Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Applications Of Integrated Data Viewer – Idv In An Introductory Meteorology Class For Non-Science Majors, Ricardo C. Nogueira

Masters Theses

Computer products developed to visualize and integrate meteorological products with real-time data can create a virtual reality of the atmosphere. These advanced technologies help educators to improve teaching techniques in the classroom for science and non-science majors and increase the students' interest in learning as well. One of these products, the Integrated Data Viewer (IDV), was recently developed by University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) project, Unidata, to visualize and integrate geoscience data. This study compares students' performance in the laboratory sessions using IDV-based and MANUAL-based exercises. Comparison of lab scores with exam scores of questions on the same topic …

An Assessment Of An Education Package Intervention Targeting The Appropriate Reporting Of Suspected Child Abuse, Clinton K. Wirtz

Masters Theses

The proper reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect continues to be a concern despite laws requiring professionals working with children to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect to Children's Protective Services (CPS). This study assesses the efficacy of an education intervention versus the Michigan Child Protection Law (CPL) using 29 undergraduate child psychology students. Videotaped scenarios of simulated child interviews were used in a pretest/posttest between-groups design. Child physical abuse was the focus of the study. The results of the student participants' decisions regarding the videotaped scenarios were compared to the results of 10 CPS employees having …

Aging And Family Policy: A Sociological Excursion, Jason L. Powell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The contemporary focus on family policy and old age has become increasingly important in social discourses on aging both within the discipline of Sociology and social policy practices of welfare institutions that attempt to define later life. Using the United Kingdom as a case study, sheds light on wider current trends associated with aging in United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Social welfare is a pivotal domain where social discourses on aging have become located. Narratives are 'played out' with regard to the raw material supplied by family policy for identity performance of older people. Therefore, grounding developments in 'narrativity' …

For The Children: Accounting For Careers In Child Protective Services, Joan M. Morris

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper analyzes autobiographical essays from women who work as social service workers in child-protection agencies. Working long hours in relatively low-paying jobs, these women have limited prestige and autonomy and increasingly, come under close scrutiny and public criticism. They are clearly exploited in terms of the emotional and "mothering" labor they are expected to perform and are held personally accountable for daily decisions that could have dire consequences for the children they serve to protect. This paper is an investigation of how their narratives explain and justify their willingness to continue working in these situations and how their professional …

Review Of Inequality In America: What Role For Human Capital Policies. James J. Hechman And Alan B. Krueger. Reviewed By Sondra Beverly., Sondra Beverly

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of James J. Heckman and Alan B. Krueger, Inequality in America: What Role for Human Capital Policies? Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004. $40.00 cloth.

Review Of Social Security Programs And Retirement Around The World: Micro Estimation. Jonathan Gruber And David A. Wise (Eds.). Reviewed By John B. Williamson., John B. Williamson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jonathan Gruber and David Wise (Eds.), Social Security Programs and Retirement Around the World: Micro Estimation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004, $99.00 hardcover.

A Structural Analysis Of Law Enforcement Officer Deaths; 1995-1999, Kasey A. Tucker

Dissertations

Every year several officers die while serving the general public, protecting society from chaos and disorder of crime. Much conjecture surrounds the discussionof why law enforcement officers die in the line of duty and several different studies gave been conducted looking at the different aspects of law enforcement officer death, but limited literature exists exploring law enforcement officer death from a structural perspective.

