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Voices Of Our Past: The Rank And File Movement In Social Work, 1931-1950, Richard William Hunter

Dissertations and Theses

During the period of the late 1920s through the late 1940s, a most remarkable event in the history of American social work emerged: the development of a vital radical trade union organizing effort known as the ''rank and file movement." Born within the growing economic crisis of the 1920s and maturing in the national economic collapse and social upheaval heralded by the Great Depression, the rank and file movement would attract the support and membership of thousands of professional social workers and uncredentialed relief workers in efforts to organize social service workers along the lines of industrial unionism. Within its …

Speech Parameters Affects On Social Acceptability Ratings Of Adolescents With Repaired Cleft Lip And/Or Palate, Sarah Telkins Hoff

Dissertations and Theses

The current study explored speech social acceptability ratings of adolescents with and without orofacial clefts. The study utilized speech samples previously collected on 80 adolescents, 40 cleft and 40 noncleft, dubbed on to a stimulus tape in a random order. From an earlier study the following were available: (a) adolescent (cleft and noncleft) self-ratings of speech social acceptability, (b) objective ratings of the adolescents' speech social acceptability provided by a listener panel with no background in speech-language pathology. New data were collected by recruiting a new listener panel of 10 graduate students with training in speech-language pathology, utilizing a 7-point …

The Relative Influence Of Internal Resources, External Resources, And Social Support On Parenting Stress, Angela Cecelia Rodger

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the relationship of three different kinds of resources important to parenting to the degree of stress experienced by 58 mothers of small children who completed a questionnaire distributed through kindergarten classes in three public schools, and through three Head Start centers. Parenting sense of competence and internal working model of caregiving were examined as internal resources. Income level and stability and neighborhood characteristics were examined as external resources, and perceived available social support, which is both internal and external, was also examined. Interrelationships between the resources were predicted, as well as the unique contribution of each type …

Grandmothers Laughing: Intergenerational Transmission Of Cultural Beliefs About Pregnancy And Childbirth Among Native American Women, Claudia Robin Long

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation reports findings from a qualitative study of intergenerational transmission of pregnancy and childbirth information among Native American women. Proposed is a theory of intergenerational transmission that explains four pathways used by Indian women to gain information about pregnancy and childbirth. Antecedent, consequent, and core elements are associated with the transmission process.

Discriminant sampling was used to identify the middle generation of Indian mothers and grandmothers, between 36 and 65 years of age, residing on or near the reservation, with experience of assimilation policies that had moved off-reservation temporarily. The researcher used the grounded theory method to analyze responses …

A Survey Of Swallowing Symptoms Associated With The Premenstrual Cycle, Jill Gigi Calcagno

Dissertations and Theses

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) has been associated with a vast number of physical, emotional, social, and behavioral symptomatology. Laryngeal disturbances invoked by hormonal imbalance may affect swallowing as a component of PMS. Previous studies regarding swallowing ability during the premenstrual cycle were nonexistent.

This study examined the relationship between PMS and swallowing disorders. One hundred thirty-seven females completed a written survey that elicited information regarding biographical data, presence and severity of cyclically recurring symptoms associated with PMS, and perceived presence and severity of dysphagia during premenstruum.

Spearman Rank (Rho) correlation coefficients were computed to determine the extent of the relationship between …

A Case Study Of The Development Of Oregon's 1985 Public Policy In Youth Substance Abuse, Sonja Carol Grove

Dissertations and Theses

Youth substance abuse in Oregon reached epidemic proportions in the early 1980s. A response to this social issue from the Governor's Office, the state legislature, and the Office of Alcohol and Drug Programs during 1983-1985 is the foundation of this case study. Oregon, a small state of three million, was faced with a growing problem of youth and adult substance abuse. Legislative leaders, agency staff, and Governor Atiyeh recognized an opportunity to create public policy to solve problems of substance abuse including crime. The focus on substance abuse included streamlining several budgets with substance abuse monies in various state agencies. …

The Development And Testing Of An Instrument To Measure Client Satisfaction Of Child Protective Service Families, James Michael White

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop and test an instrument to measure client satisfaction among families who are clients of a child protective services agency. With the growing numbers of families coming into contact with CPS agencies, the burgeoning numbers of children in foster care, and the increasing attention to the effectiveness of services within this population, client feedback is one approach that has been largely ignored by CSP administrators. The basic problem this dissertation addressed is the issue of obtaining feedback from the involuntary client, such as the family in a child abuse case. Specifically, this dissertation …

An Exploratory Analysis Of Certain Characteristics Of Policewomen: A Second Look, Harry Oliver White Jr.

