Digital Commons Network^™

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.

Incest: A Study In Networking In Multnomah County, Oregon, Joanne Mcclarty

Dissertations and Theses

Reported cases of incest in Multnomah County, Oregon, as in the rest of the country, are increasing yearly. Effective networking between agencies is important in order to successfully work with the problem. The research problem of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the present network of agencies working with incest in Multnomah County. In order to evaluate network effectiveness the following objectives were established: to provide a "cultural" description of the major components of the Multnomah County network; to determine whether a common definition of incest among practitioners exists and to compare the networking system in this county …

Fort Ross: Russian Colony In California, 1811-1841, Kathryn E. Mitchell

Dissertations and Theses

The essential objective of this study was to fill a bibliographic void of secondary source material concerning Russian California. This was accomplished by combining available translations and more specific studies on the subject into one extensive work. Introductory chapters provide: (1) a brief statement regarding Russia's massive eastward expansion through Siberia, to Kamchatka and Alaska; (2) an examination of the nature of the Russian-American Company; and (3) a detailed look at the programs instituted by the Company to provision Alaska and Kamchatka. The establishment of Fort Ross in 1811 is viewed as one of those programs. The settlement's primary function …

A Longitudinal Study Of Recidivism For 88 Forest Camp Inmates, Loreli S. Manning

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent a group of 88 subjects, who were sentenced to the Forest Camp in the early seventies, remained law abiding in the ten years which followed their release. In addition to analyzing recidivist patterns, the study attempted to identify which variables were associated with subsequent recidivist and non-recidivist behavior and relate those findings to previous studies in the literature.

Counseling The Batterer, Robert Oliver Brown

Dissertations and Theses

Domestic violence has received increasing attention in recent years as an area of concern for the helping professional. Despite this interest, programs for counseling the batterer are relatively few and counseling interventions for use with this client population are in what could be termed an experimental phase. The purpose of Counseling the Batterer is to review the pertinent literature concerned with counseling the batterer, to explore several programs which have been involved in this effort, and also to design a model group counseling program for abusive males. The foundation for the model program is based on the pertinent literature and …

The Outcomes Of A Quality Circle Program In An Electronics Manufacturing Firm, Martin L. Abbott

Dissertations and Theses

The literature on worker participation generally assumes that worker participation programs lead to positive work outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction) in more or less direct fashion. The current study challenges this assumption and posits that "desire for participation," and "attitudes toward participation," may affect the participation-satisfaction relationship. Data were gathered from a quality circle (QC) program at a large electronics manufacturing firm, using both quantitative (survey questionnaire), and qualitative (interviews, observation, meeting attendance) means. QC members and non members were compared on all attitude measures, and on general job satisfaction. The results indicated the following: (a) the participation-satisfaction thesis was not …

Forecasting Interest Rates Using Pattern Recognition Techniques, John S. Pearson

Dissertations and Theses

Much depends on the future course of interest rates. The decisions of families to make major purchases, the willingness of businesses to expand and invest, the rise and fall of the economy and stock market, the ability of lesser developed countries to repay their debts, the tenure of presidents and prime ministers--all of these may turn on whether interest rates increase or decrease in the months ahead. Several decision functions developed in the dissertation permit the direction of change of interest rates on long-term U. S. government bonds to be forecast correctly about 60% of the time. When the different …

The Role Of The Family In Delinquency Causation: An Interactional View, James W. Burfeind

Dissertations and Theses

American society traditionally has held the family responsible for the socialization and social control of children, and when youngsters get into trouble the causal finger of blame is pointed at the family. No wonder then that a recurrent issue within the study of delinquent behavior has been the precise etiological role of the family. This thesis begins with an historical examination of the different approaches taken in the sociological study of delinquency and the family. This research investigated whether "interactive effects" are important in conceptualizing and understanding the family's etiological role. The concept of interaction is based upon the assumption …