This study examines in a preliminarily nature, the structural factors that precipitate law enforcement officer deaths between the years of 1995 and 1999 in the United States. In this analysis a theoretical framework reflective of the conflict …

Successful Superfund Site Restoration: A Case Study Of Independence Grove Forest Preserve, Linnea E. Hruska

Masters Theses

The United States Superfund program has been quite controversial since it was established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act in 1980. Several people feel that the enormous amounts of time and money invested in the Superfund program are not worthwhile because so many sites remain far from being cleaned up. Nevertheless, some successful site restorations have been achieved under this program. The Petersen Sand & Gravel site is one of these success stories. This thesis examines why the Petersen Sand & Gravel site was able to experience such success under the Superfund program by taking history, economics, …

A Leadership Model For Roman Catholic Social Service Agencies, Richard A. Ketrow

Dissertations

U.S. federal and state governments involve faith-based agencies in public administration by contracting with them to implement social service programs. How can Catholic social service agencies effectively compete in procuring these social service contracts and securing the program funds? To answer this question,a leadership model applicable to Catholic social service agencies was proposed. Four strategy constructs, evolving from the literature review, comprised theleadership model. The constructs providing a framework for the study were: performing service process reviews, utilizing a commitment to religious faith, entering valuable collaborations, and adhering to a consistent mission. Data were collected using a mail survey to …

Development Of An Analogue Of A Response-Class Hierarchy, Daniel B. Shabani

Dissertations

Within the operant conditioning literature, there exists the concept of the functional response class. A functional response class is defined as a collection of responses that all produce the same outcome. If the members of a response class occur in a predictable order, a response-class hierarchy is said to exist. A hierarchy refers to a specific type of response class in which each member of the response class may be temporally determined along various dimensions (e.g., response effort, immediacy of reinforcement, magnitude of reinforcer). The response-class hierarchy has received relatively little conceptual attention over the years and, not surprisingly, there …

Taking A Juvenile Into Custody: Situational Factors That Influence Police Officers' Decisions, Terrence T. Allen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Situational factors that influence police officers decisions to take juveniles into custody were investigated. A cross-sectional self administered survey was conducted. Four-hundred and twenty-eight male and female police officers from six police districts in Cleveland Ohio completed and submitted a twenty-five item questionnaire. Using a logistic regression model the study identified: adolescents who disrespect police officers; adolescents who are out late at night; adolescent males; anyone looking suspicious; and the age of the police officer as the most significant predictors. This was an exploratory study that sought to investigate police/juvenile encounters from a street level situational perspective. The results provided …

Global Environmentalism And Local Politics: Transnational Advocacy Networks In Brazil, Ecuador, And India. Maria Guadalupe Moog Rodrigues.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Maria Guadalupe Moog Rodrigues, Global Environmentalism and Local Politics: Transnational Advocacy Networks in Brazil, Ecuador, and India. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2003. $57.50 hardcover, $18.95 papercover.

The Relationship Of Race And Ethnic Identity To Perceptions Of Multicultural Counseling Competencies, Tonita C. Baines

Dissertations

Multicultural counseling competencies refer to the awareness, knowledge, and skills that are considered important for counselors to possess when working with culturally diverse clients (Constantine, 2002; Constantine & Ladany, 2001). Relatively few studies have looked at factors that may impact a client'sperception of a counselor's multicultural competence. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between a person's race, ethnic identity, and his/her ratings of the importance of 31 multicultural counseling competencies. A total of 304 undergraduate students (152 African-American and 152 White) from a large Midwestern university were surveyed to determine if there was a relationship …

Therapist Stress, Career Sustaining Behavior, Coping And The Working Alliance, Denise Broholm Briggs

Dissertations

Psychotherapists face many challenges in their work and are prone to experiencing stress. Their ability to cope and manage their stress may have the potential to affect their work with clients. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between therapist stress, coping styles, career sustaining behaviors, and therapist perceived working alliance. A sample of 160 psychologists, social workers, therapists, and counselors primarily from the Midwest participated in this study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, which included a rating of the stress they experienced in their work as a psychotherapist, the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, …

The Effects Of Individual Monetary Incentives With Individual Feedback And Group Monetary Incentives With Group Feedback On High Performance, Kathryn M. Culig

