Digital Commons Network^™

After The Summit: Building Community Networks For America’S Youth, Sabrina Burke

Special Topics, General

The purpose of this research project is to provide a guide for local coordinators and organizers of America’s Promise and other national initiatives. It looks at the new paradigm of community youth development how it is changing the ways that social organizations are conducting business. It explores how to create community networks as a way for communities to better serve their young people. In this project, a community network is defined as an association of individuals representing different organizations and associations working together (collaborating) to achieve a common long term vision or goal. Although there is a rich diversity among …

The Victim Rights Movement: A Social Constructionist Examination, Angela Renee Evans

Dissertations

What has been termed the victim rights movement has made great progress in promoting legislative changes regarding victim rights in the United States. This research examines the victim rights movement from a social constructionist perspective by focusing on two pieces of federal legislation passed in the 1980s: the Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982 and the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. Using the social constructionist perspective, the research examines who was involved in the claims-making activities and which claims were most likely to be heard and acted upon. Rather than seeing social movements as the result of some …

Childcare And Experiential Knowledge: Expanding Definitions Of Childcare, Lori L. Mcneil

Dissertations

Childcare is traditionally defined as care for children while their parents/guardians are in the workforce or attending school. While technically accurate, it is argued that traditional definitions of childcare are partial and consequently do not fully describe childcare based on an experiential dimension. Thus, this research project sought to augment normative definitions of childcare by including the voices of children in childcare, parents using childcare and those caregivers providing childcare.

Several theoretical frameworks were used for this research. First, standpoint theory (Harding, 1987) was presented in order to inform an alternative perspective of childcare based on “experiential” rather than “expert” …

Capital Punishment: A New Perspective On Race And Ethnic Differences In Punishment And Death Sentence Outcomes, Martin G. Urbina

Dissertations

A review of the existing literature on death sentence outcomes (i.e., executions, commutations) shows evidence of discrimination against minority defendants (e.g., African Americans). Prior studies, however, have followed a Caucasian/African American and/or execution/commutation approach. Latino defendants have either been excluded or treated as a monolithic group. Thus, little is known about death sentence outcomes for Latinos, whose experiences differ from those of African Americans and Caucasians. Additionally, little is known about the treatment of the various ethnic groups (e.g., Cubans, Mexicans) that constitute the Latino community. And, since the focus has been on executions and/or commutations, little is known about …

Adult Survivors Of Family Violence And Abuse, Marcie De La Cruz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The topic of family violence and abuse is a very sensitive issue. Yet, violence is a part of everyday life. Although people are constantly being bombarded by violent acts on television and in newspaper articles, family violence and abuse is a topic that is to a certain extent, taboo. Even with this taboo topic, family violence and abuse has been widely studied and researched; however, the majority of the research has concentrated on a quantitative aspect. Thus, this study looks at family violence and abuse through qualitative eyes. In the grand tradition of case studies and narratives, this qualitative study …

Progress Rural Western Australia 2000 Conference Proceedings, 18 And 19 August 2000, Fairbridge Farm, Pinjarra, Western Australia., Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Progress Rural Western Australia.

All other publications

Conference Aims and Objectives

Aim

To assist in the creation of an excellent life for people in rural. WA

Objectives

• To provide an opportunity for people from right across rural Western Australia to share ideas, learn from each other, energise and develop new skills and knowledge
• To allow conference participants to develop an understanding/about the cutting edge of regional branding and marketing
• To showcase, explore and celebrate successes in agricultural innovations and entrepreneurship
• To motivate people to be pro-active at the planning and implementation level in rural communities.
• To facilitate the development of cohesive, inclusive rural communities that work together …

News Media Phone And Fax List, July 31, 2000

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

Media contact list.

