Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Marxian And The Weberian Theories Of Bureaucracy: Contradictions And Approximations, Khai Leong Ho

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to analyse (1) the basic elements in Marx's and Weber's theories of bureaucracy, and (2) the contradictions and approximations that appear in both the Marxian and the Weberian paradigms. An attempt is made to examine the dysfunctional aspects of bureaucracy in relation to the Weberian model, and the bureaucratization of socialism which is the unanticipated consequence of the Marxian model. The conclusion of this study indicates that the two seemingly opposite approaches, after all, have certain similarities in their theoretical framework and in their practical dilemma.

Improving Customer Service Using A Self-Recording Checklist, Donald Troy

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate a method for improving customer service of three parttime salespeople. A job aid which consisted of a checklist was used to increase the frequency of eight target behaviors. The target behaviors consisted of: appropriately approaching and greeting the customer, being courteous and helpful, appropriately ringing up the sale and closing, having a neat appearance and wearing an identification badge. After training, the salespeople were taught to self-record their customer service behavior. Training increased the subjects' performance, but only had a short term effect. Customer service behaviors increased after implementing the checklists …

Community Development In Northeast Thailand A Case Study Of Don-Lum-Kom Village, Peerapat Booncharoen

Masters Theses

This is the study of community development problems confronting a rural village (Don-Lum-Kom) in Northeast Thailand. The study is based on field research and examines five major topics. First, a history of community development in Thailand is provided; second, an overview of Don-Lum-Kom village is given; third, agricultural changes are described and evaluated; fourth, educational changes are described and evaluated; and fifth, the conflict between bureaucracy and culture is examined.

The Use Of Punishment In Industry, Promise Sibonisiwe Zungu

Masters Theses

This study was aimed at finding out if apparent inadequate use of punishment in industry is a problem of lack of knowledge of appropriate punishment procedures on the part of punishment agents (supervisors/managers) or a problem of execution. Variables that affect the effectiveness of punishment were identified by means of a literature search, as timing, intensity , consistency, appropriateness, providing a ration ale and punishment schedules.

Test items were constructed and administered to two groups to find out if there was any consistency between participants ' recommendations about disciplinary procedures and punishment principles. Results showed that the majority of participants …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Denominational Affiliation And Religious Orientation And Death Perspectives Of The Clergy, Donald Philip Gillespie

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of religious belief and religious orientation to death perspectives. The population was the clergy of three denominations: Conservative Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Southern Baptist. Virtually no research has been completed which explores these issues among this occupational group.

Research on religious orientation and death perspectives has been fraught with methodological difficulties. The major problem has been the unidimensional conceptualization of the variables. Multidimensional scales were used in this study to avoid that problem. These scales (refined by Spilka) were subjected to factor analyses which resulted in the formulation of new …

Complex Behavior: A Systematic Reformulation Of Radical Behavioral Analyses, Linda J. Parrott

Dissertations

Mentalistic psychology thrives in the absence of a satisfactory, naturalistic account of complex human behavior. Inadequacies in the radical behavioral position with respect to complex events are of two sorts. First, the complexity of such events is undermined, either by reducing the latter; or, by providing only a very superficial treatment of events at their own level of complexity. The former procedure applies to Skinner's treatment of verbal behavior; the latter to his distinction between rule governed and contingency shaped behavior. Second, the analyses made of some classes of complex phenomena indicate a commerce with metaphysical philosophy, and they thereby …

Adult Foster Care: Its Tenuous Position On The Care Continuum, Ruth E. Dunkle

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Frequently any move away from independent living for an elderly person is viewed as a downhill road to the nursing home and ultimate death. Adult foster care has been viewed as one such step closer to institutionalization. Service provision to the elderly needs to be viewed on a continuum where the elderly are seen as being capable of moving in and out of supportive living arrangements when the need arises. Barriers to providing this care are identified with future needs highlighted.

A Comparison Of Social Service Workers' And The Public's Views Of Nursing Home Characteristics, Lucinda Lee Roff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Using the determinant attribute model, this study examined and compared the criteria which 277 social service workers and 842 members of a general population would employ in selecting a nursing home. The results suggested substantial differences between the two groups in selection criteria. Implications of these results and of the use of the determinant attribute model as an aid to practice are discussed.

