Social Work Commons^™

Maturity Of Adolescent Unwed Mothers, Sarah L. Claiborne

Dissertations and Theses

Adolescence traditionally has been recognized and accepted as a period of exploration of an occasional rebellion against the adult world. Explorations are viewed by behavioral scientists as a quest for identity expansion, and as such, a necessary phase for attaining maturity. Several tasks have been identified which each adolescent must complete if he is to reach maturity. For the present these tasks can be summarized as character formation, attainment of sexual identity, establishment of mature relationships and emancipation from parental control.

Society's attitude towards the rebellion and exploitation of youth is mixed. This confusion seems related to a general breakdown …

Siblings And Sex Roles: A Comparison Between Male And Female Graduate Students With Regard To Sibling Sex And Ordinal Position, Anita Witt

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the present study was to find out whether there is a relationship between sex role perception, ordinal position, and sex of sibling.

Measuring sex role perception presents a complex problem by itself, since at a time when sex role expectations are changing rapidly, there is little consensus on precisely what constitutes male or female behavior. We were concerned, therefore, to avoid as far as possible subjective interpretations of behavior.

We decided to look for a sample of women who had already reached a measure of achievement in a competitive field traditionally dominated by men, and who were …

Curanderismo And Health Delivery Services, Jean Margaret Blaesser

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores and describes curanderismo (folk curing) and the cultural disease concepts of mollera caida, empacho, mal de ojo, and susto as researched in a rural Oregon community. Chicano cultural disease concepts and beliefs are then related to modern health delivery services, and a case is made for the need for cultural awareness, respect, and sensitivity on the part of medical personnel who deliver services. The approach of a curandera (curer) and a doctor are compared.

It is strongly stated that Chicanos' health beliefs and practices do not exist in isolation from the rest of their …

Female Alcoholism: The Relationship Of Marital Status To Personality Disorganization, Julene B. Knapp

Dissertations and Theses

Research on the female alcoholic indicates that women drink for different reasons than men. Rather than being a product of role conflict as it is in males, female alcoholism is frequently precipitated by stress, particularly marital stress. For exploratory purposes a group of women seen at a public alcoholism treatment clinic were divided into four categories: 1) Non-alcoholic wives of alcoholic men; 2) alcoholic wives of non-alcoholic men; 3) single alcoholic women; 4) alcoholic wives of alcoholic men. These groups were compared. for amount of personality disorganization, using the total number of abnormal scales on the clinical profiles of the …

Assessment Of Course Impact On Child Care Worker Orientation: Worker Concerns Versus Child Concerns, Helen M. Banaka

Dissertations and Theses

This study proposes to examine the impact of an adult education course on the attitudes and orientation of child care workers. Therefore, the researcher has confined her discussion of the Iiterature mainly to examples of research and theory developed in the area of adult education.

An Exploratory Study Of Depression In Adolescents Placed In Residential Treatment Centers, Shirley D. Hale, Kermit C. Jeffrey, Gerald J. Moneke

Dissertations and Theses

Concerned that depression might be a common malady among youth who are placed in treatment centers for delinquents, we undertook an exploratory study to determine the validity of this premise. The authors of this study have all worked with youth who, for various reasons, have been placed in residential treatment centers. The authors have observed that symptoms of depression seem to be more prevalent in these youth than in non-institutionalized adolescents, and that these symptoms are often perceived as individual pathology rather than emotional responses common to institutionalized youth. We thus began questioning if these were common emotional responses, and …

Sharing Information About The Child With Adoptive Parents, Barbara Ashmun, Beverly Mckinney Erickson, Bente Roberts Parker

Dissertations and Theses

The study examined differences in the adoption process between successful and unsuccessful adoptions. The focus of the study was on how much information the parents received about the child prior to placement and on related aspects of the process by which a child is placed in an adoptive home. All information for this study was gathered from the records kept on each child who is placed.

The procedure used was to examine the records of successful and unsuccessful adoptions in three stages. First, an assessment was made of amount and type of information available in the records. It was found …

The Stability Of The Family Day Care Arrangement: A Longitudinal Study, Arthur C. Emlen, Betty A. Donaghue, Quentin D. Clarkson

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

This monograph tells of an era when an increasing numbers of working mothers found day care down the street with a mother who had a child or two of her own and was glad to add one or two more during the day. Informal family day care met with respect by a team of researchers in Portland, Oregon. They studied family day care and discovered ways to create “natural helping networks” in the neighborhood.

Hiring Practices: A Study Of The Port Of Portland, Portland, Oregon, Carol Williams Bryant

Dissertations and Theses

The hypothesis for studying the hiring practices at the Port of Portland was simply that hiring practices have historically discriminated against non-whites through negative racial attitudes that are destructive and inappropriate if equal employment is to be practiced. The objective of this study was to provide the Port with information which could lead to the adjustment of hiring procedures which would be geared toward effective recruitment and hiring of minority individuals.

