Sociology Commons^™

Nuclear Technologies In The Great Basin Oral History Project, Danielle Endres

Native American Forum on Nuclear Issues

Abstract:

The United States currently faces a nuclear waste crisis. According to a 2002 report by former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, “We have a staggering amount of radioactive waste in this country.”1 The Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that by 2035 the U.S. will have approximately 115,000 metric tons of high-level nuclear waste, which exceeds the capacity of the proposed federal storage site at Yucca Mountain.2 Deciding where and how to store nuclear waste is a significant nuclear, environmental, and health policy issue. The decisions that we make about nuclear waste siting greatly impact the future of nuclear technologies …

Correlates Of Marital Success A Homogamy Model, Sarah A. Raper

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This paper examines the relationship between five demographic homogamy variables and marital success. Throughout this paper, several questions were examined that seek to give a better understanding of the factors that impact the stability and quality of American marriages. Is homogamy an important issue in modern society, or have cultural advancements in American society made homogamy irrelevant? Do both ascribed and achieved characteristics still impact marital success? Data from wave one of the National Survey of Families and Households was used for the analysis. First, correlations between the heterogamy variables and marital success were evaluated. Next, regression models were used …

Using An Adversary Hearing To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of A Military Program, Richard L. Miller, Jeanne Butler

The Qualitative Report

This study describes the design and implementation of an adversary hearing used to evaluate professional development initiatives in a military environment. The adversary hearing model used in the evaluation was developed to meet the requirements of an environment that differs from other environments in which adversary hearings have been used. The evaluation was conducted to determine whether a professional development program of the U. S. Army, Europe, actually enhanced soldier development and demonstrated consideration by leaders for their followers. Several key issues relate d to program effectiveness were discovered in the process of the adversary hearing that were not evident …

A Book Review Of Marilyn Lichtman’S Qualitative Research In Education: A User’S Guide, Karen Dawson, Sally St. George

The Qualitative Report

No abstract provided.

“Taking Charge Of One’S Life”: A Model For Weight Management Success, Marlene Adams

The Qualitative Report

Obesity is a serious, prevalent, and refractory disorder that increases with age particularly in women who enroll in formal weight loss treatments. This study examined the processes used by obese postmenopausal women as they participated in a formal weight loss program. Using grounded theory, interviews were conducted with 14 women engaged in a formal weight loss study examining success with specific, targeted weight loss treatments based on one’s weight control self-efficacy typology. “Taking Charge of One’s Life” emerged as a model for weight management success, comprised of three phases: engaging, internalizing, and keeping one’s commitment. This study supports the unique, …

From The Outside Looking In: How An Awareness Of Difference Can Benefit The Qualitative Research Process, Claire Tinker, Natalie Armstron

The Qualitative Report

While much has been written on the problems that can arise when interviewing respondents from a different social group, less attention has been paid to its potential benefits for the research process. In this paper we argue that, by being conscious of one’s outsider status , an interviewer can use it as a tool through which to elicit detailed and comprehensive accounts from respondents, and ensure rigorous and critic al analysis of the data produced.

Types Of Knowledge, Forms Of Practice, Margaret Arnd-Caddigan, Richard Pozzuto

The Qualitative Report

This study was designed to explore the way that us e of theory influenced a social worker’s conceptualization of a simulated case. The participant in this case study was a woman employed in child welfare, who holds an MSW. She was chosen because her response in a larger study represented a deviant case. Data analysis included both thematic analysis and an analysis of a written report based on ideas taken from institutional ethnography. The authors use this case example to illustrate the ways that one’s understanding of theory may impact social work practice.

