Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Front Matter, Journal Of Microfinance

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Balancing Supply And Demand: The Emerging Agenda For Microfinance Institutions, Thankom Arun, David Hulme

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Beyond Micro-Credit: Putting Development Back Into Micro-Finance By Thomas Fisher And M. S. Sriram, James R. Bradshaw

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Rural Finance, Poverty Alleviation, And Sustainable Land Use: The Role Of Credit For The Adoption Of Agroforestry Systems In Occidental Honduras, Ruerd Ruben, Luud Clercx

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

This paper analyzes the relationship between financial services provided by different agents, the adoption of agroforestry systems, and the implications for food security and sustainable soil management. Attention is focussed on the role of rural finance in reducing risk and stabilizing household income and yields. We conclude that credit provision performs critical functions for reinforcing the resilience of rural livelihoods in less-favored areas. Rural development programs in the Occidental region of Honduras have been rather reluctant to provide rural financial services. Unfavorable agroclimatic conditions and the scarcity of infrastructure lead to extreme poverty. The local economy is fairly dynamic due …

Money Talks: Conversations With Poor Households In Bangladesh About Managing Money, Stuart Rutherford

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

This paper describes the money management behavior of 42 low-income Bangladeshi households, half of them rural and half living in urban slums. They were found to be active managers of their financial resources. Thirty-three varieties of financial instrument were found to be in use by the sample households during the research year. As well as using a wide variety of instruments, most households engaged in multiple uses of the instruments: on average each household initiated a new money management arrangement every two weeks. The sums of money involved are large, both absolutely and relative to incomes. The average “turnover” (the …

Announcements, Journal Of Microfinance

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Financial Innovations For The Poorest Of The Poor In The Rural Area: Experience From Northern Bangladesh, Mohammed Emrul Hasan

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

Providing microfinance to the poorest of the poor in rural areas remains a challenge. Grameen demonstrated that the poor are viable clients for loans and reached them on a massive scale. However, they reach only the upper level of the poor and provide narrow and limited financial services with rigid systems and procedures, which in many ways do not address the needs of the poorest. Despite earning signs of success with their SafeSave innovative approach to serving the poorest in the urban area, this rural adaptation and experiment has faced challenges because of the different social and economical structures of …

A Challenge To The Orthodoxy Concerning Microfinance And Poverty Reduction, Ana Marr

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

As a response to many partial and simplistic theoretical and empirical studies, this paper presents a more comprehensive analytical framework to assess the success of microfinance in achieving its dual objectives of financial sustainability and poverty reduction. By giving center stage to the study of group dynamics and using principles of imperfect information and social psychology, the paper argues that microfinance not only has failed to solve the original problems of information asymmetries between borrowers and lenders but also, in its pursuit of financial sustainability, is destroying the very foundations of these schemes by disrupting the social fabric of communities, …

Attitudes Of Rural Branch Manages In Madhya Pradesh, India, Toward Their Role As Providers Of Financial Services To The Poor, Howard Jones, Marylin Williams, Yashwant Thorat, Abba Thorat

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

Discussions on banking reforms to reduce financial exclusion have referred little to possible attitudinal constraints, on the part of staff at both branch and institutional levels, inhibiting the provision of financial services to the poor. The research project, funded by the ESCOR (now Social Science Research) Small Grants Committee, has focused on this aspect of financial exclusion. The research commenced in May 2001 and was completed in April 2002. Profiles of the rural bank branch managers, including personal background, professional background and workplace, are presented. Attitudes of managers toward aspects of their work environment and the rural poor are examined, …

Vol. 05 No. 2 Journal Of Microfinance, Journal Of Microfinance

Journal of Microfinance / ESR Review

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of General Medical Use Among Individuals Seeking Therapy For Marital And Family Problems, Jacob D. Christenson

Theses and Dissertations

A number of studies have examined variables associated with medical use. However, most of the studies deal with samples that are not easily generalizable to other populations. In particular, no study is known to have looked at general medical use among people seeking services for marital and family problems. In this study, medical use of participants from the marriage and family therapy services at Brigham Young University Comprehensive Clinic was investigated to determine the best predictors of general medical use. Best subsets multiple linear regression showed that the best overall predictors of general medical use were anxiety and hostility.

Public Child Welfare And The American Indian: A California Profile, Gordon E. Limb, Robin Perry

Faculty Publications

Historically, American Indians have been disproportionately represented in public child welfare services. This article reports findings from a survey of all public child welfare workers in California (N= 5,741) in 1998. A descriptive profile of American Indian clients (where they reside and who works with them) and American Indian child welfare workers ( n= 1 71) is detailed. Attempts are made to identify counties with a disproportionately high number of American Indians represented on public child welfare caseloads and to estimate the probability that an American Indian worker would have a higher proportion of American Indians on his or her …

Studying "Working Fathers": Comparing Fathers' And Mothers' Work-Family Conflict, Fit, And Adaptive Strategies In A Global High-Tech Company, E. Jeffrey Hill, Alan J. Hawkins, Vjollca Märtinson, Maria Ferris

