Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Drug Use Among Female High School Senior Students In Michigan: An Application Of Social Bond Theory, Halime Unal

Masters Theses

Drug use is a serious problem affecting the American adolescents today. The focus of this study was the relationship between the elements of social bond and drug use among female high school senior students. The elements of social bond were peer pressure, commitment to school, and the importance of religious belief. Drugs investigated in this study were cigarette, alcohol and marijuana. This study included the total population of female senior students during the 1994-95 academic year in Michigan who participated in the Michigan Alcohol and'Other Drugs School Survey (MAOD).

In order to test the relationship between the elements of social …

Latvians In Southwest Michigan: A Transnational Perspective, Andrew K. Dove

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was to look at the Latvian population in Southwest Michigan utilizing the transnational theoretical framework. Transnationalism examines the three-way relationship between the migrant, home community (Latvia), and host community (United States). First and second generation Latvian-Americans were interviewed to assess the nature of their transnational activities with regard to economics, politics, family ties, communication, and organizational membership.

The data were collected through the use of in-depth interviewing. Both an interview protocol and demographic survey were utilized. A total of 16 adult Latvian-Americans (N = 16) were interviewed. Eight were first generation Latvian-Americans (N = 8), …

Civil Society In Palestine: A Palestine Profile, Shadia Kanaan

Masters Theses

One definition of civil society dominated all theoretical and historical perspectives when it comes to the special case of civil society in Palestine. "Civil society is concerned with a society's total self re-producing ability through its inner strength in a manner that is distinct from the state" (Bishara 1995, 143). The hypothesis of this work is that civil society in Palestine existed and flourished in spite the absence of a national state and had played a fundamental role in the social and economic development of Palestinian society throughout its history. Civil society in Palestine poses an exception to the theory …

A Study Of Ideological Change In Reggae Music From 1971 To 1993, William H. Stanley

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to see if the reggae music that became popular in the United States was ideologically different from the reggae that originated in Jamaica. The hypothesized change was derived from a model developed by Humphrey Regis (1994, 1988) labeled “cultural domination by re-exportation”. It was determined that early reggae music and the Rastafarian religion had very similar ideologies. The change within reggae music was measured against the Rastafarian belief system.

A content analysis of twenty-five songs was undertaken. The method of doing ideological analysis of the reggae lyrics was derived from Cormack (1992). The sample …

Defining American Dreams: An Ideological Analysis Of The Michigan Militia, Pamela Labelle

Masters Theses

The primary goal of this thesis is to explicate the system of beliefs underlying the militia movement in order to better understand how their particular ideology helps them make sense of the complexities and contradictions in the world in which we live. By delineating and analyzing their ideology, I demonstrate how it is rooted in the Constitution and the Bible, as well as how that rootedness can alternately support and work against their system of beliefs. I then examine the ideology of the mainstream American Dream to understand how militia ideology works in tandem with some of the principal tenets …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Harm That Russian And Chinese Organized Crime Groups Can Inflict On American Society, Bryce L. Hoekenga

Masters Theses

Determining which of the two main ethnic organized crime groups emerging in America poses a greater threat to society was the focus of this study. One group is from or is closely linked to Russia and the other group is from or is closely linked to China.

The aspects of each group that were discussed include their origins, their spread to America, how they structured, their membership sizes, the types of crimes they commit, and how law enforcement has responded to each group. The aspects that were compared between the two groups include their levels of sophistication, the seriousness and …

Analysis Of The Skeletal Remains From The Knobloch Site, 20ae633, Allegan County, Michigan, Alexandra D. Bybee

Masters Theses

The skeletal remains of at least thirty individuals were recovered from the Knobloch site, 20AE633, Allegan County, Michigan. The site is from the Late Woodland period, a time which saw a variety of strategies for food procurement, including hunting, gathering, fishing, and agriculture. It is not known to what extent these strategies were practiced. The results of trace element analysis of skeletal samples from the Knobloch site assemblage indicate a diet reliant on hunting and gathering.

Cultural Patterning In The Use Of Herbal Medicines (Jamu) And Health Seeking Behavior In A Javanese City, Brook Williams Weisman-Ross

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the social patterning in the use of traditional Javanese plant medicines, collectively called jamu, within the primarily ethnic Javanese city of Yogyakarta, in central Java, Indonesia. Using both qualitative and quantitative ethnographic research methods, forty-eight common and uncommon types of jamu are discussed, and five predictions are evaluated: 1. Jamu sold daily by door to door vendors (jamu gendong) will most often be preventatives, rather than curatives; 2. Jamu sold by sedentary vendors will more often be used for specific illnesses (curatives) than those sold by door to door vendors (jamu gendong); …

Professional Football Players Attitudes Toward Women And Violence, Shannon Marie O'Toole

Masters Theses

This study examined whether or not professional football players, because of the violence and aggression associated with their sport, tended to have attitudes that condoned or were conducive to violence against women. The forty-six subjects in this study were active members on teams in the National Football League and/or the National Football League sponsored World League. Information was gathered through the sue of self-reporting, non-random, questionnaires and interviews.

