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2009

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Articles 9121 - 9150 of 11930

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Cognitive Preference And Ethnic Identity Among Anglo And Native American High School Students, Chad Martin Novak Jan 2009

Cognitive Preference And Ethnic Identity Among Anglo And Native American High School Students, Chad Martin Novak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Office of Educational Research and Improvement: A Project of the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research, graduation rates for Native Americans from both secondary and post secondary institutions are dismally low at 58% and 7%, respectively. Some research addresses cognitive preference and other ethnic identity, but research animating the cognitive preference---ethnic identity interplay for high school students is absent. These limitations in access to educational opportunities lead to abbreviated quality life experiences and a restriction in individual efficacy and collective agency. The following project assessed ethnic identity using Phinney's Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure and cognitive preference using …

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The Effect Of Mental Models On Creating Organizational Alignment Around A Change Vision, William A. Brantley Jan 2009

The Effect Of Mental Models On Creating Organizational Alignment Around A Change Vision, William A. Brantley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The communication of an organizational change vision is a key to the success of organizational transformation. Theorists have prescribed models of how to make change vision communication successful but these models have no empirical data to support them. The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of change agents in communicating a change vision that compels employees to accept a perception of reality (mental model) that aligned with the change agents' vision. A case study of the merger of two metropolitan agencies was conducted to examine the relationship between the communication of a change vision and its effect …

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Predictors Of Placement Duration For Foster And Adopted Children With Special Needs, Patricia A. Somers Jan 2009

Predictors Of Placement Duration For Foster And Adopted Children With Special Needs, Patricia A. Somers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Foster and adopted children with special needs have high rates of placement instability. This has been associated with their increased risk of having special needs, particularly reactive attachment disorder which results from severe disruptions in early relationships. Child welfare agencies report inadequate knowledge of specific placement predictors and assessment measures, although research has shown that placement duration is partly a function of successful parent-child match. Using Bowlby's attachment theory as the theoretical framework, this quantitative study examined the contributions of foster and adoptive parents' own attachment characteristics, the child's type of special need, and the child's age at the time …

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Personality Traits, Self -Efficacy Of Job Performance, And Susceptibility To Stress As Predictors Of Academic Performance Of Nurse Education Programs, Nancy Wilson-Soga Jan 2009

Personality Traits, Self -Efficacy Of Job Performance, And Susceptibility To Stress As Predictors Of Academic Performance Of Nurse Education Programs, Nancy Wilson-Soga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States is experiencing a shortage of registered nurses, and institutions of higher education are unable to graduate enough prepared nurses to reduce this employment shortage. A significant relationship between personality traits and academic performance has been found; however, how personality traits combine with students' self-efficacy of job performance and stress susceptibility to impact nursing students' academic performance has yet to be demonstrated. This study, grounded in the five-factor model (FFM) of personality traits, self-efficacy, and stress theories, sought to determine whether self-assessments of the NEO-Five Factor Inventory, the Nursing Practice Self-Efficacy survey, and the Susceptibility Under Stress Survey …

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Beliefs And Attitudes Regarding Health -Enhancing Behaviors In African American And Caucasian Women, Cassaundra Murray Jan 2009

Beliefs And Attitudes Regarding Health -Enhancing Behaviors In African American And Caucasian Women, Cassaundra Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A disproportionate number of African American (AA) women are overweight, obese, and more likely to have weight related health concerns compared with Caucasian (C) women. Previous research indicates perception about health-enhancing behaviors influences AA females' health behavior. A gap exists in the current literature regarding AA women's perception of eating and exercise behavior and the impact social support has on AA women's adherence to USDA recommendations. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine AA women's weight locus of control, perceived susceptibility to weight related diseases, and perceived barriers to healthy eating and exercise relative to C women; …

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Ingroup And Outgroup Members As Determinants Of Performance On A Brainstorming Task, Niveditha Parthasarathy Jan 2009

Ingroup And Outgroup Members As Determinants Of Performance On A Brainstorming Task, Niveditha Parthasarathy

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Many studies have investigated the effects of diversity on performance. Past research demonstrates that the relationship between group diversity and task performance is mixed and inconsistent (Mannix & Neale, 2005; van Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007; Webber & Donahue, 2001). Although some studies have examined the effects of diversity on brainstorming groups (Cox et al., 1991; Nakui et al, 2009), little attention has been paid to the effects of diversity on brainstorming individuals. To examine the influence of diversity on individual ideation, forty-eight participants were exposed to ideas that were presumably generated by a person from their own ethnicity (ingroup member) …

