Digital Commons Network^™

Successful Superfund Site Restoration: A Case Study Of Independence Grove Forest Preserve, Linnea E. Hruska

Masters Theses

The United States Superfund program has been quite controversial since it was established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act in 1980. Several people feel that the enormous amounts of time and money invested in the Superfund program are not worthwhile because so many sites remain far from being cleaned up. Nevertheless, some successful site restorations have been achieved under this program. The Petersen Sand & Gravel site is one of these success stories. This thesis examines why the Petersen Sand & Gravel site was able to experience such success under the Superfund program by taking history, economics, …

Family Structure Effects On Parenting Stress And Practices In The African American Family, Daphne S. Cain, Terri Combs-Orme

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The predominant approach to African-American parenting research focuses on disadvantages associated with single parenthood to the exclusion of other issues. The current research suggests that this does not represent the diversity in family structure configurations among African-American families, nor does it give voice to the parenting resilience of single mothers. We argue that rather than marital status or family configuration, more attention needs to be given to the inadequacy of resources for this population.

In the current study, we examined the parenting of infants by African- American mothers and found that mothers' marital status and family configuration did not affect …

For The Children: Accounting For Careers In Child Protective Services, Joan M. Morris

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper analyzes autobiographical essays from women who work as social service workers in child-protection agencies. Working long hours in relatively low-paying jobs, these women have limited prestige and autonomy and increasingly, come under close scrutiny and public criticism. They are clearly exploited in terms of the emotional and "mothering" labor they are expected to perform and are held personally accountable for daily decisions that could have dire consequences for the children they serve to protect. This paper is an investigation of how their narratives explain and justify their willingness to continue working in these situations and how their professional …

Engendering Citizenship? A Critical Feminist Analysis Of Canadian Welfare-To-Work Policies And The Employment Experiences Of Lone Mothers, Rhonda S. Breitkreuz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Like other liberal-welfare states, Canada, in a climate of balanced budgets and deficit reduction, has been active in developing policies intended to move welfare recipients into employment in order to achieve selfsufficiency. The purpose of this paper is to employ a critical feminist analysis to examine the extent to which these policies, developed under the ideological umbrella of neo-liberalism, are gender sensitive. Literature on the economic and non-economic impacts of welfare-to-work policies is reviewed to evaluate whether these initiatives, while mandating lone-mothers into employment, recognize the gendered nature of work, employment and poverty. Gaps in current research are identified and …

Review Of Kids And Media In America. Donald F. Roberts And Ulla G. Foehr. Reviewed Allan Brawley., Allan Brawley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Donald E Roberts and Ulla G. Foehr, Kids and Media in America. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. $75.00 hardcover, $25.00 papercover.

The Learning Styles Of Health And Physical Education Students Using The Capsol Style Of Learning Assessment, Erin D. Palpant

Masters Theses

Students in a classroom all receive the information the same way, however, those students most likely learn and process information quite differently. Therefore the format in which it is received can make a large impact on the effectiveness of the instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the learning styles of health and physical education students using the CAPSOL Styles of Learning Assessment. One hundred ten undergraduate PE students in the college of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) from Western Michigan University participated in this study during February 2005.

Frequencies and percentages were figured for the students …

Perception And Prevalence Of The Hostile Environment In Athletic Training, Leah S. Gagnon

Masters Theses

The profession of athletic training has continued to emerge as a profession for both men and women over the last 50 years. The nature of the profession and the environment in which it exists may lead to sexual harassment by coaches, athletes/clients, administration, or other certified athletic trainers (ATC's). The purpose of this study was to determine the perception of sexual harassment, the prevalence of sexual harassment, and mechanisms in place to prevent sexual harassment in three professional environments of athletic training: college/university, high school, and sports medicine clinic.

The Modified VELMAC Sexual Harassment Questionnaire was distributed via email to …

Safer Schools: Promoting Safe Play On School Playground Equipment, Kimberly Elaine Seckinger

Masters Theses

Each year, over 200,000 people receive emergency room care for injuries sustained on recreational equipment, and a vast majority of these injuries involve children under the age of 15 who have been hurt on school playground equipment. To date, a single empirical study has been conducted applying behavioral technology to decrease children's risky behavior on playground equipment (Heck, Collins, & Peterson, 2001 ), and showed reductions in risk-taking behavior when programmed consequences were in place. The purposes of the current investigation were to replicate and extend previous research though a component analysis of an injury prevention package designed to decrease …

Influence Of Social Group And Health/Exercise Program On Obesity Related Outcome Measures Among Obese Adolescents, Debra Braley

Masters Theses

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the influence of a health/exercise program and social group on fat mass, weight, circumference measurements and body image among obese adolescents. Eighteen adolescents, ages 12-15 years were randomly assigned into 3 groups of 6. The parent/youth group (PYG) had 3 female and 3 male Caucasian participants. The peer group (PG) consisted of 2 females and 1 male Caucasians and 3 African-American females. The control group (CG) had 4 females and 1 male Caucasians and 1 African-American female. Body composition, weight, circumference measurements, and self-report questionnaires (Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, MBSRQ) were …

