Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 30 of 183
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Economic Consequences Of Caregiving To The Elderly On Women's Lives., Chizuko Wakabayashi
Economic Consequences Of Caregiving To The Elderly On Women's Lives., Chizuko Wakabayashi
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Family caregiving to the elderly comprises a major part of familial obligations in later family life. The family, however, is not a caregiving unit; it is women in the family who directly provide that care. Theories of gender inequality suggest that women's unpaid work reflect women's politically and economically disadvantaged positions both in the family and the labor market. The present dissertation addresses one dimension of this inequality, the economic consequences of elderly care. The objective of this study is to estimate how much unpaid elderly care depresses women's incomes. The economic costs of elderly care include losses in earnings …
Post -Displacement Employment In A Rural Community: Why Can't Women And Oil Mix?, Linda Anderson Tobin
Post -Displacement Employment In A Rural Community: Why Can't Women And Oil Mix?, Linda Anderson Tobin
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This is a study of post-displacement labor market experiences of workers in a rural southern community in which there is a significant presence of the oil and gas industry. Using a guided conversation format, I talked with 99 community members, including displaced workers, representatives of the oil and gas industry, community leaders, and social service agencies. These conversations were used to explore opportunities and constraints found within this community with labor market implications for those displaced. Conversations show that both individual and structural factors explain post-displacement employment of these (predominantly) females. Though an expanding oil and gas industry requires an …
The Effects Of Segregation And Poverty On Latino Homicide Victimization In The United States., Catherine Elizabeth Burton
The Effects Of Segregation And Poverty On Latino Homicide Victimization In The United States., Catherine Elizabeth Burton
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
There has been a great deal of research investigating the relationship between crime and the structural features of urban communities. A number of studies have sought to determine whether pervasive poverty and social isolation are associated with the incidence of homicide among urban populations. Unfortunately, most studies have focused exclusively on African Americans, Anglos, or both. Furthermore, of the handful of studies that have examined Latino homicide, most have been focused on limited geographical areas. This study addresses the need for research focusing specifically on the relation of social and economic structural conditions to Latino homicide victimization rates. It does …
Sexual Profanity And Interpersonal Judgement., Robert Paul O'Neil
Sexual Profanity And Interpersonal Judgement., Robert Paul O'Neil
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
One of the cultural changes noted in American society in the last fifty years has been a noticeable increase in the public use of sexual profanity, particularly by women. Many commentators attribute this change to the sexual revolution of the nineteen-sixties and seventies, as well as the increasing emancipation of women from traditional gender roles. This dissertation examines the ideological foundations that have shaped both western sexual attitudes and the nature of modern use of sexual profanity, to question whether these changes are indicative of greater gender equity. Using a dramaturgical approach to gender identity, an alternative interpretation is presented …
Sources And Types Of Formal And Informal Assistance: Patterns Among Louisiana's Welfare Population., Alison Kay Neustrom
Sources And Types Of Formal And Informal Assistance: Patterns Among Louisiana's Welfare Population., Alison Kay Neustrom
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
My purpose in this dissertation is to examine the extent to which recipients report social capital in the form of social support and what I call informal assistance. I define informal assistance as those assets that assist in the daily lives of welfare recipients. This dissertation examines the role of residence, human capital, family of origin, and current household structure on informal assistance. I also compare the forms of assistance and instrumental resources of non-metropolitan and metropolitan welfare recipients to determine whether geographic context mediates the use of informal assistance. Data for this study were from the Louisiana State University …
Bringing The Community Back In: The Mediating Role Of Civic Community In The Socioeconomic Disadvantage And Homicide Relationship In Rural And Urban Counties, 1980--1990., Troy Christopher Blanchard
Bringing The Community Back In: The Mediating Role Of Civic Community In The Socioeconomic Disadvantage And Homicide Relationship In Rural And Urban Counties, 1980--1990., Troy Christopher Blanchard
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
One key explanation of aggregate rates of homicide in localities across the U.S. is social disorganization theory. This theory posits that disadvantaged neighborhoods lack the social and economic resources to exert social control on community residents. One shortcoming of this approach is that it cannot adequately explain urban-rural differences in African American homicide victimization. While African Americans in rural areas experience similar or even more extreme levels of disadvantage than their urban counterparts, the risk of homicide for rural African Americans is significantly lower. To address this shortcoming, I develop a conceptually different, although complimentary, explanation of violence grounded in …
Structuring Work And Family Lives: Flexible Employment Patterns Among United States Families., Melissa Oliver Stainback
