Digital Commons Network^™

Review Of Survival Of The Knitted: Immigrant Social Networks In A Stratified World. Vilna Francine Bashi. Reviewed By Qingwen Xu., Qingwen Xu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Vilna Francine Bashi, Survival of the Knitted: Immigrant Social Networks in a Stratified World. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2007. $21.95 papercover.

Review Of The Lost Promise Of Civil Rights. Risa L. Goluboff. Reviewed By Wilma Peebles-Wilkins., Wilma Peebles-Wilkins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Risa L. Goluboff, The Lost Promise of Civil Rights. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007. $35.00 hardcover.

Contested Lands: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia, Cyprus And Sri Lanka. Sumantra Bose., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Sumantra Bose, Contested Lands: Israel-Palestine,Kashmir, Bosnia, Cyprus and Sri Lanka. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007. $27.95 hardcover.

Revitalising Communities In A Globalising World. Lena Dominelli, Editor., Kristine Frerer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Lena Dominelli (Ed.), Revitalising Communities in a Globalising World. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2007. $114.95 hardcover.

Dynamics Of Social Welfare Policy: Right Versus Left. Gardenia Harris, Bernard Ivan Tamas, And Nancy S. Lind, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Gardenia Harris, Bernard Ivan Tamas and Nancy S. Lind, Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy: Right versus Left. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2007. $80.00 hardcover; $39.95 papercover.

Racial Diversity And Social Capital: Equality And Community In America. Rodney E. Hero., Jaehee Yi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Rodney E. Hero, Racial Diversity and Social Capital: Equality and Community in America. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. $58.00 hardcover; $19.95 papercover.

Social Security In Ireland, 1939-1952: The Limits To Solidarity. Sophia Carey., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Sophia Carey, Social Security in Ireland, 1939-1952: The Limits to Solidarity. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 2007. $34.95 papercover.

Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers And Head Home. Pamela Stone., Cara Ellis Pohle

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Pamela Stone, Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2007. $45.00 hardcover, $16.95 papercover.

A Qualitative Exploration Of Female Surfers: Recreation Specialization, Motivations, And Perspectives, Tiyanya Anna Nourbakhsh

Master's Theses

This current study utilized recreation specialization and leisure motivation theory to explore the meanings, perspectives, and behaviors among female surfers. Despite numerous studies previously published regarding recreation specialization and leisure motivation related to activity participation, little research has been conducted on the activity of surfing from a female perspective. Data for this study were collected using in-depth, semi- structured interviews of nine women surfers from the California Central Coast. Content analyses of the data involved coding and identifying key themes, patterns, and categories. The dominant themes significant within recreation specialization included past participation (e.g., preceding activities to eventual participation and …

Qualitative Case Study Methodology: Study Design And Implementation For Novice Researchers, Pamela Baxter, Susan Jack

The Qualitative Report

Qualitative case study methodology provides tools for researchers to study complex phenomena within their contexts. When the approach is applied correctly, it becomes a valuable method for health science research to develop theory, evaluate programs, and develop interventions. The purpose of this paper is to guide the novice researcher in identifying the key elements for designing and implementing qualitative case study research projects. An overview of the types of case study designs is provided along with general recommendations for writing the research questions, developing propositions, determining the “case” under study, binding the case and a discussion of data sources and …

Dimensions Of Genocide: The Circumplex Model Meets Violentization Theory, Mark A. Winton

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study is to examine the use of Olson’s (1995, 2000) family therapy based circumplex model and Athens’ (1992, 1997, 2003) violentization theory in explaining genocide. The Rwandan genocide of 1994 is used as a case study. Published texts, including interviews with perpetrators, research reports, human rights reports, and court transcripts were analyzed. The use of both theories was consistent with the data and resulted in a greater understanding of the genocide. Rwanda moved to a rigidly enmeshed society during the genocide with the perpetrators going through the violentization process. Suggestions for further research are provided.

Giving The Spoon Back: Higher Teacher Expectations Of Achievement For Students Who Are Deaf, David H. Smith

The Qualitative Report

This single case study examined a Deaf teacher’s behaviors and beliefs that reflect her expectations of her deaf students. Primary modes of communication used were American Sign Language and written English. Data were collected via videotaped observations and interviews. Analysis was done by coding utterances of the participants using a deductive framework and using an inductive approach to find patterns among the coded utterances. Teacher behavior and student reactions revealed high expectations for student achievement. The overarching factor that reflected teacher expectations was the positive classroom climate established by the teacher. Recommendations for further research to examine teacher expectations with …

Cultural Scenarios Of The Fantastic, Asunción López-Varela

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her article, "Cultural Scenarios of the Fantastic," Asunción López-Varela Azcárate explores the relationship between technological development, the materiality of objects, the concept of ontological presence, and the emergence of abstract and fantastic models. López-Varela Azcárate argues that since the early twentieth century there has been a return to the fantastic in literature and that this is related to neo-baroque attitudes whose foundations are a systemic way of knowing that unveils a world understandable from an epistemology of complexity and ambiguity. In postmodern neo-baroque aesthetics, with its focus on technological re-mediating, that is, transferring information across different media, originality is …

