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The Meaning Of Controversial Policy To School Superintendents, Barbara Jean Nicoletti

Dissertations and Theses

The focus of this research was on the subjective meaning for the school superintendent of policy experienced as controversial, and the associated implications for the policy process in school districts. The study examines controversial policy of a particular type, social regulatory (Tatalovich and Daynes, 1984). Such policy tends to have the effect of turning: " ••. political issues into moral polarities, claims into rights, legislation into litigation, grays into black and white, and campaigns into causes and crusades" (Lowi, 1988). The primary goals were to (1) identify examples of controversial policy in education, (2) assess the usefulness of the Tatalovich …

A Structural Model And Test Of The Antecedents And Outcomes Of Organizational And Professional Commitment, Mary Ann Evans

Dissertations and Theses

The major purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between commitment to one's profession and commitment to one's employer and the role this relationship plays in predicting satisfaction, performance and turnover. In order to accomplish this purpose the antecedents and outcomes of the commitments were modeled and tested using covariance structural modeling techniques. The data source was the 1990 Kaiser Permanente, Northwest Region Employee Survey. The study included a wide range of occupations. The literature is ambiguous about the definition and measurement of professional and organizational commitment. Professional commitment is characterized either as a unidimensional or multidimensional construct …

The Spatial Patterning Of Residential Differentiation In Metropolitan Community : The Case Of Kaohsiung City In Taiwan, 1982, Chih-Jen Chen

Dissertations and Theses

The urban growth process produces a complex socio-geographic division of labor among the component parts of the urban community. During this process, each subarea of the community differentiates from the other parts in its physical and demographic characteristics, becomes specialized functionally and structurally. The spatial patterning of the urban community is the result of this differentiation process.

The Duration Of Tinnitus In An Aging Population, Mary Engel

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the perceived severity of chronic tinnitus in a geriatric population increased, decreased, or remained constant with the passage of time. A questionnaire was designed to ascertain the subjects' perceived severity at time of onset and the perceived severity of their current tinnitus. The subjects were asked to rate their past and present tinnitus severity according to how much it bothered them. They were also asked questions pertaining to noise exposure history, hearing aid use, and tinnitus sound parameters for purposes of comparison with other groups previously studied.

Exurban Commuting Patterns: A Case Study Of The Portland Oregon Region, Judy Seppanen Davis

Dissertations and Theses

Many North Americans have been moving to exurbia --low density, rural housing within the commuting range of urban areas. It has been assumed that employment is a major link. of exurban households with urban areas. It has been assumed that employment is a major link. of exurban households with urban areas. This analysis of exurban commuting patterns is based on a mail survey of 1408 households who bought homes in 1987 near Portland, Oregon. The bid-rent model of urban form predicts that exurbanites will trade-off long commutes for lower housing prices. But previous research suggests that exurban living may not …

The Overage Student: Candidate For School Failure, Virginia Homeier Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

This study, conducted in a suburban school district, examined academic achievement and demographic considerations for a group of students overage for their respective grades. Records of 127 subjects were examined and data collected with respect to student performance on academic indicators of at risk behavior. Indicators were scores on criterion referenced tests in reading and mathematics as well as school absence figures for all subjects. These data were subjected to ANOVA and Chi Square Tests of significance to ascertain if there were differences between the students who were overage due to in-grade retention and those overage for other reasons. Research …

Social Support For The Frail Elderly At Two Kinds Of Retirement Communities, Qiaoming Liu

Dissertations and Theses

As few studies focus explicitly on social support for residents by residents in retirement communities which have staff, this thesis is designed to explore the nature of informal social support among residents at planned, non-subsidized retirement care facilities: the types, the amount, the impact, the limitation and the appropriateness of such support. Our focus is to explore whether different organization of a retirement community affects social support among residents, so we compare two retirement care facilities. One provides single-level care for its residents and the other provides multiple-level care. We chose our two sites from retirement care facilities in the …

Blockmodeling Network Data From Six Small Towns: An Assessment Of Organizational Typologies, Peter J. Collier

Dissertations and Theses

A major question in the study of complex organizations is whether it is possible to develop a useful taxonomy which identifies the crucial aspects of organizations and classifies them in a significant manner. One group of typologies of complex organizations focuses on the relationship between the organization and its environment. The purpose of this thesis is to test the validity of three existing typologies of complex organizations, each of which focuses on one aspect of the relationship between organizations and their environment. The major innovation in this research is the use of block modeling, a form of network methodology, to …

