Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Hermeneutics Study: The Spirituality Of Adults With A Terminal Illness In A Hospice Program, Ginny K. Backman

Theses and Graduate Projects

Despite the increasing literature on the significance of spirituality to individuals with a terminal illness, specific research focused on the spirituality of individuals in hospice is limited to several quantitative studies, only one with a qualitative component. This qualitative study expands understanding or experience through hermeneutic analysis of in-depth interviews with three individuals with a terminal illness. The individual's narratives revealed "believing" as the way they found meaning in the present moment. "Always believing" and "adamantly believing" in a Supreme Being gave their daily lives meaning and direction. They were steadfast in leaving all to God for this life and …

A Pilot Study On The Comprehensiveness Of The Minnesota Family Investment Program, Tracy L. Norstad

Theses and Graduate Projects

The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFRP) is Minnesota's version of the welfare reform mandated hy the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act of 1996. This exploratory qualitative study looked at the comprehensiveness of MFIP by interviewing parents who were using a local Crisis Nursery drop-in center and were receiving MFIP. This study explored whether the parents perceived that being on MFIP influenced their need for crisis nursery services or the decision to use the crisis nursery drop-in service. The interview focused on MFIP resources, the parents' need to be on MFIP, and their need to use the Crisis …

A Content Analysis Of The Leadership Themes Portrayed In The Dilbert Comic Strip, Stephanie L. Mccollum

Theses and Graduate Projects

Comic strips provide a graphic glimpse into the collective consciousness of a culture and its time in history. Scott Adams' popular Dilbert comic strip provides not only humor to its large audience but a social commentary on today's corporate work culture. Through the imaginative world of Dilbert, Scott Adams exposes the contradictory underlying values, attitudes and feelings of today's corporate work culture and its leadership. This paper compares the leadership themes portrayed in the Dilbert comic strip to the Augsburg Leadership Development model. One hundred Dilbert comic strips were analyzed, categorized and compared to the key leadership attributes and …

Adult Children With Developmental Disabilities: The Impact On The Mothers, Tracy J. E Mitchell

Theses and Graduate Projects

This qualitative study discussed and evaluated the affect adult children with developmental disabilities have upon their mothers. Extensive research has been done on children with disabilities and the impact upon their mothers, but little has been done regarding the adult children. Interviews were conducted with 5 mothers of adult children with developmental disabilities through the use of a snowball sample. The results indicated the mothers had mostly positive feelings towards their adult child. However, the study also found many of the mothers had unresolved grief issues regarding the raising of their adult child. The findings give implications to the social …

The Attitudes Of Business Owners And Employees Towards Adults With Developmental Disabilities As Customers: An Exploratory Study, Rachel K. Olson

Theses and Graduate Projects

The future of community placement and involvement for adults with developmental disabilities has lacked empirical data. Few studies have examined the views of businesses towards customers with developmental disabilities. For this thesis, the concept of survey research was used to analyze the responses of one manager or employee from 9 community businesses to a survey based on a 2000 Business Attitudes Towards People With Intellectual Disabilities Questionnaire developed by the author of the thesis. Forced-choice and open-ended questions were compared to analyze common themes and attitudes. Overall, businesses were accepting of persons with developmental disabilities, and had few concerns about …

A Case Study Of Attachment Behaviors In A Therapeutic Milieu, Dana Elizabeth Niklaus

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this case study is to examine the effectiveness of a therapeutic preschool program for a child at developmental risk due to insecure attachment. There is a critical void in the literature regarding effective clinical interventions for such children. During regularly scheduled home visits, the Attachment Behavior Q-Set is administered to substantiate the subject's attachment insecurity. The subject is then observed in a therapeutic preschool for three months to track progress in three developmental areas: use of aggression, language competence, and social competence. This writer demonstrates positive outcomes in these areas, thus establishing the effectiveness of such a …

A Summative Evaluation Of Hennepin County's Parent Support Project's Healthy Relationship's Parent Education Class, Tina Sorenson-Ford

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to investigate what the participant has gained by attending Hennepin County's Healthy Relationship's class. The study is a summative evaluation of a Hennepin County's Parent Support Project's Healthy Relationships class.

