Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Editor's Note, Kenneth D. Colburn Jr

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

This fourteenth issue of the Journal is the first published under my term as editor and represents a significant departure from the format and editorial-review process of previous years. For one thing, we have moved to an online version of the journal in conjunction with the development of our new Web site (www.iass1.org). All members will be able to access the journal online. Second, the print version of the journal will be a spiral-bound 8.5” X 11” issue available for members to pick up at the next annual meeting, as we will no longer be mailing hard copies to members. …

Board Of Directors, Jiass Staff

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Listing of the 2010 Board of Directors

Grandparenting In Selected West African Countries: Implications For Health And Hygiene Behaviours In The Household, Joshua Oyeniyi Aransiola Dr, Akanni Ibukun Akinyemi Dr, Ambrose Akinlo Dr, Funmi Togonu-Bickesteeth Prof.

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This is a descriptive study of the health and hygiene behaviors of grandparents who are the primary caregivers of their grandchildren in four West African countries, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. The article utilizes data from each country’s most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). The study identified 20,841 households where grandparents were primary caregivers. As expected, most of these households are in Nigeria given their population exceeds the collective population of the other three West African countries. However, the number of grandfamilies in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia is still worrisome for their population size. In each country, …

Grandparents As Foster Parents: Psychological Distress, Commitment, And Sensitivity To Their Grandchildren, Karine Poitras, George M. Tarabulsy, Emmanuelle Valliamée, Sylvie Lapierre, Marc Provost

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Grandparents are increasingly solicited to become foster parents. This study aims to describe the psychological distress, parental sensitivity, and parental commitment of a group of Quebec foster grandparents. Forty-eight foster parents were assessed in this study, including 12 grandparents. Psychological distress was assessed using the Symptom Checklist–90–R (SCL–90–R®; Derogatis & Lazarus 1994), parental sensitivity using the short version of the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (Tarabulsy et al., 2009; Pederson & Moran, 1995) and commitment using a semi-structured interview (This is My Baby; TIMB: Bates & Dozier, 1998). Results indicate no difference between foster parents and grandparents as a function of parental …

Grandparents Of The Community: Lakota Elders’ View Of Intergenerational Care, Mary Kate Dennis, Nancy J. Kepple, Joseph Brewer Ii

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This exploratory, qualitative study provides insight into the traditional concept of tiospaye (extended family and kinship to these relations) by Oglala Lakota elders in the modern context of the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota. The authors reframe the modern implementation of these traditional practices of kinship as community grandparenting, in which the elders extend the role and responsibilities of grandparenting behaviors to all youths in the community. This study employed Indigenous methodologies, which allowed the 25 elders to share their stories in a culturally tailored, relational manner. The study uses thematic analysis to identify three themes associated …

Parenting A Second Time Around: The Strengths And Challenges Of Indigenous Grandparent Caregivers, Jessica Y. Hsieh, Kristen J. Mercer, Sarah A. Costa

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Background: There is a lack of knowledge and research of Indigenous grandparents rearing grandchildren. A burgeoning area of research, the literature only includes studies conducted from the year 2002 and onwards. In order to minimize the burdens that Indigenous grandparents encounter when assuming this role, a greater understanding of this population is crucial. This scoping review was undertaken in an attempt to gain insight into and generate awareness of this population, specifically concerning their needs and experiences. Methods: Sixteen databases were searched, including two medical databases and fourteen social science databases. A total of 92 titles and abstracts were independently …

Caregiving Among Community-Dwelling Grandparents In Jamaica, Julian Gm Mckoy Davis, Douladel Willie-Tyndale, Kathryn Mitchell-Fearon, Desmalee Holder-Nevins, Kenneth James, Denise Eldemire-Shearer

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Grandparents play invaluable caregiving roles in the general upbringing of grandchildren. The objective of the present study is to provide a profile of grandparents providing care to co-resident grandchildren younger than 18 years old in Jamaica. A subsample of 451 grandparents providing care to co-resident grandchildren under than 18 years old was derived from a larger nationally-representative community-based study of 2943 older adults residing in Jamaica. Data pertaining to caregiving, demography, health, socioeconomic status, and social participation were analysed using bivariate and multivariate analyses. Seventy one percent of grandparents were involve in regular care of their grandchildren. Hypertension (65.9%), arthritis …

Jiass Reviewers And Referees (2010-2012), Jiass Staff

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Gratitude and appreciation are expressed to the following persons, among others, who served as reviewers and referees for papers. The publication of this journal would not be possible without their professional dedication and support. THANK YOU!

