Digital Commons Network^™

Early Head Start: Identifying And Serving Children With Disabilities, Carla Peterson, Shavaun Wall, Helen Raikes, Ellen E. Kisker, Mark E. Swanson, Judith Jerald, Jane B. Atwater, Wei Qiao

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Early Head Start (EHS) is a comprehensive, two-generation program that provides services to low-income families with children under the age of 3 years. As part of their mandate, staff members of EHS programs collaborate with other service providers in their local communities, including Part C and childcare providers. The incidence of disabilities among low-income children was tracked as part of the EHS Research and Evaluation Project. The incidence of indicators of disabilities (or potential disabilities) was extremely high (87%) among these very young children living in poverty; however, only 99 participating families (4.7% of the sample) received Part C services. …

Science-Based Organic Farming: A Resource For Educators, Charles A. Francis, Mindi Schneider, Brad Kindler

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Organic farming is an important and growing part of the United States food system. The organic sector has grown by at least 20% per year for the past two decades, and currently shows no indication of slowing in this growth. There is increasing consumer concern about where and how food is produced, and people want to be assured access to safe and healthy food products. Interest and concern about food security, and discussion about the merits of a local food system as compared to the vulnerable globalized marketplace are also becoming increasingly important. In Nebraska we have only limited local …

Is Feminist Humor An Oxymoron?, Janet M. Bing

English Faculty Publications

Is the subject of feminist humor male oppression or a celebration of the female experience? This paper argues for the latter and suggests that inclusive jokes can be more effectively subversive than divisive ones. As long as women's jokes focus on men, male definitions, and male behavior, women are marginalizing females, even if their jokes target males. In addition, divisive jokes can strengthen prevailing beliefs about essential female-male differences. However, when straight feminists make jokes and laugh about the shared experiences of females rather than on oppressive male behavior, then feminist humor, like lesbian humor, becomes an agent for change.

Work-Based Welfare As A Ritual: Understanding Marginalization In Post-Independence Lithuania, Arunas Juska, Richard Pozzuto

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The paper analyzes the functioning of the newly created labor exchange in post-Soviet Lithuania. It is argued that the labor exchange in post-Soviet Lithuania operates under the conditions of a structural contradiction: welfare services are designed to reintegrate unemployed into the labor force under the conditions of (a) increasing competitiveness of the labor markets and (b) a rapid decline of employment within the Lithuanian economy. As a result, labor redundancy is produced which consists predominantly of low skill/education individuals. Because the economy is unable to generate employment, job searches for this segment of the population are transformed into a highly …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 31, No. 2 (June 2004)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• WORK-BASED WELFARE AS RITUAL: UNDERSTANDING MARGINALIZATION IN POST-INDEPENDENCE-LITHUANIA - Arunas Juska & Richard Pozzuto
• MAKING TANF WORK: ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING, STAFF BUY-IN, AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING IN LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION - Frank Ridzi
• LEGISLATIVE CASEWORK: WHERE POLICY AND PRACTICE MEET - Larry Ortiz, Cindy Wirz, Kelli Semion, & Ciro Rodriguez
• "WON'T BE WEIGHTED DOWN": RICHARD WRIGHT JR.'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE - Kevin Modesto
• DIGITAL DIVIDE IN COMPUTER ACCESS AND USE BETWEEN POOR AND NON-POOR YOUTH - Mary Keegan Eamon
• BATTERED AND ON WELFARE: THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WITH THE FAMILY VIOLENCE OPTION - Judy L. Postmus …

Digital Divide In Computer Access And Use Between Poor And Non-Poor Youth, Mary Keegan Eamon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The main objectives of this study were to examine the "digital divide" in home computer ownership and to evaluate differences in academic and non-academic computer use between poor and non-poor youth. Data from a national sample of 1,029, 10- through 14-year-old young adolescents were analyzed. Results show that poor youth were .36 times as likely to own a home computer, but equally as likely to use their home computer for academic purposes as were non-poor youth. Poor youth did not differ from non-poor youth in how often they used any computer for academic purposes, but were less likely to use …

The Implications Of Sex Tourism On Mens Social, Psychological, And Physical Health, Kimberly Bender, Rich Furman

The Qualitative Report

This article explores sex tourism and possible concerns for the male sex tourist through a content analysis of sex tourism web sites. This qualitative, exploratory study describes the manner in which sex tour web sites attract and maintain male customers. Findings related to men’s psychosocial health are placed within an international context. Recommendations are made that pertain to international social welfare.