The class was designed to provide educational and therapeutic services to mother with cognitive limitations. The class was developed to increase the mothers awareness of reciprocal relationships in her own life and to model positive relationships with others to her children. The design of the study included review of course materials. Additionally, the researcher conducted one hour in-depth interviews with four clients from the …

The Refugee Experiences Of Somali Women: A Qualitative Study, Lisa Valiquet

Theses and Graduate Projects

Research on the refugee experiences of Somali women is limited. This qualitative study contributes to the existing research on refugee issues by focusing on the experiences and meaning for Somali women who have survived war, fled from their homeland, and were resettled into a new country. An interview guide was used to conduct in-depth interviews with three Somali women about their meaning to their experiences of being a refugee and resettlement into a new country. Content analysis was used to find common themes about the Somali women's refugee experiences. Results of the study concluded that the refugee experience of leaving …

The Impact Of Deinstitutionalization On Individuals Who Receive Services From Guild Incorporated, Meredith K. Foster

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain a deeper understanding of the impact that deinstitutionalization has had on individuals who receive case management services from Guild Incorporated. Participants will be gathered for the qualitative portion using a non-probability sample, and identified by a professional within the agency. Research for this portion was conducted through an in-depth interview where participants were asked to describe the impact that deinstitutionalization has had in their lives. Results for this study show that individuals who moved out of Guild Hall initially felt fear and helplessness, loss of support, and financial burden after moving …

A Hermeneutic Study: Adult Survivors' Lived Experiences Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Traci Weise

Theses and Graduate Projects

Sexual violations perpetrated upon children disrupt the normative development of interpersonal relationships throughout adulthood. This hermeneutic, qualitative study analyzed three adult women survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Survivors of past sexual abuse experience posttraumatic effects, emotional scars, and unstable relationships built on minimal trust, leaving adults with thoughts of inadequacy in interpersonal relationships. Implications for Social Work practice and policy are to recognize and validate the protective coping mechanisms used by adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, influence change in their therapy, and provide new skills to maintain healthy relationships.

This study attempts to discover, discuss, and interpret the effects …

A Qualitative Study Of The Relationship Between Personal Resources And Nursing Home Admissions, Vickie Stohr

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of personal resources, primarily financial for the elderly and chronically ill populations in nursing home admissions. There is extensive research done on nursing homes and the elderly but little is known about the factors that contribute to nursing home admissions. This study uses qualitative data to gather themes from the three elderly and chronically ill individuals over and under the age of 65. To simplify the study all ages under the age of 65 is a group and all ages over the age of 65 was considered another group. It …

Factors In Childhood That Contribute To The Development Of Resiliency: An Exploratory Study Of Adult, Female Somalian Refugees, Joyce L. Arends

Theses and Graduate Projects

The rural area of Minnesota has an increasing population due to the arrival of Somalian refugees. The Somali families have relocated to Minnesota as a result of a civil war in their country. This exploratory study examined what factors in childhood contributed to the development of resiliency in adult, female, Somalian refugees. Somali people are now focusing on resettlement and survival in the United States. The tasks they face are finding adequate, affordable housing, overcoming loss and isolation, coping with cultural adjustment and learning English. There were 5 participants in the study, ranging in age from the low-20's to the …

An Exploratory Study Of Independent Living Skills Of Emancipated Treatment Foster Care, Christine Marie Beseman Durocher

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory qualitative study examines the independent living skills that are possessed upon emancipation from foster care and identifies those areas that need further development, which may arise in successful transition into adulthood. This study also attempts to identify if the independent livings skills possessed were learned through foster parents modeling appropriate behavior. The study sample includes 10 former foster children who are now adults and living independently, who were interviewed face to face. The guide consisted of open and closed questions, which allow for optimal feedback from the respondents. The results suggest that those individuals who age out of …

Sense Of Humor, Stress, And Burnout In Medical Social Workers, Kerby Plante

Theses and Graduate Projects

This quantitative study used survey research methodology to explore the relationship befween sense of humor, stress, and burnout in medical social workers. The hypothesis of this study is that a sense of humor will decrease stress, which in turn will descrease burnout for social workers. This study surveyed 75 medical social workers in the State of Minnesota on their use of humor and their current stress and burnout level. The study used the Sense of Humor Rating Scale, the Job Stress Survey, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory as the measures to quantify the variables. The study found that stress is …

Stride And Mfip: Outcome Differences, Melissa A. Bate

Theses and Graduate Projects

Changing societal attitudes about responsibility for the poor have led to the creation of a succession of different welfare programs. This study compared two Minnesota welfare programs, STRIDE and MFIP, with regard to outcome data including wage at termination, education level at termination, and total time the individual spent on welfare. This was a quantitative study of data from archived files of 50 STRIDE and 50 MFIP participants (n = 100). The data were analyzed to determine statistically significant differences in outcomes between the two programs. The difference on the emphasis on education and work between the two programs and …