Cultural Definitions Of Health Care: A Case Study Of Burmese Refugees In Indianapolis, Marielena White

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

As a result of ongoing civil war and civil unrest in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar, every year, the United States accepts increasing numbers of refugees from Burma, of which there is a population of significance within the greater Indianapolis area. When considering options for health care, Burmese refugees may opt for self care instead of care from a health care professional as a result of clashing cultural factors or fears of the unknown.

This study aims to uncover how members of the Chin ethnic group have been challenged or confronted by the social, cultural, and political institutions surrounding …

College Greek Life: Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, And Queer (Lgbtq) Students, Emily Welter

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

This is a qualitative study conducted at a small, private Midwestern university to gain an understanding of the social climate of Greek sorority and fraternity houses as it relates to the acceptance of sexual diversity. In-depth interviews with 11 LGBTQ students were conducted to gain an understanding of the perceptions and experiences of gay students with the Greek system. A number of themes emerged, including general decisions to join a Greek fraternity or sorority; the impact of sexual orientation; aspects of the sorority and fraternity lifestyle; gender norms and perceptions of sexuality: males versus females; Greek-Affiliated LGBTQ students: in-house experiences; …

Experiential Learning In Industrial/Organizational Psychology: A Case Study, Amy Luthanen, Harrison Sibert, Holly Morris, Whitney Ohmer, Rebecca Lowden, Jordan Garber, Russell G. Coulter-Kern

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Experiential learning is considered a powerful tool for learning in college. Community-based research is one type of experiential learning that has been used to learn research skills in a variety of social science disciplines. The current case study was conducted as an experiential learning research project. A team of six students and a professor from a small Midwestern college conducted community-based research with a large agribusiness company headquartered near the college. The goal of the project was to create an effective employee-selection process for this firm and to provide an effective learning experience for students. This included development of a …

The New Economic Reality: Creating A Regional Mindset, Susan Sciame-Giesecke

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Today, one of the key challenges facing community leaders across the country is to build an innovative, prosperous economy to provide jobs and a quality of life for those within their communities. Leaders in each city work hard to attract new businesses and to help those existing businesses successfully compete. Unfortunately, many of these leaders have come to learn that today’s economy is too complex for a single city to master. They have begun to move beyond their local communities and to think of themselves as a part of regional efforts because regions are more competitive in scale and assets …

A Pilot Study On Perceptions Of Sleep Deprivation And Mother-Infant Interaction, Cheryl Deleón

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Maternal sleep deprivation due to caring for an infant during the night has been found to be related to deficits in maternal mood and functioning during the first year of the infant’s life. Perceptions of sleep deprivation are particularly important to assess when examining the relations between infant night awakening and maternal health and well-being because perceptions influence caregiving behaviors. Forty mothers of three-to- four-month-old infants enrolled in a larger study exploring maternal interaction with young infants were examined. The objective of this pilot study was to explore how perceptions of sleep deprivation in a particular group of mothers categorized …

Instrumental Goal Pursuit As An Individual-Difference Dimension In The Seeking Of Happiness, Bernardo J. Carducci, Benjamin D. Traughber

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

The purpose of the present study was an attempt, by examining in more detail the use of the specific strategy of instrumental goal pursuit with the development of the Instrumental Goal Pursuit Scale (IGPS), to extend previous research on the self-selected strategies individuals employ in an attempt to seek happiness. The IGPS consists of five items characterized by happiness-enhancement strategies designed to meet personal goals (e.g., “Attempt to reach my full potential”). Although no gender difference was found, scores on the IGPS correlated significantly (p < .001) with measures of life satisfaction and positive affect. Compared to those with low scores, those in the High-IGPS group maintained personal beliefs reflective of being more satisfied with their current state of happiness, feeling more optimistic about the future, and expressing greater control over their happiness, as well as a greater (p < .001) frequency of use of the more constructive happiness-enhancement strategy categories of Purposeful Leisure, Social Affiliation, Mental Control, and Religious/Reflective. The overall pattern of results suggests initial support for the construct validity of the IGPS. Future research based on instrumental theories linking personality to subjective well-being should focus on individual differences in the underlying dynamics (e.g., goal construction/implementation) and practical implications (e.g., happiness interventions; goal-pursuit training) to examine more thoroughly the validity and utility of the IGPS.

