Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Of Another World: The Jehovah's Witnesses, William Wesley Zellner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of Another World is an account of how the Jehovah's Witnesses recruit new members and retain these converts in the face of a skeptical world. The study also attempts to advance a theoretical model toward a generic and generalized account for conversion to a group with a devalued religious perspective. The model, developed by John Lofland in his study of the members of the Unification Church, appears with some modification, to be generalizable to the Jehovah's Witnesses. After modification, the model is still applicable to members of the Unification Church. It is argued that the social characteristics of a group …

Alienation Of Rural Youth In South Dakota, Mohammad S. Zakikhani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are two purposes of this research. The first purpose is to assess the presence of alienation in a sample of rural youth. The second purpose is to assess the relationship between the occurrence of alienation among rural youth and their plans for out- migration. The problem of concern in this project is addressed in terms of three questions. First, are rural youth alienated? Second, if alienation exists among rural youth, who is alienated? Third, if alienation exists among rural youth, does this experience relate to migration plans? Seeman's conceptualization of alienation as powerlessness, normlessness and isolation is applied in …

H. L. Loucks And The Dakota Ruralist: Voices Of Reform, Thom Guarnieri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From Ch. 1:
It is the purpose of this paper, then, to study the impact that H. L. Loucks may have had on three major issues of South Dakota populism already stated: the populist position in the state, the formation of a third party and fusion with the Democrats. Neither major state historian of the period--George Kingsbury nor Doane Robinson--has been kind in his assessment of Loucks and the state's populists. Kingsbury, according to Yale historian Howard R. Lamar, hinted they were "a combination of cranks and demagogues." Robinson has even admitted insinuating that Loucks was a crook--a mistake he …

A Study Of The Elderly's Anticipated Participation In Educational Activities, Roger Reed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the extent to which persons who are fifty through sixty- nine years of age anticipate participating in educational activities; (2) to determine how the conditions under which educational activities are offered would effect [sic] the anticipated participation of the elderly, and (3) to ascertain what factors explain anticipated participation in educational activities of the elderly. The units of analysis were individuals who were at least fifty years of age but no more than seventy years of age on t heir last birthday and who had permanent residence within thirty-five miles …

A Comparative Perspective On The Status Attainment Process Of White And Native American Youth, Leonard R. Decker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Status attainment, as commonly indicated by levels of educational and occupational achievement, is a complicated process. A variety of variables have been found to be quite influential in the determination of one's eventual position in the social hierarchy of American society. Research done jointly by William H. Sewell and Robert M. Hauser (1972, 1975) regarding the status attainment process has resulted in a Wisconsin model of Adolescent Achievement in which the authors have identified a number of experiences that have significant import for young people's post-high school educational and occupational attainments. The Sewell and Hauser model links socioeconomic origins and …

A Computerized Planning Model For Small Farms In Southeastern South Dakota, Rodney Gene De Smet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Structural changes in agriculture resulting in fewer and larger farms carries strong implications for smaller farms. Included in the small farm group are small, low-resource, and part-time farmers, some of which are unable to generate an adequate income due to limited resources. This research study has developed a managerial tool for assisting low-resource farmers in developing optimal farm plans. The planning model is an interaction of familiar components (budgets) with a complex mathematical model (linear progra111T1ing) to provide an efficient analytical tool for use by farmers to aid in their managerial process. This study has placed emphasis upon the development …

Factors Influencing Manufacturing Development In South Dakota, Wayne R. Goeken

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The general objectives of this study are two-fold: (1) To explore how the extent and type of rural industrialization being experienced in South · Dakota differs among types of communities and local labor sheds. (2) To draw policy and planning conclusions that can be used. by rural industrial development entities at the community, district, and state levels in South Dakota. To achieve these two general objectives, the following specific study objectives will be pursued: (1) To determine relationships between the magnitude of manufacturing employment growth and various community and 'local labor shed characteristics. (2) To determine relationships between the type …

