Sociology Commons^™

Advanced Seminar – Interviewer-Respondent Interaction: Survey Research & Methodology Special Topics 898, Spring 2012, Robert Belli

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This course will explore the theory and observations that underlie the attempt of survey methodologists to understand the nature of interviewer-respondent interactions and their impact on data quality. This exploration will entail the examination of different interviewing methods and different methods to observe and analyze the verbal behavioral streams that occur between interviewers and respondents. In addition, analytic approaches that seek to understand the impact of verbal behaviors on data quality will be considered.

Poverty And Disability: A Vicious Circle? Evidence From Afghanistan And Zambia, Jean-Francois Trani, Mitchell M. Loeb

Brown School Faculty Publications

Disability and poverty have a complex and interdependent relationship. It is commonly understood that persons with disabilities are more likely to be poor and that poverty may contribute to sustaining disability. This interdependency is revealed not only through an examination of poverty in terms of income but also on a broader scale through other poverty related dimensions. Just how robust is this link? This paper compares data collected from household surveys in Afghanistan and Zambia, and explores the potential link between multidimensional poverty and disability. We find evidence of lower access to health care, education and labour market for people …

Grandparental Death: Through The Lens Of An Asian Child, Wing-Fu Lai

The Qualitative Report

Bereavement has been extensively studied over the years, yet scholarly work depicting, with the first-person perspective, the experience of childhood bereavement is severely lacking. The research question I set out to answer here is: What is it like as an Asian child to experience bereavement following grandparental death? As such, self-introspection was exercised, and this, together with the diaries and free writings generated at the time of my grandma’s death, was used as the basis for autoethnographic reflections. It is hoped that my story presented here can offer a psychological portrayal of an Asian child enduring grandparental death, and illuminate …

Administrator Insights And Reflections: Technology Integration In Schools, Bryan Berrett, Jennifer Murphy, Jamie Sullivan

The Qualitative Report

There are numerous technology tools that educators utilize to support student learning. Often, technology is mandated from the top down with school administrators’ responsible for overseeing the implementation. Innovative technological approaches to learning often meet resistance within schools. The pervasive culture in education is counteractive to technology integration, which may be useful to pedagogy and in the long run may help students deal with the ever growing level of technology present in today’s society. Characteristics are identified at two out of four schools as a way of assessing the progress of technology integration and locating individuals who will help move …

A Critical Review Of The Mandatory Reporting Protocol, Elayne M. Tanner

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Mandatory reporting, although originally enacted to serve the single purpose of protecting vulnerable children from abuse, has been considered for ever expanding purposes. As a policy stance, mandatory reporting is frequently considered to support those socially sanctioned behavioural standards developed to regulate social institutions such as marriage, child rearing, aging and work. Although always embracing an inherent element of protection, a careful balance must be negotiated because mandatory reporting obligations also risk compromising the very rights that are the cornerstones of the social work profession, those of autonomy, confidentiality and self-determination. This research explored the mandatory reporting protocol specifically questioning …

Pre, Peri, And Post-Migration Perspectives Of Mexican National Refugees Related To Experiences Of Violence, Migration, And Resettlement Along The Texas-Mexico Border, Jana L. Mccallister

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

For the past six years, the war on drugs in Mexico has resulted in the out-migration of tens of thousands of Mexican nationals fleeing violence, many settling in El Paso, Texas. The historical context of being pulled to the U.S. for economic opportunity had changed. Mexican nationals were now refugees pushed out of their country for safety. Because the context of migration had changed, the close proximity and similarities between El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, and the availability of social support in the U.S., the experiences of this refugee cohort were unique. Because increasing numbers were seeking mental health …

Beliefs About Alcohol And The College Experience, Locus Of Self, And College Undergraduates’ Drinking Patterns, Lizabeth A. Crawford, Katherine B. Novak

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which locus of self (institutional versus impulse), measured using the Twenty Statements Test (TST), moderates the relationship between beliefs about alcohol and the college experience (BACE) and alcohol use among college undergraduates. Although the majority of our respondents listed more idiosyncratic personal characteristics and preferences than consensual social roles in response to the TST, the number of students classified as institutionals was notably higher than what has been reported within the literature. In opposition to our hypothesis that BACE would affect levels of alcohol consumption primarily among these individuals, …

Understanding The Evolving Roles Of Improvement-Oriented High School Teachers In Gilgit-Baltistan, Takbir Ali

The Qualitative Report

In this paper the author presents a framework for understanding how improvement-oriented high school teachers' accounts of change experiences portray their evolving roles as change agents in school reform. The data on which this paper is based come from a one-year long in-depth study (doctoral thesis research project) in which the author set out to investigate how improvement-oriented teachers pursue important changes in the realm of classroom, school and community; how the teachers-initiated changes can be characterized; and how the teachers' roles evolve with their change practices. The researcher employed qualitative case study methodology, using in-depth interviews, classroom observations, post-observation …