Dissertations

The current study examined how individual monetary incentives with individual feedback and group monetary incentives with group feedback affected the performance of high performers across multiple sessions using 10-person simulated groups. The primary objectives of the study were to examine the effects of individual and group monetary incentives on the performance and satisfaction of high performers. Participants consisted of 11 keyboard proficient college students who performed a computerized data entry task modeled after the job of a bank proof operator. A within-subject ABCB reversal design was used. Each participant was exposed to the following pay and feedback conditions: hourly pay …

A Behavioral Model For The Assessment And Management Of Dehydration In Older Adults, Leilani Feliciano

Dissertations

Dehydration is a serious health concern in the elderly, constituting 1 of the 10 most common causes for hospitalization in this population (Sanservo, 1997). Previous research on dehydration has typically been conducted within nursing home settings (Chidester & Spangler, 1997; Holbren, Hassell, Williams, & Helle, 1999; Spangler, Risley, & Bilyew, 1984) without specific attention to the variables maintaining dehydration for any given individual. A functional behavioral approach to assessment and prevention or intervention for dehydration would involve identifying maintaining variables in the environment that can be altered to produce effective, non-intrusive interventions to increase healthy fluid consumption. The current project …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 32, No. 2 (June 2005)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• DISTRIBUTION OF THE FEDERAL TAX BURDEN, SHARE OF AFTER-TAX INCOME, AND AFTER-TAX INCOME BY PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION AND HOUSEHOLD TYPE, 1981-2000 - Richard K. Caputo
• FAMILY STRUCTURE EFFECTS ON PARENTING STRESS AND PRACTICES IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY - Daphne S. Cain
• THE POVERTY OF UNATTACHED SENIOR WOMEN AND THE CANADIAN RETIREMENT INCOME SYSTEM: A MATTER OF BLAME OR CONTRADICTION? - Amber Gazso
• AGING AND FAMILY POLICY: A SOCIOLOGICAL EXCURSION - Jason L. Powell
• GENDER POVERTY DISPARITY IN US CITIES: EVIDENCE EXONERATING FEMALE-HEADED FAMILIES - Sara Lichtenwalter
• THEORIES OF URBAN POVERTY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING POLICY - Alexandra …

The Poverty Of Unattached Senior Women And The Canadian Retirement Income System: A Matter Of Blame Or Contradiction?, Amber Gazso

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Structural and financial inadequacy of Canada's retirement income system, especially with respect to income support benefits (i.e. Old Age Security), are often identified as one major reason unattached senior women experience poverty. While it may be compelling to blame low benefit levels and changing eligibility requirements, particularly because 'crisis' policy discourses have influenced questionable restructuring over time (i.e. the clawback), this paper argues that this is too simplistic of an account of the relationship between these women's poverty and the retirement income system. Other broad social-structural factors are at play in women's lives that have the potential to disentitle their …

Gender Poverty Disparity In Us Cities: Evidence Exonerating Female-Headed Families, Sara Lichtenwalter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Utilizing data from the 2000 Census, this study examines the impact of family composition, education, and labor force factors on the difference between female and male poverty rates in the 70 largest U.S. cities. A stepwise regression analysis indicates that 41 % of the difference between female and male poverty rates can be explained by the percent of women in the three US Bureau of Labor Statistic's lowest wage occupations. There was no evidence of a unique impact from the percentage of female headed families in each city, or the study's other independent variables, on the gender poverty gap, with …

Theories Of Urban Poverty And Implications For Public Housing Policy, Alexandra M. Curley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Urban poverty has been the subject of sociological and political debate for more than a century. In this article I examine theories of urban poverty and their place in American housing policy. I first discuss theories that have arisen out of the sociological and policy discourse on urban poverty and the research that supports and challenges these theories. I then review current public housing initiatives and discuss the impact of these theories on current housing policy.

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 …

Review Of Kids And Media In America. Donald F. Roberts And Ulla G. Foehr. Reviewed Allan Brawley., Allan Brawley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Donald E Roberts and Ulla G. Foehr, Kids and Media in America. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. $75.00 hardcover, $25.00 papercover.

