Digital Commons Network^™

Secularization As A Decline In Religious Authority Over Gender, Catherine E. Meyers

Theses and Dissertations

Recent secularization debates have helped to interpret the changing influence of religion over time and over social life. I argue that Chaves' (1994) conception of secularization, that secularization occurs as a decline in religious authority, is an effective theoretical tool for describing religious change over time. Using GSS data and the example of gender ideology, I attempt to illustrate this concept and argue that this view of secularization, combined with a multidimensional approach to gender, is necessary to more fully explain the changing relationship among religion and gender over time.

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between Learning Styles, Individual Characteristics, And Mathematical Strand Weaknesses., Lorin Buzay

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study focuses on 1 12 mid-western middle school sixth grade students who exhibit one or more of the following strands: mathematical reasoning, number sense; estimation and computation; patterns, functions, and algebra; data analysis statistics; geometry and spacial sense; or measurement. A series of 2,025 correlations were conducted between: The Measures of Academic Achievement Test (produced by Northwest Evaluation Association), The Dunn, Dunn, and price Learning Style Inventory, and a sixteen point classroom student characteristics survey. This yielded a total of 144 significant values, 10-15 within each weakness strand, indicating possible relationships between test scores and student preferences. Data analysis …

Engendering Citizenship? A Critical Feminist Analysis Of Canadian Welfare-To-Work Policies And The Employment Experiences Of Lone Mothers, Rhonda S. Breitkreuz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Like other liberal-welfare states, Canada, in a climate of balanced budgets and deficit reduction, has been active in developing policies intended to move welfare recipients into employment in order to achieve selfsufficiency. The purpose of this paper is to employ a critical feminist analysis to examine the extent to which these policies, developed under the ideological umbrella of neo-liberalism, are gender sensitive. Literature on the economic and non-economic impacts of welfare-to-work policies is reviewed to evaluate whether these initiatives, while mandating lone-mothers into employment, recognize the gendered nature of work, employment and poverty. Gaps in current research are identified and …

Whatever Happened To Lisa Simpson? An Exploration Of Female Adolescent Development Through Problem Based Learning, Amy Perrault

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

As a teacher for the past six years in a girls’ school, I have met and had the chance to interact with hundreds of adolescent girls. Over time I have come to realize how much adolescence seems to have changed since I was in their shoes. The media inundates them with messages about what is cool, hip, and acceptable—music videos, fashion, and the internet provide the frame of reference against which today’s young woman compares her own self worth. While girls have always looked to society’s standards to help them develop as individuals, at no time in history have the …

Race And Gender Differences In Two Sanctioning Strategies For Juvenile Offenders, Chantrelle Varnado

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that decision-makers often use demographic characteristics for the purpose of influencing the sanctioning strategy allocated. The research study examines the extent to which the sanctioning strategies allocated are influenced by race and gender. The research is based on data gathered from Jefferson Parish Juvenile Services Department of Probation used to examine how race and gender influence juvenile sanctioning strategy allocation. The results from the discriminant analysis offers support for the argument that due to stereotypical perceptions on the part of decision makers, members of minority groups, in particular females may receive differential treatment than their white male counterparts. …

A Qualitative Study: Gendered Perceptions Of Bullying Among Adolescents At A Boys And Girls Club., Beverly Small Chandley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a form of peer violence needing extensive research to help understand the differences in gender for the prevention of such behavior. Most research has been performed in school settings and in a quantitative manner. This study was conducted by six researchers in an after-school facility with a qualitative approach. A minimum of 15 hours per researcher was spent observing behaviors and 20 interviews were performed. A grounded theory approach was used for the analysis of data which tend to show more similarities than differences in the way children bully as well as their perceptions of bullying.

Women In Leadership Positions In Tennessee Public Schools: A Qualitative Study Of Female Directors Of Schools., Joy O'Dell Yates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to determine the best methods for achieving key leadership roles in education. The problem was to define the qualities that are important in leadership positions and to determine how those qualities relate to the top-level positions in school systems across Tennessee.