Structuring Work And Family Lives: Flexible Employment Patterns Among United States Families., Melissa Oliver Stainback
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This dissertation focuses on how working families use flexible employment to manage multiple demands associated with combining work and family responsibilities. I argue that flexible employment outcomes are family adaptive strategies and decisions about these strategies are embedded in the household and occur in a context in which husbands and wives make joint decisions about their career trajectories, family obligations and community commitments. Therefore, I expect household models, rather than individual models, to provide a richer understanding of decisions about family and employment outcomes. These models explore more fully how couples may diversify employment participation. Furthermore, household level variables provide …
Civic Engagement, Local Capitalism And Poverty: The Effects Of The Black Belt, Single Female Household Headship, And Metropolitan Status., Michelle Marie Livermore
Civic Engagement, Local Capitalism And Poverty: The Effects Of The Black Belt, Single Female Household Headship, And Metropolitan Status., Michelle Marie Livermore
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Recent research on the relationship between civic community and poverty concludes that high levels of civic involvement are associated with low poverty levels. I revisit the relationship between civic community and poverty by asking whether it differs across counties with different social structural characteristics. I test for interactions between the presence of civically engaged denominations and area racial composition, single female household headship, and metropolitan status. The association between the percent of a county's population in civically engaged denominations and poverty differs according to certain county social structural characteristics. First, areas with a critical percentage of African Americans demonstrate a …
Social Networks And Stigmatization., William Craig Carter
Social Networks And Stigmatization., William Craig Carter
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
An extensive body of literature on stigma exists in both sociology and psychology. However, the literature has virtually ignored how an individual's pattern of interactions might be affected as a result of being stigmatized. This dissertation develops theory concerning the nature of stigma management strategies and their consequences for social networks. Specifically, the theory predicts that stigmatized individuals tend to have relatively smaller and sparser personal networks, participate less in foci of activity, and draw fewer pairs of associates from the same focus than do nonstigmatized individuals. The data analyzed in this dissertation are especially useful for examining social networks …
Domestic Labor And The Earnings Of Professionals., Rebecca Sue Carter
Domestic Labor And The Earnings Of Professionals., Rebecca Sue Carter
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This dissertation focuses on how time allocated to domestic responsibilities affects the earnings of professionals. Although the earnings gap between women and men has narrowed, women are paid less than their male counterparts and a substantial part of the gender earnings gap remains unexplained. Women's growing entry into the full-time labor force has created new challenges for working women and dual-earner families. Professionals may manage domestic responsibilities differently than non professionals because they are likely to have jobs that offer higher pay and more autonomy. With fewer domestic demands placed on these households, we would expect to observe more gender …
Education As Prison Reform: A Meta -Analysis., Ronald Edward Wells
Education As Prison Reform: A Meta -Analysis., Ronald Edward Wells
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Corrections administrators have long recognized the possibility of education as a method of creating a favorable change in incarcerated individuals. Through education the individual would be encouraged in his/her attempts to succeed within society. However, this feeling has been more of an intuitive notion rather than empirically determined. The goal of this dissertation has been the development of a model of recidivism prediction which could overcome the problems of subjectivity, inaccuracy, and invalidity found in many currently used methods of prediction. This investigation was designed to explore relationships between several educational variables and post-release behavior of criminal offenders. The results …
Country Of Origin, Date Of Entry, And English Speaking Ability As Predictors Of Immigrant Afdc And Ssi Usage., Rebel Mary Reavis
Country Of Origin, Date Of Entry, And English Speaking Ability As Predictors Of Immigrant Afdc And Ssi Usage., Rebel Mary Reavis
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Immigration flows into the United States have changed over the last few decades. Before the 1960s, immigrants came mainly from European countries. Since the 1960s, immigrants coming from third world countries have increased while those from European countries have relatively decreased. This changing immigration pattern has sparked passionate debate over immigration policy and its role in adding members to welfare recipient rolls. Researchers have not come to an agreement on how to best examine immigrant welfare receipt. There is disagreement about immigrant status definitions, unit of analysis choices, and welfare measurements. These theoretical and methodological choices influence research results and, …
Parental Alcoholism And Children's Social Skills., Marsha Dean Norton
Parental Alcoholism And Children's Social Skills., Marsha Dean Norton