Going Among Them: The Evolution Of The Home Visit, Terry Holbrook

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The methods, motives and objectives of home visiting have been ignored by most social work historians, while the profession of social work has become almost universally associated with this practice by the public. This paper examines the historical, social, and political implications of home visiting from the founders of the profession to the present day, suggesting a revitalization of this taken for granted practice for the purpose of collecting "social evidence" to be used for social reform.

Qualitative Methodology, Hypothesis Testing And The Needs Assessment, John W. Murphy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The qualitative methodologist argues that data have meaning only when they are verified experientially. In order for this type of verification to take place, program evaluators must utilize a "responsible" methodology when conducting research. In this paper a definition of responsible methodology is advanced, while the proper operationalization of this type of methodology is illustrated. In particular, it is shown how key needs assessment strategies can be used in a responsible manner, so as to capture the experiential significance of data.

Will A Private War On Poverty Succeed? The Case Of The St. Louis Provident Association, Robert H. Lauer, Jeanette C. Lauer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In view of the current emphasis on private approaches to social problem resolution, it is instructive to look at private efforts of the past. The St. Louis Provident Association was a private effort to deal with poverty. It was organized in 1860 to provide relief for the "needy and distressed." Data on the volunteer leaders of the association and on the people who were actually helped show a number of things about the 19th-century effort to deal with poverty. First, the volunteers were upwardly- mobile business and professional men who were concerned about the stability of their society. Second, the …

Social Workers Who Left The Profession: An Exploratory Study, James Herrick, Calvin Y. Takagi, Robert Coleman, Linda Jewell Morgan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Why professional social workers leave the field of social work for other types of employment has implications for social work practice and education. The study suggests that economic advantage is but one of the factors involved in choosing other employment.

Reaganism And The Poor Family: Life On Afdc After The Budget Cuts, Norman L. Wyers, Robert C. Holloway

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Recent changes in federal and state welfare policies have had negative consequences for public welfare recipients. This paper summarizes a study which focused on the impact of these policy changes on the AFDC population in the most populous region of Oregon. Of particular importance are the changes in income levels, employment, and social service utilization of recipients. Personal reactions of recipients are also reviewed, as are expectations for the future. The differential economic impact of the policy changes on various categories of recipients is stressed.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 10, No. 1 (March 1983)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Reaganism and the Poor Family: Life on AFDC After the Budget Cuts - NORMAN L. WYERS, ROBERT C. HOLLOWAY
• Will A Private War on Poverty Succeed? The Case of the St. Louis Provident Association - ROBERT H. LAUER, JEANETTE C. LAUER
• Racial Change or Racial Stabilization: Policy and Process at A Neighborhood Level - JOHN D. MORRISON
• The Service Orientations of Social Service Administrators: Towards a Normative Model - WALTER LAMENDOLA, PATRICIA YANCEY MARTIN
• Adult Foster Care: Its Tenuous Position on The Care Continuum - RUTH E. DUNKLE
• Social Workers Who Left the Profession: An Exploratory Study …

Racial Change Or Racial Stabilization: Policy And Process At A Neighborhood Level, John D. Morrison

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Housing segregation and integration are areas of great concern to all citizens. Public policy in the past favored segregation, and while formal policy now favors integration, relatively little is done to implement this policy.

Social science data in the area of residential integration have often been used to foster the status quo by misinterpretation or selective use. This paper reviews some of these data and suggests some principles for practitioners who wish to enhance the potential for integration.

A comprehensive view of a neighborhood should be taken rather than examining only racial factors. Families choose to enter or leave a …

The Service Orientations Of Social Service Administrators: Towards A Normative Model, Walter Lamendola, Patricia Yancey Martin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The service orientations of 28 administrators of social service agencies are examined as part of a normative model of service delivery. Six service issues are identified, and their interrelationship is described and examined. The service orientation issues include: effectiveness, efficiency, responsiveness to constituency interests, agency autonomy, community involvement, and services integration. In part, the results show that, as a group, the executives rank effectiveness (or the setting and achievement of programmatic goals) as of greatest concern. Community involvement and responsiveness follow in importance. Efficiency ranks fourth and autonomy, fifth. Services integration is of least concern. Service orientation is examined in …

Variables Influencing Publication In The Field Of Social Work, John S. Wodarski, Michael Brenner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The manuscript presents a descriptive summary of variables influencing professional publication in four major journals: Social Work, Social Service Review, Social Casework and Clinical Social Work Journal. Data were drawn from a random sampling of the years 1960 to 1976. The following descriptive variables were analyzed: degree, sex, occupation, organizational affiliation, and geographic location of author; topic of article; and single VS multiple authorship. Implications the data have for the production of knowledge in social work and future research questions are briefly educidated.

