Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ecological Diversity In Hillsborough County, Florida: Correlations Between Landscape Metrics And Socio-Demographic Variables, David Godfrey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Landscape metrics, a means of quantifying landscape attributes, are frequently used in landscape ecology to describe the spatial characteristics of a landscape, but they have been less often used in anthropology. Using geographic information system (GIS) software, this study tests a method that investigates statistical correlations between groundcover landscape metrics and socio-demographic variables in Hillsborough County, Florida. Statistically significant correlations were found, illustrating the potential utility of this exploratory method. Wealthier areas with fewer ethnic minorities tend to be more fragmented and diverse in terms of groundcover; these areas also tend to have a lower percentage of impervious surfaces. The …

Social Determinants Of Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Perinatal Morbidity: Social Origins Of Perinatal Health Study, Abraham A. Salinas-Miranda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The social causation of preterm birth remains elusive, without an adequate explanatory framework. Thus, this study proposed and evaluated a conceptual model of the social determinants of perinatal health for the understanding of perinatal health disparities.

METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted with pregnant women between 20 and 35 weeks gestation who were participating in two Healthy Start programs in Central Florida, from July 2011-August 2013. Perinatal health was operationalized based on gestational age, birth weight, and healthy start infant risk screen score. The predictors were: early life adversity, social position, maternal health-related quality of life, maternal stress, …

No One Best Way: Work-Family Strategies, The Gendered Division Of Parenting, And The Contemporary Marriages Of Mothers And Fathers, W. Bradford Wilcox, Jeffrey P. Dew

Faculty Publications

The gender revolution of the last half-century has dramatically reshaped the nature, quality, and stability of marriage and parenthood in the United States. A half-century ago, most married mothers did not work outside the home, and most men and women preferred this arrangement. But over the course of the second half of the twentieth century, mothers streamed into the labor force, fathers devoted more time to childcare and housework, and public opinion largely swung behind these changes, with most Americans expressing normative support for working mothers, as well as for more egalitarian relationships between mothers and fathers in the home …

Sex Differences In Verbal Aggression Use In Romantic Relationships: A Meta-Analytic Study And Review, Laura Stockdale, Sarah Tackett, Sarah M. Coyne

Faculty Publications

Purpose - The current study aimed to investigate potential sex differences in the use of verbal aggression in romantic relationships.

Design/methodology/approach - The current study used meta-analytic methodology to analyze 20 studies to understand gender differences in the use of verbal aggression in romantic relationships.

Findings - The results found that women used more verbal aggression than men in romantic relationships; however, overall levels of verbal aggression use were relatively high regardless of sex.

Research imitations/implications - Limitations of the current research, such as calling for less exploratory research and the need for theories grounded in human coupling research, and …

An Innovative Approach To Action Research In Family Violence Prevention, Linnaya M. Graf, Nancy K. Rea, William M. Barkley

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Violence prevention remains a priority in the current public health agenda because of continuing high rates and debilitating effects of violence that exist across the globe (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families [USDHHS-ACF], 2009; World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). This article presents the use of an innovative qualitative study developed from community action research methods in the area of family violence. By applying the combined framework of force field analysis (Lewin, 1958) and the public health model (Centers for Disease Control, 2002; Knox & Aspy, 2011), the current study identified factors that positively …

Citizen Participation, Trust, And Literacy On Government Legitimacy: The Case Of Environmental Governance, Myung Jin

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

This paper explores the role of direct citizen participation, trust, and environmental literacy and its impact on the legitimacy of government institutions in the context of environmental governance in the U.S. The current knowledge regarding the dynamics of the institutional legitimacy at the policy level is significantly lacking. This paper addresses broadly the effects of direct citizen participation, citizen trust, and environmental literacy on government legitimacy. Findings indicate that citizens prefer government institutions over ordinary people on leading environmental governance. However, the preference was less clear when asked to choose between the government and businesses as to who should lead …