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This study focused on the daily interactions and home environments of 14 families with alcoholic fathers who were beginning primary treatment for their alcoholism. Data were collected by in-depth, face to face interviews with all family members. Social skills questionnaires administered to each child. Two specific family patterns were found to be associated with higher level social skills in children. First, father's frequent presence in the home, coupled with positive family interaction, was associated with children's high range social skills. Even in circumstances where violence existed, if the father was routinely at home and participated in positive family interactions, social …
Hazards To Navigation On The Lower Mississippi River And At -Risk Human Populations., George P. Wooddell Jr
Hazards To Navigation On The Lower Mississippi River And At -Risk Human Populations., George P. Wooddell Jr
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This dissertation tests whether known hazards to navigation determine the location of vessel accidents along the lower Mississippi River and describes the human populations most at risk according to predictions. The data are comprised of the relative risk index of river hazards (Forsyth et al. 1996, Gramling et al. 1998), the demographic characteristics of nearby residents, (U.S. Census 1990), and actual U.S. Coast Guard accident reports. Usable predictors of vessel accidents and a knowledge of population characteristics will enable better planning of emergency response, better placement of emergency response equipment, and more effective efforts to prevent vessel. accidents along the …
Hyperdeprivation And Race -Specific Homicide, 1980--1990., Matthew Raleigh Lee
Hyperdeprivation And Race -Specific Homicide, 1980--1990., Matthew Raleigh Lee
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Research on the nature of the urban underclass suggests that socioeconomic deprivation is multidimensional and involves more than just the personal experience of poverty. When negative characteristics like poverty and unemployment are concentrated geographically, it means that one is not only deprived of personal resources, but also deprived of contact with those who do have resources. Thus, when social disadvantage is concentrated, as it may be in underclass communities, this augments the effect of poverty, creating a situation of hyperdeprivation, by placing beyond reach those segments of mainstream society that are necessary for success. This dissertation extends this line of …
To Thine Own Self (And Thine Associates) Be True: The Strategic Management Of Competing Identities Among Academic Women., Shirley A. Keeton
To Thine Own Self (And Thine Associates) Be True: The Strategic Management Of Competing Identities Among Academic Women., Shirley A. Keeton
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Social positions and social relationships are important in structuring self-concept. The self is often viewed as composed of identities related to the social positions an individual occupies. These identities are generally conceptualized as being organized hierarchically based on the individual's relative commitment to each. I contribute to this work by developing an Identity Management Model in which I propose three strategies (compartmentalization, amalgamation, and reprioritization) individuals use to manage completion among identities. In this model, I identify characteristics of (a) the identities, (b) the social environment and (c) the individual's social network that are likely to influence which strategy is …
Marginal Employment In The United States: 1971-1993., Nicole Thomson Flynn
Marginal Employment In The United States: 1971-1993., Nicole Thomson Flynn
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
In this dissertation, I examine trends in production and the concomitant demographic transformation of the labor force, in the context a series of economic cycles since 1969. Using these three forces as a backdrop, I first consider changes in employment hardship and the forces contributing to underemployment during periods following economic recessions. Then, I examine differences between men and women for employment outcomes. Next, to explain hardship during these periods, I include important demographic and geographic factors related to underemployment. Finally, I examine the impact of labor market context on individual outcomes. Based on the transformation of work, I explain …
Gaining And Controlling Access To The Arena: Stories Of Ties In A Technological Dispute., Tobias Albert Ten Eyck
Gaining And Controlling Access To The Arena: Stories Of Ties In A Technological Dispute., Tobias Albert Ten Eyck
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This is a study of the stories told about distribution of resources and structural constraints which operate within newspaper arenas that were experienced by reporters and sources involved in coverage of food irradiation between 1987 and 1996 at two regional newspapers (Louisiana and Florida). Using an unstructured interview instrument, I conducted interviews with 40 sources and 12 newspaper reporters, which I used to construct a framework in which to show how cultural, economic and social capital are used for getting and blocking action in the newspaper arenas. These interviews show that while cultural capital was the most prominent type of …
Alcohol, Assault And Area: An Examination Of Alcohol Availability And Crime In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana., Stephen Edgar Costanza
Alcohol, Assault And Area: An Examination Of Alcohol Availability And Crime In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana., Stephen Edgar Costanza
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
An association between alcohol and crime has been proposed for over forty years in Criminological Literature. The research conducted in this dissertation uses pooled data on alcohol, neighborhood characteristics, and crime in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The intention of the paper is to further augment our understanding of the alcohol-crime relationship by studying it at the macro-level. Using 278 Baton Rouge block groups as units of analysis, the results of the study confirm that the presence of package-only alcohol outlets have significant effects on assault and robbery within neighborhoods.
