Social Work Commons^™

Female Students’ Perceptions Of Sexual Victimization In The College Environment, Nicole Sadoski

Social Work Theses

Research indicates that sexual victimization is a significant problem on college campuses in the United States. Ranging from unwanted sexual contact to rape, sexual victimization of female students is not only a pervasive issue in the college environment, but it also may lead to devastating short- and long-term consequences for survivors, including physical, psychological, and emotional implications. In an effort to better understand the scope of this issue, the researcher attempted to conduct a comprehensive study about female students’ perceptions of sexual victimization at a mid-size, Northeastern, Catholic, liberal arts college. Participants’ recommendations for ways in which colleges can educate …

Obstacles In Human Service Work With Teen Mothers, Chloe Casale

Social Work Theses

Research has shown that it is extremely beneficial for teen mothers to have support during their pregnancy and during their new experience of motherhood. Teen mothers can be extremely vulnerable because of the many obstacles they may face including unhealthy relationships, lack of education attainment, mental health concerns, and isolation. One source of support can come from human service workers. In an effort to better understand the obstacles faced by teen mothers, and thus the obstacles faced by home visitors, this study focused on the stories, opinions, and experiences of those who are working with teen mothers in a home …

The Effects Of Advertising And The Media’S Portrayal Of The “Thin Ideal” On College Women’S Self-Image, Mary Sheehan

Social Work Theses

This study explores the relationship between media images’ portrayal of the “thin ideal” and college women’s self-image and self-esteem. A review of the literature validated the researcher’s hypothesis that women are negatively affected by the media’s portrayal of “ideal” body types. However, the review of literature also presented a contrasting theme that media images can positively affect women through motivation and determination to maintain healthy lifestyles. A mixed methods study using Rosenberg’s Self Esteem Scale and media images portraying different body types was used to examine this relationship. Findings indicated that the level of the women’s self-esteem prior to completing …

Prevalence Of Bullying At The Elementary School Level: A Descriptive Analysis, Katherine M. D’Ascenzo

Social Work Theses

A quantitative, descriptive study on the prevalence of bullying at the elementary school level was conducted in Providence, Rhode Island. A review of the literature outlined the definition of what aggressive behavior constitutes as bullying, details the aggressor and target roles and confirms the potentially harmful consequences of bullying. Factors such as the aggressor and target’s grade level, gender and race were documented to explore whether these factors held an influential role in the bullying incidents. Findings suggested that elementary aged children bully students within their same grade and of similar gender. Another finding revealed that race is not a …

The Religious Influence Inside Bali Orphanages, Shelly Strickland

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I first wanted to research orphanages because I love children. I decided to visit three orphanages each of a different religious affiliation. I set out to find 3 non-corrupt orphanages. I decided to first visit Elisama Christian orphanage where I spent a week playing with the children, interviewing the staff, and observing their daily lives. I then visited Tat Twam Asi Hindu orphanage for girls and observed their daily routines as well as their Full Moon celebration. My third visit was to Yappa Muslim Orphanage for boys. During my final week I found that I still had many questions and …

Best Practices Regarding Homelessness And Mental Illness, Brittany Kowaleski

Social Work Theses

Preliminary research indicates that homelessness is a growing problem in the United States, especially in Rhode Island. It is very common for those who are homeless to also be impacted by a mental illness, which creates an additional barrier for them to overcome. This qualitative research collected stories from homeless individuals in Rhode Island regarding their perceptions of services that work best to overcome homelessness as well as related problems, including mental illness and substance abuse. This is a local and national problem, and understanding the stories from those who “live” the experience of homelessness is valuable for practice and …

Fostering The Orphaned And Vulnerable Child: Exploring Identity Economics In Relation To Orphaned And Vulnerable Children In The Eastern Cape And Cape Town, South Africa, Khaliyah Yasmeen Washington

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

According to UNICEF, 3.7 million children are orphaned in South Africa (2010). Parliament enacted the Children’s Act on April 1, 2010 to grant and protect the rights orphaned or vulnerable children (OVC). The Children’s Act aims to promote the well being of children, prevent abuse or neglect, and increase options for the care of children found to be in need or care and protection (Jamieson, Mahery, and Scott 2011). Children not receiving care and protection from a parent or guardian are placed in one of three options of alternative care. One being child and youth care centers (CYCC); also known …

The Promise Of An Accumulation Of Care: Disadvantaged African-American Youths’ Perspectives About What Makes An After School Program Meaningful, Jeffrey J. Bulanda, Katherine Tyson Mccrea