Dissertations and Theses

Female police officers are relatively new to the profession of law enforcement. Prior to 1968, the very few who were employed by police agencies were not permitted to perform the full range of police duties. Subsequent to that time their number has increased so that today they account for approximately 8.3 percent of the total sworn police population. There have been numerous studies which have attempted to identify the sociopsychological characteristics of male police officers. For example, Neiderhoffer reported in 1967 that male officers rate high in authoritarianism, anomia, job dissatisfaction, and choose police work for job security reasons. Very …

Oregon Women In Educational Administration: Profiles And An Analysis Of Upward Career Mobility Factors, Leland D. Chapman

Dissertations and Theses

The first purpose of this study was to determine from the positive and negative factors identified by Jones and Montenegro (1982), which factors Oregon female administrators perceived had influenced upward mobility in their careers. Study of this topic reveals added information and direction to administrators of university administrative programs, school board members and school personnel administrators involved in hiring and providing training or staff development. As a result, the commonalities and differences among female school administrators in Oregon are identified. Identifying the factors that relate to upward mobility of tenured and nontenured female administrators provides insight and hopefully will promote …

Career Lines In The Area Of Mental Retardation, Charlotte Ballard

Dissertations and Theses

In the past few years there has been a large growth in the number of facilities and services provided to the mentally retarded in the community, as contrasted to the institutional setting.

This thesis reviews some of the factors involved in the transition to community care for the mentally retarded as a background for an examination of the characteristics and perceptions of the persons who provide community care.

Early Childhood Education And Compensatory Education In The Portland, Oregon, Public Schools, 1965-1984, Dolores Jean Robinett Pappas

Dissertations and Theses

This investigation had the dual purpose of exploring, in historical perspectives, the academic discipline known as Early Childhood Education and the use of Early Childhood Education as a vehicle for compensatory education in the Portland Public Schools from 1965-1984.

An Investigation Of The Reliability, Subscale Intercorrelations, And Validity Of The Administrator Role Perception Inventory, Anne Skirven Wax

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability, subscale intercorrelations, and validity of the Administrator Role Perception Inventory (ARPI), an instrument developed by the investigator and a co-author in the year preceding the study. The ARPI is a 50 item, Likert-type scale which reflects variables thought to be associated with burn-out: expectation, motivation, accomplishment, psycho-physical state, and relationships. Another variable, previously unresearched, was also included; it is the variable of "time" and reflects a negative time orientation, a longing for the "good old days." The inventory was mailed to all of the 2,113 active members of the Confederation …

The Needs Of Older People As Seen By Themselves And Support Providers, Sarah Movius Schurr

Dissertations and Theses

This study compares perceptions of older people's needs from two vantage points: needs as seen by the older people themselves, and the needs of the elders as seen by their family support group. Two hypotheses were examined. The first hypothesis was that the elders and the support people would disagree on the needs of the elders. Secondly, the disagreement would be strongest on more abstract needs, like life satisfaction and contact with the opposite sex.

The Articulation Of Formal And Informal Helping: The Influence Of Organizational Context On Relationships Between Professional And Lay Caregivers, Priscilla J. Kimboko

Dissertations and Theses

This research is an exploratory study of thirty human service agencies' programs to link their services to informal helpers in their communities. The helpers were persons identified as important helping resources to persons in their own social networks, who were often also clients of the service agency. The thirty agencies were drawn from across the nation, and served several different types of client populations and needs. Models from practice and theory suggest that linkages between the formal and informal caregiving systems should be modeled after primary relations, informal and personal in character. Research and literature on organizations suggests, however, that …

Burnout: Multi-Dimensional Study Of Alienation Among Social Service Workers In The Willamette Valley, Sally Carignan