Effect Of Cooperative Learning (Student Teams -Achievement Divisions) On African American And Caucasian Students' Interracial Friendships, James Edward Cook

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gauge the impact of cooperative learning teams on interracial friendships. The participants were 256 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in English classes (20% African American and 80% Caucasian) at a rural middle school in Louisiana. After delivery of instruction, the experimental group studied worksheets in teams, received rewards based upon the team's performance, and received individual grades based upon individual exam scores. The control group studied worksheets individually and received individual grades. This eight week study utilized the sociometric question, “Who are your friends in this class?” as the pretest and posttest …

Change As A Scholarly Act: Higher Education Research Transfer To Practice, Judith Ramaley

Higher Education

Achieving transformational change is a scholarly challenge best dealt with by practicing public scholarship, which is modeled by the leader and encouraged in other members of the campus community. Like all good scholarly work, good decision making by campus leadership begins with a base of scholarly knowledge generated and validated by higher education researchers.

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Language Attitudes And Academic Performance In Northampton County, Virginia, Public Schools, Glenda L. Rose

English Theses & Dissertations

This language attitude study targets third grade, fifth grade, eighth grade and high school students in the Northampton County, Virginia, Public School System. Two hypotheses were proposed. First, students exhibiting negative attitudes toward their own dialect have a lower performance level in language arts classes than students expressing positive attitudes. Second, factors such as sex, race, grade level, and level of exposure to other dialects are reflected in language attitudes. In order to determine the validity of these hypotheses, school officials were asked to identify five students performing well and five students having difficulty in the language arts. Ten third …

An Exploratory Study Of Domestic Violence Attitudes Among Virginia Magistrates, Elaine M. Phillips

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Currently, 43 states utilize magistrates in the criminal justice response to domestic violence. In Virginia, magistrates have the power to grant emergency protective orders and arrest warrants in domestic violence cases. In 1996, Virginia instituted a new mandatory arrest law. This study explores magistrates' attitudes toward the new law. It also examines their attitudes toward victims and offenders involved in domestic violence cases. The study utilizes data from Crossland's 1998 survey of Virginia magistrates (n=239). Hypotheses based on conflict theory and feminist theory lead to hypotheses that predict that magistrates' attitudes will vary depending on the race, educational level and …

Community Building In Ethically Restructured States: The Baltics, Dovile Budryte

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Drawing on democratic theory, this dissertation explores a thesis that the experience of ethnic restructuring significantly effects the ability of a democratizing state to successfully consolidate its emerging democracy. Ethnically restructured states, it is hypothesized, have an especially hard time creating inclusive democratic political communities, which is a necessary prerequisite for a consolidated democracy.

To test the thesis, the comparative case study method is applied to the ethnically restructured states of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The goal of the case studies is to examine the approaches that the Baltic states used to reduce polarization. The historical background to the case …

A Study Of Faculty Attitudes At Old Dominion University Toward The Use Of Technology In Higher Education, Charles R. Gray

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to uncover and analyze the attitudes, perceptions, and possible concerns of the faculty at Old Dominion University toward the use of new computer technologies in education. Level of experience with the use of new technologies is also examined. This project utilizes a sample of 207 full-time faculty members employed at Old Dominion University during the Spring 2000 semester.

Faculty members between the ages of 24 and 34 had significantly more experience with the use of new computer technologies than did those faculty members who were 50 or more years of age. Faculty members who …

The Effects Of Education And Exposure On College Students' Perceptions Of Dating Violence, Kristian Moore

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between previous exposure to violent situation and an individual's tolerance level of dating violence. In addition, the effect that intervention, in this case a film, can have on one's perception is also examined. This research is quasi-experimental in design and uses a pre-test/post-test design. A baseline sample of 137 Old Dominion University undergraduate students was surveyed at time one at which previous exposure to conflict situations as well as tolerance levels to dating violence were assessed. The film was presented between times one and two. The post-test was given …

Perceptions Of Police Abusive Behavior: Factors Influencing Citizens' Attitudes Toward The Police Use Of Excessive Force, Debra P. Laville-Wilson

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzed several factors to determine their influence on the public's perceptions of the police use of excessive force or police brutality. Conflict theory and cognitive consistency theory were used to conceptualize the perceptions of police brutality. Based on these theories, five hypotheses were predicted. Secondary data from a 1995 National Opinion Survey of Crime and Justice were re-analyzed. The data provide 1,005 respondents for the analyses. Analyses were performed at the bivariate and multivariate level.