Nineteen female directors of schools were interviewed. Directors also completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (5X-Short). Characteristics of transformational and transactional leadership styles were included in the study. Most of the directors scored high on using the transformational factors (idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration) of leadership and on using …

Look Younger, Lose 10 Pounds, And Influence Your Audience: A Content Analysis Of Popular Men's And Women's Magazine Cover Blurbs And The Messages They Project To Their Readers., Rhajon Noelle Colson-Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined cover blurbs on popular men’s and women’s magazines and the messages they communicate to their readers about women. The content analysis looked at the covers of Esquire, Gentlemen’s Quarterly, Vogue, and Good Housekeeping from 1999 through 2003 to see what these magazines were cultivating and framing through their cover text during the time surrounding the new millennium. The women’s magazines examined promoted gendered messages, messages encouraging an idealistic or unattainable ideal of women, to their readers more so than the men’s magazines researched. There also appeared to be an increase of gendered messages in the men’s and …

How Males And Females Feel About Body Image, Hannah Briscoe, Cadey Kuehnel

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

We wanted to see if the participants have a low or high body image. The participants were asked questions determining how they feel about their body image and others around them. Our hypothesis is that the younger participants will have a lower body image then those older, males will have a higher body image than females and seniors will have a higher body image than freshmen. The subjects were from the Human Subjects Pool at Lindenwood University consisting of general psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology classes. Our findings were significant with our hypothesis.

The Stroop Task: Gender Differences Between College Students, Josephine Mwangi

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

There were six male and six female students from Lindenwood University that participated and they were recruited through the human subject pool office. The hypothesis tested was that females are faster at completing the Stroop test than the males. The students were presented with a color key that had the numbers that matched the colors they were required to correspond with onto the computer monitor. There was a practice session at the beginning and then condition one that contained four color-words, red, blue, green and yellow that were printed in any one of the other colors stated above, totaling to …

Why Girls? The Importance Of Developing Gender-Specific Health Promotion Programs For Adolescent Girls, Amanda Birnbaum, Tracy R. Nichols

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Adolescence is a time when many girls begin to develop unhealthy behaviors that can affect myriad short- and long-term health outcomes across their lifespan.2There is evidence that smoking, physical activity, and diet are habituated during adolescence, and some physiologic processes of adolescence, such as peak bone mass development, have direct effects on future health.3-4 Establishing healthy practices, beliefs and knowledge among adolescent girls will decrease morbidity and mortality among adult women and potentially affect the health of men and children through women’s role as healthcare agents. This paper provides a brief review of lifestyle health behaviors among women and girls …

Voices Raised, Issue 08, University Of Dayton. Women's Center

Women’s Center Newsletter

Included in this issue: Taking Time for Families; Award honors work on behalf of women; Students gear up for Daytona trip; Academic Excellence in Women’s Studies; Miryam Award; Mullin to discuss leadership at Round Table; Leadership House offers women chance to learn and serve; Trying to catch a break; Showcasing God’s Beauty; Can a few caring, committed people create positive change?

Contesting Gender In Popular Culture And Family Law: Middlesex And Other Transgender Tales, Susan Frelich Appleton

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Voices Raised, Issue 07, University Of Dayton. Women's Center

Women’s Center Newsletter

Included in this issue: Shaping Leaders; Panel challenges labels; Women’s History Month; The Thirst for Women’s Studies; Book group strives for understanding; Grad student serves as ambassador for India; Am I supposed to feel like this?; Honors Art Exhibit; Mid-Life; What does it mean to be an “activist”?.

