Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Rrh Library Newsletter, January 2006, Libraries At Rochester Regional Health

Rochester Regional Health authored publications and proceedings

Newsletter sections include: Pandemic

Review Of Fathering At Risk By James R. Dudley & Glenn Stone, Roberta L. Coles

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Evidence Of Sanctity: Record-Keeping And Canonization At The Turn Of The 13th Century, Michelle Light

Library Faculty Research

In 1234, the papacy asserted an exclusive right to canonize saints. To gain control over the canonization process, popes required increasingly specific written evidence from communities about their saints and developed investigative procedures to authenticate the communities’ miraculous evidence. Gathering written testimony for review in Rome was an act of domination over local processes for sanctifying community members. Not only did papal record-keeping remove decision-making from local hands, but it also enabled review of correct belief, structured community responses to the sacred, and provided an effective display of papal rights. During the process of St. Gilbert of Sempringham in 1201–1203, …

Survey Of Teacher Attitude Regarding Inclusive Education Within An Urban School District, Evangeline Kern

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

It is anticipated that inclusion will become more prevalent in classrooms over the next ten years as a result of increasingly stringent federal and state mandates. In order for inclusion to result in adequate yearly progress for all subgroups, it must be implemented properly. Research has demonstrated that a key component for proper implementation is an understanding of baseline attitudes regarding inclusive education held by teachers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes of K-12 regular and special education teachers regarding inclusive education, in an urban Pennsylvania school district, the Chester Upland School District. The study examines …

Predicting Institutional Adjustment With The Psychological Inventory Of Criminal Thinking Styles And The Psychopathology Checklist : Screening Version , Wanda Mandell

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This correlational study investigates the incremental validity of the Reactive (R) composite scale of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) relative to Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) total score for predicting medium security federal adult male inmate adjustment over a 12 month period. Adjustment, the criterion variable, was operationalized as the number of incident reports received over 12 months. Archival data for 146 offenders were obtained for incident reports and categorized as aggressive or non-aggressive. Scores for the PICTS P and R composite scales were obtained from archival electronic files. Data for rating the PCL:SV were gathered from …

Assessment Of Risk And Protective Factors For Homelessness : Preliminary Validation Of The Life Needs Inventory, Dena L. Brown-Young

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the LNI (Life Needs Inventory), used by the VOADV (Volunteers of America Delaware Valley) organization to identify risk factors, as well as protective strengths, associated with the securing of stable housing among the homeless population. Homelessness is a growing concern in the United States (Rosenberg, Solarz, & Bailey, 1991) and individuals or families who become homeless are at risk for many more problems. Finding suitable shelter is just the beginning, as physical safety and mental health issues become major concerns. Violence, drugs, risky sexual behaviors, lack of social support, limited employment opportunities, …

Self-Efficacy And Adult Development, Daniel Cervone, Daniele Artistico, Jane M. Berry

Psychology Faculty Publications

A major theme in the contemporary study of human development across the life span is that people have the capacity for personal agency. Innumerable writers emphasize that individuals can exert intentional influence over their experiences and actions, the circumstances they encounter, the skills they acquire, and thus ultimately the course of their development.

The Missing Person In The Conversation: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., And The Dialogical Self, David E. Leary

Psychology Faculty Publications

Wiley (2006) has argued for a relationship between pragmatism and the dialogical self, noting that both are rooted in the thought of William James and Charles S. Peirce. This commentary delves into the possible connection between James’s and Peirce’s ideas as well as the probable influence of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., on the development of dialogical conceptions of the self.

Role Identity Formation Of Occupational Therapy Students, Denise A. Rotert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an examination of the professional socialization process of occupational therapy students from a role identity theoretical perspective. First-year students, second-year students, fieldwork students, and faculty at an occupational therapy educational program at a Midwestern institution volunteered to participate in the study. Data were collected through focus group interviews and surveys. The focus of the study was to determine factors associated with occupational therapy students’ identity salience, commitment, and role-person merger. Interviews and surveys were used to determine what factors, over and above didactic education, influence the socialization of students into the profession of occupational therapy and what …

The 2001 Nevada Redistricting And Perpetuation Of The Status Quo, David F. Damore

Political Science Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Uncertainty, Climate Change And Nuclear Power, David M. Hassenzahl

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Long time-horizon environmental risks with potential for global impacts have increased in visibility over the past several decades. Such issues as climate change, the nuclear fuel cycle, persistent synthetic chemicals, and stratospheric ozone depletion share some characteristics, including intergenerational impacts, strongly decoupled incidence of risks and benefits, substantial decision stakes and extreme uncertainty. What is not well understood are the similarities and differences among sources and implications of uncertainty among these global environmental threats, especially those associate with current and future human behavior. This describes the uncertainties associated with managing two global concerns: the nuclear (fission) fuel cycle and anthropogenic …

Economic Trends And Forecasts For Nevada, Bengte Evenson, R. Keith Schwer, William Cope

Social Health of Nevada Reports

With the exception of some difficulties following the events of September 11, 2001 , the economy of the state of Nevada has been doing very well since the mid-1980’s. Employment has increased dramatically, outpacing job growth anywhere else in the country. This has drawn workers to Nevada, leading to record in-migration, especially recently. With robust growth in both employment and population, spending as measured by GSP is healthy. The economic forecast for Nevada predicts continued positive growth in the short run, after which growth will decline to a more normal rate.