Confederate Raider...Criminal...Hero: Captain Jake Bennett’S Civil War, Randy Mills

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

The story of how irregular warfare during the Civil War played out in border regions has been unevenly told. There exists a relatively large body of scholarly work, for example, on irregular Civil War activities in the border areas of Missouri and Arkansas and, more recently, in eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia. Other areas besides these, however, also witnessed intense and brutal partisan fighting. These other locations have received little attention from historians. A case in point concerns the fierce irregular warfare that took place in western Kentucky and the forgotten story of guerilla fighter Captain Jake Bennett.

The Turk And The Yankee: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Between Turkish And American Managers, Heather Halub, Allison Sauber, James Stück

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

With Turkey’s developing role as a lead nation among emerging markets, the field of cross-cultural management becomes a key contributor to the interactions between Turkish and American professionals in the workplace. This study uses models of national cultural differences based primarily on the findings of Hofstede (1984), but it also incorporates those of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1998) and the GLOBE project (2002), resulting in a comparative cross-cultural management analysis. In combining both academic theory and actual international experience, this paper illustrates that, through effective cross-cultural management, profound understanding and harmony can exist between international managers.

Engendering Democracy After The Arab Spring, Valentine M. Moghadam

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

A gender analysis is needed for a deeper understanding of democracy and democratic transitions. While many commentators of the Middle East have focused on the participation (and transformation) of Islamist parties as key to a democratic transition, they tend to overlook what are in fact key constituencies, natural allies, and social bases of democratic politics—women and their feminist organizations. Women may need democracy in order to flourish, but democracy needs women if it is to be inclusive, representative, and enduring. A comparative perspective as well as a focus on the Middle East/North Africa region illustrates the relationship between the advancement …

Editor's Note, Kenneth D. Colburn Jr

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

This 15th volume of the Journal is my second published as editor, and I am pleased to report that it follows the successful precedent of Volume 14, which, for the first time became available both online for members on our new IASS website (www.iass1.org) as well as in print in the new 8.5” X 11” format (available for members to pick up at the annual meeting, as we are no longer mailing hard copies to members except by request and for an additional fee). Volume 15, as with Volume 14, will be indexed and available through EBSCO, and JIASS will …

Jiass Reviewers And Referees (2010-2013), Jiass Staff

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Gratitude and appreciation are expressed to the following persons (and others) who served as reviewers and referees for papers. The publication of this journal would not be possible without their professional dedication and support. THANK YOU!

Author Biographical Notes, Jiass Staff

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Author biographical notes in order of appearance

Colonial Dreams, Ambiguous Outcomes: German Settlers In The Balkans And The Volga River Basin, Timothy Olin

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

This article surveys the phenomenon of German colonization in Eastern Europe from a comparative perspective. On examination of the origins and outcomes of German settlement in the northern Balkans and southern Russia, a number of shared characteristics and circumstances appear. From beginnings in multinational empires to dissolution under the combined pressure of nationalism and communism, the German settler communities represent an interesting case study in the shift from an imperial to a national perspective in Eastern Europe. The Germans were successful in fulfilling the goals of the Russian and Habsburg imperial governments; they increased agricultural production and helped integrate the …

Culture And Politics: The Relationship Between The Modernist Intellectuals And The Brazilian State (1920–1950), Bruno Gontyjo Do Couto

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

This paper attempts to comprehend the existent connections between culture and politics in the development of modern nation-states. My reflection is based on a long-term analysis of the relations between intellectuals and political elites during the period of state building and nation building in Brazil (1822–1970). In this article, I intend to analyze specifically the period from 1920 to 1950, trying to understand the significance of the Brazilian intellectual movement designated as modernism and its influences over the cultural and political scenario. My hypothesis is that the cultural ideals of the modernist intellectuals were directly linked to political issues of …

How Academic Libraries Can Leverage Social Networking To Popularize Their Services: An Empirical Study, Latrice Booker, Subir Bandyopadhyay