Book Reviews, Samuel R. Friedman, Gary P. Freeman, Susan Meyers Chandler

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

• The New Class War: Reagan's Attack On The Welfare State and Its Consequences by Francis Fox Piven and Richard A. Cloward. Reviewed by SAMUEL R. FRIEDMAN
• Social Service Politics In the United States and Britain by Willard C. Richan. Reviewed by GARY P. FREEMAN
• Mothers At Work: Public Policies In the United States. Sweden and China by Carolyn Teich Adams and Kathryn Teich Winston. Reviewed by SUSAN MEYERS CHANDLER

11-Archaeological Test Excavations At The Galesburg Rest Area, Comstock Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, William M. Cremin

Archaeological Technical Reports

During late October 1982, a team of archaeologists from Western Michigan University conducted Phase II test excavations at three prehistoric sites located in the Galesburg Rest Area project along westbound I-94 in Comstock Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Assessment in each case was achieved by means of a one percent random sample of the estimated site area. A mix of 1 X 1 m and 2 X 2m test squares was utilized, with the soil from each being processed through 6 mm mesh screen to facilitate the recovery of cultural material. Standard methods of recording the data were employed.

Although each …

12-Phase I Archeological Survey Of The Proposed Fishing Access Site At Calkins Bridge Dam, Allegan County, Michigan, Elizabeth B. Garland

Archaeological Technical Reports

Initiation of Project

In February of 1983 I was contacted by the State Archaeologist, Dr. John Halsey, regarding plans by the Department of Natural Resources 1 to develop a fishing access site at the Calkins Bridge Dam on the Kalamazoo River in Sec. 15 of Valley Township, Allegan County. Specifically, Dr. Halsey enquired whether this project would adversely affect the Elam Site (20AE195) an important prehistoric site situated near this locality (Figure 1). I info:nmed Dr. Halsey that the Elam Site would not be directly affected, but that the area for the proposed parking lot south of Allegan Dam Road …

62-Archaeobotanical Remains From Eight Sites In The Northfield, Burning Star Mine # 4, Perry County, Illinois, William M. Cremin

Reports of Investigations

The Northfield research area of Consolidation Coal Company's Burning Star Mine # 4 flanks Upper Galum Creek, a tributary of the Big Muddy River in Perry County, Illinois. It is situated within the Southern Till Plains Division (Mt. Vernon Hill Country), an area.of mature topography evidencing low relief, gently rolling hills, and broad alluvial valleys. Although, floristically speakin~, the Galum Creek drainage is included within the Oak-Hickory Forest Region of the Western Mesophytic Forest (Braun.l950), the local vegetative pattern is best described as prairie-forest ecotone.

13- An Archaeological Evaluation Of The M-43/M-89 Intersection North Of The Village Of Richland, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, William M. Cremin, Caven P. Clark

Archaeological Technical Reports

On 1 Jun 83, the authors conducted a Phase I site location survey of 1.5 ha of land adjacent to the M-43/M-89 intersection one mile north of the Village of Richland, Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Systematic and intensive evaluation of the project area was accomplished by means of a combination of surface reconnaissance and shovel testing procedures.

Our fieldwork resulted in quick confirmation of the historic Andrew Jackson site (20KZ112) in the NW quadrant of the intersection (SE corner of Section 10), and we also recorded a· second site, the Curtis Farmstead (20KZ189), in the SW quadrant (NE corner of Section …

14-Archaeological Site Location Survey Of M-44 (East Belt Line), I-96 To 7 Mile Road, Kent County, Michigan, William M. Cremin

Archaeological Technical Reports

Between 21-23 Jun 1983, a team of archaeologists from the Department of Anthropology, W~stern Michigan University conducted a Phase I site_ location survey along M-44 (East Belt Line) from 7 Mile Road in Plainfield Township to I-96 in Grand Rapids Township, Kent County, Michigan. Systematic and intensive on-site evaluation of the project area was accomplished by means of a combination of surface reconnaissance and shovel testing procedures.