Assessing The Gender Component In Coronary Heart Disease; A Comparative Analysis Of Osteopathic And Allopathic Rural Physicians' Medical Approaches To Diagnosing And Treating Female Coronary Heart Disease, Victoria S. Curtis

Dissertations

Heart disease is the number one killer among women in the United States. This dissertation examines how the knowledge base of rural physicians affects his/her approach to diagnosing female heart disease. It compares the knowledge base of doctors trained in osteopathic medicine with doctors trained in allopathic medicine to determine if knowledge base affects how women are diagnosed in comparison with men. Current data suggests that a male model of recognized heart symptoms is most often used to diagnose heart disease, that women and men experience different cardiac symptoms, and those physicians more often overlook and/or misdiagnose women presenting with …

Roadside Memorial Practices: An Examination Of Landscapes Of Commemoration In Warren County, Kentucky, Michael Briggs

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Roadside memorials commemorating the death of automobile crash victims are scattered throughout the Kentucky landscape. This persistent cultural practice contains symbolic elements oftentimes indicative of religious connotations. Because there is a constitutional separation of church and government in the United States, these memorials can prelude controversy if located on state-maintained rights-of-way. This study examines Warren County, Kentucky, and analyzes the spatial distribution of these memorials on the landscape and the cultural implications to society because of their ties to death and dying. Scientific research in various fields of psychology, sociology, folk studies, geoscience, and religious studies was analyzed, including religious …

Rewriting The Holocaust Online: A Discourse Analysis Of Holocaust Denial Web Sites, Mark Aaron Polger

Publications and Research

This study is undertaken to learn how Holocaust deniers use Internet websites to attain legitimacy and credibility. I attempt to show that this sort of “historical revision” is actually blanketed anti-Semitism. I examine Holocaust denial as it is viewed by different disciplines. I investigate the main figures of Holocaust denial. As well, I analyze Jewish race theories of the past two hundred years to demonstrate how Jews have been perceived as aliens and as outsiders. The construction of the “Jew as outsider” sets the stage for how Holocaust deniers frame their discourse on their web pages. My research investigates a …

The Skull Valley Goshute And Nuclear Waste: Rhetorical Analysis Of Claims-Making Of Opponents And Proponents, Jesse T. Weiss

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One of the greatest challenges to modem society is the management and disposal of hazardous by-products that have accompanied the industrial advances of the twentieth century. One of the most difficult by-products to deal with has been radioactive waste. Previous research has shown that due to the real and perceived risks associated with this type of waste, the burden of storing said waste has fallen on minority communities, including Native American groups. This research examines the proposed temporary nuclear waste storage facility to be located on the Skull Valley Indian Reservation in Utah. Using an ethnographic case study approach, this …

The Ability To Taste 6-N-Propylthiouracil (Prop) And Its Relation To A Parent's Emotional Investment In The Infant, Deann Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research on parenting is increasingly being studied from a biological perspective. An understanding of the biological mechanisms leading to individual differences in maternal behaviors can help direct research toward more focused intervention resulting in closer mother-infant attachment relationships, and therefore, positive child outcomes. This research was a preliminary study that tested mothers' ability to taste a harmless chemical, 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), in relation to their responses to a questionnaire about the emotional investment they experience towards their infant. Although research attempting to relate these two variables together has not been carried out before, individual studies show potential links between these two. …

A Longitudinal Analysis Of Socioeconomic Differences In Obesity And Weight Change During The Early Adult Years, Young-Taek Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in American society. However, not enough attention has been given to weight change by temporal and dynamic detailed social characteristics, controlled for unobserved heterogeneities nested in county and state. Using the National Longitudinal Survey Youth (NLSY79), this study examined weight change and its development into unhealthy conditions like being overweight or obese, in relation to change in social characteristics including life course events. This study also examined the social characteristics of remaining at a normal weight through all time intervals over a 19-year period. Using hierarchical linear multilevel analysis, this study found that changes in …

Parents' Knowledge And Attitudes About Immunization In India, Anne George

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood immunization is acknowledged as being a crucial health intervention for children. Immunization rates of children may vary depending on their parents' knowledge and attitudes about the issue. The focus of this study is on parents' knowledge and attitudes about immunization, and employs Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. A questionnaire was administered to 233 parents in India to explore the issues of parental immunization knowledge and attitudes. Correlates of parental knowledge and attitudes that were explored included gender, education, respondents' immunization status, and children's immunization status. Sources of parental knowledge about immunization were also examined. Overall, parents in this sample …

The Role Of Deception In Mediating Relationship Involvement Of Couples Interacting On The Internet: Stages Of Intimate Formation, Dustin W. Edgerton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A vast majority of individuals involve themselves in an intimate relationship at one time or another. This study looks at a new, but increasing, forum of relationship development, that of the Internet. More specifically, this study addresses various stages of Internet relationship development, and deception individual 's use during the process of forming and maintaining these relationships.

