Digital Commons Network^™

The Measles Epidemic Of 1714-1715 In New-France, Ryan Mazan, Alain Gagnon, Bertrand Desjardins

PSC Discussion Papers Series

Abstract not available

Gender In Politics, Sheri L. Kunovich, Pamela Paxton, Melanie M. Hughes

Sociology Research

Women’s political participation and representation vary dramatically within and between countries. We selectively review the literature on gender in politics, focusing on women’s formal political participation.

We discuss both traditional explanations for women’s political participation and representation, such as the supply of women and the demand for women, and newer explanations such as the role of international actors and gender quotas. We also ask whether women are distinctive—does having more women in office make a difference to public policy? Throughout the review we demonstrate that a full understanding of women’s political representation requires both deep knowledge of individual cases such …

Systems Of Distribution And A Sense Of Equity: A Multilevel Analysis Of Meritocratic Attitudes In Post-Industrial Societies, Sheri L. Kunovich, Kazimierz M. Slomczynski

Sociology Research

Meritocratic attitudes are defined as general beliefs that education and its correlates should determine personal economic outcomes. Using the International Social Survey Project (ISSP): Social Inequality Module (1992), we examine both individual-level and country-level determinants of pro-meritocratic attitudes. According to self-interest and rational-action theories, individuals with high educational attainment and high personal income are expected to have strong meritocratic beliefs because meritocracy is in their best interest—they would gain under such a system. At the same time, both modernization and post-industrial theories imply that persons living in countries with a high degree of societal meritocracy hold stronger meritocratic beliefs than …

Interview With Michael Obsatz, Professor Of Education And Sociology, Michael Obsatz

Sociology Department Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Cts Split 2007 The (Audio) Diary In Tourism Research, Deirdre Quinn, Nigel Morgan, Annette Pritchard

Articles

No abstract provided.

Social Capital Of Women Measured: Differentials By Family Structures, Zenaida R. Ravanera, Rajulton Fernando

PSC Discussion Papers Series

Social capital has often been invoked to explain differences in children’s well-being by family structure; that is, developmental outcome for children in lone parent or step family is not at par with that of children from intact family because parental investments on children may be lower not only in financial and human capital but also in social capital. This proposition has been difficult to examine in greater depth because of lack of conceptual clarity and of data to measure social capital. Using a definition of social capital as the “ability to secure benefits through membership in networks and other social …

Membership In Organizations And Confidence In Institutions: Men’S Social Capital And Its Differentials By Family Structures, Zenaida R. Ravanera, Rajulton Fernando

PSC Discussion Papers Series

Abstract not available

Relative Versus Non-Relative Foster Care: A Comparative Study, Victoria Picinich

Social Work Theses

This study explored the benefits and limitations of relative foster care versus non-relative foster care. This study hypothesized, that despite the limitations of relative placement, the emotional benefit to the child placed in a relative setting far outweighs the challenges of it. The methodology employed quantitative and qualitative measurements. An in-depth questionnaire survey was mailed to 150 relative and 150 non-relative providers; and a focus group was facilitated. The study revealed that relative foster care, when available, is superior to non-relative foster care because of the emotional and social connection present as a result of the pre-existing relationship between the …

Social Skills Group Therapy For Children With Emotional And Behavioral Problems, Lilith Chunn

Social Work Theses

The topic of this research was the utilization of social skills group therapy with children with poor social skills and emotional and behavioral problems. The literature explains that group therapy has many benefits to clients that are not available in individual work with clients. Social skills group therapy is theorized to be helpful for children with mental health disorders, especially children who are physically aggressive. In this type of group therapy, it is effective to teach children the phases of using social skills and using discussion and role-play to understand each social skill. A social skills therapy group was conducted …

Social Workers’ Knowledge Of Human Trafficking, Tiffany Polanco

Social Work Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess social workers’ knowledge of human trafficking. The hypothesis was that social workers needed to be further educated on this issue. A survey to assess social workers’ knowledge of human trafficking was placed in the quarterly newsletter of the Rhode Island National Association of Social Workers. Fourteen surveys were returned revealing the actual level of knowledge of these participants. The study revealed that social workers have differing competencies pertaining to knowledge of human trafficking. It is recommended that it is necessary to increase knowledge and identification of human trafficking. Implications for policy are …

Organizing For Community Benefit: Anti-Gentrification Effort In Providence, Ri, Katiuska Pérez

Senior Honors Projects

Throughout my college experience I didn’t really gain any basic foundation on how to organize and work with a group of people in a collective effort. I thought the best way to learn these skills in such a short amount of time would be to work with an organization that has been campaigning for positive social change for many years. I was referred to DARE (Direct Action for Rights and Equality) in Providence. I approached the director of the organization, Sara Mersha, and shared with her what I wanted to gain from a possible internship in her organization. She gave …