The study also explored the dynamics of domestic violence, the linking of aggression with professional sports and the characteristics of sport in United States society, especially as it relates to masculinity and …

Community In Liberal Thought, Richard C. Brill

Masters Theses

The aim of this thesis is to research the role of community in liberal thought. The problem that has initiated this research is the erosion of traditional communal bonds in contemporary liberal society. This problem has been the focus of the debate between communitarians and liberals for the past two decades. The research problem will be to discover workable definitions of community and liberalism which have been plagued with multiple interpretations throughout the debate.

The method of this thesis will be to first frame in the environment of the original problem. The second chapter will address the precedents set by …

Aspects Of Ecology And Adaptation With An Emphasis On Hominoid Evolution, Clare Katharine Stott

Masters Theses

This thesis will explore hominoid evolution from the joint perspectives of ecology and palaeoanthropology. Unique to this study is the idea of Ecosystematics. While ecologists tend to focus their attentions on the immediate context of organismal existence and survival (i.e., the ecosystem), palaeoanthropologists more often focus on the long term, evolutionary trends of organismal adaptation, with usually much less attention given to the context of such adaptations. The Ecosystematic cycle bridges together these ideas of proximate (immediate context) and ultimate (long term) adaptation towards the end of better understanding of evolutionary patterns and processes inherent to hominid development. In this …

The Development And Validation Of A Multicomponent Scale Measuring Aids Phobia, Jessica Purtan Harrell

Masters Theses

The development, reliability, and validity of a new instrument, the Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale (MAPS), is described. The results indicate that the MAPS has strong internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliability. In addition, an assessment of concurrent and discriminant validity indicates statistically significant correlations with other self-report measures of anxiety, hypochondriasis, obsessive compulsive disorder, and fear of AIDS. The results of a factor analysis indicate that the scale consists of 2 factors: fear of infection and fear of others/avoidance. The instrument appears to be a reliable and valid measure of AIDS Phobia and may prove useful for improving clinical assessment …

Interpreting Diet By Age, Status, And Gender And Establishing Weaning Patterns Using Trace Element Analysis On Human Remains From Umm El-Jimal, Jordan, Monica Shah

Masters Theses

The intent of this study is to learn about the dietary patterns of early fourth century occupants of a Late Antique site in northern Jordan. Bone samples of 107 individuals from two distinct cemetery· types, assumed to be status differentiated, were chemically examined for their trace element composition. Trace element analysis can potentially investigate groups of individuals to attempt to determine if gender, age, or status influenced access to food resources.

Statistical tests found that significant differences of trace element concentrations were evident in an inter-burial area study for all adults and subadults, and when examining intra-burial area males and …

Geographic Information Systems In High School Geography Education: A Feasibility Study, C. Sonia Wardley

Masters Theses

This research focused on three aspects of the integration of GIS into the high school curriculum. Firstly, the investigation strove to demonstrate how GIS could enrich the high school geography curriculum in Michigan. Secondly, GIS software programs were evaluated for suitability using three techniques, and thirdly, the study area high schools were assessed for their technological capabilities relative to GIS.

The pedagogical and cognitive benefits of using GIS as a tool were established _ from the pertinent literature and the feasibility of incorporating GIS into the curriculum was examined with the reference to the Michigan geography content standards and benchmarks. …

Flying Universities: Educational Movements In Poland 1882-1905 And 1977-1981, A Socio-Historical Analysis, Gregory A. Lukasik

Masters Theses

In Poland in 1977, a group of intellectuals formed an independent educational enterprise under the name "Flying University." Interestingly, the original "Flying University" was organized by a group of radical professors nearly a century earlier, at a time when the Polish state disappeared from the political map of Europe. I was interested in seeing whether the two were the same, as their common name would suggest, or if they differed in any respect. I attempted to answer this question by focusing on the so-called universities' memberships, ideologies, and objectives.