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Influence Of Peer Victimization And Social Support On Cortisol Production, Jennifer M. Knack Jan 2009

Influence Of Peer Victimization And Social Support On Cortisol Production, Jennifer M. Knack

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

The current dissertation sought to examine whether there was an association between peer victimization, neuroendocrine functioning, and physical health outcomes. Adolescents and their parent (N = 107) participated in a two-part study. In the first phase, adolescents completed a series of questionnaires either at school or online to assess levels of peer victimization, social support, and health outcomes. They then came into the laboratory with a parent for the second part of the study which consisted of two sessions. In session one, adolescents completed additional questionnaires and learned how to collect saliva samples (to assess cortisol levels); parents completed measures …

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Cost-Effectiveness Of Early Versus Delayed Functional Restoration For Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders, Brian Rohan Theodore Jan 2009

Cost-Effectiveness Of Early Versus Delayed Functional Restoration For Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders, Brian Rohan Theodore

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Chronic pain is among the most costly disorders in the United States. Societal impacts include productivity losses, disability compensation, and reduction in psychosocial well-being. To date, there is little documentation on the effect of extended disability on both treatment- and cost-effectiveness. The present study investigated the treatment- and cost-effectiveness of early versus delayed functional restoration for three groups, in a matched cohort design based on length of disability: Early Rehabilitation (4-8 months); Intermediate Duration (9-18 months); and Delayed Rehabilitation (>18 months). Psychosocial deficits at pre-rehabilitation were significantly greater for the late rehabilitation groups, with approximately 2 times greater likelihood …

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Are We Speaking The Same Language? The Use Of The Mother Tongue By Native English Speaking Teachers In English As A Foreign Language Classrooms, Presley Doyal Mcfadden Jan 2009

Are We Speaking The Same Language? The Use Of The Mother Tongue By Native English Speaking Teachers In English As A Foreign Language Classrooms, Presley Doyal Mcfadden

Linguistics & TESOL Theses - Archive

The question of whether or not to use students' first language in second language acquisition is not a new one (Harbord, 1992; Duff and Polio, 1990). However, the way this question is addressed by the students themselves is rarely found in linguistic publications. This study discusses three dependant variables: The attitude (positive or negative) of EFL students towards their native English speaking teachers' attempts at using students' mother tongue in the classroom; the preferences concerning which pedagogical areas (vocabulary translation, error correction, grammar instruction, etc.) the students find the use of the first language more necessary for, and finally, the …

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A Tale Of Two Cities: Examining Nonprofit Accountability, Marcela Nava Jan 2009

A Tale Of Two Cities: Examining Nonprofit Accountability, Marcela Nava

Social Work Theses - Archive

Nonprofit organizations exist in a world of constantly increasing scrutiny and oversight, while public scandals create an increasing demand for public accountability. Program evaluation is seen as a powerful tool to assist nonprofits in establishing organizational accountability, yet studies suggest that program evaluation is not being used to establish accountability. In order to explore the use of program evaluation in establishing accountability, surveys were administered to nonprofit organizations in Dallas and Fort Worth. Respondents also participated in interviews about decision making processes regarding evaluation and accountability within their agencies. Results indicate that organizations in Dallas and Fort Worth are fairly …

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A Systematic Review Of The Effects Of Psychotherapy Involving Equines, Alison Selby Jan 2009

A Systematic Review Of The Effects Of Psychotherapy Involving Equines, Alison Selby

Social Work Theses - Archive

This systematic review examines the empirical literature in an emerging body of evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions involving equines across populations. Fourteen full reports in English were extracted from 103 studies accessed through sixteen electronic databases and a hand search. Selected quantitative studies were published in peer-reviewed journals; the gray literature and white papers were also explored. Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) and Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria were applied to all studies. Data were synthesized in relation to four research questions informing evidence-based practice. No randomized clinical trials were located. Two studies …

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Does Chronic Pain And Pain Sensitivity Influence's One's Affective Experience Of Social And Physical Pain?, Marcos A. Gomez Jan 2009

Does Chronic Pain And Pain Sensitivity Influence's One's Affective Experience Of Social And Physical Pain?, Marcos A. Gomez