More About "Research In Ambiguous, Conflictual, And Changing Contexts": Studying Ethnic Populations In China, Xi'an To Urumqi, Linda Dorsten, Yuhui Li

The Qualitative Report

A recent article in this journal discusses ways to manage uncertainty when the research field abruptly and significantly changes on researchers working inside their own society (Kacen & Chaitin, 2006). Our essay extends this discussion by asking: How do researchers manage ambiguous, conflictual, and rapidly changing events when they engage in study outside their own society? We describe three aspects of our data collection experience that coincidentally began one week before the Urumqi city, Xinjiang, China, riots of 2009 in which over 200 people were reported as killed and several thousand injured: (a). our original research agenda and the uncertain …

Delphi In Criminal Justice Policy: A Case Study On Judgmental Forecasting, Kim Loyens, Jeroen Maesschalck, Geert Bouckaert

The Qualitative Report

This article provides an in-depth case study analysis of a pilot project organized by the section "Strategic Analysis" of the Belgian Federal Police. Using the Delphi method, which is a judgmental forecasting technique, a panel of experts was questioned about future developments of crime, based on their expertise in criminal or social trends. The results demonstrate how police authorities could implement judgmental forecasting methods like Delphi methodology for the anticipation of future criminal trends, and how this technique, applied under specific conditions, can complement current crime analysis techniques. This article will not focus on criminal trends that were forecasted in …

Aids Related Stigma In Social Relations: A Qualitative Study In Turkey, Aytul Kasapoglu, Elif Kus Saillard, Nilay Kaya, Feryal Turan

The Qualitative Report

The actual number of HIV/AIDS cases in Turkey is higher than the number of cases reported, and People Living with HIV (PLWHIV) may refrain from acknowledging their sickness or seeking help because of the stigma associated with HIV and fear of discrimination from their close friends, workmates, and even their families. In this paper we aim to explore HIV-positive people's relationships with significant others such as family members, friends, sexual partners, employers and health professionals in order to present the patients' perceptions about stigma and attitudes that lead to pro-social or anti-social behavior towards them. We carried out a qualitative …

Contextualizing The Perceived Barriers Of Adult Learners In An Accelerated Undergraduate Degree Program, David Deggs

The Qualitative Report

Research has consistently suggested that colleges and universities should review academic programs and support services in order to make modifications to meet the needs of adult learners. However, one could argue that colleges and universities cannot be successful in meeting adult learners' needs without understanding the barriers they experience. This study utilized phenomenology to examine the perceived barriers of adult learners in an accelerated undergraduate degree program in the mid-South. Analysis of data collected from adult learners identified three types of barriers: (a). intrapersonal, (b). career and job-related barriers, and (c). academic-related. The results of this study suggested that barriers …

Methodological Gravitism, Muhammad Zaman

The Qualitative Report

In this paper the author presents the case of the exchange marriage system to delineate a model of methodological gravitism. Such a model is not a deviation from or alteration to the existing qualitative research approaches. I have adopted culturally specific methodology to investigate spouse selection in line with the Grounded Theory Method. This approach, indeed, suggests the unification of methodological individualism, collectivism, and the social positioning of the actor to study the complex and intricately intertwined networks of relatedness.

Grounded Theory Methodology: Positivism, Hermeneutics, And Pragmatism, Lars-Johan Age

The Qualitative Report

Glaserian grounded theory methodology, which has been widely adopted as a scientific methodology in recent decades, has been variously characterised as "hermeneutic" and "positivist." This commentary therefore takes a different approach to characterising grounded theory by undertaking a comprehensive analysis of: (a) the philosophical paradigms of positivism, hermeneutics, and pragmatism; and (b) the general philosophical questions of the aims of science and the issue of choosing a scientific methodology. The commentary then seeks to position grounded theory methodology in terms of these philosophical perspectives. The study concludes that grounded theory methodology contains elements of positivism, hermeneutics, and pragmatism. In coming …

Working Together More Than Alone: Students' Evolving Perceptions Of Self And Community Within A Four-Year Educational Administration Doctoral Cohort, Lance Ford, Courtney Vaughn

The Qualitative Report

School administrators rarely have the opportunity to confer and share their challenges with colleagues. To address this problem in 2005 the Educational Administration Department (EAD) at Central University (a Midwestern PhD granting institution located in a thriving city of about 100,00 people) created a virtual/local doctoral cohort for 14 school leaders living and working in two states. Three years into the course of study we conducted a year long inquiry that asked, "How did students' self-perceptions evolve within a cohort context, and how did these changes advance or retard professional learning community (PLC) growth?" Our interviews had a phenomenological focus …