Midlife Metamorphosis, Patricia Evans

The Qualitative Report

The study was conducted in response to the need for an increased understanding of the aging experiences of women transitioning midlife. The purpose of the research was to explore the personal understanding of the changes that occur during the midlife period. A qualitative case study was implemented to ascertain how women of the Latter-day Saint (LDS) faith experience the midlife transition. The narratives of 10 LDS women ages 35 to 65 were obtained through personal interviews. The data were analyzed from a feminist, social constructionist, and narrative perspective using Chenail’s Qualitative Matrix as a formal coding system to guide the …

Ethical Challenges In Participant Observation: A Reflection On Ethnographic Fieldwork, Jun Li

The Qualitative Report

In this essay I reflect on the ethical challenges of ethnographic fieldwork I personally experienced in a female gambling study. By assuming a covert research role, I was able to observe natural occurrences of female gambling activities but unable to make peace with disturbing feelings of my research concealment. By making my study overt, I was able to fulfill ethical obligations as a researcher but unable to get female gamblers to speak their minds. I responded to such ethical dilemmas by adjusting the level of involvement, participating in female gambling culture as an insider and observing it as an outsider. …

The Use Of Hermeneutics In A Mixed Methods Design, Claudia Von Zweck, Margo Paterson, Wendy Pentland

The Qualitative Report

Combining methods in a single study is becoming a more common practice because of the limitations of using only one approach to fully address all aspects of a research question. Hermeneutics in this paper is discussed in relation to a large national study that investigated issues influencing the ability of international graduates to work as occupational therapists in Canada. Using methods that reflect different ontological and epistemological beliefs was necessary to attain a comprehensive view of enablers and barriers that influence workforce integration. Hermeneutics proved to be a credible and flexible strategy for combining methods to create a deep understanding …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Pre-Service English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Teacher Opinions, Leyla Tercanlioglu

The Qualitative Report

Pre-service English teacher education students’ perceptions of their education experience provide greater insight into developing an effective teaching strategy in English teacher education. The objectives for the study were: (1) to identify issues of interest or concern to the department and (2) to determine satisfaction levels concerning departmental issues. Data were drawn from focus group interviews involving 5 student- teachers in each of 5 groups. The findings showed that the English teacher education department students thought that the department was not fulfilling many of its purposes, although there were some strengths. Identifying what students think can help to open English …

Drinkers And Bettors: Investigating The Complementarity Of Alcohol Consumption And Problem Gambling, Michael T. French, Johanna C. Maclean, Susan L. Ettner

Sociology Faculty Articles and Papers

Regulated gambling is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States with greater than 100% increases in revenue over the past decade. Along with this rise in gambling popularity and gaming options comes an increased risk of addiction and the associated social costs. This paper focuses on the effect of alcohol use on gambling-related problems. Variables correlated with both alcohol use and gambling may be difficult to observe, and the inability to include these items in empirical models may bias coefficient estimates. After addressing the endogeneity of alcohol use when appropriate, we find strong evidence that problematic gambling and alcohol …

Cumulating Evidence About The Social Animal: Meta-Analysis In Social-Personality Psychology, Blair T. Johnson Dr., Marcella H. Boynton Dr.

CHIP Documents

Like most scientific fields, social-personality psychology has experienced an

explosion of research related to such central topics as aggression, attraction, gender,

group processes, motivation, personality, and persuasion, to name a few. The

proliferation of research can be a monster unless it is tamed with the scientific

review strategy of meta-analysis, literally analyses of past analyses that produce

a quantitative and empirical history of research on a particular phenomenon. The

purpose of this article is to outline the basic process and statistics of meta-analysis,

as they pertain to social-personality psychology. Meta-analysis involves: (i) defining

the problem under review; (ii) gathering qualified …

Informed Consent In Hiv Prevention Trials: Highlights From An International Workshop, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Brief adapted from the report of a workshop co-hosted by the Population Council and Family Health International in May 2005. The brief focuses specifically on tools and strategies presented at the workshop that are being used in HIV-prevention trials to facilitate informed consent, explain difficult concepts, and assess comprehension among trial participants. Illustrative examples from completed and ongoing trials are highlighted. This brief will be useful for an audience of local researchers, advocates, and clinical trial staff.

Consentement Éclairé Dans Les Essais De Prévention Du Vih: Points Saillants D'Un Atelier International, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Résumé adapté du rapport de l'atelier co-organisé par le Population Council et Family Health International en mai 2005. Le résumé se concentre spécifiquement sur les outils et stratégies présentés lors de l'atelier qui sont utilisés dans les essais de prévention du VIH pour faciliter le consentement éclairé, expliquer concepts difficiles et évaluer la compréhension parmi les participants à l'essai. Des exemples illustratifs d'essais achevés et en cours sont mis en évidence. Ce résumé sera utile à un public de chercheurs locaux, d'avocats et de membres du personnel des essais cliniques.