An Assessment Of An Education Package Intervention Targeting The Appropriate Reporting Of Suspected Child Abuse, Clinton K. Wirtz

Masters Theses

The proper reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect continues to be a concern despite laws requiring professionals working with children to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect to Children's Protective Services (CPS). This study assesses the efficacy of an education intervention versus the Michigan Child Protection Law (CPL) using 29 undergraduate child psychology students. Videotaped scenarios of simulated child interviews were used in a pretest/posttest between-groups design. Child physical abuse was the focus of the study. The results of the student participants' decisions regarding the videotaped scenarios were compared to the results of 10 CPS employees having …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 32, No. 2 (June 2005)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• DISTRIBUTION OF THE FEDERAL TAX BURDEN, SHARE OF AFTER-TAX INCOME, AND AFTER-TAX INCOME BY PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION AND HOUSEHOLD TYPE, 1981-2000 - Richard K. Caputo
• FAMILY STRUCTURE EFFECTS ON PARENTING STRESS AND PRACTICES IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY - Daphne S. Cain
• THE POVERTY OF UNATTACHED SENIOR WOMEN AND THE CANADIAN RETIREMENT INCOME SYSTEM: A MATTER OF BLAME OR CONTRADICTION? - Amber Gazso
• AGING AND FAMILY POLICY: A SOCIOLOGICAL EXCURSION - Jason L. Powell
• GENDER POVERTY DISPARITY IN US CITIES: EVIDENCE EXONERATING FEMALE-HEADED FAMILIES - Sara Lichtenwalter
• THEORIES OF URBAN POVERTY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING POLICY - Alexandra …

The Poverty Of Unattached Senior Women And The Canadian Retirement Income System: A Matter Of Blame Or Contradiction?, Amber Gazso

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Structural and financial inadequacy of Canada's retirement income system, especially with respect to income support benefits (i.e. Old Age Security), are often identified as one major reason unattached senior women experience poverty. While it may be compelling to blame low benefit levels and changing eligibility requirements, particularly because 'crisis' policy discourses have influenced questionable restructuring over time (i.e. the clawback), this paper argues that this is too simplistic of an account of the relationship between these women's poverty and the retirement income system. Other broad social-structural factors are at play in women's lives that have the potential to disentitle their …

Theories Of Urban Poverty And Implications For Public Housing Policy, Alexandra M. Curley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Urban poverty has been the subject of sociological and political debate for more than a century. In this article I examine theories of urban poverty and their place in American housing policy. I first discuss theories that have arisen out of the sociological and policy discourse on urban poverty and the research that supports and challenges these theories. I then review current public housing initiatives and discuss the impact of these theories on current housing policy.

Ionic Liquid As Catalysts In The Cycloaddition Of Co2 To Styrene Oxide In Supercritical And Subcritical States, Joy Mwalimu

Masters Theses

Supercritical fluids (SCFs) have fascinated researchers ever since the discovery of a critical temperature more than a century ago.¹ Initial studies focused mainly on the physical properties of supercritical phases.² However, their use as reaction media has sparked mainly during the last five to ten years.²

The coupling of CO₂ and Ionic Liquids (ILs) in the synthesis of cyclic carbonates comes from an increasing need for environmentally and toxicologically benign processes for the production of high-value compounds. In my research, CO₂ was utilized as both a replacement solvent and a C₁ feedstock in its …

Bone Density Testing As An Early Detection Devise For Anorexia Nervosa And Osteoporosis In Pre-Adolescent And Adolescent Girls, Kelle L. Brooks

Masters Theses

Osteoporosis has become one of the leading health problems for postmenopausal women in the United States, however, it has been shown that preadolescent and adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa are at an unusually high risk for early on-set osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Bone density testing has already proving itself as an accurate form of detection in post-menopausal women and the elderly and is widely used at medical institutions, clinics, and pharmacies throughout the United States as an inexpensive, non-invasive, and accurate technique for detecting low bone mass.

This research aims to examine anorexia nervosa and its long-term effects on the …

Patterns Of Cortical Growth As Indicators Of Population Health: An Exploratory Analysis Of Subadult Remains From The Tell Abraq Site, Uae, Jessica L. Rhodes

Masters Theses

The analysis of children in archaeological contexts is a relatively new field of study that emerged largely as a result of feminist and gender studies in the social sciences. Thus, methodologies that are typically employed in bioarchaeological analyses of children have yet to be refined and standardized. The commingling of subadult remains in archaeological contexts further confounds this issue by eliminating the ability of the researcher to establish reasonable age-at-death distributions.

This study seeks to explore the utility of analyzing patterns of cortical growth-for-diaphyseal length in commingled subadult remains. Specifically, commingled subadult remains excavated from the Tell Abraq site (UAE, …

Psychosocial Theories Of Development: Socializing Future Educators In Modernity, Jennifer Jill Niedzielski

Masters Theses

The purpose of this paper is to illuminate the implicit curriculum of high-profile theories of identity and moral development as commonly found in collegiate-level educational psychology texts. My primary concern is the manner in which Erik Erikson's and Lawrence Kohlberg's theories of development implicitly convey modernistic frames of mind of the autonomous individual at a level that goes unnoticed. The manner in which the implicit curriculum socializes future educators to adopt the autonomous individual frame of mind is problematic for our natural world.