This research gathered quantitative and qualitative information from 134 individuals involved in online relationships. The quantitative analyses provided only a few significant findings and it is suggested that the current methods of measuring deception are inadequate and do not appear to represent the …

Physical Therapy And Womens' Health: Treating Low Back Pain During Pregnancy And Postpartum, Robin Borba

Whittier Scholars Program

This project is a close study of low back pain that women experience during pregnancy or postpartum. This study includes anatomy of the lower back, factors that affect Lumbar Lordosis, and physical and psychological changes during pregnancy. This project also includes an in depth analysis of lower back pain during pregnancy which includes symptoms, types, causes and risk factors. This paper demonstrates how physical therapy treats low back pain during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum and also includes a glossary, pictorial appendix and brochure.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 79, No. 55, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news.

• Casagrande, Michael. Top Recruit to Play Basketball at Western – Crystal Kelly
• Hopkins, Shawntaye. Forum Set to Discuss Tuition Plan
• Lively, Jay. Washington Choosing Their Future – Right to Life
• Clark, Ashlee. Outgoing Student Government Association President Sees Future Helping Others as Minister – John Bradley
• Hopkins, Shawntaye. Ernie Fletcher, House Leaders to Talk
• Green River Preserve Beneficial to All Parties Involved
• Reuter, Michael. Editorial Cartoon re: Shorts
• Alumna’s Fame Will Help Others at Western – Athena Cage
• Beg, Amber. Don’t Be Judgmental – Shorts
• Hurst, Nicole. Sorority Should …

The Relationship Between Religious Programs And Peer Relationships Of Adults With Mental Retardation, Cecilia D. Beasley

Theses & Honors Papers

This research was intended to look at the relationship between attendance at religious programs on the peer relationships and spirituality of adults with mental retardation. The literature reviews the benefits of spirituality for all individuals, the characteristics of individuals with mental retardation, and the influences of peer relationships. Fifty-nine surveys about the individual's spiritual development, happiness, peer relationships and criminality as well as the importance of religious functions were completed by adults with and without mental retardation. The results indicate that attendance at religious activities does in fact impact spirituality and peer relationships of individuals with mental retardation. They also …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 79, No. 54, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news.

• Clark, Ashlee. Nick Todd: I Feel I Have Nothing Wrong
• Hopkins, Shawntaye. University Buys Land for Preserve
• Thurman, Lindsey. In the Light – Theatre & Dance
• Melvin, Catherine. More Than 500 Donate Blood; Most In Search of Greek Points
• Hopkins, Shawntaye. Ernie Fletcher Emphasizes Importance of Auto Industry
• Hopkins, Shawntaye. Singer, Alumna Athena Cage Schedules Concert for August 28
• Controversy Should Not Cause a Blow to Student Government Association
• Reuter, Michael. Editorial Cartoon re: Nick Todd
• George Bush’s Pell Grant Time Limit Proposal Unfair to Students
• Tetrreault, Jeff. No …

Ua61/6 Newsletter Issue 3, Wku Institute For Rural Health Development & Research

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the Institute for Rural Health Development & Research. This issue contains:

• Senator Mitch McConnell Earmarks Dollars for WKU Hispanic Initiative
• Dr. Louella Fong Directs Bilingual Program
• Give Kids a Smile Brightens Children’s Day – Dental Hygiene
• College of Health & Human Services Focuses on Gerontology Demands
• Partners Key to Successful Hispanic Health Fair & Screening Event
• Public Health Department Now Offers Worksite Health Promotion
• KEMSA Offers EMS Management Workshop – Kentucky Emergency Medical Services Academy

The Influence Of Situational Organization, Age Gender, And Peer Group Interaction On The Emergence Of The Early Social Self, Phillip Williams

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of preschool learning environments on the frequency of prosocial behaviors. The analyses were conducted according to gender, age, and whether the activity was child-chosen or teacher-imposed. The behaviors for analysis included responding prosocially to verbal massages from other children, engaging in cooperative play, attending to cries and pleas of others, and commenting on behavior of others when potentially dangerous. The data were gathered through nonparticipant observations, teacher interviews, and a behavior checklist. Nonparametric statistical analyses were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that older girls were more likely …

Towards A Complex, Active, Human-Centered Subject Grounded In The Sociopolitical: A Symbiosis Of Edmund Husserl And Michael Foucalt, Kathryn E. Wehr '04

