findings that align with this theorizing include influence of the military system and culture on families, as well as how sense of community emerges as a pivotal factor for family well...
Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion, 2014
The ecology of individual and family life suggests that humans and their primary social groups ar... more The ecology of individual and family life suggests that humans and their primary social groups are surrounded by multiple layers of influences, including other individuals, families, and larger social groups as well as complex geographic, economic, and political systems. Many of these social influences on individuals and families are captured by the term community, broadly signifying collectives of individuals and families that are connected by virtue of geography, sentiment, intention and purpose, or happenstance.Whether individuals are active or passive participants in community life, individuals will experience community influences. Community capacity is comprised of two essential elements, which are shared responsibility for the general welfare of the community and its individual members and collective competence for addressing community needs and confronting situations that threaten the safety and well-being of community members. We contend that, in concert, these elements enable communities to deal more effectively with positive challenges as well as adversity and to achieve individual, family, and community results more effectively. Our discussion parses a model of community capacity building and shows its interface with multiple dimensions of health. Along the way we cite capacity-building examples already found in communities as well as scientific research from the health and human development disciplines. We make several assumptions about individuals, families, and communities. Among them are that (1) individuals are social creatures open to interacting with others, (2) families (whether biological or relational in composition) are the core social group in any community, (3) collectives (individuals and families) are able to accomplish more than either individuals or families can alone, and (4) community culture, structure, and organization provide an important context for individual and family functioning and the achievement of desired results.
This study used structural equation modeling to examine a strengths‐based, community practice mod... more This study used structural equation modeling to examine a strengths‐based, community practice model to explore the relationship between formal and informal community‐based social networks and family adaptation in military communities. “Sense of community” was examined as a critical mediating variable. Results provide support for the practice model. Several important insights were revealed about the strength and nature of pathways between components in the model. Results suggest that communities (including the workplace) can be important sources of tangible information and expressive support. Other important implications for community practice and research are discussed.
Traditional practice models of family support often lack a community focus. Increasingly, human s... more Traditional practice models of family support often lack a community focus. Increasingly, human service professionals who work with families focus their intervention and prevention efforts on the communities in which families live and work. The Family Advocacy Division of the United States Air Force recently revised its program standards to address community issues in an effort to strengthen families through community-based prevention activities. This article presents a basic framework designed to inform this expanded practice initiative. Key terms are defined for understanding communities as a context for family life, including community results, community capacity, and social capital. The model is considered to have implications for informing community-oriented interventions in both military and civilian communities.
The pilot test results of the 2011 SRI-S (Support and Resilience Inventory for Spouses), involvin... more The pilot test results of the 2011 SRI-S (Support and Resilience Inventory for Spouses), involving data from 1,018 AF Key Spouses, suggest that the re-designed SRI-S is a theoretically grounded and empirically reliable and valid assessment tool. The three spouse resiliency capacity domains (social connections, individual fitness, and positive behaviors) offer actionable targets for AF intervention and prevention planning. Overall, the Key Spouse pilot test participants felt comfortable with the questions asked and had confidence in the privacy of their answers. They reported the SRI-S to be easy to use and an overall positive experience. A careful assessment is the first step in evidence-based practice, and the 2011 SRI-S offers a reliable and valid quantitative assessment tool that can be used for intervention and prevention planning in combination with other available sources of information about AF civilian spouses and their families. The use of the SRI-S is intended to inform th...
Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 2011
The Road of Life, a life course metaphor, is used as the backdrop for a theoretically anchored mo... more The Road of Life, a life course metaphor, is used as the backdrop for a theoretically anchored model, The Resiliency Model of Role Performance, which has been developed to account for variation in the ability of service members and their families to meet their role responsibilities in the context of military life and duties. This model incorporates a focus on
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Papers by James Martin