The aims of this paper are significant because they illuminate the notion of the autonomous individual as …

A Survey Of Music Therapy Business Owners, Julie M. Guy

Masters Theses

An invitation to participate in a survey was emailed or sent to 503 self-employed/ private practice music therapists. As this study focused on describing current music therapy business practices, only music therapy business owners were asked to participate. Responses were received from 29% (n= l47). Results indicated that the typical business owner is a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) with a bachelor's degree who has most likely owned a sole proprietorship for less than 9 years. They typically work 30-39 hours each week and maintain 10-19 hours of contracts (primarily consisting of individual sessions). Most of the respondents work in …

Faculty Retirement Recognition Dinner 2005, Western Michigan University

Faculty Recognition

Faculty Retirement Recognition Dinner Program

May 26, 2005

Honored Guests:

• Miriam Bat-Ami
• Nicholas C. Batch
• Harold L. Bate
• James J. Bosco
• Joel P. Bowman
• Susan K. Carlson
• Ellen S. Cha
• Gary T. Chartrand
• Michael J. Clark
• Arthur E. Falk, Jr.
• Nancy A. Falk
• Stephanie A. Gauper
• John S. Geisler
• Constantine J. Gianakaris
• Ross Gregory
• Diether H. Haenicke
• Jerry H. Hamelink
• Arthur W. Helweg
• Richard E. Joyce
• James H. Kendrick
• Peter Kobrak
• Jay D. Lindquist
• John L. Mason
• James F. McCarthy
• William C. Morris
• Maija Petersons
• Ben C. Pinkowski
• Robert H. Poel
• Kenneth E. Reid
• Louis B. Rizzolo
• Herbert S. Scott …

Western News, May 19, 2005 , Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Construction begins on new art center; Luderer takes reins of BRCC; Sharer leads tech transfer initiatives; International units consolidated; On Campus with Bill Green.

Western News, May 5, 2005 , Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: President Bailey addresses budget issues; Trustees approve flat-rate tuition; Woolfork-Barnes leads First-Year Experience; On Campus with Dave Smith.

Prism #08, May 2005, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session April 22, 2005, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the WMU Board of Trustees meeting include appendices:

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Closed Informal Session
• Return to Formal Session
• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Remarks by the WSA President and GSAC Chair
• Approval of the Minutes of the February 18 Formal Session
• Tuition Policy
• Gift Report
• Personnel Report
• Proposal re International Education/Programs
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Grant Report
• Microbiological Safety and Security Policy
• Real Estate Transactions
• Faculty Senate Constitutional Amendment
• HIPPA Security Rule Update
• Annuity and Life Income Funds Report
• Operating Cash Accounts Report
• Public Comments

Marketing Research For Western's Panhellenic Council, Julia Renee Williams

Honors Theses

The Greek system began at Western Michigan University in 1916 with debate societies. These organizations were recognized as national organizations in the 1950s. In recent years, the Greek system at Western Michigan University has seen a decline in its membership, as well as in the number of students participating in the recruitment process. In 1997 there were 28 social Greek organizations, but as of spring 2005, there are 23. With interest diminishing, a marketing research project was conducted to determine why people are no longer interested in women's fraternities and what might draw people to them. A series of 70 …

Changes In Nursing Student Attitudes Toward Mental Illness, Jared Rogge

Honors Theses

People who suffer from mental illness comprise a highly vulnerable population, and encounter adversity from two directions. Not only do they have to contend with their illness and the management of its symptoms, but they also have to brace themselves against the societal backlash and devaluation produced by the stigma that accompanies mental illness. Stigmatization can drastically alter the life chances of individuals with mental illness and have negative outcomes in regards to employment, income (Markowitz, 1998), social integration(Chan, 2004), self esteem(Blankertz, 2001), health care, insurance, and access to justice (Sayce, 1998.)

Western News, April 7, 2005 , Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Budget process underway for 2005-06; New ID cards available for faculty, staff, retirees; Groundbreakings set for new chemistry and art buildings; On Campus with Nicole Birmingham.

Emeriti News, April 2005, Emeriti Council

Emeriti News

Contents of Volume X, Number 1:

• From the Council Chair
• Emeriti Council's Textbook Scholarship Report
• Forum on Universities and Corporations
• Lunch with Emeriti Medallion Scholar
• Wednesdays II at Walwood
• Western Association of Retired Faculty
• New Identification Cards for WMU Faculty, Staff and Retirees
• The Emeriti Council
• Election Results

The Western Michigan University Magazine, Spring 2005, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Magazine (1997-present)

• Nanotech’s big impact • ‘New economy’ report • Students perform in D.C.

Prism #07, April 2005, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

College Of Arts & Sciences Newsletter: Spring 2005, College Of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

No abstract provided.