Digital Commons Network^™

Forest Conservation In Nepal: Encouraging Women's Participation, Augusta Molnar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This issue of SEEDS focuses on ways in which women have been involved in a government forest conservation and restoration program in Nepal. As is common with many large-scale projects with a general impact, women were not a direct focus of the project's original design. As activities got underway, however, both the Nepali staff and their expatriate colleagues quickly realized that the direct involvement of women was crucial to the success of the project's participatory strategy. Over the initial five years, 1980 to 1985, a number of approaches to addressing women's needs and generating their active participation were tried. The …

Youth Employment And Unemployment: Outreach Initiatives In Massachusetts And The City Of Boston, James E. Blackwell, William J. Stracqualursi, Zaki A. Sakin

William Monroe Trotter Institute Publications

An effort is made here to identify trends in the labor market participation of teenagers, especially in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in the City of Boston; to specify unemployment trends in terms of the racial identification of teenagers or youth, with a special focus on the 14-19 year old cohort; to describe the types of jobs held by teenagers and make an assessment of the long-term implications of types of employment for future employability; to specify the most frequently identified issues* delineated when attempting to address the problem of youth unemployment; to permit young employed people to speak about …

'Asking Directions’ And Pedestrian Wayfinding, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper reports a study of the social ecology and systemic aspects of "asking for directions" in an urban area. Interviews were conducted with 100 randomly selected pedestrians at spatially stratified locations representing a variety of urban environments in Lincoln, Nebraska. The interviewer, posing as a "lost" pedestrian, asked respondents to give directions to local landmarks and then unobtrusively recorded their responses on a concealed tape recorder. Respondents generally provided accurate, distance-conserving directions with low levels of spatial complexity. Responses were friendly and often tailored to the unique environmental attributes characterizing each location. An outline of the process whereby a …

Novels, Thought Experiments, And Humanist Sociology In The Classroom: Mari Sandoz And Capital City, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Based upon teaching Mari Sandoz' allegorical novel, Capital City, as part of Introduction to Sociology for three semesters, this report outlines the characteristics of sociologically useful novels from a humanist perspective. A key characteristic is the extent to which novelists not only conduct thought experiments but also stimulate student thinking and research. The pedagogical dimensions of thought experiments are explicated and the positive outcomes of using a novel-and group study projects based on a novel-are reported.

The Sociology And Experiences Of Pedestrians, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper introduces the sociological and experiential studies included in this special issue of Man-Environment Systems. Sociological and experiential perspectives and their interconnections are briefly explored. A sociology of sociology perspective is adopted and argues that architects, planners, engineers and other managers of vested, status guo interests fail to systematically incorporate the burgeoning social scientific work on pedestrianism due to the inherent and unavoidable political character of walking.

Bomb Talk: Framing The Unthinkable, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Our cultural apparatus appears ill-equipped, if not unable, to conceptualize or frame the present nuclear reality in a way that lets us effectively come to grips with it as it really is: a deployed, targeted, industrialized capacity to instantaneously annihilate all human life. This paper demonstrates that we key or transform our nuclear reality in virtually every conceivable way, thus normalizing it and treating it culturally the same as any other phenomenon, including the most mundane. I argue therefore that we have before us the immense and challenging task of finding a way – working with flawed and inadequate intellectual …

Family Problems In The Background Of Mental Health Professionals, Linda Elaine Mccarter

Masters Theses

It has been proposed by some that students choose to study in mental health related fields in an effort to find solutions for their own personal emotional or family problems. Some believe that those who assumed or were assigned a family role of the good or parentified child (a role which requires that the needs of others be placed ahead of one's own) are over-represented among mental health professionals. Others contend that there are no significant differences in family background between psychotherapists and other individuals with a similar level of education. Little empirical investigation has addressed these issues. Studies which …

The Meaning Of Marriage To The Voluntarily Childless Couple, June Ann Smith

Dissertations

Problem. The literature is replete with findings to show that childlessness is a contemporary and growing trend. However, no known study has been done to explore what marriage means to the couple who chooses childlessness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of marriage to the voluntarily childless couple.

Method. This study was done with a purposive sample of 42 couples. These couples were selected from referrals made through contact with a local radio station. Some were selected from referrals made by church pastors who were aware of couples in their congregations who are voluntarily childless, …

The Validity Of The Kinetic Family Drawing As A Measure Of Self-Concept And Parent/Child Relationship Among Chinese Children In Taiwan, Mei-Mei Cho

Dissertations

Problem

Valid psychological instruments for use with Chinese children in Taiwan are scarce. The present study attempted to validate the Kinetic Family Drawing as a measure of the self in the family context as well as the perceived parent-child relationship among Chinese children in Taiwan, and to obtain normative data on the KFD for this population.