Services Provided For Sexually Abused Children In Staffed Emergency Children's Shelters In The Metro Area, Kylie L. Davis

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research work investigates what types of services are being provided to address the needs of sexually abused children in emergency shelters located in the metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The study was done in order to determine if the children's shelters are serving the needs of sexually abused children who are removed from their homes. This study surveyed directors of children's emergency shelters in the metropolitan area on what services are provided by their shelter to this population of children. The results of the survey showed that the services provided for this specific population of children are …

Spirituality And Disability : What Are The Dynamics And Significance Of Spirituality In The Lives Of People With Physical Disabilities, Michele Berndt

Theses and Graduate Projects

This qualitative study attempted to explore the significance and dynamics of spirituality in the lives of people with physical disabilities in coping with barriers that are placed on them by society. The goal of this study was to demonstrate the importance of the spiritual dimension in constructing disability. This study was based on a pure qualitative strategy. Data that reveal the participants' experiential point of view have been evaluated and analyzed using elements of Hermaneutics. The data was obtained by conducting in-depth interviews with four physically disabled individuals. The interview questions focused on the psycho-social-spiritual perspectives of disability. The participants …

Public Schools And Islam: Accommodating The Needs Of Muslim Students In The Public Schools, Ethan Bleifuss

Theses and Graduate Projects

This project provides an overview of Islam in America, in particular the issues confronting educators in public schools with Muslim students. The primary emphasis is an examination of issues faced by Muslim and non-Muslim students and staff in the public schools. Examples of successful methods of addressing these issues are provided. Organizations, speakers, and publications that can help educators are also described. Additional background information is provided on the following topics: basic tenets of Islam, the current situation concerning Islam in the United States, problems faced by Muslims in American society at large, issues in the workplace, and examples of …

Leadership: Understanding And Adapting To Generational Differences And Core Work Values, Denise Gordon

Theses and Graduate Projects

Today's workforce is generationally diverse. It is comprised of 21% Mature Workers, 52% Baby Boomers, 26% Generation X and 1% Generation Y (Farren, Maurer, 1999). This diversity challenges traditional leadership assumptions and strategies.

This paper explores the core work values among the generations and how leaders can adapt to their diverse needs. It examines the workplace needs and expectations of people specifically within the Boomer and 13th generations. It will answer the following question:

• How do generations differ in regards to their core work values?

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the values within each of the …

An Exploratory Internet Study Of Perceptions Of Academic Accommodations Among Post-Secondary Students With Disabilities, Lance Hotchkiss

Theses and Graduate Projects

This is an exploratory internet study of post-secondary students with disabilities regarding their academic accommodations. Review of the literature on academic accommodations shows that a decade after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) there is still room for improvement. Previous studies found that social work schools and programs were not following their own code of ethics in the education of social work students with disabilities. Implications for social work include: working with students with disabilities as part of an active team, firm policies on campuses about accommodations, ways of accessing a respondent base for further studies, institutional …

A Hermeneutic Study: The Impacts Of The Harm Reduction Approach On Women Living In Abusive Relationships, Darla Segelstrom

Theses and Graduate Projects

Despite the number of services available to battered women, few focus on working with those who remain in the abusive relationships. The Harm Reduction approach is one geared towards working with women who have not yet made the decision to leave their abusive partner. This hermeneutic, interpretive study of women's narratives revealed that the harm reduction approach provided non-judgmental support, which was conducive to increasing women's overall awareness of themselves, their situation, and their options. It is recommended that social workers and other human service agencies recognize the complexity, individuality and strength in each battered woman they encounter, facilitate a …

Program Evaluation Of Integrated Community Services, Julie R. Humbert

Theses and Graduate Projects

This is a quantitative study of the program Integrated Community Services for adults with severe and persistent mental illness. This program evaluation compares a random sample of quality of life surveys of adults (N=14) who have been involved in the assertive community treatment program. The survey results include vocational, housing, financial, and mental health needs of adults with severe and persistent mental illness. A case management staff survey (N=5) reports on perceptions of the quality of life of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness and how the Integrated Community Service team works together. This study is important because it …

A Case Study Of Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton's Leadership, Jim L. Kline