Findings from the bivariate analysis show that Blacks were three (3) times more likely than Whites to perceive the police use of excessive …

Media Construction, Reality Engineering, And The Forest Park Murder Victims, Patrick O'Reilly

Dissertations and Theses

Media portrayals of social problems both reflect and shape public perceptions of those problems. Such coverage can have bona fide consequences for what is actually done to combat a particular social problem. Using a constructionist approach, which focuses on how problems are defined and framed by claimsmakers, this study analyzes coverage of a local murder case by The Oregonian, the only major newspaper in the state of Oregon. The case involved the serial murders of three women, each of whose bodies was dumped in a large forested park in the city of Portland.

The analysis includes the content of coverage …

The Role Of Life Review In The Negotiation Of Ldentity In The Elderly And Dying, Edith Kathleen Robertson Sheehan

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Sociology by Edith Kathleen Robertson Sheehan on June 7, 2000.

Stone Soup Community Development: Sustainability And Americorp*Vista Projects, Amy Bonn

Curriculum

The Stone Soup Sustainability research project is an evaluation of how AmeriCorps*VISTA (VISTA) projects address continuity and viability. The research examines what elements are important to a project's sustainability and what resources are needed to improve efforts for stakeholders (Corporation for National Service staff, VISTA supervisors, VISTA Leaders and members). Using Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology, stakeholders were interviewed and asked how they defined a successful project, what strategies they used to develop such a project and what tools would be useful to them. From these findings, the Stone Soup Sustainability series was developed. The series includes a supervisor's guide …

Proposition 48: Knowledge, Attitude And Appreciation In High School Student-Athletes, Robin Salters

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge, attitude, and appreciation of high school student-athletes toward National Collegiate Athletics Association bylaw 14.3, commonly known as Proposition 48. The subjects completed a questionnaire inquiring about their knowledge of Proposition 48 as well as knowledge of its qualifying criteria. Those subjects that acknowledged having heard of the bylaw were then asked questions pertaining to their attitude towards Proposition 48 as a standard for intercollegiate athletics eligibility and the effect of their knowledge of Proposition 48 on their study habits in preparing for the pressures of being an intercollegiate athlete.

The …

State-Corporate Crime In The Defense Industry: A Case Study Of General Dynamics’ Procurement Of The Trident Submarine, James E. Robinson

Masters Theses

This study outlines the evolution of White-Collar criminological studies of the 1940's, to the more specific study of State-Corporate in the Defense Industry. Furthermore, it outlines the procurement process used by the Department of Defense and puts these processes within a theoretical framework to better explain how State-Corporate crimes occur.

This study focuses on the process by which billions of dollars are wasted each year within the military procurement process, and specifically outlines the fraudulent procurement practices utilized by the General Dynamics Corporation when it built the Trident Submarine during the 1970's.

This study also explains the concept of the …

Broadly Speaking - May, 2000, Nova Southeastern University

Broadly Speaking

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Interviewer Self-Monitoring On Male Appearance Discrimination In Employment Decisions, Charles Mcdowell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research examined the effects of appearance discrimination toward men as regards employment decisions and the extent to which the degree of interviewer selfmonitoring influences these decisions. Past research has indicated that discrimination does indeed occur for women, but no empirical research has been conducted on male discrimination in which hair length has been manipulated. Specifically, length of hair (shoulder length, approximately 1 inch, and balding) was manipulated for potential job applicants. These conditions were examined across different types of jobs (traditionally conservative, neutral, and traditionally liberal). Several hypotheses are offered, with most focused on the concept that those scoring …