Psychology Theses - Archive

Pain Overlap Theory (Eisenberger, Jarcho, Lieberman, & Naliboff, 2006) suggests that the affective experience of physical and social pain share the same phenomenological and neurocognitive correlates (MacDonald & Kingsbury, 2006). An important question is how individual differences in pain experiences in one domain (e.g., physical pain) influences pain experiences in other domains (e.g., social). Chronic physical pain is thought to be associated with changes in physiological and psychological processes linked with pain unpleasantness. For example, chronic physical pain is thought to sensitize individuals to potential harm to the point that the individual may attempt to avoid (or even overreact to) …

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Understanding Stigma By Association: The Roles Of Prior Attitudes And Objective Justification, Theresa Glasgow Moehrle Jan 2009

Understanding Stigma By Association: The Roles Of Prior Attitudes And Objective Justification, Theresa Glasgow Moehrle

Psychology Theses - Archive

The interaction between Stigma by Association (SBA), Objective Justification (an excuse) and prior negative attitudes (homonegativity) was examined using a mock scholarship application and a recommendation index. In Study 1, 139 participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions in a 2 (Stigma Alliance: allied vs. neutral) x 2 (Objective Justification: high GPA vs. low GPA) between-subjects factorial design. Prior attitudes toward homosexuals were measured using the Short-form ATLG (Herek, 1988). Study 2 (N = 170) replicated Study 1 and added an index for possible friendship. In both studies it was hypothesized that there would be a main …

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Does Chronic Victimization Lead To A Rejection Attribution Bias?, Haylie Lauren Gomez Jan 2009

Does Chronic Victimization Lead To A Rejection Attribution Bias?, Haylie Lauren Gomez

Psychology Theses - Archive

This study examined the influence of chronic victimization on social pain reactions. This influence is referred to as the rejection attribution bias, measured via self-reports of feeling excluded, threatened needs, and neurological activity in the right prefrontal cortex (RPFC) after ostracism. Participants (N = 189) completed an online survey containing personality and victimization measures. They were then offered the opportunity to complete a second phase in the lab, which involved collection of EEG data before and during an online ball-tossing manipulation (Cyberball), and measures to assess affective responses to exclusion. Results support the RAB model, with victimized participants reporting greater …

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The Influence Of Knowledge Aquired At Study On Younger And Older Adults' Source Memory, Crystal Marie Cooper Cortes Jan 2009

The Influence Of Knowledge Aquired At Study On Younger And Older Adults' Source Memory, Crystal Marie Cooper Cortes

Psychology Theses - Archive

The current experiments were intended to investigate the tendency of younger and older adults to use knowledge acquired during encoding to guide source memory judgments at test. Participants studied a list of words with each word belonging to one of four categories. Each category, and the words chosen for that category, were assigned to a corner of the computer screen which contained one of four mathematical probability structures, 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%, reflecting how many exemplars from a given category was to be presented in it. Both older and younger adults learned and later used the probability structure to …

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Organizational Justice And Stress: An Investigation, Heather E. Graham Jan 2009

Organizational Justice And Stress: An Investigation, Heather E. Graham

Psychology Theses - Archive

Utilizing survey methodology, the four-factor model of organizational justice was assessed, including distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice, as well as their relationships with overall perceived and work-related stress. In addition to the hypothesized relationships of each justice dimension and stress, this study investigated the Justice Salience Hierarchy (JSH) as proposed by Greenberg (2004). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated a reasonable fit of the four-factor model of justice; however, using moderated sequential regression analyses, the overall findings indicated a lack of support for the JSH. Notably, negative relationships between justice and stress were demonstrated. Specifically, results demonstrated the strength of informational …

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Walkout: The Footsteps Of Latino Youth Activism, Marta Galvan Jan 2009

Walkout: The Footsteps Of Latino Youth Activism, Marta Galvan

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

This qualitative study analyzes contemporary social action through the lens of Latino youth activism. A total of 11 people including Latino student demonstrators and non-demonstrators and teachers/administrators all shared their experiences and perspectives concerning the 2006 Latino youth immigration reform walkout that took place at a local high school. It was found that Latino youth secretly coordinated a walkout and executed it. Escorted by police they marched in the streets, recruited other students along the way, attended a rally, and were bused back to campus afterward. Demonstrators were both criticized and praised for their actions by peers and teachers/administrators. While …

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Factors Contributing To The Desistance Of Violence Among Female Adolescents, Joy D. Patton Jan 2009

Factors Contributing To The Desistance Of Violence Among Female Adolescents, Joy D. Patton

