Digital Commons Network^™

Complete Issue, Christopher W. Tremblay, Ed.D, Patrick J. O'Connor Phd

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.

Tactical Decision-Making: Community Organizers Describe Ethical Considerations In Social Action Campaigns, Donna Hardina, Matthew A. Jendian, Catherine G. White

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work curriculum on social action-oriented organizing methods is often devoid of content on the day-to-day role of the organizer in recruiting diverse participants, facilitating group decision-making, and planning and implementing campaigns. Little attention is paid to how tactical decisions are made and how the ethical implications of these decisions are weighed. In this study, professional organizers were interviewed about how they viewed their work, their relationships with their constituents, and the values and ethical principles used to make tactical decisions.

The 47 Percent: U.S. Trends In Income Maintenance And Medicaid Spending, 1990-2011, Elgin Mannion, Gordon C. Chang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

We analyze trends and variations in state-level expenditure growth for Medicaid, SSI, SNAP, and TANF. We explore three areas of interest: (1) How program structure impacts growth; (2) How programs responded to the 2008/2009 recession; and (3) How state preference for limited government, measured by Right- To-Work (RTW) status and political affiliation, impacts program expenditure growth. Findings show that program structure impacts expenditure growth: the state-matched programs like TANF and Medicaid grew slower from 1990-2011 than did open-ended federal programs like SNAP. OLS models found states with RTW policies and large Hispanic populations positively associated with higher income maintenance and …

Separation, Visitation And Reunification: Michigan Child Welfare Reform And Its Implications For Siblings, Angela M. Moe, Jessica A. Church

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Removal of children from abusive or neglectful families is an unfortunate but necessary aspect of child protective services, and the separation of siblings can be especially traumatic. This paper examines the Dwayne B. v. Snyder Modified Settlement Agreement (MSA), the result of a class action lawsuit regarding the management of the child welfare foster care system by the Michigan Department of Human Services. The MSA contains several mandates regarding the handling of siblings, though various measures of compliance remain unmet. Through field observations and interviews within the Michigan foster care system, we identify several factors prohibiting effective sibling care.

Review Of Social Security Works! Why Social Security Isn't Going Broke & How Expanding It Will Help Us All. Nancy J. Altman & Eric R. Kingson. 135 Reviewed By Helen Lachs Ginsburg, Helen Lachs Ginsburg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Nancy J. Altman & Eric R. Kingson, Social Security Works! Why Social Security Isn't Going Broke & How Expanding It Will Help Us All. New Press (2015), 320 pages, $16.95 (paperback).

Advisor And Student Experiences Of Summer Support For College-Intending, Low-Income High School Graduates, Karen D. Arnold, Alexandra Chewning, Benjamin Castleman, Lindsay Page

Journal of College Access

Summer melt occurs when students who have been accepted to college and intend to enroll fail to matriculate in college in the fall semester after high school. A high rate of summer melt contributes to the lower postsecondary attainment rates of low-income students, in particular. This article presents qualitative findings from two interventions intended to reduce summer melt among low-income, urban high school graduates who had been accepted to college and indicated their intention to enroll. Results from student and counselor surveys, interviews, and focus groups point to a web of personal and contextual factors that collectively influence students’ college …

The Importance And Implementation Of Eight Components Of College And Career Readiness Counseling In School Counselor Education Programs, Rachelle Perusse, Timothy A. Poynton, Jennifer L. Parzych Dr., Gary E. Goodnough

Journal of College Access

School counselor education program administrators (N = 131) responded to an online questionnaire where the importance and extent of implementation of The College Board’s National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) Eight Components of College and Career Readiness in their school counselor education program were assessed. The mean importance of the components was rated between ‘moderately important’ and ‘very important’ by participants, and the components were ‘usually’ implemented in the curriculum of their programs. Implications of this study include the need for increased attention in graduate-level school counselor training programs on equity-focused college and career readiness counseling and knowledge of …

Increasing Access To Postsecondary Education For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Amy L. Cook, Laura A. Hayden, Felicia Wilczenski, Timothy A. Poynton

Journal of College Access

Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) are increasingly seeking postsecondary education (PSE) opportunities. High school to college transition presents its challenges for all students, and school counselors are uniquely positioned to assist students with ID throughout the PSE process. This article provides a review of the literature on PSE and specifically explores the different types of PSE programming available and strategies high school counselors can employ to effectively assist students with ID in PSE planning.