Fringe Area Growth In Metropolitan Portland: An Analysis Of Space-Time Variations In Residential Housing And Land Conversion, 1970-1980, Sheku Gibril Kamara

Dissertations and Theses

Urban ecological problems have hitherto been addressed using one of two major approaches. The first has a social impetus directed at ethnic, economic and family characteristics and their relationships with the spatial distribution of urban residential housing. The second approach emphasizes the influence of the physical environment and the services available to subareas. The sociological method has had much more attention in modeling applications than the physical analytic technique. This study adopts the physical approach with a focus that is emphatic on infrastructural factors and land attributes, and their influence on the differential rates of fringe area residential growth in …

The Contribution Of Social Support To The Successful Functioning Of Men With Epilepsy, Diane L. Pancoast

Dissertations and Theses

One hundred men with epilepsy were interviewed about the history of their illness, employment history and personal support network. Included as sources of support were: household members, close friends and relatives, more distant relationships and general forms of social participation such as church membership. Four potentially supportive aspects of these relationships were assessed: structural features of the pattern of relationships; characteristics of the individual ties; exchanges of helping resources and subjective assessments of the supportiveness of ties. The social support networks of the men who were satisfied with their lives were large, diverse, active and generally helpful. Church membership was …

Urban Housing Policy Evaluation In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Tarek Ali Fadaak

Dissertations and Theses

The rise in wealth for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led to an increase in demand for more and better housing. In response to this rising demand, and as part of an overall development policy, a housing 60a1 and several housing objectives were identified. To attain the goal and objectives, a formal housing policy was designed and authorized. It involved direct and indirect assistance to the private sector, a subsidized financing program for new housing construction, a serviced land program for the low income, and public housing. This thesis is an evaluation of the urban housing policy in the Kingdom …

The Career Decision, Donna Marie Klover

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to define what is meant by the "career decision", examine what life factors influence that decision, how it is affected by one's self-concept and value system, and its connection with one's needs, goals and life style.

The German-Oregonians, 1850-1918, Roberta Lee Schmalenberger

Dissertations and Theses

Of all the foreign-born elements of Oregon's population, the German-born have been the most prominent in terms of size and continuity. At the turn of the century they were an organized and enterprising ethnic group that supported a German-language press, numerous social clubs and ethnic churches. The German-born contributed their share to the development of Oregon through men whose names are almost household words today: Meier and Frank, Weinhard, Dammasch, Villard and Weyerhaeuser. Yet for all of their visibility, the Germans in Oregon have not been remembered as a particular ethnic group.

The demise of a visible German culture in …

An Internal Review Of A Discipline: Journal Editors' Opinions Of Paradigm Development Within Speech Communication, Laurie A. Houghton

Dissertations and Theses

A review of the literature on paradigm development within academic fields revealed that researchers have drawn distinctions between disciplines with greater paradigm development (discussed as discipline-wide consensus) and disciplines with lesser paradigm development. Several of these investigations centered on paradigm development and evaluative criteria used by academic journal editors for judging scholarly work. The purpose of this study was to ascertain Speech Communication journal editors' opinions of paradigm development within their field.

A two-part survey was developed and mailed to eleven editors of the major Speech Communication journals. Data generated from the survey were analyzed using a descriptive methodology. Part …

Life Satisfaction Of Elderly Parents And Parent-Child Relationships In Old Age, Tehchou Yeh

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is designed to explore the nature of the relationship between elderly parents and their children and to investigate the association of that relationship with life satisfaction of the elderly parents. The examination of parents' life satisfaction is based on the activity theory of gerontology. The life satisfaction is measured by Adams's eighteen-item Life Satisfaction Index. The parent-child relationship is viewed from the standpoint of both the parents' expectations of their children and how the children fulfill these expectations. Filial discrepancies between parents' expectations and children's behavior are analyzed to fill a gap in the literature on behavioral and …