Taxation Burden And Fairness In Nevada, Bernard Malamud, Marc Hechter

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Nevada has long been a low-tax state. In a 1968 study, The Amount and Source of State Taxes in Nevada, Robert Rieke reported taxes on Nevada residents were considerably below the national average as a fraction of income. These taxes were regressive, falling more heavily on low income Nevadans than on high income Nevadans.

Income Distribution And Poverty In Nevada, David R. Dickens Jr., Christina Morales

Social Health of Nevada Reports

In his famous visit to the U.S. early in the nineteenth century, the French observer Alexis de Tocqueville was surprised by what he saw as “an equality of condition” in his travels around the country. Although he commented on the existence of wealth in the new nation, he was impressed by what he saw as its relative lack of concentration (de Tocqueville 1969). Recent studies by social historians, however, suggest that de Tocqueville was mistaken. In their examination of tax forms, old census documents, and probate records, these scholars document a high degree of inequality, particularly wealth inequality (Hurst 2004). …

Employment And Labor Relations In Nevada, Anastasia H. Prokos

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Nevada generally gets high marks for its labor market conditions, sustained economic growth, and high standards of living. Compared to the employment situation in many other regions, Nevada does indeed post impressive numbers. Yet, a closer look at the local employment and occupation structure reveals a complex pattern requiring a nuanced assessment. While some workers in Nevada have high earnings, median wages for year-round workers are no higher than the national average. Nevada has low unemployment rates and a robust union movement, but many jobs in the state are in the service sector that offers relatively low salaries and few …

Housing Availability And Homelessness In Nevada, Kurt Borchard

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Housing availability is a crucial issue for most citizens, and it serves as a basic indicator of quality of life in a region. The United States has a long history of programs encouraging access to housing. The Homesteading Act of 1862 helped develop the Western United States, and it continues today. The act originally allowed 160 acres of land to be given to a citizen through a lottery, provided that he or she make improvements to the property, including clearing a portion of the land, building a house, and paying land tax. The G.I. Bill of Rights, signed in …

Aging Trends And Challenges In Nevada, Jennifer Reid Keene, Kathryn Mcclain

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Societal aging is one of the most important social trends of the 21 st century. It affects our political, social, and economic institutions and also the nature of our interpersonal and family relationships (Quadagno 2005). In the coming decades, both as individuals and as a society, we will have to make important decisions regarding the consequences of our aging population. Policy makers, families, businesses, local, state, and federal governments, health care providers will all be faced with the challenges of meeting the needs of the growing older population in the U.S. and in Nevada.

Nonprofits And Philanthropy In Nevada, Jessica Word

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Nevada is a study in contrasts: the rural North and the urban jungle of Las Vegas, the wealth of millionaires gambling in high end casinos contrasting with the plight of those struggling to make ends meet, the beauty and majesty of the Nevada landscape versus the over-the-top sparkle of neon on the “Strip.” Deep contrasts for which Nevada is famous permeate its nonprofit sector. While it is growing rapidly and achieving tangible results, this sector faces serious problems that threaten to undermine the quality of life in the Silver State. Nevada urgently needs to augment its nonprofit sector resources, streamline …

Sex Industry And Sex Workers In Nevada, Kate Hausbeck, Barbara G. Brents, Crystal Jackson

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Timeworn but true, it is undeniable that “sex sells” and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in Las Vegas, the symbolic center of the commercial sex industry and America’s own “Sin City.” To understand the commercial sex industry in Las Vegas and the Nevada sex industry more generally, we need to understand how local patterns reflect the larger trends in the nation and the world.

