Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Model Job Training Program For Summer Youth: Library Interns At Grambling State University A. C. Lewis Memorial Library, Grambling, Louisiana, Sally Carroll, Sandy Stokley

E-JASL 1999-2009 (Volumes 1-10)

A six-week university library intern program sponsored by the Job Training Partnership Act investigated the impact on 12 economically disadvantaged young persons facing nationally recognized problems pertaining to inadequate reading and math skills, work ethics, job skills, and motivation to complete school. Participants, predominantly (92%) African-American high school students, worked at Grambling State University, an historically black university, under predominantly (85%) African-American supervisors. Interns received academic enrichment, work experience, and life skills, primarily through pre-testing, classroom training, orientations by departmental supervisor, "hands-on" group projects, written assignments, daily reviews, and post-testing. Statistical data verify recommendations in the literature that job training …

Educational Quality And County Government Services: Rural Nebraskans' Perceived Impacts Of Recent And Proposed Legislation, John C. Allen, R. Filkins, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Many changes have been occurring in rural Nebraska in the area of local finances. Recent school finance legislation has changed the formula that distributes state aid to schools (LB 806) and also imposed new property tax levy limits on school districts (LB 1114). Discussions have also arisen about consolidating county offices and services. Given all these changes, how do rural Nebraskans feel about these issues? How do they feel the new school finance legislation has affected the quality of education in their local school district? Do they support the consolidation of certain county government offices and services with a neighboring …

Report To Congress On Waivers Granted Under The Elementary And Secondary Education Act, Jacqueline Raphael, Kristen M. Olson, Luke Miller

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This is the third annual report to Congress on waivers granted by the U.S. Department of Education, mandated under section 14401(e)(4) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Three education laws passed in 1994 — the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, and the reauthorized ESEA — allow the Secretary of Education to grant waivers of certain requirements of federal education programs in cases where a waiver will likely contribute to improved teaching and learning. States and school districts use the waiver authorities to adapt federal programs and use federal funds in ways that address their …

Low-Income Fathers’ And Mothers’ Perceptions Of The Father Role: A Qualitative Study In Four Early Head Start Communities, Jean Ann Summers, Helen Raikes, James Butler, Paul Spicer, Barbara Pan, Sarah Shaw, Mark Langager, Carol Mcallister, Monique K. Johnson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

A qualitative inquiry in four Early Head Start Research sites explored the question of how low-income mothers and fathers view the role of fathers in their families. Role perceptions were gathered from a total of 56 parents of infants and toddlers across the four sites, using multiple data collection methods that included focus groups, open-ended interviews, and one case study. The data were analyzed to identify common themes across sites. The participants identified roles that included: providing financial support, “being there,” care giving, outings and play, teaching and discipline, providing love, and protection. Implications of these qualitative findings are discussed …

The Charm And Challenges Of Living In Nebraska’S Rural Communities, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Nebraska’s rural communities have experienced many changes in recent years. Depopulation and pressures to consolidate some of their services and government offices are only some of the challenges they are currently facing. How have these changes affected rural Nebraskans’ perceptions of their communities and the services available? Do their perceptions differ by the size of their community, the region in which they live, or by their occupation?

This report details results of 3,036 responses to the 1999 Nebraska Rural Poll, the fourth annual effort to take the pulse of rural Nebraskans. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their …

Interparental Conflict And Child And Adolescent Aggression: An Examination Of Overt And Relational Aggression, Stacey T. Mizokawa

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The relationship between interparentaI conflict and overt aggression has been a consistent finding for males, but not for females. As a result. females have been thought to be less affected by parental disputes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether parental conflict could predict aggression in males and females if aggression is operationalized to include both the overt type that is common among males and the relational type that is more common in females. Participants were 102 fifth- (37 males; 65 females). 137 eighth- (54 males; 83 females). and 110 eleventh-graders (37 males; 73 females) and their parents. …

Book Review: Towards A Chinese Conception Of Social Support: A Study On The Social Support Networks Of Chinese Working Mothers In Beijing By Angelina W. K. Yuen-Tsang, Yan Ruth Xia, Zhi Zhou

