Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Work And Civic Engagement: The Political Participation Of Professional Social Workers, Sunny Harris Rome, Susan Hoechstetter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines the involvement of practicing social workers in one type of civic engagement: the use of political processes to promote the public good. Based on a survey of 1,274 randomly selected members of NASW, this is the largest study to date examining the involvement of social workers in political action and policy advocacy. Findings suggest that approximately half of social workers demonstrate high levels of participation in the policy process. The authors analyze the frequency with which respondents engage in specific political and policy-related activities, and compare these results to those of other studies. They also examine respondents'attitudes …

Placing Immigrant Incorporation: Identity, Trust, And Civic Engagement In Little Havana, Richard N. Gioioso

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Immigrant incorporation in the United States has been a topic of concern and debate since the founding of the nation. Scholars have studied many aspects of the phenomenon, including economic, political, social, and spatial. The most influential paradigm of immigrant incorporation in the US has been, and continues to be, assimilation, and the most important place in and scale at which incorporation occurs is the neighborhood. This dissertation captures both of these integral aspects of immigrant incorporation through its consideration of three dimensions of assimilation – identity, trust, and civic engagement – among Latin American immigrants and American-born Latinos in …

Information Literacy & Civic Engagement, Chad M. Kahl

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

No abstract provided.

Can Establishing Partnerships Between College Campuses And Nonprofit Organizations Be Mutually Beneficial?, Crystal S. Aschenbrener Msw

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

More than ever nonprofit organizations need to find creative ways to be resourceful and cost effective in achieving their mission. Partnerships between college campuses and nonprofit organizations can be a mutually beneficial way of meeting nonprofit’s program goals while empowering college students, who are the next generation of volunteers, donors, and professionals. With these partnerships, nonprofits gain new ideas and extra working hands though established projects while students gain field experiences and the opportunity to apply their course knowledge. With this article, readers will understand the benefits of building as well as a step-by-step model to develop such partnerships.

The Civic Engagement Of Latino Immigrants In The United States, Cristina Michele Tucker

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study employs acculturation and civic engagement theories to explain the incorporation and engagement of Latino immigrants in American society by examining how demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and characteristics of the immigrant experience, as moderated by acculturation and trust in government influence their civic engagement.

The core component of the study is a secondary data analysis of the 2006 Latino National Survey (Fraga et al., 2008). The study shows that some of the strongest predictors of civic engagement in the Latino immigrant community are citizenship, length of residence in the United States, level of education, household income, age, country of …

Bridging Social Capital Formation In A Faith-Based Organization, Angela Kaiser

Wayne State University Dissertations

Previous research on faith-based organizations suggest that these organizations are highly effective at forging relationships between individuals from different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, known as bridging social capital. This study examines the process of bridging social capital formation within MOSES, a faith-based organization located in Detroit, Michigan. Through the use of in-depth interviews, participant observation, archival research, and a member survey, I documented the forms of social capital present within the organization. I also explored whether bridging relationships were forming within the organization and the strategies that facilitated their formation. Diversity within the organization, recognition of member differences, and …

Reliability And Validity Analyses Of The Community Service Attitudes Scale, Brian Perry

Online Theses and Dissertations

A study of the reliability and validity of the Community Service Attitudes Scale which was developed by Shiarella, McCarthy, and Tucker (2000) and based on Schwartz's (1977) model of helping behaviors was conducted. Scores on each of the subscales of the Community Service Attitudes Scale showed strong reliability with coefficient alpha scores ranging from .80 to .93. The factor analysis confirmed the findings of the original authors with eight factors having eigenvales greater than one indentified. Validity analyses confirmed that the measure can distinguish between groups expected to differ. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Rhythms Of Rebellion: Artists Creating Dangerously For Social Change, Susan J. Erenrich

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

On December 14, 1957, after winning the Nobel Prize for literature, Albert Camus challenged artists attending a lecture at the University of Uppsala in Sweden to create dangerously. Even though Camus never defined what he meant by his charge, throughout history, artists involved in movements of protest, resistance, and liberation have answered Camus’ call. Quite often, the consequences were costly, resulting in imprisonment, censorship, torture, and death. This dissertation examines the question of what it means to create dangerously by using Camus’ challenge to artists as a starting point. The study then turns its attention to two artists, Augusto Boal …

President Obama, Public Participation, And An Agenda For Research And Experimentation, Thomas Bryer

Thomas A Bryer

The Obama Administration has offered citizens and onlookers from other nations a host of innovative efforts to make the United States federal government more open, participatory, and collaborative. In this issue of the International Journal of Public Participation, a set of invited authors consider the varying levels of success of this work demonstrated thus far and raise important research and practical questions for the Administration and others who might learn from the Administration’s experiences. In this introduction, some of these questions are reviewed and notable practices are summarized. Ultimately, it is concluded that, though the Administration is still young, there …

Public Engagement In The Obama Administration: Building A Democracy Bubble?, Thomas Bryer

Thomas A Bryer

Following the Bush Administration, the Obama team enhanced access for citizens to participatory venues. Extending and enhancing access gives citizens opportunity to develop their citizenship skills, potentially influence policy, and potentially become better connected to community life. The Administration can be applauded for participatory innovations, but the Administration needs to proceed strategically to ensure the innovations do not produce more harm than good and to ensure that the real change they are producing is not whisked away in the next Administration as rapidly as an information cascade infects the citizenry. This article develops the idea of a democracy bubble as …

Living Democracy In Theory And Practice: Getting Dirty In A Local Government Incorporation Process, Thomas Bryer

Thomas A Bryer

Poinciana, Florida is a growing community in Central Florida. The master homeowners association contracted for an incorporation feasibility study to determine whether Poinciana could survive as a city. This article describes the public participation process designed and implemented as part of the feasibility study and articulates the goals, principles, and venues of the design, the challenges or barriers confronted, and suggestions for revisions to statutory guidelines for incorporation are described with the purpose of moving towards the institutionalization of public participation as a cultural norm.