Review Of Coming Home? Refugees, Migrants And Those Who Stayed At Home. Lynellyn D. Long And Ellen Oxfeld (Eds.). Reviewed By Miriam Potocky-Tripodi., Miriam Potocky-Tripodi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Lynellyn D. Long and Ellen Oxfeld (Eds.), Coming Home? Refugees, Migrants and Those Who Stayed at Home. Philadephia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004. $42.00 hardcover, $14.00 papercover.

Review Of Developing Practice Guidelines For Social Work Intervention. Aaron Rosen And Enola K. Proctor (Eds.). Reviewed By Eric R. Hardiman., Eric R. Hardiman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Aaron Rosen and Enola K. Proctor (Eds.), Developing Practice Guidelines for Social Work Intervention. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004. $62.50 hardcover, $29.50 papercover.

Fatherhood Politics In The United States: Masculinity, Sexuality, Race And Marriage. Anna Gavanas.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Anna Gavanas, Fatherhood Politics in the United States: Masculinity, Sexuality, Race and Marriage. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2004. $32.50 hardcover.

The Mystery Of Economic Growth. Elhanan Helpman.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Elhanan Helpman, The Mystery of Economic Growth. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004. $5.95 hardcover.

The Effects Of Dextromethorphan On Response Acquisition With Delayed Reinforcement, Thomas B. Morgan

Dissertations

The current study examined in 2-h sessions the effects of intraperitoneal injections of dextromethorphan (DM) (0.0, 40.0, 60.0, and 80.0 mg/kg) on the acquisition of lever-press responding in rats that were exposed to a two-lever procedure in which responses on the reinforcement lever (RL) were reinforced with food after a 15-s resetting delay and responses on the cancellation lever cancelled a scheduled reinforcer. Response acquisition was observed at all drug doses. A decrease in RL responses, food deliveries, and the number of subjects that acquired responding was observed at the highest dose of DM. All doses of DM increased latency …

Patterns Of Cortical Growth As Indicators Of Population Health: An Exploratory Analysis Of Subadult Remains From The Tell Abraq Site, Uae, Jessica L. Rhodes

Masters Theses

The analysis of children in archaeological contexts is a relatively new field of study that emerged largely as a result of feminist and gender studies in the social sciences. Thus, methodologies that are typically employed in bioarchaeological analyses of children have yet to be refined and standardized. The commingling of subadult remains in archaeological contexts further confounds this issue by eliminating the ability of the researcher to establish reasonable age-at-death distributions.

This study seeks to explore the utility of analyzing patterns of cortical growth-for-diaphyseal length in commingled subadult remains. Specifically, commingled subadult remains excavated from the Tell Abraq site (UAE, …

Not Knowing What You're Missing: Autoethnographical Explorations And Reflections Of The Potential Effects Of Fatherlessness, Melodi A. Everett

Masters Theses

This study explored the potential effects of fatherlessness through the book, Whatever Happened to Daddy's Little Girl, by Jonetta Rose Barras (2000). While examining the text, the author used an autoethnographical method to reflect on her own experiences in relation to the text. This autoethnography examined the potential effects of fatherlessness on women to help understand why they communicate and interact interpersonally in specific ways that may help or hinder them in their adult romantic relationships. Through dialectical theory, specific dialectical tensions were identified to be experienced in father-daughter as well as adult romantic relationships. The tensions that were …

Online Contingency Management Of Writing Productivity, Matthew L. Porritt

Masters Theses

Ten participants from an online community participated in an online writing productivity management program. Social reinforcement and conditioned reinforcers were delivered by the researcher contingent upon meeting self-set writing goals on a weekly basis. Graphic feedback was delivered to participants through a web page, and social reinforcers through email contact. Writing goals increased throughout the program. In all cases, the program increased writing productivity across phases of treatment or goal increases. Results are discussed in terms of rule-governed behavior and the effects of short term goals in context of long term goals.