A More Optimistic Perspective On Government-Supported Marriage And Relationship Education Programs For Lower Income Couples, Alan J. Hawkins, Scott M. Stanley, Philip A. Cowan, Frank D. Fincham, Steven R. H. Beach, Carolyn Pape Cowan, Galena Kline Rhoades, Howard J. Markman, Andrew P. Daire

Faculty Publications

In the past decade, the federal government, some states, and numerous communities have initiated programs to help couples form and sustain healthy marriages and relationships in order to increase family stability for children. Thus, we value the attention given to this emerging policy area by the American Psychologist in a recent article (Johnson, May–June 2012). However, it is important to challenge some of Johnson's points about the effectiveness and reach of interventions to lower income couples and couples of color and his suggested prioritization of basic over applied research.

Adolescent And Parent Perceptions Of The Influence Of Religious Belief And Practice, Carrolyn A. Mcmurdie, David C. Dollahite, Sam A. Hardy

Faculty Publications

The purpose of the present study was to investigate lay conceptions of religious influence. Specifically, we explored adolescents' and parents' perceptions of the ways in which their religious beliefs and practices had impacted them and their life. The sample included 419 adolescents and 282 parents recruited from across the United States through an online survey panel. Participants were asked to list three different ways that religion had influenced their lives. Responses were coded using grounded-theory qualitative methods. Six main themes of influence emerged in both the adolescent and parent responses: Interpersonal Relationships, Character Development, Religious Values and Practices, Perspective, Peace …

Effects Of Leadership On Financial Performance At The Local Level Of An Industrial Distributor, Rod L. Flanagan, Gary Stewardson, Jeffrey P. Dew, Michelle M. Fleig-Palmer, Edward Reeve

Faculty Publications

An important component in the industrial products supply chain is the distribution segment of the channel. The health and success of industrial distributors can often influence the success cess of manufacturers whom they represent. Although research has demonstrated how leadership is a key ingredient in the success of large corporations across industries, very little leadership research has been conducted in the industrial distribution market segment—especially at the local level. This research fills the gap between what is know about leadership in larger organizations, and the need for greater understanding of leadership at the local level of an industrial distributor. The …

Vowel Harmony In Kuria, Mary Zacharia Charwi

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper describes vowel harmony in Kuria, an Eastern Bantu Language spoken in Tanzania and Kenya. It is indicated that Kuria has seven vowels which are contrastive in length, and which are not freely distributed. Two types of vowel harmony are explained, namely ‘the stem controlled vowel harmony’ and ‘the dominant vowel harmony’, each of which could be progressive or regressive. The paper also shows the distribution of Kuria vowels in nominal prefixes and pre-prefixes. Essentially long vowels can occur in any position but not in initial and final positions. The phonological processes that affect Kuria vowels are also accounted …

Roger Scruton: A Political Philosophy Study Guide, 2006-2012, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Pierre Manent: Democracy Without Nations? The Fate Of Self-Government In Europe Study Guide, 2012, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

John Fonte: Sovereignty Or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves Or Be Ruled By Others? Study Guide, 2012, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Erik Von Kuehnelt-Leddihn: Leftism: From De Sade And Marx To Hitler And Marcuse Study Guide, C. 1990-2012, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Joseph S. Nye, Jr. And David A. Welch, Understanding Global Conflicts And Cooperation, 9th Ed. Study Guide, 2012, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Re-Authoring To Reconcile Fundamentalist Religious Beliefs With Sexual Orientation: A Narrative Study, Karen Parker

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A narrative qualitative research design was used to understand the journeys of three lesbians with Oneness Pentecostal backgrounds who have reconciled their religious beliefs with their sexual orientation. Three participants were selected who met the following criteria: (a) the participant is a lesbian female who (b) grew up in a Oneness Pentecostal church and (c) has reconciled being a lesbian with her religious beliefs, and who is (d) willing to discuss her outing process. These participants were interviewed. The interview questions were submitted to participants prior to the scheduled interviews. The interviews began with an open-ended inquiry. In answer to …

