Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Loss And Persistence Of Black-Owned Farms And Farmland: A Review Of The Research Literature And Its Implications, Jess Gilbert, Gwen Sharp, M. Sindy Felin

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper reviews 115 articles and books published since 1971 that comprise almost all of the scholarly research on black farmers and land loss. It provides a general overview as well as discussion of the benefits of landownership for the black community. Several causes of black land and farm loss are reviewed: forced sales due to "heir property," lack of access to government programs, and continuing racial discrimination by lenders and government agencies. A number of the works cited provide possible ways to slow the loss of black-owned land, including strategies to increase the profitability of individual farms and increased …

The Martin County Project: A Student, Faculty, And Citizen Effort At Researching The Effects Of A Technological Disaster, Stephanie Mcspirit, Sharon Hardesty, Robert Welch

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This research note describes two simultaneous events: the Martin County coal waste disaster of October 2000 and our own research efforts in Martin County, Kentucky, in studying the effects of the disaster on the impacted community. Our research was unique in that we involved a large team of undergraduate students in our field and data collections efforts. We also applied more democratic and participatory methods than has been typical in the "techno-disasters" research. We believe that our expanded method has allowed us to glean insights and understanding into the effects and political dynamics of the Martin County coal waste disaster. …

Lagoons, Litter, And The Law: Cafo Regulation As Social Risk Politics, Larry L. Burmeister

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The restructuring of the animal agriculture industry in the United States, a response to globalization dynamics within the world economy, has created a new social risk profile which did not exist in this industry prior to the adoption of factory farm technology. Analysis of the CAFO [concentrated animal feeding operation] regulation debate in Kentucky illustrates the political economy genesis of social risk politics accompanying this new technology. The politics of regulatory efforts to ameliorate such risk, an increasingly frequent occurrence in the risk society era, are examined in a recent attempt to promulgate a CAFO regulatory regime in Kentucky. This …

Passing The Cluck, Dodging Pullets: Corporate Power, Environmental Responsibility, And The Contract Poultry Grower, Joseph J. Molnar, Thomas Hoban, Gail Brant

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Broiler production is concentrated in a few southem states where farmers are highly dependent on contract arrangements for income and livelihood. Poultry is the first animal industry to industrialize and its model of contract farming has been emulated by other animal industries. Environmental standards are becoming increasingly stringent and many farmers are faced with crossroad decisions about investments in dead bird and manure disposal facilities. Asymmetrical power relationships shift waste management responsibilities to growers in a number of ways. This paper details maneuvers poultry integrators use to avoid environmental risk and transfer it to their contract growers. Corporations "pass the …

Social Capital, Structural Conditions, And Mortality: A Study Of Nonmetropolitan Counties In Mississippi, Domenico Parisi, Steven Michael Grice, Michael Taquino, Duane A. Gill

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

In this study, we examine the extent to which structural conditions that favor investment in social capital affect mortality across nonmetro counties in Mississippi. To this end, we focus on four county structural conditions: (1) place of residence within county boundaries, (2) civic infrastructure, (3) economic conditions, and (4) county regional location. The results clearly indicate that structural conditions that favor investment in social capital lead to lower mortality. Specifically, concentration of disadvantage conditions has an independent effect on mortality. That is, its effect operates independentIy of other structural conditions. In contrast, the effects of place of residence and civic …

Globalization, Broiler Production, And Community Controversy In East Texas, Douglas H. Constance

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The poultry industry was the first livestock commodity sector to adopt an industrial organizational model. In recent years the pouItry industry has expanded beyond national boundaries into a globalized system of production. The globalization of agriculture and food is a frequent topic of discussion for researchers interested in rural society. A common focus of these discussions is the consequences of corporate penetration on rural areas and the ways local communities respond to such corporate actions. This paper uses the case of the introduction of large-scale broiler production in East Texas combined with a sociology of agriculture and food conceptual framework …

