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Focal Point, Volume 15 Number 02, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This issue of Focal Point begins from the idea that enrichments, far from being frivolous, are instead essential. The joy and meaningfulness which enrichments provide make a direct, positive contribution to quality of life. What is more, enriching experiences add to our reserves of strength and purpose, and these reserves in turn enable us to adapt, cope, recover and even thrive in the face of challenges and stresses. Specifically, this issue of Focal Point looks at research related to sources of enrichment, and at innovative programs that promote enrichment and achieve positive outcomes for children with emotional and behavioral challenges, …

Altruism, The Prisoner's Dilemma, And The Components Of Selection, Jeffrey Fletcher, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

The n-player prisoner’s dilemma (PD) is a useful model of multilevel selection for altruistic traits. It highlights the non zero-sum interactions necessary for the evolution of altruism as well as the tension between individual and group-level selection. The parameters of the n-player PD can be directly related to the Price equation as well as to a useful alternative selection decomposition. Finally, the n-player PD emphasizes the expected equilibrium condition of mutual defection in the absence of higher levels of organization and selection. Keywords: prisoner's dilemma, N-player PD, multilevel selection, altruism, Price equation, group selection

Transgenic Crops And The Environment: Missing Markets And Public Roles, David E. Ervin, Sandra S. Batie

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The rapidity of change has left scant opportunity for investigation of the consequences of adoption of transgenic crops on long-term ecosystem or economic system functioning. Economic theory suggests that, if the "Biotechnology Revolution" is left to market forces alone, there will be neglected public goods. Theory and limited empirical evidence suggests that there are significant incentives for private firms to discount and neglect certain environmental impacts and to develop products that meet mainly the needs of those able and willing to pay. Negative distributional impacts on rural societies and economies will not normally enter the private calculus nor will the …

Notes On Public Petition, Unknown

Ernie Bonner Collection

No abstract provided.

Review Of "They Still Pick Me Up When I Fall: The Role Of Caring In Youth Development And Community Life." By Diana Mendley Rauner, Thomas E. Keller

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

A review of the book "They Still Pick Me Up When I Fall: The Role of Caring in Youth Development and Community," by Diana Mendley Rauner is presented.

Special Focus Programs, Magnet Programs And Schools, And Early Childhood Education Centers: Equal Access In Portland Public School's Elementary Options, Nancy Seidule Hauth

Dissertations and Theses

As parents and educators demand more choice programs in their school districts, it is important for district officials to govern issues around equal access. When specialty programs are designed by grassroots groups and school staff without district-level guidance or funding, as it is in Portland, Oregon, equal access provisions can be overlooked resulting in lower ethnic and socio-economic diversity.

The purpose of this study was threefold: to determine if all families in Portland Public School district have equal access to special focus/magnet programs at the elementary grades; to better understand the link between Portland's past desegregation policies and current choice …

Low-Income Homeownership In Portland's Albina Community: A Comparative Analysis Of Housing Quality In Market-Rate And Subsidized Houses, Carolyn Emily Collopy

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to detem1ine which of these two options, market-rate or subsidized, offer higher quality affordable housing to low and moderate-level income households. Through field observation and GIS analysis, the study compared the structural, block, neighborhood amenity, crime, and proximity to CBD characteristics of affordable market-rate and subsidized houses in Portland's Albina Community. The study samples were approximately 100 houses per sample; market-rate houses consisted of houses that sold during 2000 for $125,000 or less, and subsidized houses were selected from housing created by three local non-profit development agencies.

General characteristics of the two samples revealed …

A Dissertation On African American Male Youth Violence: "Trying To Kill The Part Of You That Isn’T Loved", Joy Degruy Leary

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation is based on Sociocultural Theory, Social Learning Theory and Trauma Theory, as well as a new theoretical framework (Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome) which takes into account multigenerational trauma. Five research questions involving independent variables believed to predict violent behavior in African American male youth were investigated. The first three questions addressed stressors experienced by African Americans: violence witnessing, violence victimization, and daily urban hassles. The fourth and fifth questions concerned the sociocultural characteristics of racial socialization and prosocial attitudes toward respect. Participants were 200 African American male youth residing in inner Northeast Portland, Oregon who were recruited from …

Trends In Women's Sex-Role Attitudes Concerning Work And Familial Roles, 1977-1996, Andria F. Howell

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines changes in women's sex-role attitudes concerning work and familial roles during the years of 1977 to 1996. Using a secondary data analysis of a General Social Survey data set, the attitudes of 3302 women during the years 1977, 1985 and 1996 are examined.