I have followed the method of interpretive historical sociology (Skocpol, 1979) …

Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing (Emdr) In The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Dismantling The Cognitive Component, Karen Cusack

Masters Theses

Twenty-three individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for post traumatic stress disorder were randomly assigned to either a standard EMDR treatment group or a modified treatment group that omitted the cognitive reprocessing component of EMDR. All subjects were assessed on a variety of pretest posttest measures including the SCL-90- R, the Impact of Events, the Structured Interview for PTSD, SUDS, and Validity of Cognitions (VoC). Results of repeated measures ANOVAs indicate a significant decrease across all pre to post measures, with these results being maintained at a 1 month followup. With the exception of SUDs and SCL-90-R anxiety scores, there were no …

Diversity And Spatial Structure Of Revitalization In The Vine Neighborhood In Kalamazoo, Michigan: 1980-1990, Lotta M. Jarnefelt-Burns

Masters Theses

Neighborhood revitalization, a process of turning an old, often run-down urban neighborhood into a fashionable and attractive place to live, has been studied in major cities in Europe, Australia and the United States. This process is a controversial combination of various social and economic changes since the late 1960s, and its magnitude and parameters have been disputed. This thesis zeroes in on one neighborhood that appears to be revitalizing, the Vine neighborhood in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The census data from 1980 and 1990 generally conflict with the revitalizing image of the area. In order to address this conflict, this research analyses …

Definition And Evaluation Of The Mississippian Lithic Assemblage From The Wymer-West Knoll (20 Be 132), Berrien County, Michigan, Sean R. Brown

Masters Theses

Analysis of the lithic assemblage from the Wymer-West knoll site was undertaken with the following objectives: (1) to define the lithic technology of the Mississippian occupational component of the site, (2) to compare length, width and width/length ratios of triangular projectile points from the Wymer-West knoll with other Mississippian sites to clarify the cultural affiliation of the Wymer-West knoll, and (3) to use site function, from the perspective of the overall Wymer-West knoll material culture in general and the Mississippian lithic technology in particular, as a framework to better understand the Wymer-West knoll's place in the regional culture history.

A …

Analysis Of The Motor Fitness And Strength Of The 1992 Through 1995 Western Michigan University Football Teams, Erick W. Schork

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the motor fitness and strength characteristics of the 1992 through 1995 Western Michigan University football teams. Specifically, performance of the class of 1995 and various playing positions were compared to the performance of the entire team over a 4-year period. Approximately 100 members of the 1992 through 1995 Western Michigan University football teams were measured on tests that determined physical strength and motor fitness ability. These tests included the bench press, squat, hang clean, 20-yard shuttle run, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and 300-yard shuttle run. ANOVAs or chi-square tests were calculated to …

The Education And Cultural Adaptation: Experiences Of Japanese Children In Foreign Cultures, Akiko Namiki

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the experiences of Japanese children and adolescents who reside in the United States as a consequence of their parents' jobs and examines how they adapted to a local society and how their cultural identities were affected by living in the United States before establishing stable identities. This study was completed by relating existing literature to interviews with a sample of Japanese children and adolescents, their mothers, and their teachers who reside in a Midwestern urban areas.

Experiences of the Japanese children and adolescents were examined in terms of their English language skills, Japanese language skills, family lives, …

A Statistical Analysis Of The Ceramics From The Dieffenderfer Site (20sj179), St. Joseph County, Michigan, Mark A. Steeby

Masters Theses

The Dieffenderfer site, located in Constantine Township, St. Joseph County, Michigan, is a multi-component site situated in the middle St. Joseph River valley. Calibrated radiocarbon dates from several features at the site suggest multiple re-use during the Late Woodland period from A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1400, with the most intensive occupations occurring during the 12th through 14th centuries. These dates are supported by a large Late Woodland ceramic assemblage in association with three spatially discrete activity areas; two of these activity loci are represented by housefloors, suggesting a degree of permanence by the residents.

A cluster analysis performed on the …

The Impact Of Political Instability On Economic Growth: Evidence From Developing Countries, Uisoon Kwon

Masters Theses

This thesis examined the impact of political instability on economic growth. This thesis included forty three developing countries and employed multiple regression analysis. Three hypotheses were tested. First, cross-nationally, political instability may serve to decrease the availability of factors of production. Second, cross-nationally, political instability will decrease the quantity of labor. Third, cross-nationally, political instability may negatively influence the timing and organization of the production process.

The statistical results of multiple regression were not significant at .05 level using t-test. Therefore the null hypotheses were not rejected. Based on statistical results, possible reasons for the statistical insignificance were considered in …

Little Golden Bookstm: An Analysis Of Every Child’S Literature, Sandra Ballman-Burke

Masters Theses

Modeling theory proposes that consequences received by the model are considered critical in determining whether or not modeled behaviors will be imitated (Bandura, Ross & Ross, 1961).