What’S In Your Cup: A Critique Of The Fair Trade System And Its Ability To Support Qualitative Socioeconomic And Environmental Transformation, Brittan M. Stockert

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Mother Knows Best? Inhibitory Maternal Gatekeeping, Psychological Control, And The Mother–Adolescent Relationship, Erin Kramer Holmes, Kaylee C. Dunn, James P. Harper, W. Justin Dyer, Randal D. Day

Faculty Publications

We used structural equation modeling to explore associations between inhibitory maternal gatekeeping attitudes, reports of inhibitory maternal gatekeeping behaviors, maternal psychological control, observed mother–adolescent warmth, and adolescent reports of maternal involvement. Our random stratified sample consisted of 315 mothers and their adolescents. Results revealed that inhibitory maternal gatekeeping attitudes were positively associated with reports of inhibitory gatekeeping behaviors. Psychological control fully mediated the relationship between inhibitory gatekeeping attitudes, reports of inhibitory gatekeeping behaviors, and adolescent reports of maternal involvement. Though gatekeeping attitudes and behaviors were not associated with observed mother–adolescent warmth, psychological control was negatively associated with observed mother–adolescent warmth. …

Teaming Up For Safer Cities: A Report From The Implementation Assessment Of The National Forum On Youth Violence Prevention (2012), Jeffrey A. Butts, Caterina Gouvis Roman, Kathleen A. Tomberg

Publications and Research

The efforts inspired by the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention will take time to develop, but survey results from the first 15 months of implementation suggest that the initiative may be generating some important changes. In five communities, survey respondents report a number of potentially valuable improvements. The results imply that the cities involved in the National Forum may be increasing opportunities for youth and improving the extent to which violence prevention approaches draw upon the perspectives and expertise of a broad range of community members. There are also indications that some cities are developing better overall capacity to …

Can Public Education Be Saved? An Argument For Educational Reform, Kathrine Hyatt

Honors Theses

Education, a key to later success, needs to be the number one priority. However, the American of public education has many systemic problems that are inhibiting children from reaching their full potential. This literature review first examines the colonial roots of American education and briefly tracks the development. Then, four major systemic problems are addressed: the over reliance on standardized testing, teaching methods and curriculum, lack of creativity, and how the cycle of poverty impacts learning. Finally solutions are discussed, with the ultimate recommendation being to adapt the Montessori Method.

Does Therapist Guidance Enhance Assessment-Based Feedback As Couple Relationship Education?, W. Kim Halford, Raylene Chen, Keithia L. Wilson, Jeffry Larson, Dean M. Busby, Thomas Holman

Faculty Publications

Assessment and feedback of relationship strengths and challenges is a widely used brief approach to couple relationship education (CRE). It can be fully automated through the internet, with couples self-interpreting the feedback. This study assessed whether therapist guidance of couples to interpret the report and develop relationship goals enhanced the benefits of the feedback. Thirty-nine couples seeking CRE were randomly assigned to either self-interpretation of an internet-based relationship assessment report (RELATE), or therapist-guided interpretation of the same report (RELATE+). Participants were assessed on relationship satisfaction and psychological distress pre- and post-CRE, and a 6-month follow-up. RELATE and RELATE+ were not …

Youth And Saving In Ghana: A Baseline Report From The Youthsave Ghana Experiment, Gina Chowa, David Ansong, Rainier Masa, Mat Despard, Isaac Osei-Akoto, Atta-Ankomah Richmond, Andrew Agyei-Holmes, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Youth and Saving in Ghana: A Baseline Report From the YouthSave Ghana Experiment

Interviews With Mothers Of Young Children In The Seed For Oklahoma Kids College Savings Experiment, Karen Gray, Margaret Clancy, Margaret S. Sherraden, Kristen Wagner, Julie Miller-Cribbs

Center for Social Development Research

Interviews With Mothers of Young Children in the SEED for Oklahoma Kids College Savings Experiment