Theses and Graduate Projects

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was an Antarctica explorer who was not a well known person in the United States until the past two or three years. The reason for his recent rise back into prominence is because of the leadership example he displayed while leading the famous Endurance expedition from 1914 to 1916. The expedition did not achieve its objective of being the first to walk across Antarctica. The interest in Shackleton by students of management and leadership is because he rescued and led this expedition for almost two years, while they lived on the ice and a small island, …

The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction And Attrition In Youth Care Workers, Cole Trimble

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory quantitative study was conducted to determine the relationship between job satisfaction and attrition among current and former youth care workers in a group home setting. Participants (N = 35) included 14 current employees and 21 former employees from the Sheriffs Youth Programs of Minnesota Agency that completed a job satisfaction survey. The survey results show a significant correlation among current and former youth care worker's perceptions in relation to job satisfaction. Specifically, the current and former youth care workers both identified training as the most important characteristic to their job satisfaction. Additionally, former employees identified supervision issues as …

Reweaving The Web Of Life: A Case Study Of A Feminist Leader In A Feminist Organization, Kathryn Ringham

Theses and Graduate Projects

The cultural context of the late twentieth century has given voice to new ways of thinking, knowing, being. Emerging out of the history and traditions of feminism is a style that is on the cutting edge in leadership studies. With emphasis on connection, humanity, interdependence, caring and empowerment of people, feminist leadership also echoes chaos theory. The reinvention of nature has allowed space within science for feminist values in the public realm. The mutual reinforcement of these two leadership theories has led to a simpler way to organize human endeavors.

This paper is based on feminist and chaos theories of …

Blinded By Vision, Craig A. Dowd

Theses and Graduate Projects

Conventional wisdom states vision is a requirement of husiness leadership, but the husiness community suffers from confusion and inconsistent application of the concept. A critical analysis of the concept reveals its popularity is based on rhetoric rather than a clear conceptualization of the term. (The term's literal meaning is the "experience of seeing God".) Without an academically useful definition, "vision" collapses under the weight of disparate and conflicting ideas. This thesis proposes that the problems with "vision" may be resolved by discarding the term completely and then separating the structure and function of leadership from the behavior of leaders and …

Florence Nightingale As Servant-Leader, Theresa Duffy

Theses and Graduate Projects

Florence Nightingale directed her adult life to serving God as a nurse, teacher and author. Through her creation of a school for nursing and her writings, Nightingale set the path for developing standard practices for nursing care along with founding the evolution of nursing as a professional career for women. As a leader Nightingale demonstrated courage in her ability to take great risks in order to create change, wisdom in her ability to communicate needed reforms, and her dedication to the ethical treatment of women and children by way of providing improved healthcare and education. This case study will examine …

Heroic Leadership: A Native American Legend, Sitting Bull 1831 - 1890, Charley Price

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research paper reviews and assesses the heroic leadership of the legendary Native America Sitting Bull. A significant leader of the Oceti Sakowin Nation, or commonly referred to as the Sioux Nation Sitting Bull demonstrates great charisma and courage in his efforts to save and maintain his people's traditional way of life. The Sioux way of life was gradually affected by the westward advancement of settlers and disrupted by the U.S. government's use of military force, in its quest to control Native American lands and expand the United States. Sitting Bull emerged as a heroic leader by gaining the support …

An African-Centered Model For The Group Treatment Of Domestic Violence, Robert John Wehling

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a group treatment program for social workers to help them work effectively with African-American men who have committed domestic violence. The program model uses an African-Centered perspective, incorporating differentiation therapy and an ecological, systems perspective. A twelve-week group treatment program is developed to help men understand and take responsibility for their abusive behavior. It empowers men by helping them take control of their lives, to improve their self-definition, regulate their emotional state, and deepen their understanding of their rich cultural heritage.

An Exploratory Study Of Patient Satisfaction And Servant Leadership, Carol L. Watson Saunders

Theses and Graduate Projects

Servant Leadership is a theory of leadership in which the Servant Leader is motivated primarily by an intuitive desire to serve his/her followers. The leadership aspect is secondary. In this study, the concept of Servant Leadership was applied to the physician-patient relationship in a healthcare setting. The purpose of the research was to determine the satisfaction level of patients with their physicians. Questionnaires were mailed to one hundred randomly selected patients at a large mid-western outpatient clinic. Following are several of the questions included in the questionnaire. On the average, how long do you have to wait to see your …