Teaching Creativity In Technical Communication Curricula, Curtis Robert Newbold

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis addresses the need to claim creativity as an essential component to our technical communication curricula as we prepare students for what their managers want. While many technical communication programs at universities across the country have recognized a need to teach skills beyond "writing technically," few, if any, have addressed or "claimed" a concept such as creativity that helps build these skills. I argue that creativity is what managers are looking for and what technical communication programs are already implementing. Claiming this concept will help us further define a discipline that is becoming much richer and help students develop …

Adolescent Religiosity, Religious Affiliation, And Premarital Predictors Of Marital Quality And Stability, Stacey Macarthur

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The influence of religiosity in adolescence on several variables that have been shown to be predictors of marital quality and stability was examined using a nationally representative sample of 3,151 youth, aged 13 to 17 years, from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). Religiosity was defined to incorporate multiple characteristics including religious beliefs, attitudes, participation, experiences, and identities. The effect of religious affiliation and religiosity was also examined for seven premarital predictors, which included relationship with parents, ideal age for marriage, right and wrong, academic achievement, sexual behavior, attitude toward cohabitation, and attitude toward divorce. Data were collected …

Principals' Perspectives On Adolescent Literacy Implementation And Support In Secondary Schools: Views Through A Sociocultural Lens, Jack A. Robinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this study, interview data were analyzed to illustrate the perspectives of five secondary school principals in adolescent literacy implementation and support. These principals fell on the continuum from beginning practitioners in adolescent literacy to “seasoned veterans.” They were selected based on the recommendations of their district’s assistant superintendents and/or curriculum directors. I interviewed two high school principals, two middle school principals, and one junior high school principal.

Much emphasis has been placed over the last several decades on improving the reading skills of elementary school children, especially in the primary grades. While this goal continues to be an important …

Technologically Assisted Intervention (Tai): Are Clients Satisfied With Online Therapy?, Jennifer A. Morrow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the level of satisfaction reported by participants of a technologically assisted intervention study (TAI). TAI is a type of teletherapy done through online, live video conferencing. Satisfaction was examined at three different time points, post therapy, 3-months post therapy, and 6-months post therapy. Analyses examined if there were any changes in reported satisfaction over the three time periods. Participants received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) targeted at reducing symptoms of mild to moderately severe depression. A satisfaction measure was developed for this study, and included quantitative and qualitative items which were analyzed to determine participants' level of satisfaction. …

Transforming Perspectives Through Service-Learning Participation: A Case Study Of The College Counts Program, James O. Peacock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A case study has been conducted on the College Counts program, a well-integrated service-learning program, to examine the experiential learning of 10 former participants. It was the objective of this investigation to view the learning of 10 college students, through the lens of transformational learning, as they reflect on their experiences as participants in the College Counts program. Transformational learning theory was used as a lens to determine if high school students have the ability to engage in transformative learning. Students reported in their own voices transformative learning in one or more of the following forms: increased cultural inclusiveness, commitment …

Factors Related To Success And Participants’ Psychological Ownership In Collaborative Wildlife Management: A Survey Of Sage-Grouse Local Working Groups, Lorien R. Belton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Declines of sage-grouse (Centrocercus spp.) across the western United States have prompted the formation of numerous collaborative stakeholder partnerships, known as local working groups. These voluntary groups create and implement local sage-grouse management plans and projects, often in the hopes that their efforts may help avert a federal Endangered Species designation for the bird. Using a mail survey of participants in 54 local working groups, I examined the importance of psychological ownership in working group dynamics. Psychological ownership is conceptualized as a latent, multidimensional variable consisting of responsibility, control, and caring elements. Multiple regression analysis showed early-stage group success, representative …

Inter-Religious Marriage And Migration, Maggie Y. Bohm

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study analyzes the influence of 1) inter-religious marriage and 2) differing levels of church attendance within a married couple on migration behavior. The study draws from previous research on inter-racial marriage for a framework to examine whether there is reason to expect a relationship between migration and inter-religious marriage. We hypothesize that the propensity for migration is higher for inter-religious couples than for couples constituted by individuals of the same religion and for couples who attend church at different frequencies. To examine the hypotheses, this study uses age, education, and length of residence as controls in logistic models.

Theories …

The Process Of Tracking In Mathematics In Box Elder School District, Megan Haramoto Bushnell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Educational policymakers have used tracking to instruct students in a variety of subjects, including mathematics. Tracking, which has also been called ability grouping, is a process by which students in the same grade are placed into different classes based on academic ability. Few educators and sociologists have looked at the process by which students are placed in different mathematics tracks. The research design of this study focused on accumulating, evaluating, and reporting the understanding and observations of 12 teachers and 4 counselors as they discussed their knowledge and involvement in the mathematics placement procedures from the intermediate and middle school …

Reported Mental Health Issues And Marital Quality: A Statewide Survey, Joseph Ruben Smart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study included a representative random sample of 886 married individuals in Utah. This sample was surveyed to discover the relationship between demographic variables, reported mental health issues, and marital quality. In addition, this study sought to discover models, using demographic variables and reported mental health issues, to predict for separate dimensions of marital quality. This survey was a replication of a study completed primarily in Oklahoma, with the addition of questions about the participants' mental health.

