Critical evaluation of journals - Literature review Example

? Critical evaluation Introduction Critical evaluation of journals requires analysis of strengths, weaknesses of s discussed in a proper and logical manner which is essential for discussing articles in a thorough manner. Assessing the value of the paper requires incorporation of important dimensions like purpose of the author, reflecting central findings and inferences along with proper evidences and analysis with applicability in the future. In this paper, three articles will be critically evaluated. The three articles are, namely, “Accounting for the hero: A critical psycho-discursive approach to children's experience of domestic violence and the construction of masculinities” by Caroline Dryden, Kathy Doherty and Paula Nicolson (2010), “Profiles of Behavioral Problems in Children Who Witness Domestic Violence” by Spilsbury et al (2008) and “Domestic Violence, Parents' View of Their Infant, and Risk for Child Abuse” by Guigan et al (2000). Critical evaluation Let us start with the first article, “Accounting for the hero: A critical psycho-discursive approach to children's experience of domestic violence and the construction of masculinities”. From the very title, it can be inferred that a proper statement is reflected. The title reflects that it uses a particular methodology for exploring perspectives of the children with respect to domestic violence and the associated development of masculinity in children. Abstract of the paper reflects that the methodology which will be used is a critical psycho-discursive approach for explaining the cognitive differences of the children with respect to domestic violence. In the abstract, no theoretical backup is provided which associates with the theme of the study. A background setting would have been useful. In the introduction section of the paper, the aims of the researchers are clearly mentioned. The researchers focused on two different things. Firstly, they wanted to incorporate into the vast theoretical arena of research the potential debate on masculinities in the domain of social psychology through the “process of contextualized analysis of identity and subjectivity” (Dryden, Doherty & Nicolson, 2010, p. 189). The second aim was also clear. The researchers wanted to introduce into their studies a case study of interview data associated executed with two teen age brothers sharing their experiences about the domestic violence (Dryden, Doherty & Nicolson, 2010, p. 189). This was targeted to explore the utility of the approach in research history of behavioral sciences. Within this section, the researchers have argued that gender acts as an apex driver in sense making circumscribed around domestic violence. A thorough literature review has been also conducted by the researchers associated with feminist studies, gender and violence and especially focused on the dimension of children to develop a theoretical base before moving into the data analysis section. In the method section, the researchers have focused on the data collected from a sample of children interviewed for Domestic Abuse Women Seeking Help (DASH) including a retrospective analysis of the children’s experiences with domestic violence. In the interview process, seven children were interviewed who lived with their mothers as their partners were violent and abusive. The interviews were aligned with the aims and objectives of the researchers and they tried to reflect the experiences of the boys separating from their father’s influence and seeking voluntary help (Dryden, Doherty & Nicolson, 2010, p. 192). The researchers used a case study of interview interaction with two teenage brothers for showing that heroic protection discourse was a major principle associated with the development of understanding of the events. Their results showed significant differences among the boys and they each generated different sense of self and other within the critical discourse. The findings highlight two things – one is the destructive power of heroic protection discourse and utility of the approach to ascertain the intervals when behavioral problems associated with domestic violence develop within the child (Dryden, Doherty & Nicolson, 2010, pp. 200-202). The second article, “Profiles of Behavioral Problems in Children Who Witness Domestic Violence” written by Spilsbury et al in 2008, is also a piece associated with the behavioral pattern associated with domestic violence which clearly gets reflected from the title of the paper. In the abstract, a backdrop has been mentioned where it is stated that, unlike the previous investigations of shelter based samples, the study of the researchers focused on the profiles of adjustment problems which took place within a community program based sample of around 175 school aged children who were exposed to domestic violence. Methodology has been also mentioned which states that it used cluster analysis to show discreteness of the findings. One of the important things which the researchers did were the application of keywords which are, namely, “co-morbidity; domestic violence; children; adolescents; adjustment profiles” (Spilsbury et al, 2008, p.2) that are used in a rigorous manner within the paper in order to highlight the main areas of concern. In the introduction section, a brief literature review has been explored which helps the reader to grasp a profound knowledge on the existing knowledge about thorough research done on behavioral pattern of the children along with domestic violence. As for the method, the study participants received a through “crisis intervention services from the community-based Children Who Witness Violence Program (CWWVP)” (Spilsbury et al, 2008, pp.5-6). In the method section, there are 11 study tools for carrying on data analysis but they were not expounded in details. As for the results, it was found that the children who were clustered together as a result of lack of clinically significant adjustment symptoms were viewed by lower prior experiences to violence and trauma. The children supported the philosophy of resilience that were exposed to domestic violence but were without clinically significant symptoms. The study findings showed implications for future research for studying children who live within a domestic violence setting without clinically significant symptoms (Spilsbury et al, 2008, p.13). The third article, “Domestic Violence, Parents' View of Their Infant, and Risk for Child Abuse”, is an interesting paper in accordance with the other two academic works discussed above. The title of the paper reveals the views of the parents with the infants and the vulnerability of the child abuse. In the abstract, it has been mentioned that the study used longitudinal data of around 181 couples with the first born infants for testing whether the negative cognition of the parents concerning the child intervene the domestic violence on the vulnerability of child abuse. In the introduction section, a brief literature review has been provided associated with the domestic violence. The literature review focused on the notion that domestic violence is positively correlated with malpractices. In the method section, data for analysis were extracted from the families served by Oregon Healthy Start which was a primary prevention program tailored for prevention of child abuse neglect. Statistical analysis with descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were applied to develop the results. The analysis of covariance stated that the mothers and fathers experiencing domestic violence in the 1st year of child’s life imparted a more negative view of their child. The results of hierarchical regression stated that effects of domestic violence on the family’s risk of child abuse were indeed mediated by the negative views of the parents. The study also provides interventions and precautionary measures for the prevention of child abuse (Guigan et al, 2000). Conclusion The critical review of three papers gives us interesting findings related with domestic violence and cognitive dimension of the children. The first two articles highlight different behavioral patterns of children exposed to domestic violence, while the third paper engages the crux of the other two articles in the sense that reduction and prevention of the parent’s behavioral dimension can alter the results discovered in the other two articles. The third article can be regarded as a foundational base of the other two articles under discussion. References Dryden, C., Doherty, K. & Nicolson, P. (2010). Accounting for the hero: A critical psycho-discursive approach to children's experience of domestic violence and the construction of masculinities, British Journal of Social Psychology, Vol.49, pp. 189-205. Guigan et al. (2000). Domestic Violence, Parents' View of Their Infant, and Risk for Child Abuse, Journal of Family Psychology, Vol. 14, Issue.4 Volume 14(4), pp. 613–624. Spilsbury et al. (2008). Profiles of Behavioral Problems in Children Who Witness Domestic Violence, Violence and Victims, Vol. 23, Issue no. 1, pp.3-17. Read More