Assessing The Racial Awareness Of Majority Group Member Students At East Tennessee State University And The Factors Related To Racial Awareness, Lavern Terrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the racial awareness of majority group member students at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and factors related to racial awareness. Seven research questions and five hypotheses were examined. The Oklahoma Racial Attitudes Survey-Preliminary Form (ORAS-P) was used to identify the racial awareness of White students enrolled at ETSU during the fall of 1999. Forty-six classes were surveyed obtaining a sample totaling 395 students. In addition to completing the ORAS-P, students in the sample were asked the following demographic questions: gender, age, city and state of birth, name and location of high school …

Service-Learning Leadership Development For Youths, Joy Des Marais, Farid Farzanehkia

Special Topics, General

Service-learning without intentional leadership development is trivial and shallow, these youthful authors point out. And such leadership development requires adults and young people to work collaboratively in the design of service-learning. When that happens, the outcome will be both profound learning and successful projects.

Research On K-12 School-Based Service-Learning: The Evidence Builds, Shelley Billig

School K-12

Practitioners and policy makers are curious about service-learning and its effects. Ms. Billig details for Kappan readers what research tells us about service-learning today and suggests the kinds of questions that still need to be answered.

The Relationship Between Health Attitudes, Beliefs, Health Locus Of Control And Use Of Breast Cancer Screening Modalities In Elderly Hispanic Women, Debra Kay Gillett, Rosamaria Ortiz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A non-experimental design was used to examine the relationship between health attitudes, beliefs, locus of control and the use of breast cancer screening modalities in elderly Hispanic women in this pilot study. Leininger's Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality and the Health Belief Model were the supporting theoretical frameworks. Research was conducted at the Amigos del Valle senior centers in Hidalgo County and included 52 English-speaking elderly Hispanic volunteer participants. Instruments used for data collection were the Health Care Attitudes and Beliefs Scale and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale. Results of this study revealed that there appears …

Highway Safety Funding For The “El Protector” Program From The Texas Department Of Transportation, Colin Barto Ashburn

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The proposal is in response to the request for proposals from the Texas Department of Transportation. The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Department's proposal is for funding of the “EL PROTECTOR” Program. The program seeks to reduce the Hispanic fatalities and injuries from alcohol-related crashes and non-seatbelt compliance.

Learning In Deed: Service-Learning And Preservice Teacher Education, Jeffrey B. Anderson

Service Learning, General

Progressive teacher education programs face a pair of daunting yet crucial tasks. New teachers must be prepared to function effectively in schools as they exist today. They also must be educated to take a leadership role in the improvement and restructuring of P-12 education to meet students’ and society’s needs more fully. Service-learning appears to have considerable potential as a method to achieve both these goals.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation believes that meaningful service to the community, combined with curriculum-based learning, builds stronger academic skills, encourages lifelong civic commitment, and improves workplace and personal development skills among youth. Educators lead …

Focus Groups In Ethnography Of Communication: Expanding Topics Of Inquiry Beyond Participant Observation, Elizabeth A. Suter

The Qualitative Report

Historically, ethnography of communication has viewed participant observation as the central and necessary methodological point of departure for any ethnographic endeavor. However, as this article illustrates, this becomes problematic when particular topics of inquiry do not provide ample opportunities for observation. After struggles to participant observe conversations on women's marital naming practices, I was able to research this topic and produce participant observation-like understandings after I incorporated focus groups into my methods. Based upon these experiences and study, this article urges ethnography of communication scholars to step outside their traditional methodological practices, when necessary, and integrate the focus group method …

Reconstructing The World Of The Anorectic Outpatient: Procedures For Enhancing Trustworthiness And Credibility, Steven R. Thomsen, J. Kelley Mccoy, Marleen Williams

The Qualitative Report

Conducting in-depth interviews with clinical populations often poses a number of problems for qualitative researchers. Because of the skewed perception of themselves and the world around them, and because of their propensity to distort and deny the pathology of their illness, anorexic women are an example of one such group that can create possible problems for researchers, particularly those concerned with the trustworthiness and credibility of their analysis. How should qualitative researchers approach this population? How can a credible reconstruction of reality be produced? This paper explores and discusses the procedures utilized by the authors during an 18-month project in …