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An Evaluation Of The Texas Team’S Teen Dating Violence Awareness And Prevention Toolkit, Nöel Bridget Busch-Armendariz, Karen Kalergis, Alison Little, Hyeyoung Woo, Jacqueline Garza, Tiffany Ross, Institute On Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of the evaluation project is to assess the process and the outcomes of implementing an intervention based on the Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Toolkit. For this purpose, the IDVSA research team developed a model for schools to follow based on multiple materials in the Toolkit. The project looked at how effective the intervention was in increasing awareness of dating violence among teens and knowledge of how to respond if they or their peers are in an abusive relationship.

The findings are organized into three sections based on the sources of data. The first section records the …

Developing A Sense Of Academic Ownership : A Longitudinal Analysis, Gwen Catherine Marchand

Dissertations and Theses

Student responsibility has emerged as a key developmental task, particularly during the transition to middle school. A developmental and motivational perspective was taken for the present study that emphasized agency, ownership, and engagement as key parts of the development of student responsibility. Self-determination Theory (SDT) was selected as the overarching framework for the present investigation due to the theory's emphasis on autonomy, which refers to the experience of oneself as the authentic origin of one's own actions (Deci & Ryan, 1985). In SDT, the construct of autonomy is used to integrate views of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and to differentiate …

X Is A Journey: Embodied Simulation In Metaphor Interpretation, L. David Ritchie

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This essay compares simulation-based accounts of metaphor processing recently proposed by Gibbs (2006a) and Ritchie (2006), using examples of metaphors based on the metaphor vehicle "journey" from four different texts. From analysis of these different examples, it is concluded that simulation may come into play at different levels, depending on the metaphor and the context in which it is used. Further, it is suggested that the imaginative simulation of the object or action named by a metaphor vehicle, proposed by Gibbs, incorporates a partial subset of detail-level perceptual simulators. This leads to the proposal that the two models describe cognitive …

Focal Point, Volume 22 Number 02, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This issue of Focal Point—through a consideration of personal, lived experience as well as practice and research—examines the mutual impact of caregiver and child mental health, and highlights practical strategies to promote positive outcomes for children and caregivers who experience mental health difficulties.

The Impact Of The Swingshift Options School Alternative Educational Pathway On At-Risk Middle School Students' Transition To High School, Carol Rutan Smith

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this qualitative and quantitative study was to understand the perspectives of so-called at-risk middle school students who participated in an alternative mid-level program and the support that program might have provided in their transition into high school. The study gives voice to such students and sheds light on the type of programs and practices that reduce their risk for dropping out of school. Dynarski and Gleason (2002) reported that early adolescence is a period of both enormous opportunity and enormous risk for dropping out of school.

Participants were former students in the Swingshift Options School (SOS) program …

2008 Commencement Program, Richard Pimentel

Commencement Archives 2000-09

The program for the PSU Commencement ceremony on June 14, 2008.

Richard Pimentel, author, trainer, speaker, and disability rights advocate, delivered the commencement address and was awarded an honorary doctorate by PSU Interim President Michael Reardon. Tamam W. Waritu, Class of 2008, delivered the student address.

Intimate Partner Violence, Supervisor Support And Work Outcomes For Low-Wage Workers, Nanette Lucia Yragui

Dissertations and Theses

The workplace is a setting where women in abusive relationships can potentially access information and support to resolve the violence in their lives. This study addresses a critical need for data-based knowledge about how supervisors can effectively support employees experiencing intimate partner violence. The dissertation study examines supervisor support congruency (i.e., the match between support wanted and received) and work outcomes for Latina and non-Latina, abused women. Specifically, I examine which supervisor support measures best predict work outcomes for abused, low-wage, employees. In addition, I evaluate the criterion validity and reliability of a behavioral measure of wanted and received supervisor …

Work-Related Outcomes Of Financial Stress: Relating Perceived Income Adequacy And Financial Strain To Job Performance And Worker Well-Being, Lindsay Ellen Sears

Dissertations and Theses

With the onset of globalization, the economic contexts and working conditions within many countries are changing, presenting new challenges' for governments, organizations, and workers. Amid these challenges, concerns about personal finances are prevalent among employees and detrimental to workers' health, well-being, and families. Research on how this financial stress affects employees at work is lacking.