Spearman's rho, Pearson's R, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The results of the study show that: religious beliefs …

Racial And Ethnic Comparison Of Migration Selectivity: Primary And Repeat Migration, Sang Lim Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of this study are to examine migration disparities in primary, onward, and return migration by Hispanics, non-Hispanic black, and non-Hispanic white and to inspect the differences among the various types of migration. In addition, this study explores explanations of the migration disparities. These have been rarely studied because of a lack of proper migration data. This research employs the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY79) for a logistic regression of primary migration and for a hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM) of the two types of repeat migration, namely onward and return. The results demonstrate that whites are more …

Agroforestry Practice Adoption Among Solomon Island Women On The Island Of Malaita, Etta K. Sechrest

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The goal of agricultural training is the adoption and diffusion of introduced agriculture techniques. New subsistence agricultural techniques have been introduced mainly to the male population in many developing countries, even though most subsistence farmers are women. Therefore, an understanding of how new subsistence agricultural techniques can be introduced and adopted by women would be important to achieve. This study focuses on women's adoption of agricultural techniques. It takes place on the island of Malaita, in the Solomon Islands. The study looks at the adoption of agroforestry and several other subsistence techniques that were introduced under a joint program by …

Pluriformity In Pauline Thought Regarding Financial Support From The Christian Communities At Thessalonica And Corinth: A Reflection, Jonathan Schott

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"There are many issues, sociological, theological, and anthropological that surfaced in Paul’s compositions to the early Christian communities. Frequently, Paul expressed pluriformity in the discussion of those issues. In other words, Paul often varied his meaning in speaking about a particular issue."

Biological Invasions And Biocultural Diversity: Linking Ecological And Cultural Systems, Jeanine Pfeiffer, Robert Voeks

Faculty Publications

Study of the ecological and economic effects of invasive species has paralleled their progressively pervasive influence worldwide, yet their cultural impacts remain largely unexamined and therefore unrecognized. Unlike biological systems, where the ecological consequences of biological invasions are primarily negative, from an ethnoscientific standpoint, invasive species' impacts on cultural systems span a range of effects. Biological invasions affect cultural groups in myriad, often unpredictable and at times contradictory ways. This review groups case studies into a conceptual matrix suggesting three categorically different cultural impacts of invasive species. Culturally impoverishing invasive species precipitate the loss or replacement of culturally important native …

Homeless Over 50: The Graying Of Chicago's Homeless Population, Center For Urban Research And Learning, Christine George, Marilyn Krogh, Dennis Watson, Judith Wittner

Center for Urban Research and Learning: Publications and Other Works

This is a report of a 2-year collaborative study of homeless people aged 50 to 64 in Chicago between Loyola University Center for Urban Research and Learning and the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness. This study had three goals: To obtain a demographic profile of people who are homeless in Chicago and are between the ages of 50 and 64; to understand how the various systems designed to serve this population do and do not meet their needs; and to begin to suggest a range of policy and programmatic responses to meet the needs of this population. Information for this …

Making Sense Of The Access Problem: A New Methodology For Analyzing The Postsecondary Education Decision, Farrah Graham

Theses and Dissertations

This study is interested in defining new variables that contribute to the explanation of whether or not an individual applies to postsecondary institutions. Prior research has explained differences based on demographic variables, such as first generation status, income and race, and differences in information and social support that an individual possesses. While these variables have a significant effect on the decision, they do not completely explain why individuals decide to pursue postsecondary education. This research suggests that how an individual moves through the decision process, as well as how information is interpreted and used will have an effect on the …

University Students' Perceptions Of Their Parents' Childrearing Styles Associated With Their Inclinations To Become Parents, Judi Mccracken

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Researchers have associated Diane Baumrind's parenting styles (Baumrind, 1967; Baumrind, 1966; Baumrind, 1968; Baumrind, 1971) with countless outcomes among children, adolescents, and adults. However, few, if any, have investigated an age group's perceptions of their childrearing compared with their inclination to become parents. This study examined 67 West Virginia University students' responses to the Adapted Parenting Attribute Questionnaire (APAQ) completed by Child Development and Family Studies majors in 2007. The purpose was to determine patterns of perceptions in guardians' parenting styles, then compare the participants' inclinations to become parents and their rankings of importance (low, medium, or high; low and …

Topographic Analysis And Predictive Modeling Using Geographic Information Systems, Steven Hall

All Dissertations

This dissertation describes three GIS models developed to better model topographic features and the occurrence of mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The first study presented 'A LiDAR based GIS model to calculate Terrain Shape Index on a landscape scale', attempts to develop a GIS based model to calculate the Terrain Shape Index (TSI). TSI is typically collected in the field using a series of elevation measurements to determine the average elevation change within the study plot. In this study, a GIS model is developed and TSI values compared to those collected using conventional methods. The second …