The data available to the team prior to the initiation of fieldwork indicated that six archaeological sites occurred in the general area of the project, with perhaps three of these sites lying, at …

16-Archaeological Test Excavations At The Yacht Harbor Site (20va57), City Of South Haven, Michigan, William M. Cremin

Archaeological Technical Reports

With the execution of a contract (dated 29 Oct 84) between the Yacht Harbor Development Company and Western Michigan University, authorizing Phase II archaeological assessment of the Yacht Harbor site (20VA57) in the City of South Haven, Michigan, the project Principal Investigator, Dr. William M. Cremin, undertook to design a data recovery strategy, hire the research team, and procure the equipment and supplies necessary to conduct test excavations at this site. The research team then moved to the site, where the Phase II investigation was accomplished on 3-4 Nov 84. There follows a report of the program of research undertaken …

Quality Control: A Behavioral Perspective, Cathy L. Thorne

Masters Theses

Because of the high costs of quality, many disciplines have developed techniques to assist in its control. This paper examines quality control from a behavioral perspective by analyzing how behaviors affecting may be acquired and maintained and examining some common quality interventions. It is concluded that the application of the principles of behavior analysis can assist in providing an effective quality control technology which can benefit individual employees and the organization as a whole.

The Differential Effects Of Three Job-Related Manipulations On The Task Performance Of Movie Theatre Employees, Raymond Douglas Bennett

Masters Theses

This study examined task checklist use (self-recording with accuracy monitoring and performance standards with performance monitoring) in a program designed to increase task performance of movie theatre employees. A multiple baseline design across tasks was employed. Accuracy of self-recording averaged 68% when the checklists were first introduced alone and increased to an average of 93% when feedback for task performance and recording accuracy was implemented. Employee task performance averaged 48% for Baseline and 92% for the final condition. The introduction of task checklists alone was followed by a mean performance increase of 18%. The introduction of self-recording and supervisory comments …

Social Action Organization Participation And Personal Change In The Poor: Part I, Robert D. Herman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Evidence bearing on the hypothesis that participation by the poor in social action organizations results in personal change is inconsistent and open to diverse interpretations. This paper first reviews that evidence and then takes the first step toward a substantive reconciliation of the apparently inconsistent evidence - the development of a typology of social action organization forms. The typology, which is derived from the literature on poverty and organizational analysis, incorporates the elements of (1) inclusion of the poor, (2) resource base of organizational sponsors, and (3) output goal orientation. The typology will be used in Part I I to …

The Use Of A Job Model With Self-Recording And Performance Information As An Alternative To On-Site Supervision, Mark Kevin Forbes

Masters Theses

The action goal of the study was to reduce performance deficits of relief employees who operated a Group Home, though use of a Job Model, self-recording, and performance information. The research goal was to ascertain if generalization occurred from performance accomplishments targeted by the intervention to accomplishments not targeted. Overall performance means increased over 34 percentage points for subjects following the Job model intervention and rose further after self-recording and feedback were introduced. The use of a partial Job Model resulted in performance improving or maintaining in five of six nontargeted accomplishments. When Subject A received the Job Model, self-recording, …

The Perceived Effectiveness Of The Borgess Human Assistance Program As Measured By A Checklist Of Key Components, Kevin G. Clark

Masters Theses

This study investigated the success and perceived effectiveness of an employee assistance program. Phase I consisted of interviewing representatives of the ten companies that were the most frequent users of the program. Phase II examined the program's annual report. The results were tabulated and compared to a checklist of key components which gauge the effectiveness of a successful employee assistance program (Egdahl and Walsh, 1980). The evidence indicated that the program operates in accord with Egdahl and Walsh's checklist.

Analysis Of The Prehistoric Settlement Pattern Survey Project In The Lower Kalamazoo River Valley: The 1978 And 1979 Field Seasons, Deborah K. Rhead

Masters Theses

Western Michigan University's Settlement Pattern Survey, Implemented in the Spring of 1978 under the direction of Or. Elizabeth Garland, is an intensive problem-oriented survey aimed at discerning patterns of prehistoric settlement in Allegan County, Michigan. This thesis is based on the analysis of the Settlement Pattern Survey data for the 1978 and 1979 seasons. The use of sampling strategies in archaeology and corresponding problems with analytical statistics is examined with particular reference to the Settlement Pattern Survey Project. The application of cluster analysis to the Settlement Pattern Survey project 1s also discussed. As a result of this analysis, distinct patterns …