Re-Evaluation Co-Counseling And The Treatment Of Peptic Ulcers, Jack Justin Heims

Dissertations and Theses

The thesis investigates the role of psycotherapy in treating peptic ulcers, offering a new approach, "Re-evaluation Co-counseling," a peer cathartic therapy.

Survey On Dropouts From Graduate Schools Of Social Work, 1970-1972, William J. Hadley, Vard R. Miller, Michael C. Prange

Dissertations and Theses

This research project has been designed as an initial exploratory survey of dropouts from graduate schools of social work. The target population was those students who had dropped from graduate schools of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The time frame covered a three year period from 1970 to 1972. The data was gathered through the development and administration of a survey instrument in questionnaire form.

The Department Of Family Services, Court Of Domestic Relations, Portland, Oregon : A Report Of Its History, Function, And Future, George Brune, John Hart, Sandra Smith

Dissertations and Theses

The study begins with a look at the sociological foundations underlying the Department of Family Services and the social institutions of law and marriage and the family. In order to present the working operation of the agency there are chapters dealing with custody and visitation and marriage and family counseling. This work is defined, and the methods involved are explained and illustrated. An historical overview of the agency with regard to personal, policy and orientation is presented.

A Study Of Ambulance Transportation In Relation To Public Welfare Policy, Gary Jules Lutz

Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the Public Welfare Medical Transportation Program with particular focus on ambulance transportation. It addresses the problems Public Welfare has in funding and administrating the program, looks at the components of the larger emergency medical care system and its relationship to Public Welfare, studies who, how, and why this service is being delivered, and makes recommendations for policy revision in respect to the larger emergency medical care system.

Systematic Planning Toward Implementation Of A State Protective Services Program For The Developmentally Disabled, Bernie J. Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

In March, 1973, the legislature of the State of Montana enacted a bill establishing protective services for developmentally disabled persons (H.B. 350) (see Appendix). Implementation of this act was assigned to the Family and Adult Services Bureau, Division of Community Services, Social and Rehabilitation Services. It is the intent of this research paper to describe that implementation of a social services law, using systems analysis approaches to the task.

The Development Of A Questionnaire For Use By The Clackamas County Children's Services Division, Nancy Lee Cable

Dissertations and Theses

The thesis describes the development of a questionnaire to evaluate the services provided by Clackamas County Children's Services Division, including the process of interviewing past clients, examining caseworker statistics sheets, and developing the evaluation instrument.

Occupational Prestige Among Chinese In The San Francisco Area, Linda Fong

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of our study is to understand Chinese attitudes towards occupational prestige in order to be able to counsel families and youth in career goals, and to maximize potentials and enhance life chances. Our purpose is.to arrive first at an occupational ranking or rating since there is none to be found in the literature/on which more specific studies could later be compared. Another purpose is to see whether there I were major differences between traditional and modern Chinese, and find what traits were associated with differences in attitudes and expectations, as further indices of appropriate approaches to social services.

The Urban Indian Program In Portland, Oregon, Lyndon Earl Bohanan

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this paper is to discuss and compare the original Urban Indian Program which operated from April, 1972 to January, 1974 to the most recent program which began operating in January, 1974. The two programs are of the same name, but the organizational structure as well as some of the operating concepts are different.

Survey Of Parental Attitudes Towards Health Services In The Beaverton Schools, Nancy M. King, Lee B. Maxey, Nancy M. Stegen, Lesley D. Unthank

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to collect and evaluate information on health services provided to children enrolled in the Beaverton School District. The primary areas of inquiry in the study were (1) parents attitudes concerning how existing programs have affected their children, (2) parents perceptions of needed and/or additional health services which could be provided by the school system, (3) parents attitudes toward budgetary decisions concerning possible changes and improvements in health services.

Attitudinal Survey Of Children's Services Division Workers Regarding The Louise Home, John Adsit, Wendy Bays Heinz, George Nagel

Dissertations and Theses

This study was initiated by the desire to do a piece of research which would not only be a useful experience for us as social work graduate students, but also would be meeting the needs of an ,agency in the local community. In exploring the opportunities available to us, we found that the three of us were all employed by the Louise Home for Girls in Portland. In addition we each had a concern for the quality of treatment being provided by the Home. Therefore, we approached the administration of the Louise Home to see if they would be interested …

Designing And Evaluating Workshop "Bridges": A Training Project To Upgrade Social Services In Long Term Care Facilities, Corrine C. Williams

Dissertations and Theses

Early in the fall of 1973, the Oregon Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) decided to sponsor a statewide training project in cooperation with seven chapters in other Department of Health, Education and Welfare (DHEW) regions across the United States. These workshops were to comprise Stage I of a two-stage plan; they were to serve as demonstration projects. Their planning, implementation and evaluation were to be seriously reviewed and studied afterword in an attempt to devise a model, or models, for Stage II, when a great number of such workshops would be held across the nation. The …

The Children's Schedule Of Recent Experiences As A Predictive Test Of Behavior Problems Of Children Entering First Grade, Alcie Anne Griffith

Dissertations and Theses

The thesis provides a survey inquiring about recent life events in children to determine predictive behavior for first grade. It is based on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale.