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The major focus of this study was to test the theory driven conceptual model derived from the literature regarding risk, protective and desistance factors and the relationship of these factors to violent behavior of female adolescents. This study utilized The National Longitudinal dataset to evaluate these measures. The conceptual model was developed from information based on Resilience Theory and Life Course Perspective as it relates to violent behavior in adolescents. Data from 2,031 female participants were included in the current study.A review of the existing empirical literature suggested that there were specific risk, protective and desistance factors that would have …

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Marital Satisfaction: Veterans From Operation Iraqi Freedom (Oif) And Operation Enduring Freedom (Oef), Warren Neil Ponder Jan 2009

Marital Satisfaction: Veterans From Operation Iraqi Freedom (Oif) And Operation Enduring Freedom (Oef), Warren Neil Ponder

Social Work Theses - Archive

The researcher conducted an online survey through social networking sites to identify variables that influenced marital satisfaction among Operation Iraq Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans. Surprisingly, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was not significantly associated with martial satisfaction. However, two key variables were identified to be significant contributors to marital satisfaction: length of time stateside and PCL-M scores. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

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Examining The Effects Of Early Life Stress From Maternal Separation On Measures Of Pain And Anxiety, Megan Lynne Uhelski Jan 2009

Examining The Effects Of Early Life Stress From Maternal Separation On Measures Of Pain And Anxiety, Megan Lynne Uhelski

Psychology Theses - Archive

Animal models of stress-induced conditions have provided important insight into the physiological mechanisms of many chronic disorders. Models of early life stress involve procedures designed to induce prenatal or postnatal stress upon pups, which produces adult rats with enhanced stress responses and behavioral similarities to animal models of schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. Since little research has focused on the effect of maternal separation on adult pain processing, the purpose of the current study is to examine both sensory and affective pain measures in adult rats following repeated maternal separation in infancy, a common model of early life stress. Eighty-six male …

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Reproductive Health Of Women In Developing Countries And Human Development: A Test Of Sen's Theory, Dheeshana Sugandhi Jayasundara Jan 2009

Reproductive Health Of Women In Developing Countries And Human Development: A Test Of Sen's Theory, Dheeshana Sugandhi Jayasundara

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study is to extend prior research on reproductive health in developing countries and to examine the utility of the extended model for the social work profession. This study applied Nobel Prize winning economist, Amartya Sen's theoretical propositions on human development to reproductive health of women in developing countries. His approach is a social development based capability and freedom method to improve human well-being. Applications of this method considerably modify the previous, epidemiological, coercive and value based models and provide a more comprehensive humanistic model of reproductive health. This contributes toward an improved public health model of …

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Exploring Vulnerability And Consent To Trafficking Related Migration: A Study Of South Asian Bar Dancers, Nairruti Jani Jan 2009

Exploring Vulnerability And Consent To Trafficking Related Migration: A Study Of South Asian Bar Dancers, Nairruti Jani

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Lack of resources in South Asian countries compel many people to migrate to other countries, some legally, others illegally. In 2005, Over 100,000 bar dancers in Mumbai became unemployed overnight when the state government banned bar dancing under international pressure. Some of these bar dancers were forced to become prostitutes; some others migrated to other countries, including U.S., for work (Chadha, 2007). While dancing in U.S., these girls are kept under heavy security, they are not allowed to talk to the patrons, nor are they allowed to go out of their designated apartment on their own. They are sent from …

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The Contributions Of Ngos To Health In The Developing World, Leigh Ann Johnson Jan 2009

The Contributions Of Ngos To Health In The Developing World, Leigh Ann Johnson

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the contributions of NGOs to health in the developing world and well investigated the influence of organizational factors on an NGOs contribution to health. The researcher examined the health contributions of 210 NGOs with consultative status with the United Nations. The number of sectors and networks an NGO had was found to influence the health contributions of NGOs. HLM was used to examine the interaction between organizational and environmental factors on health contribution. There was no significant interaction found between these to factors.