The Degree Of Assimilation Of The Second And Third Generation Of Japanese Americans In The Portland Area, Hisako Matsuo

Dissertations and Theses

Japanese Americans have been identified as one of the most successful minority groups in the United States of America because of their achievement of high socioeconomic status. This study focuses on the degree and process of assimilation of Japanese Americans in this country in order to reconsider multiple assimilation theories of minority groups. Three questions were raised: 1) the extent to which both the second and third generation of Japanese Americans are assimilated into American society; 2) how far the third generation is assimilated compared to the second generation; and 3) what the identity of the second and third generation …

An Estimation Of Relatedness Within Two Oregon Populations Using Isonymy Analysis, Maria Michalczyk

Dissertations and Theses

The study of human relatedness has long interested the population geneticist. One technique for the estimation of population relatedness is the use of isonymy analysis. The isonymy inbreeding coefficient is analogous to Wright's inbreeding coefficient F. Isonomy analysis can yield comparable results to population studies done by other means such as pedigree analysis, serological studies, and anthropometric analysis.

The data used for this study was obtained from marriage records and telephone directories. Same last name marriages were observed for legitimacy and recorded when verified. A pool of last names were drawn from the marriage records. This list was used to …

Sex Role Traits And Psychological Merger In Lesbian Relationships, Susan G. Dahlstrom

Dissertations and Theses

Much of the literature on lesbian relationships links the positive feminine relational trait (intimacy or communion) with problems of psychological merger (Burch, 1982, 1985; Decker, 1984; Elise, 1986; Krestan and Bepko, 1980). Karpel (1976), describes psychological merger as a person's "state of ernbeddedness in and undifferentiation within, the relational context" (p. 67) . This study explores the femininity/masculinity sex role traits as they relate to psychological merger in lesbian couples.

Thirty-eight lesbian couples were recruited through friendship and acquaintance networks, newsletter announcements and direct solicitation of members of the Portland Lesbian Community Project (LCP). Couples had to have been living …

Social Construction Of Sexual Equality In Distilled Beverage Advertising, Kathleen Dianne Lecoe-Cannucci

Dissertations and Theses

One aspect of the role of advertising in the process of maintaining and reinforcing or challenging the socially constructed worlds of maleness and femaleness, and especially the portrayal of the "woman's place," was explored in this study.

Factors Affecting Persistence Of Non-Traditional Students In A Non-Traditional Baccalaureate Degree Program, Dixie Lee Lund

Dissertations and Theses

Limited theoretical research exists regarding attrition of nontraditional (older, part-time, commuter) students on American college and university campuses today. Thus, when colleges or universities seek to improve programs specifically designed for such students, there is no broad research base on which to rely. The present study sought to determine if there were differences, especially ones the institution could do something about, between non-traditional students who left such a program and those who completed it. A conceptual model of non-traditional student attrition, developed by adult educators/researchers, Drs. John Bean and Barbara Metzner, provided the theoretical base for the study. Data were …

Commercial Activities And The Geography Of Movement In A West African Urban Market: A Study Of Market-Stall Traders In Onitsha With Implications For Transport Policy, Krys Chukwuma Ochia

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand the non home-based travel behavior of urban market traders in Onitsha, Nigeria, where 58-70% of the labor force is engaged in trading.

Relevant trip-inducing variables--gender, location, a means of personal transportation, size of stall and, type of good sold--were selected to assist in theorizing about the travel behavior of traders. Using a systematic sampling methodology, 246 stalls were selected and the MLR model was applied in data analyses.

The results show that a typical stall is occupied by either one or two traders. There are three male traders for every female trader …

Reading Comprehension In Dementia Of The Alzheimer's Type : Factual Versus Inferential, Donna Jensen Graville

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reading comprehension abilities of those with mild and moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) and compare their performance to that of a sample of non-demented elderly. Thirty-eight male subjects were used, 20 non-demented elderly, nine mild DAT and nine moderate DAT. All were administered level B of the NRST. This test contains questions requiring three levels of inference: literal, translational, and high-level inference.