One area of focus of this research is the relationship between work force participation and women's sex-role attitudes. Demographic variables relating to family status and socio-economic status are also examined, as well as the effects of mother's out-of-home experiences on daughter's sex-role attitudes. Finally, this thesis identifies the rate of attitude change in the …

Metroscope Technical Documentation Manual: An Integrated Transportation And Land Use Model Developed For Forecasting And Policy Analysis In The Portland/Vancouver Metropolitan Area , Metro (Or.)

Metro Collection

No abstract provided.

Reading Techniques Employed By Mothers Vs. Fathers During Storybook Reading Events With Their Child, Kameron Brief Beaulieu

Dissertations and Theses

Research demonstrates that engaging children in storybook reading positively relates to the development of early literacy skills. Parents use a variety of techniques to facilitate interactions when reading to a child. Past research suggests that these techniques may have measurable effects on language and literacy development.

The purpose of this study was to investigate reading events shared by parents and their preschool aged children to determine if differences are present in the didactic techniques and language used by fathers and mothers. The primary research question addressed by this study was: Are there differences in reading techniques employed by mothers and …

An Antidote To The Anesthetic: A Diary Study, Carol Rasmussen Schramm

Dissertations and Theses

The teaching experiences of an American ESL teacher, recorded in a critically reflective diary, for the basis for this study. Through analysis of the diary, the culturally formed and framed attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions of the teacher are explored in an attempt to understand the dialectic relationship between the diarist's culture and the cultures of her students. The researcher believes that increases in awareness in these areas can lead to improved teaching practice. Thus, one goal of this study is the professional development of its author.

The literature in the field of TESOL does not adequately address the impact of …

Form Or Function First In Foreign Language Classrooms?, Senta Görtler

Dissertations and Theses

The study was inspired by continuous discussion in the field of second language acquisition and teaching on the role of grammar instruction in successful language learning. Traditionally foreign language and second language classrooms have been taught with a pedagogical focus on language structure. More recently there has been support for second language classrooms focusing on content, function, or communication rather than form. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare the effectiveness of an innovative function-based classroom with a traditional form-based classroom.

During a ten-week period, one class of Intermediate German was taught in a form-based classroom while another …

Las Caras En La Tierra Prometida, Carlos Blanton

Metroscape

This article offers brief descriptions of just a few organizations, institutions, and individuals who, as part of the Latino explosion in Oregon of the 1990s, are helping to make Portland a more cosmopolitan and diverse city.

The Landscape: Sauvie Island, Rick Roth

Metroscape

A brief overview of the geography, history and outlook for Sauvie Island, an area situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers that is important as a wildlife refuge, farming areas, and for recreation.

Symbols Of Statehood: Military Industrialization And Public Discourse In India, David Todd Kinsella, Jugdep S. Chima

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article examines the forces driving the pursuit of military production capacity in India, including those behind the Indian nuclear and space programmes. We are mainly interested in whether symbolic motivations regularly find expression in the public discourse. We review all articles on the subject of weapons development and production appearing in India Today from May 1977 to April 1999. There are three closely interrelated yet distinguishable concerns in the public discourse that we consider symbolic: that military industrialization is a means of asserting India's autonomy in international affairs, that it is a means of establishing India's international status and …

Periodic Atlas Of The Metroscape: Election 2000: The Geography Of Democracy, Richard A. Clucas, Peter Drakos

Metroscape

This issue of the Periodic Atlas focuses on how metroscape residents voted in the 2000 general election. We have used geographic information systems (GIS) technology to map the distribution of votes in each election precinct across the region for the presidential race and all the measures on the Oregon ballot. On the pages that follow, we present some of the more revealing results.

Exhuming Measure 7, Yvonne Buchanan

Metroscape

A review of Oregon's Measure 7 ballot initiative, its history, and future impacts. The measure, which was on the state ballot in 2000, was the most sweeping property rights measure ever seen in this country's history. Although the measure passed, it was later ruled unconstitutional, and was being reformulated for inclusion in the upcoming November election.

Doctor Is Out: Diminishing Access To Physician Care, Craig Wollner

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

Interview with Doug Walta, M.D., regarding access to physician care in Oregon.

List Of Interviewees (2), Ernest Bonner

Ernie Bonner Collection

No abstract provided.