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

African-American youth growing up in dangerous, deprived homes and communities are at great risk of developing impaired relationship capabilities, which disadvantages them further in the workplace and in their personal lives. While after-school programs have well-documented positive effects, researchers have called for better understanding of improving youths' engagement in services and their constructive relationship skills. Here, we report on a project using participatory action methods to engage poverty-level African-American youth in developing a leadership development program they would find most meaningful. Stand Up Help Out (SUHO) gave youth three layers of caregiving experience: receiving care from instructors, giving and receiving …

Evaluasi Program Penguatan Perempuan Usaha Kecil (Puk) (Evaluasi Sumatif Terhadap Program Penguatan Puk Yang Dilakukan Asosiasi Pendamping Perempuan Usaha Kecil Di Solo), Agung Cahyanto

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

This research is a study summative evaluation PUK Strengthening Program in Solo with a quantitative approach. The goal is to measure outcome indicators and analyzes the factors that influence the achievement of outcomes based on aspects of the process and input. The analysis was done by means of univariate and bivariate with cross table, Chi Square and Kendall Tau. The results showed that the outcome indicators has not been achieved. Factors that influence the outcome of the process aspect are ability to identify and solve problems, quality of production, volume of business, business innovation, profit exhibitions, as well as participation …

[Social Work] Newsletter, Spring 2013, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Social Work.

Social Work Newsletter

Inside This Issue:

-- Remembering Ruth Anderson, Founder of Social Work Department ...... 2
-- Student Highlights ...... 4
-- Note on the Social Work Student Association ...... 5
-- Message form the Department Head ...... 6
-- Faculty Highlights ...... 7
-- Faculty Achievements ...... 9
-- Alumni News ...... 10
-- Program Mission ...... 11

The Impact Of Home Visitor Relationship Quality On Parenting And Child Outcomes: Does Maternal Age Matter?, Elizabeth A. Colsey

Senior Honors Theses

Early Head Start (EHS) is an early intervention program that seeks to mitigate the effects of risk for those families with young children. Consistent with attachment theory, the home visiting component of EHS targets parent-child relationships in order to combat negative child outcomes. Research indicates that children of adolescent mothers are susceptible to poor outcomes both in childhood and adulthood. The current study utilized EHS data from 1198 parent-child dyads to assess the indirect relationship of home visitor quality on child aggression through parent quality, as moderated by maternal age. Findings indicated that home visitor quality may have a greater …

Early Family Ties And Marital Stability Over 16 Years: The Context Of Race And Gender, Terri L. Orbuch, José A. Bauermeister, Edna Brown, Brandyn Dior Mckinley

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Spouses' emotional ties to family early in marriage are linked to marital outcomes, but little is known about how these ties affect marital stability and whether these effects vary by race and gender. The present study examines the links between emotional ties to family of origin and in-laws in the first year of marriage and marital stability over the first 16years of marriage. Data were collected as part of a longitudinal study following Black American (n=199) and White American (n=174) married couples. Analyses revealed that perceptions of closeness to in-laws early in marriage were associated with odds of divorce over …

Easy Effective Counseling: A Strategy For Busy Pastors, Benjamin Karner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastors are expected to counsel various people with various problems. However, in most circumstances, pastors have little time to prepare for counseling sessions and cannot be long-term therapists. Therefore, it is critical for the pastor to be able to quickly and effectively give substantial guidance to counselees. The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a pastoral counseling program with a decision management focus. A survey will be conducted with at least one hundred (100) pastors who engage in counseling as part of their regular ministry duties. This project will develop and communicate a practical counseling approach for …

The Impact Of Service-Learning On Community Involvement Attitude In Career And Technical Education Students, Christopher Daniel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Service-Learning is a teaching methodology, which incorporates community service and classroom learning. Students take the skills and techniques gained in the classroom into the community to address real world problems. The basis for this methodology comes from the theories of John Dewey and more recently the Experiential Education Theory of D.A. Kolb. The three phases of preparation, action, and reflection move service-learning beyond other models of experiential education to build a reciprocally beneficial model for all stakeholders. This quantitative study examines the effect service-learning has on attitudes toward community involvement among community college, career and technical education students of eastern …

2013 Massachusetts Family Impact Seminar: Youth At Risk, Part 2, Denise A. Hines, Fern L. Johnson, Donna Haig Friedman, Deborah A. Frank

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

The youth of Massachusetts are of primary concern to legislators and citizens. This briefing report features three essays by experts — Fern Johnson, Deborah Frank, and Donna Haig Friedman — who focus on three aspects of children in need: children in foster care who need adoption, children who are hungry, and children who are homeless. Each report has further and more detailed suggestions for helping these children in need; below is a summary of the problems we face.

