Digital Commons Network^™

Barriers And Opportunities For Evidence-Based Practice: Curriculum Changes In Fieldwork And Classroom In Social Work Education, Anwar Najor-Durack

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to consider perceptions held by social work faculty and agency-based field instructors to incorporate EBP into social work student classroom and field placement experiences. This study identifies perceptions of social work faculty and field instructors about EBP, determines the extent to which social work faculty and field instructors incorporate and use EBP; and considers how organizational leadership and/or technology supports influence adoption and utilization of EBP. The population for this study included all full-time social work faculty members employed by three large public universities in southeast Michigan (Michigan State University [MSU], University of Michigan …

Racial/Cultural Identity Development In Foster Children Placed In Transracial Foster Homes, Vanessa Brooks Herd

Wayne State University Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to identify how racial and cultural identity is developed and maintained in foster children who are placed in foster homes racially and culturally different than they are. The research questions included how the foster care system addresses racial identity issues and how foster parents assign meaning to the transracial foster care experience. Another area of interest was the preparation by the foster care system for foster parents to manage issues of racial identity. The pre-training curriculum for foster parents was subjected to a content analysis.

Connecting Children And Families: Expectations And Experiences Of Professional Foster Parents, Samantha A. Goodrich

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Seed For Oklahoma Kids Experiment: Initial Account Opening And Savings, Robert Zager, Youngmi Kim, Yunju Nam, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

The SEED for Oklahoma Kids Experiment: Initial Account Opening and Savings

The Seed For Oklahoma Kids Experiment: Initial Account Opening And Savings, Robert Zager, Youngmi Kim, Yunju Nam, Margaret Clancy, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

The SEED for Oklahoma Kids Experiment: Initial Account Opening and Savings

From Helena To Harlem: Experiences Of Lower-Income Rural And Urban Parents In Childrens Savings Account Programs, Edward Scalon, Leann Wittman

Center for Social Development Research

This report focuses on a qualitative study of parents and other parents who were involved in the SEED program at the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City and the Southern Good Faith Fund in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas. In-depth interviews with the caregivers of child participants were designed to help provide a richer understanding of perceived facilitators and obstacles to saving, perceived effects of saving, and participants’ experiences of various program features. This report focus on three of our primary research concerns: perceived saving facilitators, perceived saving barriers, and perceived impacts of SEED participation.

Do Parental Assets Matter For Children's Educational Attainment?: Evidence From Mediation Tests, Youngmi Kim, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

This study investigates (1) the effects of parental assets on children’s educational attainment from high school completion to college degree attainment, and (2) mediating roles played by parental involvement, child’s educational expectations, and child’s self-esteem. The study sample (N=632) is drawn from the Child and Young Adult data supplement to the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979. Results indicate that parental assets are associated with children’s later educational attainment. Financial assets and home-ownership are significantly associated with high school completion and college attendance. In addition, family income becomes non-significant when specific measures of assets and liabilities are taken into account. …

Emerging Perspectives On International Volunteerism In Asia, Caroline Brassard, Margaret S. Sherraden, Benjamin J. Lough

Center for Social Development Research

Created for the International Forum on Development Service’s FORUM Research series, this paper presents an assessment of knowledge on international volunteerism in Asia. Data for the assessment come from an online survey of 80 organizations that send volunteers to Asian countries, face-to-face interviews conducted with staff in 47 organizations, and focus group discussions with 32 volunteers after their return from international service. The findings have implications for volunteers, their managers, hosting organizations, researchers, and policymakers. The paper served as the foundation for the Forum Research 2010 address before the annual conference of International Volunteer Cooperation Organisations. Slides as video from …

Lessons From Seed: A National Demonstration Of Child Development Accounts, Michael Sherraden, Julia Stevens, Deborah Adams, Ray Boshara, Margaret Clancy, Reid Cramer, Bob Friedman, Rochelle Howard, Karol Krotki, Ellen Marks, Lisa Mensah, Bryan Rhodes, Carl Rist, Edward Scanlon, Trina Williams Shanks, Michael Sherraden, Julia Stevens, Leigh Tivol, Robert Zager

Center for Social Development Research

Lessons From SEED: A National Demonstration of Child Development Accounts

Saving For College: A Policy Primer, Margaret M. Clancy, Terry Lassar, Krista Taake

Center for Social Development Research

To help address the rapidly rising cost of higher education—an obstacle to college access and completion for many low- and moderate-income families—it is increasingly important to save for college. This report highlights key policy considerations and challenges, along with specific strategies, to make 529 college savings plans more accessible to families of all incomes.