Dissertations and Theses

In a profession such as social work, where one is responsible for dealing with the ills of society and meeting the needs of other individuals, such emotional detachment and estrangement from others is antithetical to the purpose of the field and eminently destructive to those seeking and needing assistance. With the current push for accountability, factors such as burnout or alienation from one's work become of crucial importance. In addition, burnout leads to a high rate of absenteeism and job turnover (Minihan, 1980). This too decreases cost effectiveness and the quality of service, matters of extreme concern in a field …

A Description And Evaluation Of The Self-Help Information Service, Cathy Tuma, John Wadsworth

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Self-Help Information Service (SIS) and to obtain information necessary for the improvement of the service. The study also described the development and operation of SIS and assessed the use and effect of the service. The evaluation of SIS was based on initial global utilization data and the results of participant satisfaction surveys targeted at four distinct groups: (1) Self-Help Project staff, (2) Tri-County Information and Referral Service staff, (3) self-help groups, and (4) callers of the service (potential members of self-help groups). The Self-Help Project and Tri-County I …

An Alumni Survey Of The School Of Social Work, Portland State University, Stephen R. Fishack

Dissertations and Theses

The alumni survey conducted at Portland State University School of Social Work by second year students had two purposes. One purpose was to fulfill the research practicum requirements of a Masters of Social Work degree by providing experience in the area of applied survey research. The other was to provide a data base for future alumni research at the school.

Selltiz, et al., in their book, Research Methods in Social Relations, ask the question, "Why is it important to be familiar with the research process?" They answer with the following statements: "Research techniques are the tools of the trade... …

Non-Work-Related Services At The Workplace: An Exploratory Study, William Roland Adix

Dissertations and Theses

In an era of diminishing public funds, the profession of social work is looking more and more toward the private sector as an arena for social work practice. Social work has had a long-standing interest in the impact of work and the workplace on the individual. This study was developed in response to the lack of documentation of non-work-related services in Oregon's businesses and industries. The research team set out to discover what non-work-related services are available to employees at or through the workplace in the TriCounty area (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties) of Oregon. This study was exploratory, similar …

Fruit And Flower: The History Of Oregon's First Day Care Center, Danielle Louise Larson

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is a history of philanthropy in the field of child care.

Using a topical approach rather than a strict chronological method, the text discusses the specific subjects of private philanthropy and public funding as applied to the Fruit and Flower institution. At the same time, it traces the exact growth of that institution through a one hundred year maturing process--from its beginning in 1885 as a girls' club of "friendly visitors" to a modern child care center in 1978. This examination of the evolution of a specific social service institution also incorporates a review of the financial factors …

Assessment Of Needs Of Adolescent Mothers In Washington County, John L. Arnold

Dissertations and Theses

This needs assessment was conducted by 11 graduate students and their advisor from the Portland State University Graduate School of Social Work. The purpose was to determine the needs of adolescent mothers in Washington County and report the findings to the Washington County Task Force on Adolescent Pregnancy. Data for this needs assessment was compiled from three sources: social indicators (data), service providers, and target population responses.

Interviews were conducted with 34 service providers to determine the availability of services to the population. Questionnaires were distributed and 29 adolescent mothers responded regarding their perceived needs and services. The information in …

The Assessment Of Service Providers' Attitudes Toward Working With Older Clients In An Urban Social Service System, Marilyn Diane Petersen

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates attitudes toward working with older clients held by service providers in an urban social service system. Four samples were involved: three of providers (Interview Panel, n = 22; Pretest Sample, n = 89; and Survey Sample, n = 428) and one of providers and their older clients (Encounter Sample, n = 52 providers, 147 clients). The first time samples included 13 provider types: hospital doctors, nurses, and nurses aides; in-home nurses and aides; nursing home nurses and aides; mental health practitioners; and income, nutrition, transportation, housing, and interaction personnel. The Encounter Sample included: in-home nurses and aides, …

Portland Youth Advocates' Contact Center Program (1970-79): An Idiographic Study, Michael Horowitz

Dissertations and Theses

Portland Youth Advocates is a nonprofit organization in Portland, Oregon that since 1969 has supervised nearly a dozen innovative service programs for young people. One of these programs was a counseling and referral program that evolved in August 1970 and closed in September 1979. Although it used different names at various times, it was most often known as the Contact Center. Three of PYA's former programs are operating in 1981, having each incorporated separately since 1979. To address the problem of why the Contact Center was unable to continue as well, an ex post facto case study of the program …

The Portland, Oregon Asap: An Evaluation Of Treatment Effectiveness, Joan M. Wildebush Berry

Dissertations and Theses

The Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP), in accordance with its goals and directives, determined, in 1980, the need for an evaluation of its services. In response to that need, the present study was conducted between April and October, 1980.