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Learning Style Perceptual Preferences And Attitudes Toward Computer-Assisted Instruction, Mary Brambilla Mcfarland

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the perceptual learning style preferences of nursing students and to examine the relationship, if any, among students whose learning style perceptual preferences were identified as being auditory, tactile or visual and their attitudes toward the use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in the areas of comfort, creativity and function. The relationships between nursing students' perceptual learning style preferences and the following were also examined: (a) the amount of time they spent using the computer program, Cardiac Exam Bingo; (b) whether the use of the computer program added to their learning the content about …

Persistence Of New Full-Time Students: A Study In A Community College, Janet Stephine Stennick

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify those retention-associated variables which best account for persistence and nonpersistence among new full-time students in a community college. The major research question for the study was: Within a community college, what differentiates new full-time students who leave and those who stay? Do factors identified in previous studies which helped to explain persistence and nonpersistence in four-year colleges and universities and those colleges that serve large numbers of residential students hold the same power for explaining this phenomenon in community colleges? Of the 607 new full-time students who enrolled Fall Term, 1987, 552 …

Adults As Students: Ego Development And The Influence Of The Academic Environment, Shannon Moon Leonetti

Dissertations and Theses

This study was based on the premise that one outcome of education is ego development. The research was based on Jane Loevinger's theory that ego development is the central frame-of-reference through which people view themselves and their relationships with others. The study looked for evidence of ego development in adult students and for contributing factors, including academic environments. It compared the ego levels of students aged 35 to 55 at two higher education institutes and some experiences that are common to most colleges.

The variables compared were based on Loevinger's levels of ego development and theories of academic environments of …

Eating Disorders: The Correlation Of Family Relationships With An Eating Disorder Continuum, Jana Schweitzer

Dissertations and Theses

For the purposes of this study, eating disturbances were placed on a continuum ranging from disordered to normal, and family factors were examined via this framework. Research on anorectics and bulimics indicates that a variety of family variables contribute to the etiology of eating disorders. Research suggests the presence of a subgroup of persons who experience some disturbance in their relationships with food but not to the severity observed among eating disordered individuals. This study examined the relationship between family factors and eating disturbances.

Occupational Patterns Of Three Generations Of Taishan Chinese : A Reconsideration Of Middleman Minority Theory, Wei Wei Lou

Dissertations and Theses

Middleman minority theory explains why certain minorities in America have made impressive socioeconomic achievements. It is found that their occupational patterns play an important role in their socioeconomic success. Middleman minorities usually concentrate in certain occupations and dominate these occupations. The term "middleman" indicates that such ethnic minorities are functioning as middleman between lower and upper class, customer and producer in the host society.

The three preconditions through which middleman minorities get into these occupations are cultural, contextual and situational variables.

The cultural variables concern mainly the homeland of the minorities, the value system of their native culture, and the …

Adolescent Shoplifting And Situational Stimuli, James A. Chambers

Dissertations and Theses

Adolescent shoplifting has provoked limited and somewhat controversial perspectives within the sociological and psychological literature. These controversies center around the empirical variables used for analysis. A companion argument focuses on the subjective and objective measurement of these variables. This research explicated variables from the sociological literature to test their relationship, using multiple linear regression, to adolescent shoplifting behavior. These variables and situational stimuli were operationalized in a simultaneous model to demonstrate a proximate occurrence of the attitude-situation-behavior reciprocal. This reciprocal is a learning theory which suggests that direct and vicarious experiences accompanied by rewards and punishment, in one's environment, lead …

Simplified Framework Evaluation Of Large Water Resource Project Impacts, Brian Woodbridge Clowes

Dissertations and Theses

The document most frequently used to support a water resource project's economic feasibility is the commercial benefit-cost analysis, which quantifies tangible and direct project consequences. The objective of this type of analysis is simply to maximize net monetary benefits. This analysis assigns an arbitrary monetary value to ecological and social disruptions, if it does not ignore these effects entirely. An improvement on this method is the social benefit-cost analysis, which assesses sane intangible costs such as air and noise pollution. Unfortunately, even the social analysis usually neglects the sometimes profound effects that a large water resource project has upon quality …

The Development Of A Social Network Following Geographic Relocation, Joan E. Starker

Dissertations and Theses

The United States is a strikingly mobile nation. Every year almost 20% of its population changes residence and about 45% moves at least once every five years. Economic considerations are a major reason for relocation as persons seek new employment or are transferred by their corporations. Relocation, however, can be a stressful life experience. It removes individuals from daily routines, alters social networks, and may be accompanied by a mixture of sadness, excitement, anger and anxiety. It requires an enormous investment of physical and emotional energy to reestablish order and stability to one's life in a new city. At the …