The Effect Of Source-Message-Variants On Racial Attitude Change Among College Freshmen, Winfrey M. Ruffin, Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine how the racial attitudes of freshman students were reinforced or altered by variant stereotypic messages received from differing classroom instructors. A theoretical model and an associated set of propositions and hypotheses were formulated based on symbolic interactionism, consistency and dissonance theory, and information relating processes. The following research hypothesis was generated: Groups receiving variant messages, both as to source and content, will differ in the extent of change in the attitudes of their members toward persons of the opposite race. Twenty-six null hypotheses were formulated, covering different sourse [sic]-message variation as applied …

The Coteau Des Prairies: An Area Study, Orville E. Gab

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a systematic geographical analysis of the Coteau des Prairies of eastern South Dakota. The Coteau is a flatironed-shaped plateau about 200 miles in length pointing in a northerly direction (Fig.1). The northern tip of the flatiron-shaped Coteau ends at Sargents Point, North Dakota, about 15 miles north of Marshall County, South Dakota. The heel of the flatiron or the southern edge of the Coteau des Prairies would just about follow the border between Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties of South Dakota. The eastern edge of the Coteau's extent in South Dakota parallels the Minnesota border. In Deuel County, …

A Trade Area Study Of Kadoka, South Dakota, Loren G. Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The picturesque beauty of a small Midwestern town sitting amid the farmlands or ranchlands is a common image conjured up by many Americans thinking about life in rural

America. It inspires a familiar scene. A grain elevator usually breaks the skyline and is situated on the ever present railroad line. A water tower stands against the blue sky. One particular street, usually named Main, is lined on both sides with businesses and shops. This is the heart of a small town, surrounded by a body of homes, churches, a school, and a gas station or two. From the hinterland around …

An Econometric Analysis Of The Cash Receipts From Crops In South Dakota, Dennis James Senger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is the intent of this research effort to fill a void left in the previous research efforts. This study will not be concerned with how farmers adjust production in response to price or government policies. The attempt will be made to adept single equation regression models to the examination of how the level of prices and supplies affect a major portion of the income farming sector receives, specifically the cash crop receipts. The specific objectives of this study are as follows: 1. To construct an economet5ric model of South Dakota crop receipts. 2. To demonstrate the model’s use as …

A Profile Of Women In Broadcasting In South Dakota, Kathy Mitchell Austad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a profile of South Dakota's typical women broadcasters. The profile will report how long they have worked in broadcasting, what their age was when they started in the industry, how many stations they have worked for, if their previous job was in broadcasting, if they were living in the present town before they took their current job, how they first heard about the opening for their position, and why they entered the broadcasting profession. The study is also an attempt to find out the attitudes of women in broadcasting toward job performance, …

The Profitability Of Alternative Marketing Strategies, Freddie Joe Baatz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The general objective of this study is to evaluate alternative marketing strategies to determine the net return of each under varying conditions. Specific objectives were: 1. Identify marketing strategies which might be used by South Dakota corn and soybean growers to cope with changing market conditions.

2. Determine marketing strategies which maximized net return for corn and soybean growers’ for the crop years from 1972 through 1977.

3. Analyze the use of basis as a marketing strategy.

4. Estimate the cost of new on-farm storage facilities.

Aubrey Sherwood Of The De Smet News, Dale Blegen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The author has selected two major contributions by Sherwood for the focus of this paper--Sherwood 's roles in developing the Dunn interests and the Wilder interests. In order to put those efforts into perspective, the author will review the history of The News and provide a brief biography of Aubrey Sherwood, emphasizing the kind of editor and businessman he was. This will set the stage for the exploring of the relationship between Sherwood and Harvey Dunn and the years Sherwood spent promoting the works of Dunn. The paper also will record the manner in which Sherwood used The News to …

The Magnitude And Timing Of Rail Abandonment Impacts On Selected Economic Variables For Rural South Dakota Communities, J. Michael Alley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the economic impacts of past branchline abandonments on rural South Dakota communities. In this chapter the factors and conditions leading to the abandonment of the branchlines are examined first. Then a section discussing the perspectives of the people and entities involved in the abandonment is presented. This is followed by the reasons for undertaking the study and the study objectives. Finally an overview of the remaining chapters is presented.