Who Wants To Be A Physical Education Teacher? A Case Study Of A Non-Traditional Undergraduate Student In A Physical Education Teacher Education Program, Scott Ronspies

The Qualitative Report

Forty percent of undergraduate students are non-traditional students. The purpose of this study was to identify what attracted the participant to physical education, identify what situational/social factors facilitated the career choice, and the beliefs of the participant about what it meant to be a physical educator. The study consisted of one male non-traditional student. Artifacts, observation, and interview methods were employed to gain an understanding of why the participant wanted to become a physical educator and what were the beliefs of the participant about physical education teaching or teachers. Findings indicated the participant was attracted to physical education by his …

Competing Cultural Worldviews In The United States: A Phenomenological Examination Of The Essential Core Elements Of Transnationalism And Transculturalism, Mark P. Orbe, Darlene K. Drummond

The Qualitative Report

The objective of this study was to explore inductively the complex ways in which everyday discourse reflects larger - and often competing - cultural worldviews. A phenomenological framework was used to analyze transcripts generated through 13 focus group discussions involving 100 individuals. This particular analysis highlights how individuals who adopted a transnational worldview worked to transform cultural divisions through criticism of existing labels that failed to capture the multicultural nature of their identifies. Alternatively, individuals who adopted a transcultural worldview worked to transcend traditional cultural divisions through a rejection of traditional labels that worked against one unified social identity. The …

Appraising Qualitative Research Reports: A Developmental Approach, Robin Cooper

The Qualitative Report

In this paper, the author discusses the development of an appraisal instrument designed for evaluating submissions to The Qualitative Report-the TQR Rubric. Following a description of the context of TQR, she explains what led to the development of the TQR Rubric and describes its components. She concludes by presenting the plan of implementation of the rubric and a discussion of how the TQR Rubric's elements relate to notions of quality presented in the literature.

Voicing The Less Heard: A Review Of Focus Group Methodology: Principles And Practice, Derya Kulavuz-Onal

The Qualitative Report

Focus Group Methodology: Principles and Practice is a powerful text in not only equipping novice researchers with all the stages of designing a focus group, but also facilitating their understanding of the philosophies and in-depth principles of focus group methodology. Although the text seems to have specifically aimed at researchers in health and social sciences, beginning qualitative researchers in other fields, such as educational sciences, can also gain valuable insights. The text also provides detailed accounts of previous research where focus groups have been used as well as an intensive discussion of more specific topics such as focus groups with …

A Review Of Qualitative Research In Counseling And Psychotherapy, Nozomu Ozaki

The Qualitative Report

In reviewing Qualitative Research in Counseling and Psychotherapy (McLeod, 2011), I encountered with this text a backdrop of a grand tour question, "How well has the author contextualized qualitative inquiry in the realm of counseling and psychotherapy theory and practice?" I found McLeod (2011) constantly embedding qualitative methodology and plethora of methods into counseling and psychotherapy field by pointing out the relationship between research and practice of counseling and psychotherapy and giving detailed account on philosophical foundations and actual practice of qualitative methods while zigzagging among multiple levels of contexts. At the same time, McLeod maintained his pluralistic position on …

Ophthalmology For The Myopic Methodologist: A Review Of Five Ways Of Doing Qualitative Analysis, Carl Root

The Qualitative Report

In Five Ways of Doing Qualitative Analysis, Frederick J. Wertz, Kathy Charmaz, Linda M. McMullen, Ruthellen Josselson, and Rosemarie Anderson provide students and researchers with both a broad knowledge base and specific examples of each of their preferred methods of analysis. The authors apply their respective expertise of phenomenological psychology, grounded theory, discourse analysis, narrative research, and intuitive inquiry to sixth author Emalinda McSpadden's narrative of responding to an unfortunate situation. The result is a comprehensive comparison of each method emphasizing unique strengths and weaknesses in each approach as well as the reflexivity required of researchers utilizing such analyses.

From Tactics To Praxis: Learning Feminist Pedagogy Through Methodology, Laura L. Janik-Marusov, Lauren M. Sardi, Dina Giovanelli, Rita Offiaeli, Deric Shannon

The Qualitative Report

Through a self-reflexive and ongoing process, in this paper we chronicle how we as graduate students learned about feminist pedagogy through methodology. Primarily, we noted dilemmas in feminist methodology that became central dilemmas for us in our roles as feminist research guides within a combined graduate and undergraduate feminist methodologies course. As we became aware of these specific dilemmas, not only did we attempt to apply them to the research we were conducting for an institutional ethnographic research project on campus safety, but we also found them to be central pedagogical concerns in ways that were both unique and similar …

Everybody’S Doin’ It (Right?): Neighborhood Norms And Sexual Activity In Adolescence, Tara D. Warner, Peggy C. Giordano, Wendy D. Manning, Monica A. Longmore