Water Rights As Contested Terrain: The Case Of Tenmile Creek, Oregon, Marcie L. Allen

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the complex conflict over water rights at Tenmile Creek, located along the south central Oregon Coast. The research is an exploratory case study identifying the main motivations of actors, the constraints they faced, and the conditions that encouraged or dissuaded collaborative behavior.

The main objectives are (1) to refine the understanding of the relationship between societies and their physical environment in market societies that are both motivated to exploit and preserve natural resources and, (2) to explore the kinds of institutional arrangements that may be required to manage the water supply in a collaborative and sustainable manner. …

State-To-State Migration During 1975–80 And 1985–90: An Analysis By Age, Race, Sex, And Education, Joseph Augustine Smith-Buani

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation uses 1980 and 1990 United States census and administrative data to analyze interstate migration during 1975-80 and 1985-90, and to assess the effects of several determinants on state-to-state migration by age, race, sex, and education. Descriptions are presented of migration rates, migration stream volumes and efficiency ratios, indexes of differential migration, and regional fixed-effects regression models using theories, techniques, and methodologies from recent migration literature.

Regression analysis shows race, education, age, and sex having independent effects on interstate migration rates. A polytomous logistic regression model is used to investigate how selected variables affect the probability of state-to-state migration …

List Of Interviewees (1), Ernest Bonner

Ernie Bonner Collection

No abstract provided.

Photograph Correspondence, Ernest Bonner

Ernie Bonner Collection

No abstract provided.

American Consul In Jerusalem 1856-1896, Eric Vaughn Lowe

Dissertations and Theses

The Europeans were the first ones to establish Consuls at Jerusalem. They used their consular offices to establish permanence and extend their influence in the region. Under the guise of citizen and religious protection they extended their power and influence in the Ottoman territory. The United States established its consulate in Jerusalem in 1853. In comparison with the European consuls the American Service was-new, inexperienced, and lacking professionalism. This American outpost was plagued with complexities that were distinct to the office at Jerusalem. The consul reports from 1856-1896 reflect the mission and difficulties faced at this seemingly remote outpost.

Limited …

A Search For Peace, Kami Horton

Dissertations and Theses

This is a creative thesis on a personal experiences working for the European peace movement. It reflects the parallel efforts of working for personal and shared peace in order to contribute to both,

After several years as a reporter, I became disenchanted with my life choices and became an intern with the Catholic peace organization Pax Christi International in Belgium. It was a transition that proved both challenging and rewarding.

While I was discovering the physical peace work through Pax Christi I was also embarking on an inner journey to find personal peace with my decisions and myself.

This is …

The Neoglacial History Of Mt. Thielsen, Southern Oregon Cascades, Martin Dietrich Lafrenz

Dissertations and Theses

Little Ice Age (LIA) deposits are recognized on Mt. Tbielsen, southern Oregon Cascades (43° 9' N, 122° 3' W), based on particle morphology and relative position. The initial advance, Lathrop 1, created a sharp-crested moraine and a protalus rampart within 200 m of the headwall. The retreat of the glacier and recent ice movement, Lathrop 2, is recognized by the deformation of the moraine and a mantle of "protalus till" creating a polygenetic "push-deformation'' moraine. Both the moraine and the protalus rampart have sparse vegetation, no lichens, and a lightly weathered Cox/C soil. This sequence is correlative with LIA Phase …

Traditional And Non-Traditional Dispute Settlement In The Federated States Of Micronesia, Kris Tina Yurgin Cummings

Dissertations and Theses

The current U.S. mediation system is founded on a paradigm of individual focus and Western values. This model may fail to represent the various cultural components disputants from more collective cultures may bring to the mediation process. In addition, the U.S. mediation system relies on the collaboration of two or more disputants to confront the issues between them. Again, this model presupposes that confrontation is an appropriate means of conflict resolution.

The purpose of this study is to offer a different perspective of dispute settlement as practiced in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Cultural values that emphasize the social …

Ernie And The Planning Commission, Ernest Bonner

Ernie Bonner Collection

No abstract provided.

Governmental Best Practices, Annabelle Brown, Joanna Dalke, Alexa Derman, Albert Lam, Emily Muller, Luke Petersen, Jennifer Thomas

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

The purpose of this report is to provide dues paying members of the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies (IMS) with a collection of best practice solutions that addresses the critical issues presently faced by local governments in the Portland-Metropolitan Region. These issues were originally identified through a series of interviews conducted on behalf of IMS by a small group of graduate students at Portland State University (PSU) in the spring of 2001. That investigation consulted local decision makers and top administrators in the Portland-Metropolitan area in order to produce a list of twelve key areas that are of concern to …