Gender, Citizenship And Personal Status Laws: Egypt & Morocco Compared, Yvette Fayez Isaac

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This research puts forward the argument that the state can utilize, negotiate and transform laws according to the different forces it faces and that this has its implications on citizenship rights for women. The study accomplishes this by comparing Egypt and Morocco, two Arab [and North African] countries that have undergone recent changes in their personal status laws (also called family laws). Methodologically speaking, this is achieved through examining the impact of the rising pressure of women's groups and local NGOs to challenge the rising Islamic activism (internal factors), and the impact of globalization, and international conventions and organizations (external …

Poverty, Gender, And Religion: A Reflection On The Status Of Coptic Women In Poor Areas, Ereeny Talaat Zaki

Archived Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to explore the reasons behind the oppression of poor Coptic women. It examines the factors that position Coptic women in inferior status. It analyzes these factors at the intersections of lack of resources, poverty consequences, and gender inequalities that shape life experiences of this segment of the Egyptian society. Central to my argument is the influence of religion on the lives of those women. In the light of fieldwork conducted in the poor area of El Salaam city, the main finding is that religion affiliation, especially if this religion is adopted by a minority …

Will Reduced Class Size Improve Reading Achievement?, Lisa Reeves

The Corinthian

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to examine the effects of reduced class size on reading achievement for second grade students. It is hypothesized that there will be a significant gain in reading achievement for students in a reduced class setting. It is also thought that of those students, boys and minority students will show a considerable increase in their reading achievement. The experimental group receiving small group instruction (n = 82) while the control group (n = 88) from a previous year received reading instruction as a whole with all of their classmates. The procedure consisted of …

Legal Recognition Of Gender Change For Transexual Persons In The United Kingdom: The Human Rights Act 1998 And Compatibility With European Human Rights Law, Robert E. Rains

Faculty Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Gender Differences In Student Learning: A Review Of The Literature From The Neuroscience And Psychology Perspectives, Noreen Ann Clark

All Graduate Projects

Literature from the fields of psychology and neuroscience were examined to establish what scientifically based information was available regarding gender differences. Myths of the past, psychological and neuroscientific perspectives, gender specific differences for students with genetic and metabolic-based exceptionalities, gender specific changes in behavior through maturation, and the educational implications for gender differences were included. The results indicated that children show developmental differences in expression of emotion, metacognition, and cognition, and the developmental differences are influenced by gender. The implications for educational practices are that curriculum, instruction, and assessment can be aligned to meet the unique need of both male …

Early Determinants Of Women In The It Workforce: A Model Of Girls’ Career Choices, Monica Adya, Kate Kaiser

Management Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose – To develop a testable model for girls’ career choices in technology fields based on past research and hypotheses about the future of the information technology (IT) workforce.

Design/Methodology/Approach – Review and assimilation of literature from education, psychology, sociology, computer science, IT, and business in a model that identifies factors that can potentially influence a girl’s choice towards or against IT careers. The factors are categorized into social factors (family, peers, and media), structural factors (computer use, teacher/counselor influence, same sex versus coeducational schools), and individual differences. The impact of culture on these various factors is also explored.

Findings …

For The Sake Of All Children: Opponents And Supporters Of Same-Sex Marriage Both Miss The Mark, Nancy Polikoff

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Separate But Equal Education In The Context Of Gender, Isabelle Katz Pinzler

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

Myths And Realities In The Sameness/Difference Debate, Rosemary C. Salomone

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Remarks made by Lawrence H. Summers, the President of Harvard University, suggesting by his "best guess" that "intrinsic aptitude" primarily accounts for the paucity of women holding senior academic positions in math, physics, engineering, and technology' have touched off a new round in a timeless debate over gender sameness and difference. This seeming bow to biology, emanating from the head of the nation's most prestigious academic institution, conjures up memories of yet another Harvard figure almost a century and a half ago. At that time, Dr. Edward Clarke, a member of Harvard's Board of Overseers and a former member …

In Response To The Remarks By Lawrence H. Summers, Presenting Empirical Data On The Differences In Learning Styles Between Males And Females, Robin A. Boyle, Andrea Honigsfeld