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

A neighborhood’s normative climate is linked to, but conceptually distinct from, its structural characteristics such as poverty and racial/ethnic composition. Given the deleterious consequences of early sexual activity for adolescent health and well-being, it is important to assess normative influences on youth behaviors such as sexual debut, number of sex partners, and involvement in casual sexual experiences. The current study moves beyond prior research by constructing a measure of normative climate that more fully captures neighborhood norms, and analyzing the influence of normative climate on behavior in a longitudinal framework. Using recently geo-coded data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study …

Does Recreational Reading In Native Language Influence Foreign Language Learning Process?, Selami Aydin

The Qualitative Report

Limited studies have been conducted on the effects on recreational reading in native language on foreign language learning, whereas no findings exist on the effects of recreational reading in Turkish as a native language (L1) on English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effects of recreational reading in L1 on the process of learning EFL. The sample group consists of 70 learners and a background questionnaire, interviews, oral presentations, classroom discussions, essay papers, and responses to examination questions were used for data collection. The results indicated that recreational reading in L1 has some …

Ten Steps For Conceptualizing And Conducting Qualitative Research Studies In A Pragmatically Curious Manner, Ronald J. Chenail

The Qualitative Report

In a world of methodological pluralism and mixed-methods, qualitative researchers can take a pathway of pragmatic curiosity by exploring their research interests and the possible design and methodology choices to create studies that not only allow them to pursue their investigative curiosities, but also result in coherent and effective systems of procedural choices. Ten steps are offered for researchers to conceive and conduct qualitative research projects that are both responsive to research goals and objectives and defendable to criteria of quality and critics of utility.

Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (Nasis) 2010-2011 Methodology Report, Bureau Of Sociological Research

Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS)

Bureau of Sociological Research 2010-2011 NASIS Methodology Report 2

CONTENTS

Introduction 3

Mode Selection 3

Design & Item Selection 3

Sampling Design 4

Experimental Design Treatment 4

Data Collection Process 4

Response Rate 5

Data-Entry Training, Supervision, and Quality Control 5

Processing of Completed Surveys 5

Data Cleaning 5

Representativeness of the Survey 6

NASIS Sample Weights 6

Figures 8

Tables 9

Appendix A: Cover Letter 12

Appendix B: Formatted Mail Survey 17

Appendix C: Reminder Postcard 29

Appendix D: County Codes 30

Appendix E: Variables and Descriptions 31

“Necesitamos Amar La Autonomía”: Los Retos Que Enfrenta El Desarrollo Autonómico De La Raas, Joshua L. Mayer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Twenty-four years after the passage of the Autonomy Law (Ley 28) by the Nicaraguan National Assembly, the Southern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS) continues to struggle to exercise its newfound rights and fill the space provided to it. Especially in the five years since President Daniel Ortega took office for the second time and began an earnest effort to reinforce the autonomy kept weak over the past sixteen years, the internal challenges facing the region’s ability to assert itself in its own political and economic development have become increasingly clear. This project aims to highlight these challenges as a synthesis of …

Resolution, Reinvestment, And Realignment: Three Strategies For Changing Juvenile Justice, Jeffrey A. Butts, Douglas N. Evans

Publications and Research

In recent decades, legislators and administrators have created innovative policies to reduce the demand for expensive state confinement and to supervise as many young offenders as possible in their own communities. This report reviews the history and development of these strategies and portrays their methods as following one of three models: resolution, reinvestment, and realignment.

Civic Attitude And Activity Of Loma Linda University Dental Graduates, Gregory W. Olson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Introduction: Dentistry is regarded as a profession and granted certain privileges, such as self-regulation. Associated with this status are stated and implied responsibilities which are widely debated. In recent years, dental professionalism seems to be on the decline. Evidence cited includes access-to-care issues and decreased public trust in dentists. In response, academia and professional organizations have developed curricula and statements intended to bolster professionalism. Meanwhile little is known about practicing dentists’ attitudes or participation in health-related civic matters. Objectives: This study seeks to examine the importance Loma Linda University (LLU) dental graduates place on public roles, their reported participation in …

Participatory And Action-Oriented Dissertations: The Challenges And Importance Of Community-Engaged Graduate Research, Emily Van Der Meulen

The Qualitative Report

Graduate students commonly experience isolation and estrangement when conducting their final research projects, which can contribute to difficulties in completion. A creative and socially beneficial way to offset academic isolation is for graduate students to engage in participatory and action-oriented research projects with local communities. Facilitating a research study with a local partner can be a richly rewarding experience. This article argues that students who enjoy working in collaborative environments and want their final research projects to lead to beneficial social change can find fulfillment in action research (AR) methodologies. Critiqued by some for its lack of tangible and practical …