The Effects Of Mood Disorders On Families And Their Well Being, Kristen Mccauliff

Social Work Theses

People who suffer from bi-polar disorder or other types of depression experience a range of symptoms and reactions due to the disorder that causes not only themselves but their loved ones, to experience negative effects. In the relationship between parent and child, the parent’s mental status is altered, in effect taking a toll on their abilities to care for their children. The literature provides examples of how depression affects parenting abilities and in turn affects the development of children of those that suffer from a depressive disorder. The literature does not claim that parents who suffer from these disorders are …

Parents As Partners: An Analysis Of The Barriers To Parental Involvement In Special Education, Sarah Arnini

Social Work Theses

The purpose of the following exploratory study is to examine the interest levels, barriers and motivating factors influencing attendance at informational Parent Group Meetings held for parents of children who are part of the special education preschool program- both the Developmental Learning Program (DLP) and Integrated preschool classroom- in the Cranston Public School System. Existing literature expresses the importance of parent involvement in special education services, some of the barriers to participation, and the importance of periodically evaluating parents’ needs. A Needs Assessment Survey was sent out to approximately 85 families involved in the DLP/Integrated Preschool Program in the Cranston …

Familial Aggregation Of Survival And Late Female Reproduction, Ken R. Smith, Alain Gagnon, Richard M. Cawthon, Geri Mineau, Ryan Mazan, Richard A. Kerber, Elizabeth O’Brien, Bertrand Desjardins

PSC Discussion Papers Series

Abstract not available

Metropolitan-Micropolitan Difference In Available Labor Force Characteristics: Three Great Plains Labor Basins, Michael Walker, Brett Zollinger

Sociology Faculty Publications

This study explores differences in labor availability characteristics among those living in metropolitan and micropolitan areas. Data used in this study are from surveys of adults in two adjacent Midwestern states and from three separate labor basins. Primary patterns under examination include wage demands, benefit demands, distance willing to commute for a job, perceived underemployment and entrepreneurial propensity. Bivariate analyses show no relationship between basin size and entrepreneurial propensity nor between basin size and willingness to commute. However, basin size has significant influence on four of the seven dependent variables, even after controlling for many sociodemographic characteristics. In multivariate analyses, …

Understanding The Demand For Human Sex Trafficking: A Study Of Attitudes Regarding The Commercial Sex Industry, Giselle Routhier

Social Work Theses

No abstract provided.

Meaningful Self-Reporting Of Quality Of Life In People Living With Dementia, Julie Sullivan

Social Work Theses

The aim of this research study is to investigate the hypothesis that people living with dementia can comment meaningfully on their quality of life. A careful literature review revealed that “while it is generally agreed that any appraisal of quality of life should as far as possible rely on the individual’s own perspective, having people with dementia evaluate their own quality of life remains a much-debated issue” although the findings of many recent studies support the theory that people with dementia can evaluate their own quality of life (Cahill et al., 2004, p. 313). A 32-question questionnaire adapted from the …

Young Adult’S Perception Of The Causes Of Their Parents' Divorce, With Special Attention Made To History Of Divorce, Age At Time Of Marriage, And Religious Views, Candace Wagner

Social Work Theses

In this thesis young adults’ perceptions of the causes of their parents’ divorce was studied, with special attention made to history of divorce, age at the time of marriage, and religious views. The literature is in large extent similar in regard to the history of divorce in both the United States and Italy, as well as in regards to divorce laws and divorce rates at different points in history in the United States. The available literature offers a variety of factors that may cause divorce, but there are no clear conclusions found. In this study a survey was given to …

Sociology Discipline Assessment Report 2006/2007, Sociology Discipline

Assessment of Student Learning Reports

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Attitudes Toward Having Children Outside Marriage, Amir Erfani, Roderic Beaujot

PSC Discussion Papers Series

In the context of low fertility and a high proportion of persons who are not living in marital unions, it is important to study the attitudes toward having children outside of marriage. Based on a sample from Oxford and Middlesex counties in Ontario, Canada, we find that there are more positive attitudes toward having children outside of marriage for persons who have a more liberal orientation to gender division of labour and to cohabitation, those who are less religious, have smaller ideal family size, and where the first relationship was a cohabiting union. While the relation was not significant, there …

Toward An Hrsdc Family Research Framework, Roderic Beaujot, Zenaida Ravanera, Thomas K. Burch

PSC Discussion Papers Series

Within the context of Human Resources and Social Development Canada’s Knowledge Plan 2005-2008, this paper presents:

• an overview of recent changes in the family, their interpretation and implications;

• a proposed framework for research on families based on the concepts of “caring, earning, and learning,” “the life course” and “constrained decision making”;

• a summary of findings for each of the broad life course stages; and

• implications for policy considerations and for further research.