Honors Projects

This thesis responds to the questions "With the empirical, 'found' world prevalent as the paradigm for all valid knowledge, what happened to the relevance of the human in knowledge? Is there an alternative that does not divorce the knower from the knowing?" The ideas of Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) and Michel Foucault (1926-1984), two thinkers traditionally viewed as rivals in continental philosophy and social theory, animate these questions. Both philosophers critique the taken-for-granted aspects of the world: Husserl through the constituting subject and Foucault through the socially, linguistically, and historically constituted subject. Rather than an either-or that oversimplifies the subject, a …

The International Criminal Court: A Sociological History, Dawn Rothe

Masters Theses

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been touted as a new international response to the worst atrocities of mankind: crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. Indeed, the implementation of a permanent international court is a historical tum. However, the course to which an international criminal court transpired dates back to the late 1800's. One hundred years of political, economic, and social contradictions have aided and abated the process of what is now the International Criminal Court. However, the dialectics between actors and institutions has been neglected in historical and legal analysis. The purpose of this thesis is …

Middle School Service-Learning Instructional Framework, Maryland State Department Of Education

Curriculum

Students have enormous energy, enthusiasm, and intelligence that they will devote to our commlll1ities when they are asked and given the opportunity. Schools are now doing the asking and they are creating opportunities, both in courses and as part of their extracurricular activities. Students have weather stripped and rehabilitated houses and tended animals at the zoo. They have planted marsh grass to save the Chesapeake Bay and tested streams for pollutants. They have created plays about drug and alcohol abuse and put on fashion shows for senior citizens. These are not simply nice things to do. They contribute to an …

Predictors Of Perceived Work-Family Balance: Gender Difference Or Gender Similarity?, Jennifer Reid Keene, Jill Quadagno

Sociology Faculty Research

This article uses the 1996 General Social Survey (GSS) and the 1992 National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW) to examine two issues: the relationship of work characteristics, family characteristics, and work-family spillover to perceptions of work-family balance; and models of “gender difference” versus “gender similarity.” The GSS analysis supports the gender similarity model. It demonstrates that work demands such as the number of hours worked per week and work spillover into family life are the most salient predictors of feelings of imbalance for both women and men. The NSCW includes subtler measures of family spillover into work as well …

Ua1b2/1/7 Oral History, Lydia Kullman, Gary Ransdell

WKU Administration Documents

Interview conducted by Lydia Kullman with Gary Ransdell. This oral history interview was created for Andrew McMichael's History and the Internet Class, 2004.

Ninth Annual Women's Studies Symposium Program, 2004, Illinois State University, Women's Studies Program

WGSS Student Research Symposium

Program from the Women's Studies Symposium

Ua12/2/1 Decision 2004, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Special Student Government Association election edition of the College Heights Herald, includes articles:

• Hardin, Adriane. President Candidate Jessica Martin
• Clark, Ashlee. President Candidate Nick Todd
• Hoang, Mai. Senate Candidates – Alicia Bachicha, Sarah Cecil
• Reed, Lindsey. Senate Candidate Brittany Fausey
• Hopkins, Shawntaye. Senate Candidate Christina Kayrouz
• Baker, Joanie & Ashlee Clark. Senate Candidate John Law
• Wilberding, Beth. Executive Vice President Candidate Anna Bisig
• Clark, Ashlee. Executive Vice President Candidate Katie Dawson
• Hoang, Mai. Senate Candidate Abby Lovan
• Gries, Emily. Senate Candidate Cheryl Norris
• Baker, Joanie. Senate Candidates Melissa Paris, Katharine Pettit
• Hoang, Mai. Senate Candidate Morgan Phelps
• Hardin, Adriane. …

Families And The Republic, John Braithwaite

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Restorative and responsive justice can be a strategy of social work practice that builds democracy bottom-up by seeing families as building blocks of democracy and fonts of democratic sentiment. At the same time, because families are sites of the worst kinds of tyranny and the worst kinds of neglect, a rule of law is needed that imposes public human rights obligations on families. The republican ideal is that this rule of law that constrains people in families should come from the people. Restorative and responsive justice has a strategy for the justice of the people to bubble up into the …

From Animal Abuse To Interhuman Violence? A Critical Review Of The Progression Thesis, Piers Beirne

Department of Criminology

This paper reviews evidence of a progression from animal abuse to interhuman violence. It finds that the ''progression thesis" is supported not by a coherent research program but by disparate studies often lacking methodological and conceptual clarity. Set in the context of a debate about the theoretical adequacy of concepts like "animal abuse" and ''animal cruelty," it suggests that the link between animal abuse and interhuman violence should be sought not only in the personal biographies of those individuals who abuse animals but also in those institutionalized social practices where animal abuse is routine, widespread, and socially acceptable.