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Municipal Immigration Ordinances: An Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of A Controversial Issue, Andrea Lynne Burnett Jan 2009

Municipal Immigration Ordinances: An Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of A Controversial Issue, Andrea Lynne Burnett

Communication Theses - Archive

In 2006, the cities of Farmers Branch, Texas, and Hazleton, Pennsylvania, attempted to enact municipal immigration ordinances. The Farmers Branch ordinance would have banned apartment owners or managers from renting to undocumented immigrants, while the Hazelton ordinance would have targeted those who rent to undocumented immigrants and those who employ them. This study looked at the local immigration debate through attribute agenda-setting and framing approaches found in mass communication research. Using content analysis it identified how often the media mentioned attributes important to opponents and proponents of the ordinances, as well as how often reporters used proponents and opponents as …

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Probation Revocations Based On Technical Violations: Do Probation Officers Contribute To Higher Rates?, Amanda Kent Jan 2009

Probation Revocations Based On Technical Violations: Do Probation Officers Contribute To Higher Rates?, Amanda Kent

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

A recent report by The Pew Center on the States (2009) indicated 1 in 31 adults are under the control of the correctional system nationwide. In Texas, it is reported that 1 in 22 adults are under the control of the correctional system or rather in prison, jail, on probation or parole (The Pew Center on the States, 2009). The prisons in Texas and throughout the nation are becoming overcrowded which presents a problem for administrators and the public alike. Texas has experienced an increase of 310% in their prison population between 1985 and 2005 and it is expected to …

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Dishonest Associates In The Workplace: The Correlation Between Motivation And Opportunity In Retail Among Employee Theft, Edith Marie Fikes Jan 2009

Dishonest Associates In The Workplace: The Correlation Between Motivation And Opportunity In Retail Among Employee Theft, Edith Marie Fikes

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

White-collar crime is a major loss to the economy, employers, and consumers. It is a crime that often goes undetected, and when detected, employers rarely file charges, so estimates as to how often it occurs are hard to come by. White-collar crime is a very broad category so the focus of this study was on a sector of white-collar crime, retail employee theft. Cressey's (1973) fraud triangle contained three components: motivation, opportunity, and rationalization. Cressey (1973) claimed that if any of one of these three components did not exist, then the crime would not occur. In this study, retail employee …

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What Are Country-Level Determinants Of Economic Research Productivity?, Hoa Nguyen Jan 2009

What Are Country-Level Determinants Of Economic Research Productivity?, Hoa Nguyen

Economics Theses - Archive

Economics research productivity is an emerging concern because it determines education system's quality and it can help improve economic welfare. This study seeks to investigate country-level determinants of research productivity in the Economics discipline. The main variables of interest are the use of the Internet and personal computers, economic openness and higher education. I hypothesize that Internet and PC use can lower the collaboration cost and searching cost resulting in increased marginal productivity from Internet adoption and positive cross productivity effects. Therefore, if people can access Internet more, their productivity will increase. In addition, economic openness, especially greater labor mobility, …

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Autism From A Clinical Child Neuropsychological Perspective, Katherine Ore Jan 2009

Autism From A Clinical Child Neuropsychological Perspective, Katherine Ore

Whittier Scholars Program

This review is aimed at understanding autism from a clinical neuropsychological perspective in order to develop new ideas on how to better treat children with autism. First is a definition of what autism is. Second is a brief history of wat researchers have thought could have caused autism. This is followed by an in-depth examination of the brain and which area seem to be related to the observed symptoms of autism. Next is an examination of treatments that are currently available for children with autism. Fifth is an analysis of what is known of the autistic brain and what treatments …

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Commentary, Kenneth J. Cooper Jan 2009

Commentary, Kenneth J. Cooper

Trotter Review

Barack Obama has made history by dispatching to the dustbin another usage for the tiresome phrase “first black.” As president, he is also going to make the future, both during his term and long after. The country’s racial-ethnic landscape, with its dangerous crevices and sheer mountains, is about to change in monumental ways.

His presence in the White House will promote more interracial dialogue, for one, and for the good of the country. This will not be a small change. The novelist Richard Wright once explained that he chose exile in Paris in the 1940s because he could not have …

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Nepali Female Migrants And Informalization Of Domestic Care Work: Service Or Servitude?, Shobha Hamal Gurung Jan 2009

Nepali Female Migrants And Informalization Of Domestic Care Work: Service Or Servitude?, Shobha Hamal Gurung

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Nepali female migrants are among the fastest-growing immigrant workforces in the South Asian community, particularly in service and domestic work in big cities of the United States. However, there has not until now been a study investigating the work experiences of Nepali immigrants/migrants employed in the service and domestic sectors in these cities. This article investigates the work experiences of Nepali female migrants who work in service and domestic/child care work in Boston and New York, focusing on examining the type and nature of women's work, labor practices, work and living conditions, women's experiences and views about their work, and …

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