In Our Own Backyard: Methamphetamine Manufacturing, Trafficking And Abuse In Rural America, Kenneth D. Tunnell, Joseph Donnermeyer

Justice Studies Faculty and Staff Research

The abuse of methamphetamine ( or meth) is dramatically evident in the "before and after" faces of meth arrestees. Yet these pictures provide only a glimpse of the larger personal, environmental, and community fallout from methamphetamine use and production, an issue that barely existed 15 years ago in rural America, but has since grown into a large more serious problem.

“The Rise Of American Democracy: Jefferson To Lincoln” By Sean Wilentz, Cedric De Leon

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

North Central Sociological Association Presidential Address: Teaching And Learning And The Culture Of The Regional Association In American Sociology, Jay R. Howard

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

In this essay, I examine the role of teaching and learning in the culture of the regional association in American sociology. I analyze the programs of (1) the 2007 joint meeting of the North Central Sociological Association (NCSA) and the Midwest Sociological Society (MSS); (2) the 2007 annual meeting preliminary programs of the Eastern Sociological Society (ESS), the Pacific Sociological Association (PSA), and the Southern Sociological Society (SSS) along with the 2006 annual meeting programs of the MSS and NCSA, as well as the American Sociological Association (ASA); and (3) the 1991 NCSA and 1992 ASA annual meeting programs. I …

Dirty Whites And Dark Secrets: Sex And Race In "Peyton Place", Sally Hirsh-Dickinson

Doctoral Dissertations

"Dirty Whites and Dark Secrets: Sex and Race in Peyton Place " suggests that Grace Metalious's 1956 potboiler Peyton Place contains a critique of race which may have been just as unsettling to a mid-century readership as the novel's famed critique of sexuality. Peyton Place is most often said to be "about" sex. In this study, I argue that it is also "about" race, and that it is the racing of the sex that may have provoked the scandalized outcry against the novel. My work posits that Peyton Place's controversial reputation resulted from Metalious's racialized representations of sexuality and the …

Play And Technology For Children Aged 4-12, Stella Downey, Noirin Hayes, Brian O'Neill

Reports

Research study commissioned by the Office of the Minister for Children, Government of Ireland, 2007.

Hospice Nurses, Spiritual Development And A Changing Health Care Paradigm, Amy L. Barr

Master's Theses and Capstones

Recently researchers have become increasingly interested in how we are going to care for our growing elderly population. Little, however, has been done to examine the personal attitudes toward death, dying and spirituality of the professionals who care for the terminally ill. The purpose of this study is to examine spiritual development among hospice nurses who work in palliative care. Data were obtained using qualitative, in-depth interviews with 20 hospice nurses (4 males, 16 females) from ages 36 to 61. The interviews were conducted at three different hospice organizations located in the northwest, northeast and New England regions of the …

Job Characteristics And The Psychological Well-Being Of Older Workers, Anne M. Shattuck

Master's Theses and Capstones

Changes in public and private pensions as well as demographic and economic changes will likely lead to higher labor force participation rates for older adults in the future. Little research has examined the impact of work on the well-being of older adults beyond simply comparing those who work with those who do not. Using data from the 2002 and 2004 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, this thesis examined whether specific job characteristics---namely job flexibility, job stress, and the workplace climate's friendliness to older workers---were associated with depressive symptoms among a group of workers aged 62 to 73. Cross-sectional …

Is Romanian Mothers' Employment Status During A Child's First Year Of Life Correlated With School-Age Children's Behavior Problems?, Codruta A. Ruset

Master's Theses and Capstones

Although research studies are more likely now than in the past to include children and families of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds, no attempts have been made to examine the relationship between early maternal employment among Romanian mothers and their children's behavioral problems. Therefore, based on a sample drawn from a Romanian population, this thesis investigates whether maternal employment during the first year of the child's life is related to Romanian school-age children's behavioral problems, considering control variables like period of maternal employment, employment type, child care type, family income; child's age, maternal educational level, and family type. Findings illustrate …

Race Salience In Defense Attorney Opening And Closing Statements: The Effects Of Ambiguity And Juror Attitudes, Donald Bucolo

Master's Theses and Capstones

Two studies were conducted to evaluate if making a defendant's race salient in defense attorneys' opening and closing statements would reduce White juror racial bias towards a Black defendant when evidence against the defendant was strong (Study 1) or weak (Study 2). In Study 1, making race salient did reduce guilty verdicts against the Black defendant. In addition, more racist jurors were more likely to find the Black defendant guilty only when race was not made salient. In Study 2, making a defendant's race salient did not affect White jurors verdicts. Further, in Study 2 participants with more positive views …