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Towards a Chinese Conception of Social Support shows a profound understanding of a relation-oriented society (Liang, 1974) and captures the nature of traditional Chinese social support systems in urban China. It conceptualizes the underlying social support available for working mothers as “Chinese communal support networks.” These networks are characterized by the pooling of network resources, holistic provision of support, rigid boundaries between insiders and outsiders, and a strong sense of reciprocity throughout life. The research method is well justified, and the credibility of the findings is enhanced by the measures and data analysis. Methods used include focus groups, participant observations, …

Rural Nebraska Tomorrow: The Gap Between The Preferred And Expected Future, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Many changes have occurred in rural Nebraska in the past twenty years. Globalization, centralization of agriculture, and an increase in telecommunication technologies have prompted many adjustments for rural Nebraskans. Given all these changes, what do they prefer to happen in the next twenty years? What do they prefer agriculture, their communities, their family structure and local government to look like? Also, are the futures they prefer similar to those they expect to see?

This report details results of 3,036 responses to the 1999 Nebraska Rural Poll, the fourth annual effort to take the pulse of rural Nebraskans. Respondents were asked …

Meaning And Measurement: Reconceptualizing Measures Of The Division Of Household Labor, Joan E. Twiggs, Julia Mcquillan, Myra Marx Feree

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This article argues that task-specific measures of the division of household labor form a gender hierarchy that reflects dimensions of meaning in the organization of household work. We contrast these measures to the commonly used time-share and Likert scale measures, which assume all tasks are interchangeable. Using Guttman scaling, we test the unidimensionality of this task hierarchy. Using odds ratios, we measure relationships between specific tasks, and using logistic regression, we see differences in correlates of husbands’ participation by task and interrelationships among tasks that persist, controlling for gender ideology and socioeconomic factors. This work should encourage development of measures …

Predicting Community Satisfaction Among Rural Residents: An Integrative Model, Rebecca Filkins, John C. Allen, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Community satisfaction has often been linked to the level of satisfaction with a community’s infrastructure, job opportunities and social support networks. Yet, most empirical analyses of community satisfaction have focused on only one aspect of the available theory to predict community satisfaction. In this paper, we integrate multiple models to analyze community satisfaction of almost 4,000 rural Nebraskans. The integrated model indicates that social ties may have a greater role in predicting community satisfaction than had been previously thought.

The Quality Of Life Of Rural Nebraskans, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Nebraska’s economy has shown growth during recent years. However, the agricultural economy has been experiencing a decline in market prices for most commodities. How have these changes affected rural Nebraskans? How do they perceive their quality of life? Do their perceptions differ by the size of their community, the region in which they live, or their occupation?

This report details results of 3,036 responses to the 1999 Nebraska Rural Poll, the fourth annual effort to take the pulse of rural Nebraskans. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their general well-being and their satisfaction with specific aspects of well-being. …

The Blood Runs Through Every One Of Us And We Are Stronger For It: The Role Of Head Start In Promoting Cultural Continuity In Tribal Communities , Linda Mayo Willis, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This multiple case study examined American Indian Program Branch Head Start directors' perceptions of the role their particular Head Start program plays preserving cultural integrity in tribal communities. Of specific research interest were the unique aspects of the tribal customs of child rearing and early childhood educational practices within each community. Another area of research focused on exploring each director's vision of how the Head Start experience contributes to the future of the children. Ten tribal Head Start directors from the Great Plains region were interviewed. The grand tour question addressed how participants described their perception of the role of …

Multiple Perspectives On Multimedia In The Large Lecture, Helen A. Moore, Timothy D. Pippert

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Students, graduate instructors and the classroom professor responded in journals, on objective tests, in focus groups and on survey questionnaires to the effects of computer media in four large lecture classes. Graduate instructors and students responded in focus groups to multimedia technology with consistent themes, including enhancement of cognitive strategies (note taking and organization of ideas) and motivation. However, students also expressed distancing from the instructor. Student achievement outcomes using pre- and post-test scores showed no differences across two experimental applications of multimedia presentations: static and dynamic. Discussion of findings emphasizes the need to balance considerations of resource scarcity and …

Bio-Bibliography: Eva J. Ross – Catholic Sociologist, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The major accomplishments of Eva Jeany Ross’ productive but largely unknown sociological career present opportunities for sociobiographers to examine several contending institutional forces on the professional lives of academic sociologists. Ross’ career unfolded at the intersection of five major institutional arenas: religion, education, the nation-state, family, and patriarchy. Each made a profound impact on the shape of Ross’ sociological work.