Despite the apparent significance of consequences, analyses of children's literature have failed to explore this link. Utilizing feminist research perspectives, I sought to examine variables explored in previous analyses of picture books, with emphasis on consequences received by models. I was interested in (a) consequences received by female and male characters when engaged in instrumental/independent activities (Kortenhaus & Demarest, 1993); (b) the ways in which female and male characters are stereotyped; and (c) …

The Implications Of Deweyan Pragmatism For Liberal Democracies, Robert B. Fenneuff

Masters Theses

My research explores John Dewey's political theory in order to determine what practical and theoretical significance it has for liberal democratic nation-states that face significant problems in a number of areas. The problems Dewey's political theory is most concerned with stem from the impact of highly complex modern technology upon the ability of a democratic society to strive closer towards its ideals of freedom , equality, and community. My research shows that Dewey's theory calls for an experimental re-creation of social and political institutions with the purpose of creating an effective means by which society can organize the complex technology …

"They Taught Us Jesus Christ And Captain Cook And Everything": Exploring Koori Identity At La Perouse, Amanda Katherine Lambert

Masters Theses

Identity politics, the social construction of identity, is a phenomenon which affects many people worldwide. Indigenous Australians, however, are unique because of their indigenous, racial, and ethnic status. The construction of Koori identity, then, has its roots in a colonial and post-colonial history of cultural and racial devastation and discrimination. At this historical moment, Koori people are voicing and identifying themselves, consequently, contesting the externally imposed dominant paradigms of their identity. This text is a study of the construction of self-construction of Koori identity at La Perouse. The overall purpose of this thesis is to explore the day-to-day meaning of …

Debris Slide Susceptibility Analysis In The Mount Leconte-Newfound Gap Area Of The Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee And North Carolina, Joseph P. Henderson

Masters Theses

In this study, Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques are combined with statistical analyses to create two debris slide susceptibility maps of the Mount Leconte-Newfound Gap area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSMNP). This area has experienced numerous debris slide events in the past half century. Although the area has been the subject of several mass movement studies, this is the first known application of debris slide susceptibility mapping in the GRSMNP.

The factors that influence the potential for slope failure are extremely variable, and the interrelationships between these factors are complex. Six topographic variables (slope angle, slope aspect, …

A Test Of The Accuracy Of Facial Tissue Thickness Measurements Taken From Computed Tomography, Amy L. Schilling

Masters Theses

Computed Tomography (CT) as a source from which to gather measurements of facial tissue depth is investigated. Measurements made from the surface of the bone to the outer skin surface were taken at the landmarks used by Rhine and Campbell (1980). These distances were measured on the axial slices of the Visible Human Male anatomical data and compared to measurements taken at the same landmarks on the Visible Human Male CT taken on the frozen specimen.

While two of the measurements varied by several millimeters, no statistically significant differences were found. Locating the correct landmark on an axial image …

Constraints To "Gay Lifestyle": Functioning Within The Social Environment, Valerie A. Paget

Masters Theses

“Gay lifestyle" is a phrase which carries with it many limitations and negative perceptions. In this paper, Adlerian psychology is used to facilitate a more broad understanding of lesbian, gay and bisexual lifestyles. To accomplish this, individual functioning is examined within the context of the social environment. Review of the literature examines the areas of cultural values; moral thought; theories on the etiology of homosexuality; attitudes as cognitive, affective, and behavioral reactions; development of gay and lesbian subcultures; and actual lifestyle functioning of gay, lesbian and bisexual persons. Sociological theories of feminism, constructionism, essentialism. and interactionism are all used to …

Remote Sensing Of Freshwater Coastal Wetland Changes In Tuscola County, Michigan: An Evaluation Of Noaa’S C-Cap Program, Theodore S. Krumbach

Masters Theses

Coastal wetland protection and monitoring in the United States is becoming an increasingly important issue. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) has been developed to provide a protocol for satellite monitoring of the coastal regions of the United States. This research evaluated the effectiveness of the C-CAP program when being applied to a freshwater Great Lakes ecosystem in the Saginaw Bay region by investigating four components of the protocol: (1) suitable classification methodology, (2) suitable change detection logic, (3) accuracy assessment, and (4) source of digital data. Using two dates of satellite imagery, it was …

Assessment Of The Discriminative Properties Of A Selective D3 Antagonist, Mary-Jo E. Miller

Masters Theses

Two groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats (n= 16) were used in a drug discrimination assay to assess the stimulus properties of PNU-99194A, currently the most selective D₃ dopamine antagonist. Eight rats were trained to discriminate cocaine-HCL (10 mg/kg) from saline and remaining eight rats were trained to discriminate PNU-99194A-HCL (10 mg/kg) from saline. PNU-99194A was tested for substitution (0-40 mg/kg, i.p and s.c.),. antagonism (5-20 mg/kg), and potentiation (5-20 mg/kg) in the animals trained with cocaine. PNU-99194A did not substitute for cocaine at any dose tested. PNU-99194A did not alter cocaine discrimination when administered in combination with the training …