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Social media is commonly used in academic libraries to market services, products, and events to users. A thorough review of the extant literature revealed that few libraries have incorporated a social networking strategy into their broader marketing strategy. Users of an academic library in an urban Midwestern university were surveyed to reveal how they use social networking sites. Respondents were asked the importance of libraries using social networking sites. Although the majority of users thought it was important for libraries to use social networking sites, their preferred method of communication with the libraries was flyers in the library. Library users …

Beyond Attendance: Key Determinants To Improve Students’ Course Performance At A Small Liberal Arts College, Hisaya Kitaoka

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

The improvement of college students’ course performance is an important topic for instructors. Many researchers have found an inverse relationship between number of absences and course performance, suggesting that attendance matters for students’ course performance. The author considers that attendance alone is not the only determinant of students’ course performance. This paper investigates key determinants other than attendance to improve students’ course performance. Three factors—being an economics major, prerequisite economics course performance, and office visits to the instructor—were considered to help students to improve their course performance. In this research, data from students who attended intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics courses …

Income Inequality And Public Expenditures In Canadian Provinces: Is Director’S Law Still Relevant?, Ken Imanak Sagynbekov

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

In this article, I empirically test George Stigler’s (1970) theoretical argument, which is based on Aaron Director’s observation that income redistribution runs from the poor and the rich to the middle classes. Using a panel dataset for ten Canadian provinces from 1981 to 2008, I analyze the impact of various measures of inequality on provincial government size. The estimation results do not support the predictions of theories explaining the growth of government size on the basis of the median voter theorem.

Democratic Transition And Electoral Choice: The Legacy Of One-Party Rule In Hungary And Poland, Ethan J. Hollander

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Why did reforming Eastern European countries adopt the electoral systems they did? Why, for example, did Poland adopt proportional representation while Hungary adopted a system of fairly strict majority rule? Often, the expectation is that new democracies will adopt electoral systems characterized by proportional representation rather than majority rule. This expectation is based on two (unwarranted) assumptions: (1) that proportional representation is better able to produce political stability and (2) that incumbent reformers care more about stability than about their own political power. Because it is reliant on these assumptions, the prevailing literature is unable to explain Hungary’s adoption of …

The Most Important Performing Arts Arisen From Shahnameh Of Ferdowsi: Shahnameh-Khani And Naqqali Of Shahnameh, Mitra Jahandideh, Shahab Khaefi

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Shahnameh of Ferdowsi is the Iranian national epic, which reflects the history, cultural values, sense of nationhood, and ancient religions of Persia by the only use of Persian pure words in the age of Arabic influence on the literature and science language. The footprint of this voluminous masterpiece has been seen in the different kinds of arts since its compilation and up to now; one of them is the penetration of Shahnameh’s verses in the art of storytelling that resulted in the formation of two types of performing arts: “Shahnameh-khani—singing the exact verses of Shahnameh from memory or …

Weathering The Storm: Effects Of The National Recession And Statewide Property Tax Caps In Northwest Indiana, Vicki Urbanik

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

This paper outlines the economic health of Northwest Indiana communities following the latest national recession and the passage of statewide property tax reforms in 2008. This paper identifies the communities with the highest concentrations of economically distressed residents as measured by poverty, unemployment, and participation in the free- and reduced-lunch program during the time period from 2008 to 2012. These communities historically have had the highest property tax rates in the region. In the past, these high tax rates may have served as a disincentive for residential and business investment, but now, with the passage of statewide tax restructuring, the …

An Initial Study Of The Economic Impact Of General Motors Pension Benefits On The Greater Anderson, Indiana, Community, Jonathan Furdek, John Lucas

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Like in many communities, transfer payments are an important income source in Anderson, Indiana. Anderson was once the home of ten General Motors plants. These plants are now closed; approximately 14,000 retirees from these plants reside in the greater Anderson, Indiana, area.

This study is a first attempt to assess the long-term impact that these pensions will have on the Anderson, Indiana, area.

A Comparative Study Of Entrepreneurship In New Urbanist Communities, Karl Besel, Yusuf A. Nur

Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

This comparative case study provides detailed analysis on how businesses are faring in five suburban and urban communities. In addition to examining differences and commonalities between these distinct neighborhoods, the authors attempted to make comparisons between neighborhoods with differing socioeconomic characteristics. The paper concludes that the survival of new urbanist developments depends on how well they foster sustainable environments for businesses within the developments.