Factors Affecting Oat Yields In East-Central South Dakota, Thomas M. Brandner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The social and economic importance of accurate crop-climate forecasting and agricultural data acquisition has been noted. The advances in methodology to analyze the relationship, has also been touched upon. The particular problem considered in this paper is to determine what factors play a significant role in the output, of oat yields. The yields will be correlated with monthly precipitation and temperature figures and a yearly fertilizer application variable. If some of these variables are found to be significant-they can be used in an equation to help predict oat yields. It is hoped that this study will add to the knowledge …

The Rhetorical Practices Of The Honorable Sigurd Anderson, Paul H. Rohde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the rhetorical practices of the honorable Sigurd Anderson in his public addresses from 1951 to 1978 and the relationship between his rhetorical training and his rhetorical practices. More specifically, answers to the following questions have been sought: 1) What was Anderson's rhetorical training and preparation? 2) What rhetorical tenets were advocated in Anderson's training? 3) What inventional procedures did Anderson follow in preparing his addresses? 4) What practices did Anderson follow regarding arrangement in his public addresses? 5) What stylistic practices did Anderson follow in his public addresses? 6) How did Anderson …

Communication Between U.S. Army Senior And Junior Officers As A Factor In Separation, Jeffrey H. Wetjen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the communication relationship between U.S. Army Senior Officers and those Junior Officers who separated from the service voluntarily from 1966 through 1970, as revealed in selected U.S. Army studies.

The Lake Dakota Plain: An Area Study, Anselem H. Rumpca

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a systematic-area geographical study of an ancient glacial lake bed [sic] called the Lake Dakota Plain. Most of the Lake Dakota Plain is located in the northeastern part of South Dakota with a small area in adjacent North Dakota. The present study will be limited to that portion which lies in South Dakota. This area study is not limited to one criterion such as location, climate, or human occupance [sic]. Rather, it incorporates the sum total of all the criteria included in a systematic-regional study.

A Study Of Female Participation In The Labor Force In South Dakota From 1950-1970, Mary K. Wagner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A study of women's labor force participation in South Dakota from 1950 to 1970 was conducted to determine: (1) the changes that occurred in labor force participation by women in South Dakota fror.1 1950 to 1970; (2) the extent to which variations in demographic, socioeconomic and structural variables helped explain observed variations in labor force participation by women; and (3) the extent to which Transition Theory was applicable in explaining changes in labor force participation among women in South Dakota. The county was designated the unit of analysis, and selected demographic, socioeconomic and structural data from the United States Bureau …

A Study Of The Attitudes Of University Faculty Academic Advisers Toward The Reserve Officers Training Corps On The Campus Of South Dakota State University, Terry Michael Monrad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose of this study is to determine the attitudes of university faculty academic advisers at South Dakota State University toward the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).

A Study Of Residential Water Demand In And Around The Big Sioux River Basin, Jeffrey Platek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to: (1) derive a demand function for residential water use for spring and summer quarters which would be representative of the average household within the Big Sioux River Basin and adjacent areas. The function was based on variables for price, number of persons per household, average annual income per capita, and average monthly rainfall; (2) determine significant variables which affect residential water consumption; and (3) derive price and income elasticities which will show the response in water consumption to changes in the price of water and per capita income.