In this thesis, I propose an appraisal-based model of financial stress whereby actual income and expenses are related to perceptions of income adequacy to afford wants and needs. These adequacy perceptions are, in turn, related to financial strain, representing a heightened negative affective state regarding …

Benchmarking Community Investments In Green Building And Green Buying Programs In Five U.S. Cities, Shanna Nicole Eller

Dissertations and Theses

This is a study of what can be learned from leading U.S. cities about their work on environmental sustainability program efforts and what that information suggests for other cities considering a move into the environmental sustainability arena. The study focuses on green building and buying programs.

This is an exploratory study aimed at determining if detailed information, recommended for pursuit by Portney (2003), is available regarding: (a) how individual city sustainability programs got started; (b) how they maintain or fail to maintain themselves; (c) what they have been able to achieve programmatically; and (d) how effectively they have accomplished environmental …

A Grounded Agent Model Of The Consumer Technology Adoption Process, Brent Alan Zenobia

Dissertations and Theses

Adoption is one of the most important concepts in the diffusion of innovations (DOI) literature, yet certain aspects of it are poorly understood. In particular, causal adoption process theory (CAPT) has been stagnant for decades and seldom subjected to critical scrutiny. In consequence, DOI research is unstable – different studies identify different factors as important.

This dissertation introduces grounded agent modeling, a hybrid methodology drawing on existing software engineering and social science techniques to construct a step-by-step explanation of how consumers make technology adoption decisions. Inductive case studies, grounded theory, and sequence analysis are used to investigate transportation mode adoption …

Sustainability From The Perspectives Of Indigenous Leaders In The Bioregion Defined By The Pacific Salmon Runs Of North America, David Edward Hall

Dissertations and Theses

Extensive research suggests that the collective behavior of humanity is on an unsustainable path. As the evidence mounts and more people awaken to this reality, increased attention is being dedicated to the pursuit of answers for a just and sustainable future. This dissertation grew from the premise that effectively moving towards sustainability requires change at all levels of the dominant Western culture, including deeply held worldviews. The worldviews of many indigenous cultures offer alternative values and beliefs that can contribute to addressing the root causes of problems related to sustainability. In the bioregion defined by the Pacific Salmon runs of …

Physicians Providing Alternative Medicine: Boundary Crossing And The Emergence Of Integrative Medicine, Richard Scott Lockwood

Dissertations and Theses

Integrative medicine (IM) has organized as a new area of specialization in mainstream healthcare. The development of IM is widely attributed to popular demand for the range of therapies known collectively as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). During the 1990's the rate of acceptance of CAM accelerated among consumers, professions, financing and education. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) measured CAM utilization and professional service provision during the years 1996 and 1998, but never since. These surveys were unique because they specifically inquired as to whether CAM was provided by a physician, among other types of professionals. This dissertation defines …

Pre-Service Science Teacher Sense Of Self In Developing Multicultural Practice, Yuki Marie Monteith

Dissertations and Theses

The development of multicultural science teaching practices is becoming more crucial as the student population in public schools becomes more diverse. Multicultural teaching practices are even more important when disparities in science achievement can be delimited by racial, ethnic or cultural affiliation. Using a phenomenological perspective, this study explored science pre-service teachers' sense of self after a year of teacher education. Content analysis of themes arising from the study identified three areas specific to their sense of self: (a) the unconscious influence of beliefs about science culture, (b) the fundamental beliefs of the U.S. middle class, and (c) superficial beliefs …

Attributes Of Effective Head Start Mental Health Consultants : A Mixed Method Study Of Rural And Urban Programs, Mary Dallas Allen

Dissertations and Theses

Early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) is the primary strategy implemented by Head Start programs to address the social and emotional needs of children and their families, but little is known about the attributes of early childhood mental health consultants (MHCs) that contribute to consultants' relationships with Head Start staff and to consultation outcomes. The present study examined how attributes of MHCs contribute to positive relationships between the MHCs and Head Start staff and to improved consultation outcomes. Seven attributes of rural and urban mental health consultants were examined: MHC training, supervision, and support; MHC understanding of consultant role; MHC …

Children With Incarcerated Parents : A Longitudinal Study Of The Effect Of Parental Incarceration On Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors, Jean Mollenkamp Kjellstrand

