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This chapter provides an overview of the history of deliberative theory and practice, starting with an early focus on rational consensus models and moving toward contemporary treatments of deliberation in pluralistic, contentious systems consisting of multiple, overlapping, and at times adversarial stakeholder groups. It summarizes major theories related to analytic and social/relational aspects of deliberation, communication across differences, and design and facilitation processes. Finally, it reviews group communication research on deliberative processes and outcomes, notes key critiques of deliberative theory, and explores future directions for group deliberation research and practice.

The purpose of this paper is to review the 16 published non-student Recovery Heroes and Remarkable Lives accounts published in Mental Health and Social Inclusion, using the connection, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment (CHIME) framework.

All 16 accounts were rated independently by four researchers and evaluated in terms of whether each account met the five criteria for the CHIME model.

All accounts met the criteria for the CHIME model, with the exception of one, which still met four of the five criteria. Evidence was presented which suggests that the model can be extended to creativity, connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment (C-CHIME), to incorporate creativity.

While a certain level of subjectivity is required in deciding how each account meets the CHIME criteria, there were high levels of inter-rater reliability within the research team. Creativity had a central place in all the accounts.

The revised C-CHIME model can be used by practitioners to examine accounts of recovery in a more focussed manner and may also help in devising recovery action plans.

The recovery model privileges both professional and lived experience perspectives on recovery. The current review highlights how much we can benefit from the wisdom contained in first person accounts.

This review adds to the existing literature and highlights the importance of creativity for mental health recovery.

The purpose of this paper is to meet Mary Kay Morrison, an active member and past president of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH).

This case study is presented in two sections: an autobiography of Mary Kay Morrison, followed by a ten-question interview.

Mary Kay recommends exploration of the benefits of humor and laughter for mental health professionals. In recognition of the need for clarifying terminology, she coined the terms Humergy, which is joyful, optimistic, healthy energy and Humordoomer, which denotes a person who zaps that energy from us. Her work includes exploring the five stages of Humor Development as a significant factor in understanding cognitive development.

This is a personal narrative, albeit from an educator who has been active in the field of applied and therapeutic humor for over 30 years.

Humor and laughter research is recommended to explore their use in optimizing mental health. Mary Kay endorses expanding pioneering work in therapeutic humor as a treatment for anxiety and depression. She shares recommendations for humor practice in both prevention of mental health challenges and as a viable treatment for anxiety and depression.

Three humor benefits with particular social applications are highlighted. Humor facilitates communication, creates an optimal learning environment and supports change.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case study about Mary Kay Morrison, Past President of the AATH and founder of the AATH Certified Humor Professional program.

In China's urban context of labor retrenchment, women are faring poorly relative to their male counterparts. Is the same true in China's incipient, dynamic, and expanding legal profession? Findings from four sources of quantitative data suggest that gender inequality in China's private and highly market-driven legal profession is a microcosm of larger patterns of female disadvantage in China's evolving urban labor market. Although employment opportunities for women lawyers have greatly expanded quantitatively, their careers are qualitatively less successful than those of their male counterparts in terms of both income and partnership status. In the Chinese bar, women's significantly shorter career trajectories are perhaps the most important cause of their lower incomes and slimmer chances of becoming a law firm partner. Future research must identify the causes of this significant career longevity gap between men and women in the Chinese legal profession.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Jen Waring.

Jen provides a short biographical description of her life. She is then interviewed by Jerome.

Jen talks about her long battle with mental health problems and what has sustained her over this time. She talks about the crucial importance of support from both loved ones and professionals, as well as medication.

Single case studies are of course just one person’s story. Given Jen is an academic biologist, she not only has a unique way of looking at mental illness, she can see the potential of developing approaches in the biological understanding for people experiencing mental distress.

Jen’s account shows the need for long-term support for more severe mental health problems. There are no quick fixes! It also highlights the need for interventions at biological, psychological and social levels.

People need “somewhere to live, someone to love and something meaningful to do” (Rachel Perkins). Many sufferers do not have all three. Services may only be able to provide two of these.

Accounts of mental illness recovery by academics can often provide the authors with amazing insights into the world of the mentally distressed. They can also serve as an inspiration to the many students who experience mental distress.

Develops elements in what is called heterarchical logic in a study of the ecology of change in a Norwegian shipyard. The heterarchical logic is not in accordance with traditional understanding of rationality in organizations. Considers on what type of management this type of logic is based. Both “heterarchical logic” and the new type of management, joint management, partly answer Jackson’s criticism of the use of cybernetical models in organizations. This also is a contribution to organizational cybernetics with regard to Flood and Carson’s demand that the question of how autonomous work groups should be organized should be incorporated in organizational cybernetics.