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Lawrence H. Summers' remarks at a conference on "Diversifying the Science and Engineering Workforce," raise provocative issues regarding reasons for the disparities of "women's representation in tenured positions in science and engineering at top universities and research institutions." He postulated that one reason for this disparity was the "different availability of aptitude at the high end." One suspects that the word "aptitude" struck a raw nerve in the audience. After all, most academics in the audience would be familiar with the research of Carol Gilligan, and her well-known book, In A Different Voice, suggesting that women have different …

The Effect Of Embedded Metacognitive Prompts And Probes On Students’ Awareness In A Multimedia Lesson For Elementary School Students, Wendy Janine Parcel Edd

Dissertations

In a study he called The Effect of Embedded Metacognitive Cues and Probes on Use of Learner Control Features in an On-line Lesson for Elementary Students, Watson (2001) found that minimal prompting by an online tutorial increased 5th grade students’ comprehension of how much they understood. While Watson’s findings demonstrated a significant difference in the ability of prompted and non-prompted students to accurately predict their own performance on posttests, actual scores were not greater than those of control students until the results were analyzed by gender. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend Watson’s study to determine …

Gender Differences In Social Support For Socially Anxious Individuals, Lindsay Ham, Sarah A. Hayes, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Given that social anxiety disorder is a common, chronic, debilitating disorder and socially anxious women appear to have different experiences related to social development and social support than men, it is essential that the gender differences in social anxiety and social support be understood. The present study examined perceived social support quantity and satisfaction in 23 women and 28 men seeking treatment for social anxiety disorder. Contrary to expectations, men and women did not differ on measures of social support. However, younger, unmarried women reported having smaller social support networks and less satisfaction with their social support networks than older, …

Altruism In The Context Of Door-Courtesy Behaviors Among College Students, Landen M. Roundy, Meagan E. Griffith, Sarah E. Jensen, Joseph A. Allen

Psychology Faculty Publications

Altruism has been debated as both selfishly and selflessly motivated. Though there are many possible illustrations of altruism in daily activities, a simple model to measure altruism is observing door-holding behaviors. This study observes the door-holding behavior patterns of undergraduate college students, assessing the sex differences and the possibility of an altruistic theme within the observed population. A general sex difference was found illustrating that males hold the door more often than females. Implications of the results are discussed.

A Defense Of Paid Family Leave, Gillian Lester

Faculty Scholarship

The problem of combining work and family life is perhaps the central challenge for the contemporary American family. In this Article, I evaluate and defend government provision of paid family leave, a benefit that would allow workers to take compensated time off from work for purposes of family caregiving.

A legal intervention in the arena of work-family accommodation can only build on some prior normative understanding of the family, and embedded within that, contested value choices about women's identities and entitlements in workplace, family, and society. I am not the first legal scholar to advocate paid family leave of some …

An Investigation Of Psychologists' Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders, Lori M. Cichon

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated differences in psychologists' attitudes toward sex offenders. The independent variables were biological sex, categorized as male and female, and amount of training in working with sex offenders, categorized as none versus some. Three hundred and fourteen participants were included in this study and a 2 x 2 Factorial ANOVA was conducted. An interaction between biological sex and training was found. Without training, female psychologists held more negative attitudes toward sex offenders than male psychologists without training. With training, female psychologists' attitudes toward sex offenders were slightly more positive than their male counterparts. A significant main effect …

The Politics Of Infertility: Recognizing Coverage Exclusions As Discrimination, Elizabeth Pendo

All Faculty Scholarship

Infertility affects approximately ten percent of the reproductive-age population in the United States, and strikes people of every race, ethnicity and socio-economic level. It is recognized by the medical community as a disease, one with devastating physical, psychological, and financial effects.

In 1998, the Supreme Court held in Bragdon v. Abbott that reproduction is a major life activity within the meaning of the ADA. Many lawyers, activists and scholars thought that coverage for infertility treatment would follow soon after. In fact, in 2003 in the first major case applying Bragdon to health benefits, Saks v. Franklin Covey, the Second Circuit …