A Risk-Amplification Model Of Victimization And Depressive Symptoms Among Runaway And Homeless Adolescents, Les B. Whitbeck, Dan R. Hoyt, Kevin Yoder

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This report is an examination of a theoretical model of risk amplification within a sample of 255 homeless and runaway adolescents. The young people were interviewed on the streets and in shelters in urban centers of four Midwestern states. Separate models were examined for males (n = 102) and females (n = 153). Results indicated that street experiences such as affiliation with deviant peers, deviant subsistence strategies, risky sexual behaviors, and drug and/or alcohol use amplified the effects of early family abuse on victimization and depressive symptoms for young women. These street adaptations significantly increased the likelihood of serious victimization …

Continental Congress, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The convening of the First Continent

The network of committees throughout Massachusetts had become firmly established by early 1773, and dissidents in other colonies rapidly imitated the Massachusetts pattern. The committees of correspondence provided a model and a working mechanism for revolutionary agitation and organization on a national scale.

Edward Alsworth Ross, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Edward Alsworth Ross (Dec. 12, 1866 - July 22, 1951), sociologist and writer, was born in Virden, Illinois, the son of William Carpenter Ross, a farmer, and Rachel Alsworth, a school teacher. Orphaned by his mother’s and father’s deaths (1874 and 1876, respectively), Ross was sheltered in turn by three Iowa farm families. Of the latter, Ross regarded Mary Beach as his foster mother. Alexander Campbell, Ross’ lawyer guardian, shepherded his inheritance, thereby providing ample funds for his schooling.

Archival Orientation Interviews As Social Interactions, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

For social scientists, every orientation interview is inherently an opportunity for systematic observation, analysis, and critique. Consider, by way of contrast, a hypothetical committee of mathematicians who visit archival repositories searching for documentary materials to display during the upcoming centennial celebration of the Mathematics Department at their home university. As mathematicians, orientation interviews are simply means to their pragmatic ends. For social scientists, however, especially for qualitative sociologists such as myself (Hill 1993), the situation is more complex. For some of us, every social interaction is potentially a source of sociological insight (Deegan and Hill 1987). Thus, every orientation interview …

Le Play, Warner, And The Sociology Of Fieldwork, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Several American sociologists have earlier noted, albeit briefly, Frédéric Le Play’s contributions to sociology, for example: Amos Warner (1886), George E. Howard (1904, III: 378), Elsie Clews Parsons (1906: 305, 337), Robert Park and Ernest Burgess (1921: 215), Emory S. Bogardus (1928: 615-16), Charles H. Cooley (Cooley, Angell and Carr 1933: 479), Floyd House (1936), and Lewis Mumford (1948: 678, 683). To this list, Luigi Tomasi (below) adds the names of Merle Frampton, Walter Goldfrank, Robert Nisbet, Catherine Silver, Albion Small, Pitirim Sorokin, and Carle Zimmerman. E.R.A. Seligman and Alvin Johnson included a short biography of Le Play in their …

Love And Terror At The Virginia Beach Hotel, Mary Jo Deegan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The Virginia Beach Hotel was a Victorian summer resort: Its white clapboard big house and herd of little cottages clustered at the end of a bay in Little Paw Paw Lake. It looked like hundreds of other such hotels built to serve tourists escaping the heat of summer in the city; in this case, Chicago. My great grandmother, Ida Cora Hughes, owned the Virginia Beach Hotel; and my mother, Ida May Deegan, spent her childhood and teen years there for many, many summers beginning in 1923 and ending in 1935. To my mother, this spot was a dream, a bubble …

Despite Increases, Women And Minorities Still Underrepresented In Undergraduate And Graduate S&E Education, Kristen M. Olson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Participation of women and minorities1 in science and engineering (S&E) higher education continues to rise, but this involvement is not yet equivalent to their representation in the U.S. population of 18- to 30-year-olds. In 1995, women were 50 percent of U.S. residents between the ages of 18 and 30; blacks were 14 percent; Hispanics, 13 percent; and American Indians, 0.8 percent. 2 However, in the same year, 46 percent of S&E bachelor’s degrees were earned by women, 7 percent by blacks, 6 percent by Hispanics, and 0.6 percent to American Indians. The proportions of S&E doctorates earned by these groups …