Career Supports And Career Mentors: An Analysis Of Their Prevalence And Their Relation To Career Success And Satisfaction Among A Group Of Women Lawyers, Sandra Lee Riley

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated three issues problematic to the state of knowledge on mentoring. These issues were: (a) lack of scientifically derived operational definitions in use in research on mentoring; (b) lack of agreement about how common mentoring is; and (c) lack of agreement about whether or not alternate forms of career support are more efficient than mentoring. The information collected to address each of these issues was acquired in two phases: a literature survey followed by a sample survey. The literature survey addressed the first issue. It resulted in the formulation of an operational definition of mentoring which was based …

Crime As A Routine Activity: An Investigation, Donna Scott Munroe

Dissertations and Theses

Crime as a social phenomenon has customarily been examined as sets of occurrences which happen outside the boundaries of the legitimate social structure. Research by Lawrence E. Cohen and Marcus Felson suggests that more fruitful explanatory models of crime may be developed from the routine activity approach, an approach which regards crime as a routine activity in the same sense that everyday work may be regarded as routine activity. Such an approach is consonant with the precepts of human ecology. Human ecology as a theoretical model posits an interrelationship among the divergent parts of the social fabric. In such a …

Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity And Their Perceived Relationships To Substitute Teaching Effectiveness, Castilla Jack Ryan

Dissertations and Theses

This research is an exploratory study of role conflict and role ambiguity and their relationships to effectiveness in the substitute teaching services. In many public school systems, large numbers of substitute teachers are assigned to a classroom on a daily basis when the regular teacher is absent. The assignment is usually done through a central administrative office. Substitutes are assigned with very short notice; and since their assignment is based on availability, they may be asked to teach a subject outside their certified field. In addition, the lesson plans left for the substitutes by regular teachers may be incomplete or …

Causes And Consequences Of Divorce In Late Life, Keren Brown Wilson

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop a framework in which the effect of divorce in late life could be examined. Statistics indicate a growing number of persons who occupy the divorce status in late life. Many of these persons enter late life in the divorced status, others are divorced after age 60. This study focuses upon those who divorce after age 60. Although previous work does not shed much light upon late life divorce, it yields a clear picture of the characteristics, process and consequences of divorce for younger persons. Assumptions derived from work with younger divorcing populations …

An Exploratory Functional-Structural Analysis Of American Urban Traditional And Alternative Secondary Public Schools, Mary Ellen Sweeney

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates the way traditional and alternative secondary public school organizations are structured to impact youths. Some studies have found that traditional secondary schools utilize inappropriate and outdated organizational elements and arrangements. Alternative schools with different organizational arrangements have been initiated in public school districts to institute school reform measures. The three goals of this study are to: (1) collate a large share of the literature on the function, social context and organizational characteristics of conventional and alternative secondary public school organizations, (2) explicate a theoretical framework or interrelated set of propositions of organizational principles regarding modern organizations, including …

The Health Policy Gap: Income, Health Insurance And Source Of Care Effects On Utilization Of And Access To Dental, Physician And Hospital Services By Oregon Households, Constance Hall Fitzgerald

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores the effects of income, insurance, and source of medical care on access to and utilization of health services. Profiles of dental, physician, and hospital services use are developed for more than 3,500 Oregonians. Low income, lack of health insurance, and/or an inappropriate source of medical care are hypothesized to be barriers to access and utilization. Households which face one or more of these barriers are identified as falling into a "Health Policy Gap." The data for this study were drawn from a 1978 random telephone survey of 1249 Oregon households. The survey was commissioned by the State …

The Utility Of Alternate Theoretical Conceptualizations Of "Urban Environment" In Explaining Variation In Attitudes And Behaviors, John Conrad Allen Iii

Dissertations and Theses

The debate over what factors actually influence behaviors and attitudes of urban residents is the impetus which generated the idea behind this study. Urban literature suggests several explanations for attitudes including for example, alienation and anemia. These same explanations are assumed to influence behaviors such as: 1) smaller number of children, 2) involvement in voluntary organizations, 3) specialized voting behavior and 4) less kinship contact.