Bribing Biodiversity: Corruption, Participation, And Community-Based Management In Venezuela, Brooke Ann Zanetell, Barbara A. Knuth

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Widespread alarm over the continuing decline of marine and freshwater fisheries has prompted research on the theory and practice of community-based management (CBM). Considering the suite of possible CBM benefits--including local involvement, compliance with regulations, reduced enforcement costs, and sustainable resource use--it is understandable that CBM projects are on the rise. However, there is insufficient examination of the challenges to CBM and the context-specific feasibility of grassroots stewardship. In response, we applied an assessment framework to a Venezuelan fishery to evaluate the feasibility of CBM and to identify barriers to its fruition. We used a variety of methods in concert …

Trends. The Paradise Hotel Bombing: Trouble In Judicial Paradise, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discussed the bombing of the Kenyan Hotel Paradise in November 2002, and the detention of suspects.

Spartan Daily, December 10, 2002, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 119, Issue 69

Spartan Daily, December 9, 2002, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 119, Issue 68

Methods And Ethics In A Life History Study Of Teacher Thinking, James A. Muchmore

The Qualitative Report

During the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in the use of life history and narrative approaches to study teacher thinking and teacher development. Unlike other forms of educational research, in which relationships between researchers and participants are characterized by business-like transactions that rarely extend into the realm of the personal, life history and narrative research can involve relationships that are personal and complex. Such research can also generate massive amounts of data--in the form of field notes, interview transcripts, and other documents--which are very difficult to synthesize. This article presents some of the methodological and ethical issues …

The Presentation Of Paradise: Impression Management And The Contemporary Nursing Home, Jason S. Ulsperger, John Paul

The Qualitative Report

This report discusses dramaturgical perspectives, organizational impression management, and the history of the nursing home industry. Through participant observation, it uses a critical dramaturgical analysis to examine social interaction in three for-profit nursing homes. It explores how employees in these facilities create impressions of affective care in the face of negative publicity and long-term care competition. Specifically, the article examines four impression management tactics related to nursing home environments, concluding with suggestions for future research relating to organizational deviance.

Spartan Daily, December 6, 2002, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 119, Issue 67

Doing Family Research At The Jail: Reflections Of A Prison Widow, Joyce A. Arditti

The Qualitative Report

In this article, I reflect on my experience running a small family research project at a local jail. I focus on methodological and policy issues inherent in controversial research, as well as my own personal reactions to the criminal justice system. Implications of insider status are discussed as they apply to researcher stance and responsibilities in corrections settings.

Spartan Daily, December 5, 2002, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 119, Issue 66

Enhancing The Rigor Of Qualitative Research: Application Of A Case Methodology To Build Theories Of It Implementation, Guy Paré

The Qualitative Report

This paper presents and illustrates how the approach proposed by Eisenhardt (1989) for building theories from intensive qualitative research, more precisely case study research, can help information systems and medical informatics researchers understand and explain the inherently dynamic nature of IT implementation. The approach, which adopts a positivist view of research, relies on past literature and empirical data as well as on the insights of the researcher to build incrementally more powerful theories. We describe in some detail how this methodology was applied in a particular case study on IT implementation in the health care context and how the use …

Spartan Daily, December 4, 2002, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 119, Issue 65

Class Size Reduction: A Facilitator Of Instructional Program Coherence, Derick M. Kiger

The Qualitative Report

This case study evaluation explored how class size reduction (CSR) combined with other reform initiatives and contextual factors to affect student achievement. The evaluand was an elementary school that implemented Wisconsin's fortified CSR program named SAGE. Evidence was collected from existing records and purposively selected teachers via a focus group. A three-phase "cut and paste" analysis strategy was used to reduce data, display data, and draw and verify conclusions. Main and interaction effects are reported. Findings suggest smaller classes may affect student achievement by facilitating the coherence of school-level instructional programs.