Lillian Hoyle Parent, M.A., Otr, Faota

OJOT Sponsor Profiles

No abstract provided.

Auerbach School Of Occupational Therapy At Spalding University

OJOT Sponsor Profiles

No abstract provided.

Differences In Experiences Of Racial And Ethnic Microaggression Among Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Black, And White Young Adults, Shandra Forrest-Bank, Jeffrey Jenson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Racial and ethnic discrimination is a significant risk factor for health and mental health problems among non-White children, adolescents, and adults. Recent evidence suggests that a form of discrimination known as microaggression, characterized by subtle and often unintentional acts of discriminatory behavior, is associated with detrimental effects on the psychological and emotional wellbeing of non-White individuals. We examined differences in microaggression experiences among a sample of 409 Asian, Latino, Black, and White young adults. The Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale (Nadal, 2011) was used to measure respondents’ experiences of racial and ethnic microaggression. Young adults in all the non- White …

Review Of Creating Positive Systems Of Child And Family Welfare: Congruence With The Everyday Lives Of Children And Parents. Gary Cameron, Marshall Fine, Sarah Maiter, Karen Frensch, And Nancy Freymond (Eds.). Reviewed By David Tobis., David Tobis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Gary Cameron, Marshall Fine, Sarah Maiter, Karen Frensch, and Nancy Freymond (Eds.), Creating Positive Systems of Child and Family Welfare: Congruence with the Everyday Lives of Children and Parents. University of Toronto Press, (2013), 352 pages, $56 cloth, $27.96 paperback.

Review Of Migrant Youth, Transnational Families, And The State. Lauren Heidbrink. Reviewed By Laurie Melrood, Laurie Melrood

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Lauren Heidbrink, Migrant Youth, Transnational Families, and the State. University of Pennsylvania Press (2014), 208 pages $49.95, cloth.

Reframing New Frontiers For Indigenous Peoples, Hilary N. Weaver

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines colonial and Indigenous perspectives on frontiers. The United States context is used to further focus on the historic impact of the frontier on Native Americans. This is followed by a discussion of how boundaries and frontiers might be reframed in more balanced ways that respect the sovereignty of Indigenous nations. Examples are presented from child welfare and casino gaming to illustrate contemporary interactions across boundaries.

Social Work Advocacy: Professional Self-Interest And Social Justice, Mary Ellen Brown, Michelle M. Livermore, Annahita R. Ball

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study employed an analysis of the advocacy-related resources and materials available through the 50 NASW state chapter websites. Results revealed that a large number of states had no information about advocacy on their websites (42%). One third of the mission statements reviewed contained language indicating that advocacy was part of the chapter mission, while nearly as many included no content related to advocacy or social justice on their homepages. Nearly two thirds of the websites contained no resources, tools or links to help with advocacy practice, promotion or education. Thirteen advocacy themes emerged, which represented policy issues within the …

Race–Gender Differences In The Impact Of History Of Heavy Drinking On Current Alcohol Consumption During The Transition To Adulthood, C. André Christie-Mizell, Whitney Laster Pirtle, Benjamin D. Tyndall, David M. Merolla Phd

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

American youth transitioning to adulthood consume more alcohol than in any other period of the life course. This high level of consumption can result in serious consequences, including lost productivity, death and disability, sexual assault, and addiction. Nevertheless, relatively little is known, especially by race and gender, about how prior history of heavy drinking (e.g., in late adolescence) impacts drinking in young adulthood. Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1994-2004) for African Americans, Latinos, and Whites (N = 2,300), we found that Whites and Latinos drink more than African Americans, and men report drinking more than women. …