An Examination Of High School Photography Classes Offered As Part Of The Regular Curriculum In Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, And Wyoming, Jeff Stingley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine schools within a five-state area that offer photography courses as part of the regular curriculum. Specific areas investigated were photography courses offered, length of classes, number of classroom sessions, name and author of textbooks, class sizes, hours of darkroom use, student laboratory fees, film processing procedures, types of school-owned cameras, photography budgets, teacher qualifications, photography contests, success of programs, equipment and cost to initiate a basic course, use of second -hand equipment, years courses were offered, classroom instruction materials , and class outlines. A two-page questionnaire was mailed to 60 high school …

News Photography By North Plains Daily Newspapers: A Study Of Editors' Attitudes And Management Practices, Thomas Edward Hodges, Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes and management practices of daily newspaper editors in North and South Dakota toward news photography with the hope of identifying a relationship between those attitudes and practices and the manner in which those newspapers use news photographs.

A Polyperiod Analysis Of Profit Maximizing Strategies With Beef Cow Herds Under Variable Weather Conditions In North Central South Dakota, David H. Jibben

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used three polyperiod linear programming models to analyze the effects of several management strategies on the organization of a hypothetical 2,560 acre ranch in North Central South Dakota. Two models including three-year drought periods and one model with no drought were constructed. In building the two drought models, several assumptions concerning drought assistance to cattle producers were made and incorporated into the models. The major findings of the study were as follows: 1. A land use program using 620 acres of cropland and 1,800 acres of pasture land resulted in greater total profit than a land use program …

Midwestern Mosaic: A Study Of The Homogeneity Of Ethnic Populations In Omaha, Nebraska, 1880, Kathleen Louise Fimple

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to delimit neighborhoods in an urban setting using the ethnic homogeneity of the population as the major criteria. The study will seek to compile data at a very large scale--i.e., city blocks or streets--and present cartographically an accurate delimitation of community and neighborhood. In addition, some analysis of the ethnic homogeneity of such areas will be carried out in order to assess the selective inclination of certain national groups to concentrate spatially. The specific study area is Omaha, Nebraska, in the year, 1880.

Factors Affecting South Dakota Guidance Counselors' Perceptions Of The Career Opportunities Of Native American Students, Janet A. Gullickson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study are as follows: 1. The identification of guidance counselors' perceptions of occupational opportunities existent for their Native American clients. 2. The determination of the extent to which the factors of race, sex and school location are associated with guidance counselors' perceptions of Native American students' occupational opportunities. 3. The development of a model to describe and predict differences in guidance counselors' perceptions of Native American students’ occupational opportunities. The objectives of this study coincide in part with the objectives of a larger research project ongoing in the Rural Sociology Department at South Dakota State University. …

The Cost Of Transporting Grain By Truck In South Dakota With Special Reference To Proposed Rail Line Abandonment, Kenneth W. Keehn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this thesis are: 1. Estimate the cost equations of transporting grain by farm truck and semi-trailer truck in South Dakota, 2. Estimate the cost of transporting grain by farm truck in the Watertown to Doland and Watertown to Stratford branch line market areas, and 3. Use the results of objectives 1 and 2 to evaluate various alternatives if branch line abandonment occurs in the above market areas. The alternatives to be studied are: a. Trucking grain to the nearest elevator without rail service and receiving less for grain, b. Trucking grain to the nearest elevator with rail …

A Comparison Of Attitudes Toward Community Colleges With Attitudes Toward Four-Year Colleges, Robert L. Gillespie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this research was to determine if the attitudes of high school seniors toward community colleges and four-year colleges were significantly different according to socio-economic measures, and to see how they compared with their teachers'attitudes. (Abstract shortened.)

Why Blacks In The New Orleans Area Are Not Buying The Amc Pacer, Marketing Research Class Of 1977

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This report, prepared by the Marketing Research Class of Xavier University of Louisiana under the instruction of Louis C. Mancuso, Ph.D., in Spring 1977, investigates why Black consumers in the New Orleans metropolitan area were not purchasing the American Motors Corporation (AMC) Pacer. Commissioned by Stephens AMC Jeep, Inc., the study was undertaken after a local dealership reported low sales volume of the Pacer among Black buyers, prompting an examination of consumer attitudes toward the vehicle's styling, price, and other features.

The class developed three survey instruments, a door-to-door questionnaire, a telephone questionnaire, and an observation study, to test sixteen …