Effects Of An Individual Development Account Program On Retirement Saving: Follow-Up Evidence From A Randomized Experiment, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Michael Sherraden, William Gale, William M. Rohe, Mark Schreiner, Clinton Key

Center for Social Development Research

Using data from a randomized experiment that ran from 1998 to 2003 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, we examine the 10-year follow-up effects on retirement saving of an Individual Development Account (IDA) program. The IDA program included financial education, encouragement to save, and matching funds for several qualified uses of the savings, including contributions to retirement accounts. The results indicate that, as of 2009, 6 years after the program ended, the IDA program had no impact on the propensity to hold a retirement account, the account balance, or the sufficiency of retirement balances to meet retirement expenses.

Stress Spillover Of Health Symptoms From Healthy Spouses To Patient Spouses In Older Married Couples Managing Both Diabetes And Osteoarthritis, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Susanne O. Roper, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Cynthia A. Berg

Faculty Publications

Many studies examining illness within marriage have investigated how illness in one spouse influences the other spouse. In later-life marriages, where both spouses are more likely to have health challenges, there is an increased likelihood that health symptoms from both spouses affect each other. In the current study we examined how health symptoms in a “healthy” spouse may exacerbate health problems in a partner (the patient) who is managing multiple chronic illnesses. Surveys were collected across 14 days from 27 later-life couples where patients had both diabetes and osteoarthritis. Results indicated that higher healthy spouse symptoms were generally associated with …

Congruence Within The Parent-Teacher Relationship: Associations With Children’S Functioning, Elizabeth Moorman Kim, Kathleen M. Minke, Susan M. Sheridan, Natalie A. Koziol, Ji Hoon Ryoo, Kristin M. Rispoli

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Meaningful interactions between families and schools benefit multiple facets of children’s functioning including their academic, social, and behavioral adjustment (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001).

Positive relationships between parents and teachers predict children’s enhanced social-emotional functioning and academic adjustment across time (Izzo, Weissberg, Kasprow, & Fendrich, 1999).

Studies of parent-teacher relationships often focus on the association of child outcomes with separate parent or teacher reports of their relationship quality. Little attention has focused on the congruence of perceptions within parent-teacher dyads.

It may be the case that when parents and teachers view their relationship in a similar positive light, better connections or …

Violent Youth Crime Plummets To A 30-Year Low, Jeffrey A. Butts

Publications and Research

FBI crime data show a considerable drop in violent youth crimes between 2010 and 2011, with arrests for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter dropping 20 percent in one year. Violent crime arrest rates in 2011 were 30 percent lower than in 2008. This databit shows the percent change in violent offenses charged against youth under 18 between 2010 and 2011 and the youth violent crime rate since 1981.

Charles Hill: Trial Of A Thousand Years: World Order And Islamism Study Guide, 2012, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Learning To Vote: Informing Political Participation Among College Students, Suzanne Pritzker, Melanie J. Springer, Amanda Moore Mcbride

Center for Social Development Research

To inform universities’ capacity to encourage student political participation, we examine associations between four civic influences—civic instruction, deliberative course-based discussion, community service, and service learning—and youth participation during the 2008 presidential election. These four influences were selected because they are commonly integrated into higher education environments. Using an original survey, we employ a broad definition of political behavior to explore ways college students express themselves politically and to examine potential influences on their participation. We hypothesize that students exposed to civic influences are more likely to vote and engage in other participatory activities than those who lack such exposure. Findings …

Religious Liberty In The Early American Republic, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The early nineteenth century in America was a period in which the idea of religious liberty came to be worked out in practice in a setting of growing diversity. The immediate effect of the dissolution of state religious establishments was to strengthen the vitality and prestige of the churches themselves. Before the end of the century, the church historian Philip Schaff could regard as normal ‘a free church in a free state, or a selfsupporting and self-governing Christianity in independent but friendly relation to the civil government.’