Dissertations and Theses

Over the past two decades, the number of imprisoned adults in the United States has quadrupled. Mirroring this trend is the rapidly increasing population of children with incarcerated parents. The initial findings of research on the effects of parental incarceration on children are disturbing, indicating a vulnerable group of children at risk for poor outcomes. Yet, research on these children remains limited. Several studies have focused on the description of these children, yet few have analyzed the relationship between parental incarceration and child outcomes in conjunction with other risk and protective factors. Understanding these relationships is crucial to the development …

Creating A Theoretical Framework For Understanding Homeland Security Using Multiple Frame Analysis, Linda Ann Kiltz

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to begin the effort to build a theoretical foundation for homeland security policy by analyzing the 1993 World Trade Center terrorist attack using multiple frame analysis (MFA). MFA consisted of three conceptual lenses: (I)-Homeland Security as a Criminal Justice Problem/Terrorism as Crime, (II)-Homeland Security as a International Relations Problem/Terrorism as War, and (III)-Homeland Security as an Organization Design Problem/Terrorism as a Network. These lenses were applied to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing using a case study methodology, thus creating a framework to analyze a singular critical event from multiple perspectives.

This research was …

George Lakoff"S Theory Of Worldview : A Case Study Of The Oregon Legislature, Catherine Law

Dissertations and Theses

George Lakoff's theory of worldview presented in Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think (2002) has been a topic of interest and discussion in certain political and academic circles. To date, however, it appears that no empirical test of his theory exists. In this dissertation, Lakoff's theory of worldview is explored, using the Oregon Legislature as a case study. A survey instrument to test his theory was created and administered to members of the 2005-2006 Oregon House of Representatives. Cluster analysis and chi-square analysis were used in the data analysis to examine how well Lakoff's theory explains politics. It was …

Lost In Translation : Ideas Of Population Health Determinants In The American Policy Arena, Maria Gilson Sistrom

Dissertations and Theses

A growing body of research reveals the determinants of population health to be social, political and economic, yet health policy in the United States remains largely individualistic (Evans, Barer, & Marmor, 1994). At the same time research is revealing these structural determinants of health, measures of population health in the United States are worsening in comparison to other developed countries (Bezruchka, 2001). Explanations for this include the influence of culture, medical, public health and governmental institutions and historic development and processes on health policy. Researchers hold to a view of the policy process that is informed by science, yet policy …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet April 2008, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The April 2008 Monthly packet includes the April agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held March 2008

An Anthropological Examination Of Mandated Ultrasounds As An Element Of State Policy On Abortion, Anne Morrill

Anthropology Theses

Prenatal ultrasounds have become commonplace and widespread throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Ethnographic studies have illustrated that ultrasounds can have a positive impact on a woman’s pregnancy, one that establishes a relationship between the mother and the unborn fetus as a person. This relationship comes into question when examining the state’s regulation of abortion. Several states, including Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, South Dakota, South Carolina and Ohio have considered legislation that would mandate the use of ultrasounds prior to terminating a pregnancy. The specifics of these policies vary from mandating ultrasounds as simply an option for pregnant women …

The Older Driver In Oregon: A Survey Of Driving Behavior And Cessation, Margaret B. Neal, Sharon Baggett, Kathleen A. Sullivan, Tyrae Mahan

Institute on Aging Publications

In a study of older adults and their travel patterns in Oregon, a statewide mail survey and telephone interviews were conducted with older drivers and older adults who had voluntarily chosen to stop driving. The purpose of the study was to determine: (1) the factors that influence driving cessation; (2) the physical and emotional barriers that delay driving cessation; (3) what opportunities exist for alternative transportation after driving cessation; (4) whether drivers make relocation decisions on the basis of driving cessation; (5) the warning signs that make a driver stop driving; and (6) whether a crisis situation generally forces a …

"Railcars Loaded With Crisp Fresh Vegetables" A Study Of Agriculture At The Tule Lake Relocation Center 1942-1946, Michael David Schmidli

Dissertations and Theses

In the Spring and Summer of 1942, the population of West Coast Japanese were rounded up and forcibly moved from their homes to temporary camps and soon after to ten permanent relocation camps in the interior Western United States. This thesis traces the history of one such camp, the Tule Lake Relocation Center. In this thesis I argue that from its inception the Tule Lake Center was unique among the ten camps. The decision to build a permanent center at Tule Lake was based upon the unique potential the area provided for agriculture on a huge scale. The other permanent …

Urban Ecology & Conservation Symposium 2008: 6th Annual -- Science In The City (Abstracts), Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium Of Portland/Vancouver

Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium of Portland/Vancouver

The UERC is a consortium of people from various universities and colleges, state and federal agencies, local governments, non-profit organizations and independent professionals interested in supporting urban ecosystem research and creating an information-sharing network of people that collect and use ecological data in the Portland/Vancouver area.