Living Arrangements Of The Elderly In The United States: Comparing Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, And Asians' Households., Kiyomi Ando
Living Arrangements Of The Elderly In The United States: Comparing Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, And Asians' Households., Kiyomi Ando
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
My dissertation analyzed the living arrangements of the elderly, focusing on differences across gender and racial/ethnic lines. Drawing upon rational choice and family solidarity theoretical perspectives. I derived hypotheses dealing with the effects of individual resources, cultural characteristics, and geographic context on the elderly's living arrangements. These hypotheses were empirically tested using logistic regression models to estimate the odds of the elderly choosing from among three options of living arrangements--independent living, joint living, and dependent living. Separate models were applied to non-Hispanic white, African American, Hispanic, and Asian subsamples. Data were from the 1990 Census Public Use Sample (PUMS-L). The …
Secondary Control: Examining The Influence Of School Restructuring On High School Delinquency., Michael O. Maume
Secondary Control: Examining The Influence Of School Restructuring On High School Delinquency., Michael O. Maume
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Recent years have seen extensive debate on the multitude of problems plaguing secondary education in the United States, and the problem of school crime and deviance is gaining a sizable share of the attention. A wave of school reform sometimes labeled the "restructuring" movement suggests that major organizational changes in schools, especially public schools, can positively affect student achievement and commitment to educational goals. Yet there has been practically no attention paid to the possible effects of restructuring on reducing delinquency in schools. I examine the impact of high school restructuring on school delinquency using a broad conception of delinquency …
Multi-Institutional Collaborations In Science: Structure, Types, And Outcomes., Ivan Mihailov Chompalov
Multi-Institutional Collaborations In Science: Structure, Types, And Outcomes., Ivan Mihailov Chompalov
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The advent of modern "big science" brings about a new kind of research formation: multi-institutional collaborations involving teams of researchers from several organizations. Despite their recent proliferation and visibility, no general classification of these "virtual organizations" exists. This study adopts a macrosociological, comparative perspective to develop a variety of classification schemes that capture the systematic variation of interorganizational collaborations in science along basic structural dimensions and to examine the relationships of these classifications with important sociological outcomes. Qualitative, historical analysis of collaborations in high-energy physics, space science, and geophysics showed that, when we set aside field-specific differences, seven general dimensions …
Use Of Informal And Formal Service By Noninstitutionalized Elderly Who Need Assistance., Lih-Yun Chen
Use Of Informal And Formal Service By Noninstitutionalized Elderly Who Need Assistance., Lih-Yun Chen
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
The purposes of this study were to examine where elderly people obtained assistance for Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), to explore the relationship between the types of support system the elderly used and selected variables, and to formulate a conceptual model to explain and predict the use of informal or formal service in elderly assistance. The hierarchial-compensatory model and the complementary model were examined. Both models were supported by parts of the findings. A random sample of 263 noninstitutionalized elderly was interviewed from five Labor Market Areas in Louisiana. Only those who …
The Link Between Economic Restructuring, Economic Deprivation, And Serious Crime In American Cities, 1970-1990., Graham Christopher Ousey
The Link Between Economic Restructuring, Economic Deprivation, And Serious Crime In American Cities, 1970-1990., Graham Christopher Ousey
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This dissertation postulates that the economic transition from manufacturing to service employment is a major factor leading to high rates of economic deprivation and crime in major U.S. cities. By integrating theory and research from several substantive areas of sociology, I extend macro-level research in criminology and develop a social organization/social control explanation of city crime rates. I use both cross-sectional and longitudinal regression methods to investigate the direct and indirect effects of a city's industrial structure on race-disaggregated rates of homicide, robbery, and burglary. Based upon data from 113 major cities in the United States, I compute a series …
Family Context And Premarital Sexual Activity In Kinshasa, Zaire., Yanyi Kasongo Djamba
Family Context And Premarital Sexual Activity In Kinshasa, Zaire., Yanyi Kasongo Djamba