Spartan Daily, December 3, 2002, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 119, Issue 64

Post-It Notes: Social Workers And Research Participants Sticking Together, Judy Heitzman

The Qualitative Report

This autoethnography reflects the author's perceptions of a collaborative social work process called qualitative inquiry. Using a quiltmaking metaphor, the author creates a recipe for collaborative learning between qualitative researchers and study participants. The metaphors associated with quiltmaking reflect a participatory action research model, and encourage qualitative researchers to stretch their creativity and collaboration skills.

Anorexic Eating: Two Case Studies In Hong Kong, Zenobia C.Y. Chan, Joyce L.C. Ma

The Qualitative Report

Little attention has been paid to the eating experience of anorectic females during the course of their illness. In order to enrich this understanding, two adult anorexics were selected and their emails were collected and analyzed. Analysis of these emails reveals the patients' experiences with and feelings about eating, which can provide an in-depth understanding of their circumstances and family dynamics. The paper ends with a discussion of the results, limitations, and implications of using emails as the data source of a qualitative study, and how they can reveal the informants' inner landscapes.

Life Is More Than An Artificial Leg: The Luena/Angola Experience, Sebastian Kasack

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Medico International is a German non-governmental organization (NGO) that specializes in socio-medical care and advocacy from the onset of an emergency throughout the rehabilitation and reintegration process.

Revolutionizing Prosthetics, Chaz Holder’S Legacy Creates Opportunities For Amputees, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This summer, the mine action community lost a man who revolutionized the way prostheses are designed for amputees. Dr. Chaz Holder, president and founder of CZBioMed Enterprises, passed away but left behind encouraging technology to improve the lives of amputees around the world.

Faculty Research Note: "Memo To The Governor" - Citizen Participation In Massachusetts, Bridgewater State College Political Science Department

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

News From Cart, Michael A. Krol, Julia Stakhnevich

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

The African Contribution To Brazilian Portuguese: To What Extent Did The Speech Of Slaves Influence The Mother Tongue?, Fernanda Ferriera

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Volume 22, Number 4, December 2002, Jain Fletcher, Mary Konkel, Jay Weitz, Barbara Vaughan, Vicki Toy-Smith, Nancy B. Olson

OLAC Newsletters

Digitized December 2002 issue of the OLAC Newsletter.

The Emperor Needs New Clothes: Securitizing Threats In The Twenty-First Century, Volker Franke

Peace and Conflict Studies

The terrorist attacks of September 11 brought to a head change that had been underway since the end of the Cold War in how we think about security: (1) there is no longer consensus about who or what constitutes the “enemy”; (2) Realism as the dominating paradigm for studying international relations is collapsing; (3) domestic factors are gaining importance for devising security policies; and (4) with increasing globalization these domestic factors attain impact beyond national borders. In this article, I examine the nature of these developments and illustrate that the concept of security is often misapplied for political gain and/or …

Introduction To Special Issue On Radiation Effects, P. Andrew Karam

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] "How dangerous is radiation? How much radiation does it take to give us cancer? Are we wasting money on overly restrictive regulations, or are we not being sufficiently protective of our radiation workers and the public? How much clean-up is necessary on our Department of Energy facilities? What about Yucca Mountain and nuclear reactor plants – can they be made safe?

These are only a few of the questions that have been asked, and will continue to be asked, about radiation. Unfortunately, these all come down, in part or in whole, to the question “What is the shape of …

The Determinants Of Lebanese Attitudes Toward Palestinian Resettlement: An Analysis Of Survey Data, Simon Haddad

Peace and Conflict Studies

A principal goal of this study has been to assess the impact of social distance on attitudes towards Palestinian resettlement using comprehensive cross-cultural survey research. The results are clear and consistent for all Lebanese sub-groups. Social distance is a significant predictor of attitudes toward resettlement for all six sub-groups examined. Specifically, social distance is inversely and consistently associated with unfavorable attitudes toward the prospect of the permanent settlement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. These findings indicate on one hand, that the majority of Sunnis and Druze respondents endorse communal ties with Palestinians and approve their permanent economic, social and political …