The initial step in this evaluation is a review of the relevant literature. The review includes literature in the areas of: treatment evaluation methodology, follow-up studies of alcohol treatment, and management of drunken drivers. In addition, the history and current organization of the Portland ASAP are discussed.

The study employs a one group pretest-posttest design and utilizes the Oregon Quality of …

Citizen Advocacy Groups, An Intervention Strategy: A Case Study Of The Community Coalition For School Integration In Portland, Oregon, Patricia J. Rumer

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation focused on citizen advocacy groups as an intervention strategy for affecting change in the policy process. The analysis is of a specific intervention in school desegregation policy by a citizen advocacy group. The purpose of this research was to identify the conditions under which a citizen advocacy group can intervene; the constraints to a successful intervention; and the attributes of a successful intervention. The case study was of the Community Coalition for School Integration, a citizen advocacy group which existed in Portland, Oregon between 1977 and 1980. A multi-method approach was used. It involved fifty interviews with members …

Alternative Agencies: An Exploratory Study, Linda Crane

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the research project was to try to get some insight into the actual operation and structure of what are commonly called alternative agencies. The project was viewed as an exploratory study, designed to try to understand if some of the commonly held assumptions about alternative agencies seemed to be reflected in actual practice. The research team's first task was to try to develop a working definition of an alternative agency.

Community Impacts On Organizational Interaction, Frederick Dalton Keast

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation addresses the following research question. Do the criteria by which organizations assess the benefits of entering into interagency agreements vary by city? Employing data obtained from 183 human service agencies in six western cities, organizational emphases on two classes of goals as they relate to the decision to interact with other agencies are assessed as functions of six organizational variables and city. The organizational variables include organizational goal, reliance on federal sources for funding, and a range of environmental uncertainty measures. The two classes of organizational goals studied are: first, those which directly accrue to the agency itself, …

A Survey Of Carryover Practices Of Public School Clinicians In Oregon, Joan Marie Cranmer Polson

Dissertations and Theses

Clinicians report that carryover management is one of the most difficult and time consuming problems they face (Johnson, 1972) yet the literature offers little data to assist clinicians in determining what methodologies should be used and which are effective in facilitating carryover. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the type of methodologies utilized by public school clinicians in Oregon to facilitate carryover with clients originally diagnosed as having articulation disorders. A secondary question dealt with the perceived effectiveness of these methodologies.

Adaptation To Dominant Society : A Self Study Of A Woman Of Mixed Race, Black/Indian, Helen Marie Camel

Dissertations and Theses

This research effort is based on the life and development process which the author has experienced and is currently experiencing. This effort for all intents and purposes, is an individual self-study. "Critical Incidents" have been utilized to develop a sense of understanding for the reader. In reading this paper, one can see that at times negative social and cultural situations would cause the author an unusually high level of inner stress, which was not always apparent to the outside world.

Homemaker And Former Clientele Evaluation Of The Homemaker Service Of Lane County, Marcia A. Leonard

Dissertations and Theses

A program evaluation of the Homemaker Service of Lane County, through use of the Homemaker Opinion Survey and the Former Clientele Satisfaction Survey was implemented because of the interest expressed by the program director to evaluate the program. The master report of the evaluation was submitted to the Homemaker Service of Lane County under the title "Report of the Homemaker and Former Clientele Evaluation of the Homemaker Service of Lane County, 1979." This report contains a condensed version of those findings.

A Study Of The Crisis Nature Of The Preparenthood Period And Implications For Preventative Social Work Practice, Julie Jean Colton

Dissertations and Theses

This study addresses the preparenthood period of family life, that period from conception to six weeks after the infant is born. This period was of great interest because in nine years of social work practice I have recognized that families resist change after their particular family system process, even destructive process, is established. I also believe that the order, or disorder, of society depends upon the order of the institution of the family. Other institutions of society depend upon the family for their existence.