Gender Differences In Material, Psychological, And Social Domains Of The Income Gradient In Mortality: Implications For Policy, Peter Muennig, Meghan Kuebler, Jaeseung Kim, Dusan Todorovic, Zohn Rosen

Faculty and Staff Publications

We set out to examine the material, psychological, and sociological pathways mediating the income gradient in health and mortality. We used the 2008 General Social Survey-National Death Index dataset (N = 26,870), which contains three decades of social survey data in the US linked to thirty years of mortality follow-up. We grouped a large number of variables into 3 domains: material, psychological, and sociological using factor analysis. We then employed discrete-time hazard models to examine the extent to which these three domains mediated the income-mortality association among men and women. Overall, the gradient was weaker for females than for males. …

The Social And Health Service Needs Of Aboriginal Peoples In Smaller Urban Centers In Southern Ontario: A Synthesis Paper For Service Agencies, Martin Cooke, Julia Woodhall, Jennifer Mcwhirter

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

The disproportionate needs of urban Aboriginal people make it important for urban social and health service providers to understand the conditions faced by this population. This synthesis paper reviews recent literature on urban Aboriginal populations in order to identify their characteristics and main areas of need. It is meant to inform those who work in health and social service planning and delivery in smaller urban centers, particularly non-Aboriginal service agencies in Southern Ontario.

The existing research shows that urbanized First Nations, Métis and Inuit have greater needs for specific health, cultural, justice, financial, and educational services. Furthermore, the literature indicates …

An Examination Of The Motivations Of Attendees At Cal Poly's "Change The Status Quo" Conference, James Statton

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

The social activism community exists to address the collective responsibility of meeting needs and fighting for the rights of the disadvantaged and/or marginalized populations. The Change the Status Quo conference aims to educate, motivate, and activate attendees. The purpose of this study was to measure the motivations of attendees at the Change the Status Quo conference at Cal Poly to become involved in social activism. The study was conducted through a questionnaire distributed and collected during the final workshop of the conference. The findings from 72 participants indicated that most were female and college students. Most were also frequently involved …

Influences Of Environmental Factors On The Physical Functioning Of Older Adults In Urban China, Fei Sun, Chuntian Lu, Jordan I. Kosberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined the influence of municipal-level environmental factors (i.e., economy, pollution, health care) on the physical functioning of the elder population in urban China using a two level hierarchical linear model (HLM) method. Data came from the 2005 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, including 3,830 older adults (Ma, - 86.4) randomly selected from 152 cities across China. Municipal-level data retrieved from the Chinese Statistical Yearbook 2005 include indictors of economic development, pollution, and health service availability. Higher gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and more doctors were associated with fewer functioning limitations. The effect of selfrated …

Review Of The Price Of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future. Joseph E. Stiglitz. Reviewed By Mary Huff Stevenson., Mary Huff Stevenson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Joseph E. Stiglitz, The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future. New York: W.W. Norton & Company (2012). $27.95 (hardcover).

Review Of To Promote The General Welfare: The Case For Big Government. Steven Conn (Ed.). Reviewed By Sheila D. Collins, Sheila D. Collins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Steven Conn, (Ed.), To Promote the General Welfare: The Case for Big Government. Oxford University Press (2012). $19.95. (paperback).

Review Of The Future Of The Welfare State: Social Policy Attitudes And Social Capital In Europe. Heikki Ervasti, Jorgen Goul Andersen, Torben Fridberg And Kristen Ringdal (Eds.). Reviewed By Larry Nackerud., Larry Nackerud

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Heikki Ervasti, Jorgen Goul Andersen, Torben Fridberg and Kristen Ringdal (Eds.). The Future of the Welfare State: Social Policy Attitudes and Social Capital in Europe. Edgar Elgar Publishing Limited (2012). $110.00 (hardcover).

Review Of Shattering Culture: American Medicine Responds To Cultural Diversity. Mary-Jo Delvecchio Good, Sarah S. Willen, Seth Donal Hannah, Ken Vickery, & Lawrence Taeseng Park (Eds.). Reviewed By Kenny Kwong., Kenny Kwong

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Mary-Jo DelVecchio Good, Sarah S. Willen, Seth Donal Hannah, Ken Vickery, & Lawrence Taeseng Park (Eds.). Shattering Culture: American Medicine Responds to Cultural Diversity. New York: Russell Sage Foundation (2011). $34.62 (paperback).