Faculty Publications

Working fathers are underrepresented-conceptually and empirically-in work-family research. Using a global corporate sample of working fathers from 48 countries (N = 7,692), this study compares working fathers to working mothers on key work-family variables as suggested by Voydanoff's (2002) application of ecological systems theory. It examines the direction and the path of the predictors of work-family fit and whether a scarcity or expansion model better explains these results. Finally, it considers what work-family adaptive strategies may affect those relationships. Although fathers consistently reported less family-to-work conflict than mothers, they reported equal amounts of work-to-family conflict. That is, fathers struggled as …

Long Memory Inflationary Dynamics: The Case Of Brazil, Mark E. Jensen, Valderio A. Reisen, Francisco Cribari-Neto

Faculty Publications

It has been argued by several authors that the inflationary dynamics in Brazil follow a unit root process, thus displaying some inertia. Indeed, Cati, et al. (Journal of Applied Econometrics, 1999) have found that the inflationary dynamics in Brazil are nearly fully inertial. We estimate the fractional differencing parameter using an ARFIMA specification for the inflation rate in that country and our results suggest that the inflationary dynamics are better modeled by a long memory process than by a unit root mechanism, thus implying that there is no inertia in inflation, contrary to what has been found by other researchers. …

Prehistoric Timberline Adaptations In The Eastern Uinta Mountains, Utah, Michelle Knoll

Theses and Dissertations

Excavations at a high altitude archaeological site (3350 m) in the eastern Uinta Mountains, Utah, uncovered at least three ephemeral brush structures. These temporary timberline dwellings are the highest structures excavated in Utah to date. The periods of occupation range from the early Fremont period to the post-contact era. It is believed that the Fremont occupations are logistical in nature, possibly representing male hunting parties. Logistical camps imply a departure from, and return to, a residential camp. Ethnographic studies show that most residential camps are located within proximity to culinary plants to facilitate collection by women. In the Uinta Mountains, …

A Narrative Approach To Exploring Responsible Involvement Of Fathers With Their Special-Needs Children, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

This chapter briefly summarizes the main findings from research employing narrative methodologies on fathers of children with special needs conducted by me and my students (Brotherson & Dollahite, 1997; Dollahite, 2003; Dollahite, Marks, & Brotherson, 1998; Dollahite, Marks, & Olson, 2002; Marks & Dollahite, 2001; Olson, Dollahite, & White, 2002). This research is consistent with recent emphasis on narrative methods in the social sciences generally (Dollahite, Hawkins, & Brotherson, 1996; Josselson & Lieblich, 1993; McAdams, 1993; Riessman, 1993; Sarbin, 1986) and with recent narrative studies of fathers of special-needs children (Brotherson, 1995) and fathers and religion, (Latshaw, 1998; Marshall, Olsen, …

The New Economy Is Dead, Long Live The Information Economy, Phillip J. Bryson

Faculty Publications

The arrival of the 2001-2003 recession caused many to suppose that the so-called "New Economy" was now defunct. This article addresses a number of related issues, including the question of the durability and viability of business cycles in the face of the technological developments of the information age. It asks what went wrong with the New Economy and examines its characteristics as well as its remaining possibilities and prospects for the future. Finally, it considers the spread of the Information Economy to Europe, especially to Germany, the country that one might expect to be the leading European player, but which …

The Spiritual Self: Toward A Conceptualization Of Spiritual Identity Development, Timothy B. Smith, Justin B. Poll

Faculty Publications

Both researchers and practitioners have demonstrated considerable interest in identity development, and positive personal identities have been associated with numerous positive mental health outcomes. However, major theories of identity development have neglected the salience of spiritual identity, even though the early work of William James placed this as a central component of personality. This article reviews four major theories of identity development (cognitive, psychodynamic, systems, and narrative) and suggests spiritual identity parallels to these theories. A tentative model of spiritual identity development is presented. Implications for therapy and future research concerning spiritual identity development are discussed.

Latter-Day Saints In Popular National Periodicals 1970-1981, Adam H. Nielson

Theses and Dissertations

The public image of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the product of several factors. This thesis investigates that image as presented in national periodicals from 1970 to 1981. During this time "Mormons" and "Mormonism" was a popular topic as the religion gained notoriety, and as an awareness of its peculiar beliefs and practices increased.

The rationale for using national magazines to assess public image is the assumption that they "reflect prevailing points of view" and help "formulate public opinion." Since popular attitudes are one of the factors that influence how the Church is accepted in the …

The Formative Evaluation Of A Family Life Education Website, Brynn Marie Steimle

Theses and Dissertations

Hundreds of family life education (FLE) websites are now available on the Internet, allowing individuals and families unprecedented access to FLE information. Evaluation is critical to ensuring the quality of and improving FLE websites, yet few FLE website evaluations have been conducted. This study formatively evaluated a new family life education website, called Forever Families (http://www.foreverfamilies.net or http://foreverfamilies.byu.edu), assessing website utilization using Web-based software, and receiving visitor feedback through the use of an online survey. Quantitative survey items assessed knowledge gains, how interesting the content was, usefulness, attractiveness, ease of use of the website, whether or not the site met …

The United States In El Salvador: 1979-1992 Success Through The Eyes Of The Diplomats, David Jeffrey Mouritsen

Theses and Dissertations

The United States made El Salvador one of its top priorities in the 1980s as the communist threat from the Soviet Union made its way to El Salvador. The Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group, the Farabundo Martí­ National Liberation Front (FMLN), was supported by the Soviet Union via Cuba and became the target of the hard line politicians that ruled in El Salvador.