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Studies on sexual behavior in Africa have shown that the proportion of women with premarital sexual experience is high, but the factors associated with premarital sexual behavior have not been clearly identified. This is partly due to the separation between theory and research. This study attempts to fill this gap by constructing a new conceptual framework in which hypotheses of rational adaptation, social disorganization, and patrilineal bias theories can be empirically tested. Based on a life history approach, the present framework emphasizes the role of three dimensions of family background in shaping individual behavior: financial capital, human capital, and social …
Neighborhood Characteristics And Crime Specific Victimization Rates: A Sociological Analysis., Esther Celeste Jones
Neighborhood Characteristics And Crime Specific Victimization Rates: A Sociological Analysis., Esther Celeste Jones
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This dissertation examines the influence of ecological, institutional, and cultural variables on neighborhood victimization rates of assault, burglary, and robbery in 30 urban neighborhoods. Ordinary least square regression analysis is sued to determine which variables are most predictives of these rates. Based on social disorganization theory, social control theory, and subculture of violence theory, an integrated model is developed. The integrated model includes elements of all three theoretical orientations, clearly indicating that crime is not unidimensional, and that different variables are predictive of specific types of crime at the neighborhood level. It was found that assault and robbery were best …
Security And Rational Choice: Household, Community, And Public Provision., John Collins Kilburn Jr
Security And Rational Choice: Household, Community, And Public Provision., John Collins Kilburn Jr
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This dissertation examines the problem of order through an analysis of individual practices of security. Because security is a multi-dimensional issue, no unified perspective currently exists to explain security practices. Based on my analysis of data from a detailed survey of 137 residents of a Baton Rouge neighborhood, I argue that there are three main dimensions of security and each has a unique set of determinants, since individuals are contextually situated in their households, neighborhoods, and municipalities. This dissertation examines variables related to psychological, stratification, social network, and rational choice perspectives. The analysis demonstrates that although factors suggested by each …
An Examination Of The Effects Of The Mother's Education And Household Exposure To Disease On Childhood Diarrheal Morbidity In Sudan., Dawood Hussein Sultan
An Examination Of The Effects Of The Mother's Education And Household Exposure To Disease On Childhood Diarrheal Morbidity In Sudan., Dawood Hussein Sultan
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This dissertation examines the effect of increases in the mother's level of education on the likelihood of diarrheal morbidity among Sudanese children aged 6 to 23 months. Maximum likelihood logistic regression models are used in the analysis. The logit estimates obtained from these models revealed that children of mothers who are illiterate run on average more than 10 times the risk of diarrhea as that run by children to mothers with a senior secondary or higher education. Slight increases in the mother's education, as indicated by an incomplete primary school education, reduce the likelihood of diarrhea by more than 50%. …
Gender And Spousal Violence: A Test Of Social Control And Resource Theories., Deborah Marie Hanrahan
Gender And Spousal Violence: A Test Of Social Control And Resource Theories., Deborah Marie Hanrahan
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This research provides an explanation of spousal violence that has previously been lacking in the family violence literature--a social control approach. This research tests the hypothesis that those with stronger bonds to society will be less likely to engage in spousal violence. Furthermore, this research will incorporate the role that family structures have in stratifying social control for males and females by testing power-control theory, which suggests that women from egalitarian households of origin will be more likely to commit wife-to-husband violence than those from patriarchal households. Conversely, men from egalitarian households should be less likely to commit husband-to-wife violence …
Transactional Interactions And Growth In The Global Economy: A Multiple-Network Analysis., Kuo-Hua Chen
Transactional Interactions And Growth In The Global Economy: A Multiple-Network Analysis., Kuo-Hua Chen
LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
This dissertation postulates that the trend of increasing globalization of economic activities within the shifting features of the world economy has been the dominating force transforming and integrating the international economic structure. I adopt ecological theory's external view of system structure, and focus on a more relational view of international exchange. Using network methodology, I analyze the effects of global transactional interactions on economic growth. This research extends concepts of the macro-urban approach to an analysis of international transactions. Based on data for 93 nations over a 20-year period (1970-1978 and 1978-1990) from three transactional networks (93 x 93 matrices), …