Method

A correlational research design was used to determine the validity of the KFD using aSemantic Differential (SD) of four concepts--"Father and Me," "Mother and Me," "Me," and "My Whole Family"--as a criterion measure. The KFDs were rated for 80 variables recommended by Burns …

Physically Disabled Women And New Directions In Public Policy, 1977-1987., Mary Jo Deegan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Women with physical disabilities now demand new directions in public policy. Starting a mere decade ago, in 1977, a driving momentum redefined the self-concepts, expectations, and united actions of disabled women. This burgeoning social movement is documented here through the geometric growth of writings articulating the vision of a more active and independent group. An overview of this Iiterature and its policy implications is provided.

Preface, Mary Jo Deegan, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

To us, as feminist professors, the structural inequality of women is obvious. To our nonfeminist students, however, this inequality is often invisible. They believe, optimistically, that all women's problems have been solved or will be by the time they complete their undergraduate education. They are firm believers that American society is egalitarian and radically different from the world of ten or twenty years ago. This book is oriented toward our students and our vision. We, too, believe that people are flexible and can change, and that the United States Constitution guarantees equality for all citizens. We know, however, that women's …

A Cross-Cultural Analysis Of Several Forms Of Parenting: Mother, Genitrix, And Mater, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Melissa Stern was born March 27, 1986, in New Jersey. For one so young, she has experienced or been the subject of interstate flight and fugitive hegira, legal battles involving her own court-appointed attorney, social controversy, the voracious attention of an insensitive media industry, and a place in history as the famous Baby "M". Judge Sorkow (1987: 26-27), in his opinion awarding custody of Melissa to her genetic father and terminating all parental rights of her genetic mother, notes professional evaluations indicating Melissa to be a "a mellow, alert, easy-to-care-for child who is blessed with a 'sunniness of disposition that …

Assessing The Needs Of Mothers With Mentally Retarded Offspring: An Empirical Approach, Jonathan Rabinowitz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This exploratory study assesses the needs of mothers with retarded offspring living at home. Previous studies have focused on meeting those parental needs which would benefit their retarded offspring. This study does not limit parental needs to those needs, which if met would benefit the retarded child, and defines parents as an independent group with special needs.

A Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of Day Care On The Pre-School Child And The Family, John T. Pardeck, Jean A. Pardeck, John W. Murphy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Maternal employment has increased dramatically over the last two decades. The result of this increase in the number of working mothers is the expanded use of day care programs for children. Examined in this paper are research findings on the impact of day-care on the child and the family. The implications of these findings for policy development are discussed.

Currently in the United States, over 50 percent of mothers work outside the home; this figure is expected to rise to 75 percent by 1990. The fastest growing segment of the working mother population is among those with children under two …

Moral Development, Socioeconomic Status, And Family Intactness: Status Offenders Versus Criminal Offenders, Michael A. Glynn

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the possible differences between the two legally defined groups of juvenile delinquents (status offenders and criminal offenders) on the variables of moral development, socioeconomic status, and family intactness. Moral development was measured using Gibbs' Sociomoral Reflection Measure. Socioeconomic status was determined by the subject's parent's ranking on Nam's Occupational Status Score Index, and family intactness or non-intactness was determined from an examination of court records. The subjects were 106 males between the ages of 13 and 17 inclusive, and were evenly divided in the two legal categories. No significant differences were found between the two groups on …

Economic Activities Of Children In Two Iranian Villages, Akbar Aghajanian

Sociology Department Faculty Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Neighborhood Criminals And Outsiders In Two Communities: Indications That Criminal Localism Varies, Daniel Baker, Patrick G. Donnelly

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

Most research on the mobility of criminal offenders examines distance travelled. This paper examines instead whether neighborhood boundaries are crossed. Comparisons of two neighborhoods in Dayton, Ohio, indicate community variations in criminal mobility. Juveniles from poorer, more transient neighborhoods are surprisingly less likely to stay in the neighborhood to commit their offenses than were adults.

"Martha's Rules": An Alternative To Robert's Rules Of Order, Anne Minahan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

For several years I have been teaching a social work course on how social workers can make their employing organization more responsive to consumers. We study how decisions are made in organizations. The students and I have become intrigued with the use of consensus decision-making in some organizations. Many—but by no means all—of these organizations are feminist organizations that wish to put feminist beliefs and philosophy into practice within organizations and to avoid structured administrative hierarchies for decision making. In their study of consensus decision-making organizations, students have reported that some participants are impatient with the time required by the …

The Stiglich-Paskvan Family, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

Compilation of newspaper articles, deed books, and census references relating to the Stiglich-Paskvan family.