Ebb And Flow: A Multiple Streams Analysis Of Change In Kansas Domestic Violence Policy, Emily Bell-Sepulveda, Juliana Carlson, Sara Rust-Martin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

State domestic violence legislative interventions shape the way states define and respond to domestic violence. In 2010, Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson signed into law Substitute House Bill 2517, which included a strategy to track domestic violence offenders from the time of arrest through the court system, and an expansion of the statutory definition of domestic violence. The following policy analysis uses a multiple streams framework to examine this policy change, including the motivations and actions of key policy entrepreneurs. We also discuss the implementation of the bill as passed and implications for domestic violence victims and policy activists in other …

Roles Of Government And Community Support, Flood Experience, And Flood Education In Livelihood Resilience, H. R. Tewari, P K. Bhowmick, Melinda Mccormick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Flooding is a perennial problem in the state of Bihar, India with devastating impact on the livelihood of people. In spite of the government's measures of flood mitigation, households continue to live with suffering on account of severe damage to their material and non-material assets. In this background, the objectives of the study are: (1) to explore the differential role of the community and government support in livelihood resilience; (2) to assess the impact of flood experience and flood education in livelihood resilience; and (3) to explore the impact of level of education, reflected in average years of schooling of …

Teacher Guidebook For Esl Students, Ashley Ramo

Honors Theses

Language is the core of one’s identity, as it is essential in order to competently communicate and interact with other humans. Language preserves culture, and when educators are able to effectively teach English-as-a-Second-Language to students, it conveys respect for that culture. American society is highly culturally pluralistic which brings many languages into the classroom. Students bring their own experiences with them to school, including various native languages and a vast array of levels in English; some may not know a single word in English. Educators will encounter ESL students no matter what the location in the United States may be, …

Aviation Internship Toolkit: Helping Employers Reach The Next Generation Of Aviation Professionals (Ngap), James Fox

Honors Theses

It has been recognized by the international aviation community that there will be an anticipated shortage of skilled aviation professionals in the near future. In order to address this important issue, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) launched the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) initiative to ensure that enough qualified and competent aviation professionals are available to operate, manage, and maintain the future international air transport system (ICAO, 2014). This highly complex industry is growing at a significant rate around the globe, and this shortage needs to be addressed before it becomes a threat to this increasing vital and intricate …

Mandatory Arrest Policy Implications And Domestic Violence, Stephanie Smith

Honors Theses

I chose to do my honors thesis on the mandatory arrest policy regarding domestic violence. I will explore the history of domestic violence, the theoretical and ideological underpinnings of the policy, the research evidence that has been put forth regarding the policy and then offer my critical evaluation regarding the topic.

One Man's Fakelore Is Another Man's Treasure: A Case Study Of Paul Bunyan And The Legend Of The Sleeping Bear, And The Value Of Fakelore In An Interconnected World., Kalani Bates

Honors Theses

The American academic study of folklore blossomed in the past hundred years. The tumultuous battle to define, collate and structure the new study of folklore raged in the academic world, especially in the 1950’s.[1] This obsession not only manifested itself in the academic study of it, but also in the popular culture of the 1900’s. The tradition of the tall tale and the legend exploded into the consumer world, becoming a commodity produced and consumed at will.[2] Richard Dorson classifies this explosion into two very separate studies of ‘folklore’ and ‘fakelore’. Folklore is the group of stories that …

Rationale & Literature Review Of Vocational Training Tools & Skill Implementation In Mental Health Populations, Matthew R. Olivier

Honors Theses

Persons diagnosed with any type of cognitive impairment are oftentimes given labels by society members; they face unjust hardship, and unfounded prejudice because of it, especially in workplace settings. In Kalamazoo, Michigan two different programs - that exclusively work with mentally ill adults – actively seek to counteract these unjust labels by using work-related exposure. The goal is to increase job competence, self-efficacy, safety, and the social participation of the members of these programs. Both programs required supplemental training tools to help their workers’ transition into their new roles. The populations served were 1) patients working for the Kalamazoo Psychiatric …

Dynamically Reconfigurable Miniature Golf Course, James Lind

Honors Theses

The purpose of this report is to inform the reader of the Senior Design Project lead by 3 students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at Western Michigan University. The project is in needed for use within the ECE department as a tool for showcasing to prospective students the attributes of electrical and computer engineering.