UERC Mission Statement:

To advance the state of the science of urban ecosystems and improve our understanding of them, with a focus on the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan region, by fostering communication and collaboration among researchers, managers and citizens at academic institutions, public agencies, local governments, non-profit organizations, and other interested groups.

The principal organizers span …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet February 2008, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The February 2008 Monthly packet includes the February agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held January 2008

An Integrative Approach To Quality Of Life Measurement, Research, And Policy, Robert Costanza, Brendan Fisher, Saleem H. Ali, Caroline C. Beer, Lynne A. Bond, Roelof Boumans, Nicholas Louis Danigelis, Jennifer Alvarez Dickinson, Carolyn M. Elliott, Joshua C. Farley, Diane Elliott Gayer, Linda Macdonald Glenn, Thomas Richard Hudspeth, Dennis F. Mahoney, Laurence E. Mccahill, Barbara Mcintosh, Brian V. Reed, S. Abu Rizvi, Donna Marie Rizzo, Thomas A. Simpatico, Robert Raymond Snapp

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

While Quality of Life (QOL) has long been an explicit or implicit policy goal, adequate definition and measurement have been elusive. Diverse "objective" and "subjective" indicators across a range of disciplines and scales, and recent work on subjective well-being (SWB) surveys and the psychology of happiness have spurred renewed interest. Drawing from multiple disciplines, we present an integrative definition of QOL that combines measures of human needs with subjective well-being or happiness. QOL is proposed as a multiscale, multi-dimensional concept that contains interacting objective and subjective elements. We relate QOL to the opportunities that are provided to meet human needs …

Immigrant Students And The College Classroom Climate In Higher Education, Becky Appley Boesch

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years, the immigrant population in the U.S. has increased dramatically. This increase has caused educational institutions to try to understand this population and their needs in order to aid in their academic success. While this awareness has surfaced in K-12 education, higher education continues, partly because of a lack of research on these students, to render these students and their needs insignificant. While this paper cannot begin to explore all the questions needed to be answered in terms of this population, it can provide an initial glimpse into one important aspect of education for the immigrant, the university …

Organizational Change In Corrections Organizations : The Effect Of Probation And Parole Officer Culture On Change In Community Corrections, Shea Brackin Marshman

Dissertations and Theses

Current trends in the field of community corrections make it necessary for administrators to consider innovative organizational change strategies to increase public safety. However, criminal justice administrators face pressure to maintain the status quo even as they are expected to produce successful outcomes through innovative practices. The broader implication is that administrators will have to develop proficiencies in the interpretation of theoretical concepts to make meaningful decisions about how best to use scarce resources to measure organizational variables. This research uses a case study of one community corrections organization to demonstrate how administrators in community corrections might make use of …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet January 2008, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The January 2008 Monthly packet includes the January agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held December 2007

Reconciling Japan And China, Mel Gurtov

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The conflict-resolution literature offers new insights to reconciling parties in conflict. This article applies that literature, along with political-science approaches, to the seemingly intractable China-Japan rivalry. Proceeding from the standpoint that China and Japan need one another, and should manage their conflict for mutual benefit, the article suggests several steps they may take—bilaterally, in multilateral settings, and in civil society—to reduce tensions and promote better understanding.

Long Form Improvisation - Creating Spontaneous Communities Through Collaborative Comedic Performance, Brad Fortier

Dissertations and Theses

Improvisational theater can tell us much about the driving social and cultural forces behind collaboration and collective constructions of reality, as well as the sorts of behaviors and practices that bolster their efficacy. The collaboration of the performers on generating a comedic piece of theater spontaneously from audience suggestions in a long improvisation creates a sense of what Victor Turner called communitas for the performers. That phenomenon can create a larger sense of socio-emotional unity between the audience and performers. Turning an anthropological lens on comedy theater, this presentation explores the performer-audience dynamic and its impact on the success of …