The New Public Housing Stigma In Mixed-Income Development, Mark L. Joseph

Faculty Scholarship

Public housing residents have long experienced stigma as members of an urban “underclass.” By deconcentrating poverty and integrating public housing residents into mixed-income communities where their residences are indistinguishable from those of their higher-income neighbors, some policymakers hope that the stigma these residents have experienced will be reduced or eliminated. Through interviews with relocated public housing residents at three mixed-income developments being built as part of Chicago’s Plan for Transformation, we fnd that this is not the case. While stigma associated with living in public housing has subsided, residents report that their experience of stigma has intensifed in new ways. …

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Relationship Between Sexual Sensation Seeking And Sti-Related Risk Factors Among African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Sexual sensation seeking has been correlated with STI-related risk factors in numerous cross sectional studies. However, no current studies have examined whether sexual sensation seeking is longitudinally related to a broad spectrum of STI-related factors such as consistent condom use, number of sexual partners, frequency of partner sexual communication, self-efficacy to refuse sex, and fear of condom negotiation. We explored these relationships over a 12-month period among a sample of 715 African American females attending three STI clinics in Georgia that were recruited into a larger randomized clinic intervention study. Utilizing A-CASI technology to assess all self-reported measures and employing …

The Role Of Children’S Support In Elders’ Decisions To Live In A Yanglaoyuan (Residential Long-Term Care), Lin Chen, Minzhi Ye

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of children’s support in elders’ decisions to live in a yanglaoyuan (residential long-term care) in Shanghai based on their intentions and actual experiences, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data. The 2005 Shanghai Elderly Citizen Longitudinal Tracking Study (SECLTS) examines a stratified sample of community-dwelling elders and their intention to live in a yanglaoyuan (N = 1,512). Eleven semi-structured, retrospective interviews described how children participated in residents’ decision-making to live in a yanglaoyuan. Logistic regression analyses reveal that satisfaction with children’s support—financial, instrumental, and emotional—is negatively associated with …

Review Of Taking It Big: C. Wright Mills And The Making Of Political Intellectuals. Stanley Aronowitz. Reviewed By Gordon Fellman., Gordon Fellman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Stanley Aronowitz, Taking It Big: C. Wright Mills and the Making of Political Intellectuals. Columbia University Press, (2012) $32.50 (hardcover).

Paperwork First, Not Work First: How Caseworkers Use Paperwork To Feel Effective, Tifany Taylor

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A great deal of research has explored welfare agency caseworkers, especially how they use discretion. Paperwork in county welfare bureaucracies, however, is often taken-for-granted by caseworkers and researchers studying welfare. In this case study of a county welfare program in rural North Carolina, I focus on how caseworkers use paperwork through document analysis, interviews, and observation data. My findings illustrate caseworkers spend far more time on paperwork than they actually spend assisting program participants find employment. Finally, I show how caseworkers use paperwork to feel effective in a job that offers little to help clients move from welfare to work.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 40, No. 1 (March 2013)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• PAPERWORK FIRST, NOT WORK FIRST: HOW CASEWORKERS USE PAPERWORK TO FEEL EFFECTIVE - Tifany Taylor
• INFLUENCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING OF OLDER ADULTS IN URBAN CHINA - Fei Sun, Chuntian Lu, and Jordan I. Kosberg
• ARE HOUSING FIRST PROGRAMS EFFECTIVE? A RESEARCH NOTE - Danielle Groton
• PHENOMENOLOGY AND HBSE: MAKING THE CONNECTION - Phillip Dybicz
• THE FIRST AND THE LAST: A CONFLUENCE OF FACTORS LEADING TO THE INTEGRATION OF CARVER SCHOOL OF MISSIONS AND SOCIAL WORK, 1955 - Tanya Smith Brice and T. Laine Scales
• HEALTH INEQUALITIES AND THE WELFARE STATE IN EUROPEAN FAMILIES …

Are Housing First Programs Effective? A Research Note, Danielle Groton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper briefly reviews studies comparing the effectiveness of various Housing First programs to Continuum of Care programs for outcomes related to housing retention, substance use, and mental health. A literature search was completed entering the search term "Housing First" in electronic databases (PsycINFO, JSTOR, and Web of Science) to find potential studies. Of the 67 items produced by the literature search, after screening for outcome studies of Housing First programs that evaluate housing retention, substance use, and/or mental health in comparison to other programs or treatment as usual, 5 final studies were selected for inclusion in the review. Of …