A Computer Decision Support System To Assist In Providing Equality Of Educational Opportunity, Porter Sexton

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation presented research by the author in the development of a computer Decision Support System (DSS) for assisting in providing equal educational opportunity in a public school district. The research process consisted of five major phases: (1) The support of a local school district was obtained, and, with the assistance of the superintendent, a task group of concerned administrators was assembled to assist in defining the needs and goals for the DSS. (2) A list of key variables was developed for inclusion in the support system. Data were gathered and stored for a preliminary version of the DSS. (3) …

Metropolitan School Administrators: Work Values, Role Perceptions And Burnout, Jacqueline Conner Waggoner

Dissertations and Theses

Data were collected from 388 administrators from ten urban and suburban school districts in Oregon and Washington to identify the work values of public school administrators, (as measured by the Ohio Work Values Inventory, OWVI), and determine the relationship between public school administrator role perceptions associated with burnout, (as measured by the Administrator Role Perception Inventory, ARPI), and their work values. The data were analyzed by levels of administration, background data and specific scales on the instruments. Cluster sampling by district was used; i.e. all administrators within each of ten school districts in Oregon and Washington comprised the initial sample …

Rating Life Events : The Effect Of Experience And Point Of Reference, Richard John Alden

Dissertations and Theses

Life events inventories have been extensively used to investigate the relationship between stressful life events and the etiology of disease. In order to elucidate conceptual and methodological issues surrounding the use of these instruments, a Life Events Questionnaire was constructed and administered to 100 university students. Subjects indicated which of 40 events they had experienced and rated all events on a 20 point scale based on the amount of readjustment judged to be required by each event, both for themselves and for a hypothetical average person. Results of a three-way ANOVA indicated that in the majority of cases, neither the …

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.

Involvement, Social Class And Attrition In Higher Education: The Case Of The Stop Out, Terrence Scott Daugherty

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis tests the validity of three theories purporting to explain the attrition of stop outs -- why students interrupt their studies with the intent to return to school. Data were gathered at two schools, Portland State University and Reed College. Two theories, those of social class and involvement, were tested at each school as contending explanations of attrition by path analysis of parsimonious models derived by factor analysis. These theories were found to explain little of the variance of attendance pattern (less than 4.3 percent) at either school. No particular lines of causation could be demonstrated at either school. …

Marital Interaction And Spousal Health And Well-Being, Ralph Arthur Schmoldt

Dissertations and Theses

An attempt is made to determine whether marital interaction is related to the health and well-being of husbands and wives and, if such a relationship exists, to explore the nature of the relationship. The dimensions of marital interaction of interest include cohesion, companionship, cooperation, and consensus. Cohesion is manifest in the feelings a couple has about their relationship. Companionship and cooperation are seen in a couple's joint activities. A shared outlook on life represents consensus.

Desertion Of Elderly By Adult Children, Jill C. Harvey

Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the widely prevalent belief that adult children desert their elders.

Data which suggested considerable family support of elderly family members were collected over a period of one year through counseling families with dependent parents. These families exhibited confusion and lack of knowledge but not desertion.

The Descriptive Function Of Language: Changes With Age And Pressure To Inform, Eve Susan Liebman

Dissertations and Theses

Currently language is viewed as a multi-dimensional construct, consisting of three interrelated components; content, form and function (Bloom and Lahey, 1978). In recent publications, language function has been referred to as pragmatics (Prutting, 1979). The essence of pragmatic theory is that language is used functionally in social contexts, to accomplish specific types of communication (Wood, 1981). One such communicative function is referred to as the informative function, which occurs when a speaker provides ideas and information to others, as in describing, naming and giving examples {Wood, 1981). It is not clear, however, when children become competent in making specific, clear …