Art And Cultural Participation In Nevada, Robert Tracy

Social Health of Nevada Reports

On October 31, 1864 the Nevada Territory entered the Union as the 36 th state. Because this official designation or recognition took place during the height of the American Civil War, it seemed appropriate to officials that the state motto “Battle Born” be adopted. Over the years the area of land known as Nevada has been called by such interesting and divergent names as Sierra Nevada Territory; Washoe Territory; Carson Territory; Eastern Slope Territory; Humboldt Territory; Esmeralda Territory; Sierra Plata Territory; Oro Plata; and Bullion. Shortly after becoming a state, Nevada adopted two nicknames: the Silver State and …

Religious And Denominational Problems In Nevada, Noel Tiano

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Ever since the earliest civilizations, humans have sought to make sense of their relationship with other beings, the universe, and the unknown through religious beliefs and practices. Shamans and healers interpreted phenomena for their followers, nuns cared for the sick and dying, ministers spearheaded anti-slavery movements, and religious activists joined campaigns for prison reform, worked for charitable organizations, and promoted novel educational institutions. Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Lama and other world leaders with strong religious convictions have shown us what love in action means

Conclusion: Social Capital And The Quality Of Life In Nevada, Craig Walton

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Our contributors have presented data and analyses which bring up questions Nevadans need to raise when they talk about the kind of home we want Nevada to be. We must take seriously their findings, their recommendations, and their pleas for help. These social indicators must be re-visited periodically. We make a beginning today, but we need to sustain public discussion of these problems of poor social capital in our home town and home state. Aristotle mentioned that a large number of people in one place does not make a community – practices, customs, institutions, and a shared moral culture change …

Immigration And Ethnic Diversity In Nevada, Thomas C. Wright

Social Health of Nevada Reports

In a few decades, non-Hispanic whites will constitute a bare majority in the United States. If current demographic trends continue,

• By 2050, the Hispanic population will more than double, the Asian population will double, and the African-American population will grow at a faster pace than non-Hispanic whites.

These developments promise to bring profound changes in the country’s ethnic and racial landscape. Many of these demographic trends are on display in the Silver State.

Inside Unlv, Shane Bevell

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

The Social Health Of Nevada, Kenny C. Guinn

Social Health of Nevada Reports

As governor, I want to commend you as you work together to improve the social health of Nevada. As a private citizen, I welcome and encourage your efforts to better educate Nevadans about improving our quality of life. And as a former corporation executive, I would offer this simple advice: If you are going to make any significant inroads, you must be able to not only bring the public sector to the table, you must also get buy-in from the private sector as well.

Introduction: The Leading Indicators Project, Dmitri N. Shalin

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Policy makers of all ages have sought to ground their decisions in sound knowledge. As early as 1790, President George Washington told Congress that “Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness. In one in which the measures of government receive their impressions so immediately from the sense of the community as in ours it is proportionably essential.” In our time, generating and disseminating reliable information has become a passion. This modern attitude is captured in buzzwords like “knowledge-based interference,” “data-informed decision making,” “information-driven needs assessment,” and it finds a powerful expression in the Leading Indicators (LI) …

Suicide Trends And Prevention In Nevada, Matt Wray

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Suicide has been around for as long as human society and it continues to challenge our collective wisdom. Consider this data provided by the National Institute of Medicine:

• Each year about one million people commit suicide worldwide.
• Every year some 30,000 Americans end their lives by suicide, and approximately 650,000 people receive emergency treatment after attempting suicide.
• Every 41 seconds someone in the U.S. attempts suicide; every 16.7 minutes, someone completes suicide; and every day over 85 people die by suicide.
• Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the third leading cause of death among …

Child Abuse And Neglect In Nevada, Denise Tanata, Susan Klein-Rothschild

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Child maltreatment is a critical issue facing our nation and our state. Child abuse and neglect impacts the lives of thousands of children and families every day.

• In 2003, an estimated 906,000 children were determined to be victims of child abuse and neglect in the United States. This equates to a victimization rate of 12.4 per 1,000 children in the population.
• These figures, however, only represent the number of substantiated cases of abuse and neglect. In 2003, approximately 2.9 million referrals concerning the welfare of an estimated 5.5 million children were made to child protective service agencies in 2003.

Dropout And Graduation Rates In Nevada, Sandra D. Owens-Kane

Social Health of Nevada Reports

This report spotlights the high school graduation and dropout rates in Nevada, shows how the trends in our state compared to the trends in other states, and outlines community resources available to Nevadans seeking to improve their educational achievements. High school dropout and graduation rates are key indicators by which we judge an educational system. The importance of these indicators stems from the fact that higher educational achievement correlates positively with individual and community social health – e.g., the higher the graduation rates of individuals within a community, the greater the level of personal fulfillment and community development. Conversely, high …

Academic Achievement And School Resources In Nevada, Teresa Jordan

Social Health of Nevada Reports

For several decades there has been a growing concern in the United States over the student achievement in our public schools. In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education issued a report, A Nation at Risk, http://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/index.html, that called for educational reform. As student achievement scores declined, even with increased investment in education, the business community, policy makers, and educators rallied to address a vital issue for our future: how to improve student achievement and ensure that the 21st century workforce has the knowledge and skills to compete in a global economy.