Household Assets And Food Stamp Program Participation Among Eligible Low-Income Households, Jin Huang, Yunju Nam, Nora Wikoff

Center for Social Development Research

This study examines the association between asset ownership and Food Stamp Program participation among eligible households using a sample from a longitudinal national survey. This study employs two approaches: A multinomial model on the level of program participation and an event history analysis on the duration of eligible nonparticipation spells. Analysis results show that home, vehicle, and bank account ownership are negatively related to program participation, suggesting that asset ownership may reduce low-income households’ chances of receiving food assistance. It is recommended that program administrators liberalize asset eligibility rules and simplify procedures to facilitate program participation among low-income asset owners.

Estimating The Life Course Dynamics Of Asset Poverty, Mark R. Rank, Thomas A. Hirschl

Center for Social Development Research

Poverty can be conceptualized and measured in several different ways. The most common approach has been to rely on a scarcity of income as the basis for poverty. This paper analyzes poverty using a relatively new and alternative measuring stick—that of asset poverty. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we examine the extent to which individuals have enough assets to allow them to live for three months above the official poverty line. Households that fail to have the necessary amount of assets are considered asset poor. Three different measures of counting assets are used in this paper—net …

Conflict Resolution In Mexican-Origin Couples: Culture, Gender, And Marital Quality, Lorey A. Wheeler, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Shawna M. Thayer

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

This study examined associations between Mexican-origin spouses’ conflict resolution strategies (i.e., nonconfrontation, solution orientation, and control) and (a) gender-typed qualities and attitudes, (b) cultural orientations, and (c) marital quality in a sample of 227 couples. Results of multilevel modeling revealed that Mexican cultural orientations were positively associated with solution orientation, and Anglo cultural orientations were negatively associated with nonconfrontation. Expressive personal qualities were negatively associated with control, whereas instrumental qualities were positively related to control. Links between conflict resolution and marital quality revealed that control and nonconfrontation were associated with spouses’ ratings of marital negativity. In some cases, different patterns …

Saving For Post-Secondary Education In American Indian Communities, Amy Locklear Hertel, Mary Elizabeth Jäger

Center for Social Development Research

Saving for Post-Secondary Education in American Indian Communities

Youth Savings In Developing Countries: Trends In Practice, Gaps In Knowledge, Jamie Zimmerman, Jamie M. Zimmerman, David Ansong, Shweta S. Banerjee, Ray Boshara, Gina Chowa, Rani Deshpande, Lissa Johnson, Rainier Masa, Kate Mckee, Margaret Miller, Margaret Sherraden, Michael Sherraden, Fred Ssewamala, Thierry Van Bastelaer, Jamie M. Zimmerman, Li Zou

Center for Social Development Research

Youth Savings in Developing Countries: Trends in Practice, Gaps in Knowledge

Perceived Impacts Of International Service On Volunteers: Interim Results From A Quasi-Experimental Study, Amanda Moore Mcbride, Benjamin J. Lough, Margaret Sherrard Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

There is growing interest in the potential of international service to foster international understanding between peoples and nations and to promote global citizenship and intercultural cooperation, and international service may be growing in prevalence worldwide. Despite the scale of international service, its impacts are not well understood. Although there is a growing body of descriptive evidence about the various models and intended outcomes of international service, the overwhelming majority of research is based on case and cross-sectional studies, which do not permit conclusions about the impacts of international service. This paper reports on a quasi-experimental study that assesses perceptions of …

Saving For Post-Secondary Education In American Indian Communities: A Geospatial And Quantitative Analysis, Amy Locklear Hertel, Mary Elizabeth Jäger

Center for Social Development Research

A college education is critical to achieving financial stability in the United States. Empirical evidence linking college completion to higher incomes supports this assertion (Bergman, 2006). Every child should have the opportunity to obtain a post-secondary education and achieve financial stability. However, little is known about the practices and behaviors of American Indians when it comes to saving for post-secondary education. This pilot study is the first in this regard. There are two objectives for this study. The first is to assess spatially NC 529 College Savings Plan (NC 529 Plan or Plan) awareness and ownership among American Indian participants …

Beyond Employment And Income: The Association Between Young Adults’ Finances And Marital Timing, Jeffrey P. Dew, Joseph Price

Faculty Publications

This study tested an extension of the theory of marital timing (Oppenheimer, Am J Sociol 94:563–591, 1988) by assessing whether visible and less visible financial assets and debt mediated the relationship between employment and the likelihood of marriage. We conducted these prospective, longitudinal analyses using a sample of 1,522 never-married young adults from the National Survey of Families and Households. For participants who were not cohabiting at Wave 1, financial issues such as car values predicted marriage but did not mediate the relationship between work hours, occupational prestige, and the likelihood of marriage. For cohabiting participants, employment factors were the …

Perceptions Of Counseling Integration: A Survey Of Counselor Educators, Andre Marquis, Deborah Hudson, Mike Tursi

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Counselor educators were surveyed in order to assess their knowledge of integrative counseling approaches, their views regarding the importance of such approaches, and how much emphasis on integrative counseling is given in their counseling courses. A large majority of participants reported that integration in counseling is very important and that they emphasize it in their teaching of counseling theories and/or methods courses. Implications of these findings are discussed, including suggestions for counselor educators and counseling journals.