Some Correlates Of Morale Among Nursing Home Residents, Gail Olmsted Sydnor, Patricia Mears Wold

Dissertations and Theses

This is a study of twenty-six patients aged sixty years and over residing in a nursing care facility in Portland, Oregon in the fall of 1973, which explores the relationship of their morale and selected environmental and social factors.

There are three major aims of the study. The first is to measure variances in morale states as experienced and reported by the respondents. The second aim is to determine how a given set of factors correlate with the self-reported morale of each of the respondents. Selected for consideration are 1) attitudes: expectations upon entering the home and choice, comparison of …

Knowledge And Use Of Social Services In Gervais, Oregon, Elizabeth Lewis, Abby Maier, Lajuana J. Morton

Dissertations and Theses

During first year field placement, we worked with a number of rural families, most of them Mexican-American. It seemed to us that rural families in general and Mexican-Americans in particular were not being very well served by social service agencies. We questioned whether this might be due to a lack of Mexican-American perspective in traditional services or perhaps a lack of Mexican-American manpower or at least Spanish-speaking manpower.

This study, then, developed out of a general area of interest that can be stated as three questions: (1) Do rural people (especially Mexican-Americans) feel there is a need for various social …

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Predictive And Evaluative Capacity Of The Pars Scale In A Community Mental Health Clinic, Judith M. Ritter

Dissertations and Theses

This was a two-part study, employing the self and informant, pre and post treatment, forms of the Personal Adjustment and Role Skills Scale, the PARS Scale. In this study seven of the PARS Scale factors were employed: Interpersonal Involvement, Agitation-Depression, Attention-Confusion, Alcohol-Drug, Outside Social, Household Management (females), and Anxiety (males).

This study was conducted at Delaunay Institute for Mental Health, an outpatient community mental health clinic in a low socioeconomic catchment area.

Part One of the study employed a random sample of seventy applicants, male and female, ages sixteen to sixty-four, who applied to Delaunay for treatment services between November …

An Evaluation Of Direct Services Of Delaunay Institute For Mental Health, Jeanette Anderson Finley, Gary W. Smith

Dissertations and Theses

Today taxpayers (those who pay for services) and clients (those who receive services) wish the best use for the money that they invest. The public is not as accepting of generalities, observations or intuitive success measures of social agencies' performance. Emotional problems are costly. Often they can lead to loss of employment, inefficiency, break-up of marriages, retarding the emotional development of children and use of monies invested by other agencies, i.e., welfare, juvenile courts, etc. Social agencies, in response to the general public, are raising issues around what are appropriate measures tor evaluating treatment outcome. The instant study is one …

Police Discretion With Respect To The Juvenile Offender, Department Of Public Safety, Multnomah County, Oregon, Muriel Bridges, Monty Merritt

Dissertations and Theses

This is an exploratory study which focuses on the types of information that deputies assigned to the Department of Public Safety, Multnomah County, Oregon, consider important when making a decision regarding the disposition of a juvenile offender.

This empirical study developed as a result of participant observation. The authors spent one year working with deputies as part of police-social worker teams. During the course of the year it became apparent that police use a considerable amount of discretion when determining the disposition of a juvenile offender.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate systematically:

1. the types of information …

Adjustment Problems Of Chinese College Students In The United States, Terry Shu-Fang Hu

Dissertations and Theses

This is a study of selected adjustment problems among Chinese students from Hong Kong and Taiwan attending two Oregon universities, Portland State University and University of Oregon, with data gathered by questionnaire, in the school year 1973-1974.

An Analysis Of The Mental Health Services Available To The Elderly Within Oregon: Using Multnomah County As A Special Case Study Area, Joan Nadine Hoss

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify the mental health services available to the elderly residents of Oregon, and to assess the effectiveness of these services in providing mental health treatment to elderly persons.

In order to reasonably narrow the scope of this study, the investigation of mental health services was limited primarily to those agencies which are publicly funded and controlled by state or local bodies. In addition, Multnomah County was selected as a case study area in order to further narrow the scope of the study. Multnomah County was selected because of the convenience of its geographical …

An Exploratory Study To Assess Client Expectancy Of Counseling Gain, William W. Hanselman

Dissertations and Theses

This exploratory study is designed to investigate the role of pre-counseling client expectancy as it affects the outcome of initial-interview counseling. To facilitate investigation into this area it was necessary to develop a measuring instrument whereby an individual's expectation of the success of counseling could be assessed. This instrument was then administered to beginning clients at two counseling facilities.

An Attitudinal Study Of Secondary School Teachers Toward School Social Workers, Raymond Merritt, Dwayne Mcnannay

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the attitudes of secondary teachers toward school social workers.