A Critical Study Of Communications In Land Use Hearings, Douglas J. Warren

Dissertations and Theses

This study addresses a major theoretical issue posed in the literature: can alienation in modern urban society be conceptualized in terms of the communicative competence of speakers taking part in social interaction. Specifically, this study explores the relationship between communicative competence and two observable indications of success in land use hearings: 1) ability to influence the final decision of the Variance Committee and 2) expression of feelings of dissatisfaction with the hearings process, as expressed by the participants. On a broader scale, the study tests Jurgen Habermas's classification of speech acts and the notion that public hearings are a free …

Career Satisfaction, Adult Development, Academic Preparation, And Other Demographic Characteristics Of Pastors Of Churches Affiliated With Western Evangelical Seminary, James Allen Field

Dissertations and Theses

Purpose. This study was designed to explore possible relationships between the levels of job satisfaction, the stages of adult development, especially as defined by Levinson, and the type and extent of formal educational preparation for pastoral ministry. The primary assumption was that higher levels of education enable the pastor to move through the progressive stages of adult development with a higher level of career satisfaction. Procedure.The data were obtained through a survey of the pastors of the western judicatories of the seven denominations which are in trustee relationship with Western Evangelical Seminary. A three-part questionnaire was developed, including the Ministerial …

The Socialization Of Cpep Teachers: Implications For Administration, Jim L. Kuhlmann

Dissertations and Theses

The competencies and needs of those entering the teaching profession have become the subject of public debate since the release of A Nation at Risk. Subsequently many comprehensive and comparative reviews have documented the socialization of those entering the teaching profession especially student teachers and first-year teachers. The problems of beginning teachers have produced survival and self-oriented concerns. Internships and induction programs have been developed to ease the socialization of beginning teachers and mediate these concerns. As internships are developed and induction programs implemented, descriptive field studies which examine the processes of beginning teacher socialization are needed. Particularly, studies which …

Pupil Mobility And Its Effect On Basic Skills Achievement Growth Rates And The Educational Program, Daniel P. Klee

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the study was to compare the basic skills achievement scores of mobile and non-mobile students within the Portland Public Schools. The problem was to assess the effect of this mobility on basic skills achievement and the total educational program. The study was designed to test differences in reading, language usage and mathematics achievement test scores between pupils in the third through the eighth grades. The instrument that was used was the Portland Achievement Levels Tests of reading, language usage and math. These tests are administered to students in grades 3 - 8 in the fall and spring …

A Study Of Principals' Leadership Behavior In One Suburban School District, Darleen Huber-Dilbeck

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership behavior of principals as perceived by the teachers and principals of one suburban school district. Research questions asked were: (1) Are there significant differences between the perceptions of principals and teachers concerning principals' leadership behavior on the twelve subscales of the LBDQ-XII? (2) Are there significant differences in viewing the leadership role when teachers' age, gender, teaching experience, level of training, or teaching assignment is considered?

This descriptive study invited 350 randomly selected teachers and all of the principals from 35 elementary, intermediate, and high schools in one suburban school …

The Study Of National Character In The Post War Era : The Work Of Erich Fromm, David Riesman, And David Potter, Adam Rittenberg

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the study of national character through the work of the psychologist Erich Fromm, the sociologist David Riesman, and the historian David Potter. Above all Intend to provide a critical exegesis of the three thinkers will relate them to one another by discussing the Interconnections In their thought, beginning with Fromm's social psychological theory of character, turning to Riesman's theory of sociology and, finally, Potter's theory of American history. Each, I argue, must be studied in the context his time--above all the climate of horror and uncertainty at mid-century.

Friendship Between Women: The Influence Of Incest, Laurie Lockert

Dissertations and Theses

This study focused on the mother/daughter relationship in father/daughter incest and how that relationship influences women's friendships with other women. Many researchers have concluded that females who were sexually abused by male authority figures, i.e., father, step-father, grandfather, older brother, minister, babysitter, will have impaired relationships with men. Clinicians surmise that the enormous betrayal of trust involved in the incest leads the child to generalize from her experience with one male to all males. Victims express feelings of distrust, fear of intimacy, and fear of personal expression in all male/female relationships. Studies suggest that in families where father/daughter incest has …