Parental And Teacher Expectations For Kindergarten Preparation And Priorities For Kindergarten Curricula, Kimberly Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Participants for this investigation were 146 kindergarten teachers and 436 parents of kindergarteners in Davis and Weber School Districts. Self-administered questionnaires were utilized, 1) to determine if teachers, mothers and fathers believe that parents could do more to prepare children for kindergarten, 2) to delineate what each group believes parents can do, 3) to investigate what mothers and fathers have done in preparing their children for kindergarten, 4) to explore what skills teachers, mothers and fathers credit as most important for children to possess upon kindergarten entry, and 5) to examine what skills these three groups feel should be emphasized …

Determinants Of Knowledge About Social Security: A Study Of Nonremarried Widows Caring For Children, Martha N. Ozawa, William T. Alpert

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social security beneficiaries and the general public alike are concerned about the financial solvency of the social security program. But how much do they know about how the system works? This study analyzes the determinants of knowledge about social security among nonremarried widows having children under their care. It builds a research model based on the economic theory of rational decision making. Using ordinary least squares regression estimation techniques, the level of knowledge about specific social security provisions is regressed on family income, implicit tax rate, number of children, human capital variables, and other demographic and locational variables. The findings …

Retirees As Technoguides: A New Role As Shapers And Makers Of The Future, Arthur B. Shostak

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Retirees nowadays serve in many out-of-the-home roles that make astute use of their maturity, their discretion time, and their flexibility about compensation: Large numbers help as paid or voluntary aides in day care centers, health fairs, home health care, hospice programs, nursing homes, and the vital like.

A brand new role that might appeal to many would have them learn and practice the craft of technology assessment and the process of technology diffusion: With these tools retirees could serve as technoguides, or paid or voluntary aides in the testing, evaluating, and adapting of new products and services to the needs …

Perceptions Of Menstruation As An Indicator Of Stereotypic Beliefs Within Marriage, Debra L. Caswell-Madsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research examined husband and wife attitudes toward menstruation and how these attitudes related to certain behaviors within marriage. The sample consisted of 48 Married couples, some living in Davis, California and some living in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Specifically, four objectives were pursued:

1. Assess husbands' and wives' perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles.
2. Assess husbands' and wives' attitudes toward menstruation.
3. Examine how husband's and wives' attitudes toward menstruation might be associated with perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles.
4. Examine how wives' perceptions of differences in behavior over …

The Effects Of A Social Skills Training Program On Interpersonal Communications In Parent Adolescent Dyads, Patrick Sean Noble

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis was two fold. First, there was an experiment in which the independent variable was the behavioral skill levels of parents and their adolescents on a social skills training program and the dependent variable was the parent and adolescent perceptions of their interpersonal relationship regarding communication and problem solving. Second, there was an experiment comparing instructional styles wherein the independent variable was the length of time used to present the social skills training program and the dependent variable was the resulting scores on the behavioral measures of the program. A modified pretest -post-test control group design …

Elderly Population Of Connecticut: 1980, The, Kenneth P. Hadden

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

No abstract provided.

The Women's Construction Collective: Building For The Future, Ruth Mcleod

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This edition of SEEDS focuses on a project developed to integrate low-income women into Jamaica's construction industry. In two years, 34 women passed through the project's basic training and skills upgrading courses. More than 90 percent of these women became employed, the majority as masons and carpenters. The story of how this field was identified as a potential source of income for women, and how the project developed and evolved in response to changing circumstances, presents many useful lessons. These should be of particular interest to those seeking to identify employment areas where women's participation is feasible and in helping …

Sexism In Space: The Freudian Formula In "Star Trek", Mary Jo Deegan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

These words, spoken at the beginning of each televised "Star Trek" episode, set the stage for the fantastic future. Although the "Star Trek" series was cancelled in 1969 after only three years of production, it generated a large cult following that flourishes still today. One reason for the series' remarkable longevity is its depiction of the future as a Freudian fantasy. This Freudian vision draws on cultural myths embedded in the patriarchal dominance of men over women characteristic of Western civilization.

According to Freud, both sexes are driven by three instincts --- sex, aggression, and the death wish---but men have …

Spatial Structure In Pedestrian Route Choice, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Aggregated pedestrian trip lengths typically follow gravity model predictions. Given this, the present research asks which route will a pedestrian choose when confronted by two or more distance-minimizing routes of equal length. Ethological, questionnaire, and interview data reveal the spatial structure of pedestrian route choices in terms of spatial complexity measures. Route complexity is found to vary by age and gender. The study is based on data collected in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Review Of Accommodating The Pedestrian By Richard Untermann, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Untermann undertakes to provide design professionals and other decision makers with a down-to-earth, practical guide for converting existing automobile-dominated urban areas into bicycle and pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods and cities. Based primarily on his personal observation, experience, and professional predilections, Untermann lists the presumed "needs" of pedestrians/bicyclists and presents a brief, uneven description of the "characteristics" of walking. A separate chapter, not well-integrated with the rest of the book, focuses specifically on bicyclists and bikeways. The second half of the book addresses specific improvements-primarily for pedestrians suggested by the author for older neighborhoods, downtowns, and suburban communities respectively.

The Family Historian, G. Wesley Johnson Jr.

Faculty Publications

The archivist of a great university library was once asked his secret in collecting so many important materials. He smiled and said, "My success can be summed up in two very important words: vacuum sweeper." His approach was to locate as many relevant materials as possible and then to analyze and classify them. His success was linked to having a wide definition of what records might be of value for historical archives. Where others threw away phone books, he kept them (valuable information on professions and businesses in the Yellow Pages), where others threw away menus, he kept them (valuable …