In order to combat the guerrilla movement, the United States structured its policy around national security to justify intervention in El Salvador. The three main points of the policy were to prevent a left-wing takeover by the communist-backed FMLN, …

Academic Persistence Among Native American College Students, Aaron P. Jackson, Steven A. Smith, Curtis L. Hill

Faculty Publications

Qualitative interviews with 15 successful Native American college students who grew up on reservations identified the following themes related to their persistence in college: (a) family support, (b) structured social support, (c) faculty/staff warmth, (d) exposure to college and vocations, (e) developing independence and assertiveness, (f) reliance on spiritual resources, (g) dealing with racism, (h) nonlinear path, and (i) paradoxical cultural pressure. The results indicated a need for stable mentoring relationships and programmatic support.

Types Of Digital Library Cooperation In German Studies, Richard Hacken

Faculty Publications

A paper delivered at the ACRL/WESS Program in Toronto on June 23, 2003. A small sampling of the types of cooperative work being done in German studies, especially of retrospective digitization (as opposed to ongoing electronic publications).

Religiousness And Depression: Evidence For A Main Effect And The Moderating Influence Of Stressful Life Events, Timothy B. Smith, Michael E. Mccullough, Justin Poll

Faculty Publications

The association between religiousness and depressive symptoms was examined with meta-analytic methods across 147 independent investigations (N = 98,975). Across all studies, the correlation between religiousness and depressive symptoms was –.096, indicating that greater religiousness is mildly associated with fewer symptoms. The results were not moderated by gender, age, or ethnicity, but the religiousness–depression association was stronger in studies involving people who were undergoing stress due to recent life events. The results were also moderated by the type of measure of religiousness used in the study, with extrinsic religious orientation and negative religious coping (e.g., avoiding difficulties through religious activities, …

Nl-Soar Update, Deryle W. Lonsdale

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ethnic Identity And Racial Attitudes In A Minority Group Of Mixed Racial Origin, Timothy B. Smith, Joy Stratton, Christopher R. Stones, Anthony Naidoo

Faculty Publications

Limited information exists on the racial attitudes and ethnic identities of groups of mixed racial origin. The present research tested the hypotheses that the construct of ethnic identity is valid among such groups and that ethnic identity is related to out-group prejudice, as predicted by social identity theory. The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, the Anti-White Scale, and the Subtle Racism Scale were administered to 70 South Africans of mixed racial decent, the so-called Coloureds. A factor analysis supported the structural validity of the measure of ethnic identity with this sample, but correlations between scales did not support the prediction that …

An External Communication Audit Of The National Tropical Botanical Garden, Jennifer Melody Murdock

Theses and Dissertations

This study presents the results of an external communication audit of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG), a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of tropical plant diversity. Information was gathered during the communication audit through interviews with NTBG's key decision makers, content analyses of NTBG's primary publications, and a questionnaire measuring the public-organization relationship.

The audit assesses NTBG's external communication policies, practices, capabilities, and needs in the context of systems theory and external relations strategic planning theories. The findings of the audit identify who NTBG considers its target publics and how well they are reaching certain audiences. …

Racial Attitudes Among South African Young Adults: A Four-Year Follow-Up Study, Timothy B. Smith, Christopher R. Stones, Anthony Naidoo

Faculty Publications

Due to many social changes that have occurred in South Africa since the first democratic elections in 1994, careful scrutiny must be given to the racial attitudes of South Africa’s young adults. Their degree of acceptance of the doctrine of deracialisation and reconciliation represents a hope or a warning in regard to a stable future. A follow up study was thus carried out in order to update data collected in 1995, with the hypothesis that, over time, greater acceptance of other racial groups would be reported. The authors examined the differences among the 180 Xhosa-speaking black, 89 so-called coloured, and …

The Enemy Within Islam, Laina Farhat-Holzman

Comparative Civilizations Review

The recent spread of political, radical Islam around the world has captured the attention of the secular world. This movement has launched a spate of violence and unrest, culminating in the al-Qaeda attack on the United States on September 11, 2001. Public interest in Islam has not been so keen since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979—another event that took the world by surprise. Political observers have pinpointed the Saudis as the source of the problem. Not only were the majority of the terrorist bombers Saudi, but also they were thoroughly indoctrinated into the severe Muslim Wahhabi sect that …

From The Individual To Individualism: A Critique Of The Helping Professions, Timothy B. Smith, Matthew R. Draper

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Individualistic values characterize contemporary society and many popular approaches to mental health treatment. This paper critiques the individualistic values embedded in the helping professions that implicity contradict the teachings of Jesus Christ, the surest foundation for mental health interventions. Members of AMCAP are encouraged to search out and replace problematic values that contradict gospel teachings which have been integrated into contemporary mental health practice.