Seoul Hope Plus Savings Accounts: Asset-Building Program For Low-Income Households In Seoul, Mihyun Kim, Jisung Kwon, Sunwook Chung, Hyunmira Hong, Yunju Nam, Youngmi Kim, Eunlye Lee

Center for Social Development Research

Seoul Hope Plus Savings Accounts: Asset-Building Program for Low-Income Households in Seoul

The Basics Of Progressive 529s, Center For Social Development

Center for Social Development Research

The Basics of Progressive 529s

Experiences With Infant Mortality As Reported By Middle Class Black Women In Their Own Words, Lisa Paisley-Cleveland

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Black Middle-Class Women and Pregnancy Loss: A Qualitative Inquiry is the first qualitative research case study of its kind on Black Infant Mortality (BIM) to focus on a target group of black American-born middle-class professional married women who have all lived through the experience of infant loss. This target group allows Lisa Paisley-Cleveland to examine the BIM phenomenon outside the poverty paradigm and issues attached to teenage pregnancy, as well as to explore contributing factors attached to the persistent black and white disparity in infant mortality rates, which according to CDC’s January 2013 report are 12.40 and 5.35 respectively.

This …

Youth Savings Around The World: Youth Characteristics, Savings Performance, And Potential Impacts, Rainier Masa, Margaret Sherraden, Li Zou, Fred Ssewamala, Lissa Johnson, David Ansong, Gina Chowa, Michal Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Youth Savings Around the World: Youth Characteristics, Savings Performance, and Potential Impacts

Youth Savings Around The World: Youth Characteristics, Savings Performance, And Potential Effects, Rainier Masa, Margaret Sherrard Sherraden, Li Zou, Fred Ssewamala, Lissa Johnson, David Ansong, Gina Chowa, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Youth Savings Around the World: Youth Characteristics, Savings Performance, and Potential Effects

College Savings Plan Accounts At Birth: Maine's Statewide Program, Margaret M. Clancy, Terry Lassar

Center for Social Development Research

The Harold Alfond College Challenge offers $500 to every child in the state enrolled in Maine’s NextGen college savings plan within 1 year from birth. As the first U.S. example of a statewide Child Development Account, the Alfond Challenge is a laboratory to study and learn from Maine’s experience. This CSD policy brief provides an overview of the Alfond Challenge, examines administrative and enrollment challenges, and offers recommendations and federal and state policy directions.

Conceptualizing Success In Therapeutic Wilderness Experiences: The Creation And Maintenance Of Instructor-Participant Relationships, Chelsea I. Ambrozaitis

Honors Scholar Theses

Researchers have noted that relationships created between instructors and clients in therapeutic wilderness experiences are unique (Russell, 2003; Russell & Phillips-Miller, 2001; Sklar, Anderson, & Autry, 2007; Taniguchi et al., 2009), but little research has been done to explore these relationships. The present study is an investigation of how instructors build and maintain relationships with participants, conceptualize these relationships, and define success in these tasks. Nine instructors from a wilderness program for at-risk youth participated in interviews. Data were analyzed using a line-by-line coding technique. Results of this study add to existing research on wilderness therapy and therapeutic wilderness experiences, …

Staying On Course: The Effects Of Savings And Assets On The College Progress Of Young Adults, Sondra G. Beverly, William Elliott Iii

Center for Social Development Research

Staying on Course: The Effects of Savings and Assets on the College Progress of Young Adults

Staying On Course: The Effects Of Savings And Assets On The College Progress Of Young Adults, William Elliott Iii, Sondra G. Beverly

Center for Social Development Research

Increasingly, college graduation is seen as a necessary step toward achieving the American Dream. However, large disparities exist in graduation rates. This study examines the college progress of young adults. Findings suggest that 57% of young adults between the ages of 17 and 23 are “on course,” that is, are currently attending or have graduated from college. Those with family assets and savings of their own are more likely to be on course. In multivariate analysis, both net worth and youth school savings are strong predictors of college progress. Youth school savings and parental savings for youth are strong predictors …

International Volunteerism In The United States, 2008, Benjamin Lough

Center for Social Development Research

Over one million individuals reported volunteering internationally in 2008. Young or middle-aged, White, college graduates with higher incomes, employed full-time, and married without dependent children were the most frequent candidates for volunteer service abroad. The majority of international volunteers served with a faith-based organization. Data for this report were gathered from the September 2004 through September 2009 volunteer supplements to the Current Population Survey (CPS)—a monthly survey of approximately 60,000 households. The volunteer supplement includes questions about service performed domestically and abroad. Two items specifically assess the rate and frequency of international volunteer service. More detailed information about sampling, definitions, …

Asset Building In The South: Organizations And Services, Gena Gunn, Jennifer Heffern, Karen Edwards

Center for Social Development Research

Asset Building in the South: Organizations and Services