At the heart of the project lies an Arduino microcontroller acting as the commanding brain of the system. Its task is to manipulate various types of obstacles throughout the playing field with a goal of delivering a dynamic experience to the player(s). Additionally, a …

Connections, Issue 4, College Of Health And Human Services

College of Health and Human Services Newsletter

In this issue

• College experiences busy, productive
• Homecoming weekend
• Dean presents annual awards and state of the college address
• Blindness and low vision studies awarded $3.7 million
• Interdisciplinary Doctoral Research Conference presents research and awards
• OT Professor Debra Lindstrom to receive national award
• Departments sponsor annual scholarly events
• BRAIN lab in the news
• Outstanding Alumni

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 20: December 2014, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• State-of-the-Art Confocal Microscope Changes Research at WMU
• WMU Hosts Second Michigan Autism Conference
• Physics Professor Awarded $150,000 NSF Grant
• A Campus Love Story: Marisa & Brandon
• Victim Advocate Assistant Arica Nelson
• Full Circle
• Kathryn Hemmen Reflects on Semester in Japan

Cto Updates - December 2014, Office Of Information Technology

Tech Talk

• 24/7 Help Desk
• Adobe:
• Digital badges
• Drone and GoPro
• Educause Center for Applied Research (ECAR)
• Faculty One Stop
• Google Apps for Education at WMU
• Web conferencing support
• Webmail Plus improvements

Diffusion Of The Lnternet And Its Effect On Gender Attitudes: A Cross-National Approach, Robert Roznowski

Masters Theses

The rapid diffusion of the Internet worldwide generates discussion about the social implications of the Internet. To explore the effect of Internet diffusion worldwide, this study examines changes in reported gender attitudes since the introduction of the Internet. I propose that the diffusion of the Internet fosters egalitarian changes in gender attitudes. Using cross-national data from forty countries over a time span of nearly twenty years, I successfully implement an alternative analysis technique, the slope-slope model, to examine the relationship between rates of Internet diffusion and changes in gender attitudes in the economic, political, and education domains. Internet diffusion affects …

Fabrication, Testing And Analysis Of A Fatigue Sensor For Structural Health Monitoring, Subash Gokanakonda

Dissertations

A novel fatigue monitoring sensor (FMS) is designed, fabricated and tested for detecting and monitoring the fatigue damage and estimating the remaining life of structures and components subjected to cyclic loads. The concept is based on the characteristics of stress / strain life cycle relationship of engineering materials. Sensor consists of alternate slots and strips having different strain magnification factor with respect to the nominal strain. The sensor is designed in such a way that the strips will experience the strain which closely resemble the actual strain distribution in the notch or critical area of the component. The sensor can …

From Teachers' Control Of Curricula To Curricula's Control Of Teachers: An Analysis Of Loss Of Autonomy In The Lnstructional Labor Process, Joseph Daniel Abbott Jr.

Dissertations

This dissertation explores how the labor process of public school teaching, a white-collar profession, is deskilled. In a content analysis of English/language arts teacher’s manuals and teacher’s editions of student textbooks, I examine public school teachers’ degree of autonomy from an objective, macro-analytical perspective. Applying Harry Braverman’s (1974) theory of the degradation of the modern worker under monopoly capitalism, I explain how teacher deskilling reflects structural factors in the work context that prevent teachers from accessing their professional and personal skill sets via the separation of conception and execution in the instructional labor process.

The formal curricula drive the teaching …