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Brief adapted from the report of a workshop co-hosted …

Consentimiento Informado En Ensayos De Prevención Del Vih: Aspectos Destacados De Un Taller Internacional, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Resumen adaptado del informe del taller organizado conjuntamente por el Population Council y Family Health International en mayo de 2005. El resumen se centra específicamente en las herramientas y estrategias presentadas en el taller que se están usando en ensayos de prevención del VIH para facilitar el consentimiento informado, explicar conceptos difíciles, y evaluar la comprensión entre los participantes del ensayo. Se destacan ejemplos ilustrativos de ensayos concluidos y en curso. Este resumen será útil para una audiencia de investigadores locales, defensores y personal de ensayos clínicos.

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Brief adapted from the report of a workshop co-hosted by the Population …

Consentimento Informado Nos Ensaios De Prevenção Do Hiv: Pontos Altos Dum Workshop Internacional, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Resumo adaptado do relatório do workshop organizado pelo Population Council e Family Health International em maio de 2005. O resumo se concentra especificamente nas ferramentas e estratégias apresentadas no workshop que estão sendo usadas em testes de prevenção do HIV para facilitar o consentimento informado, explicar conceitos difíceis e avaliar a compreensão entre os participantes do estudo. Exemplos ilustrativos de ensaios concluídos e em andamento são destacados. Este resumo será útil para um público de investigadores locais, advogados e equipe de ensaios clínicos.

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Brief adapted from the report of a workshop co-hosted by the Population Council and Family Health …

How To Escape Modernity?: An Actor-Network Theory Take On Organizational Forming, Paul Donnelly

Conference papers

The topic of organizational form has been gaining increased attention. Often portrayed as ‘new times’ driving the need for new forms, what is more evident in the literature is that the need for new ways of looking at form has yet to be addressed. The problem that “new organizational form” presents is precisely located in the inability of the field to think in other than “form” itself. By problematizing the focus on “form,” I take issue with the largely ahistorical and aprocessual character of much organizational theorizing and with the privilege obtained by modernist paradigmatic approaches in such theorizing. With …

The Research Practices And Needs Of Non-Profit Organizations In An Urban Center, Randy Stoecker

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

How do nonprofit organizations use data and research? What challenges do they face in conducting research and managing data? In spring of 2004, 80 nonprofit organizations in Toledo, Ohio returned a survey on their research and data needs and practices. The survey found that nonprofits collect data on a wide variety of topics, but do not use much of the data that they collect, and do not collect much data that could be useful for other groups, particularly neighborhood organizations. The average nonprofit in the survey has five employees and four volunteers who, together, spend 56 hours per week collecting, …

A Qualitative Study Of Letters To President Kennedy From Persons With Mental Illness And Their Families: Using The Research Poem In Policy Oriented Research, Rich Furman, Allison Shukraft

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Using the research poem as a tool of data representation, this paper presentsfindingsfrom an analysis of letters sent to President John F. Kennedy regarding the formulation of mental health policy during the early 1960s. The article presents the experiences of consumers of mental health services and their families-shapers and receivers of mentalhealthprovisionsth atareinfrequentlygivenv oice. Traditional thematic analysis was conducted, and data subsequently were represented in three poetic forms:free verse, the pantoum, and the tanka.

Minority Students’ Perspectives On Chemistry In An Alternative High School, Renee Peterson-Beeton

The Qualitative Report

Latinas/os form the largest minority group in the U.S. and they are growing more rapidly than any other ethnic group in this country. However, the number of Latinas/os in chemistry is not proportional to their population; they are noticeably absent from the physical science fields. Little research has explored the circumstances that Latino students encounter in high school chemistry. In this exploratory study, four Mexican American students and one Native American student were interviewed and observed in a physical science class at an alternative school that enrolled predominantly Latino students. Five underlying themes were found: negative perceptions of science, benefits …

The Voice Transcription Technique: Use Of Voice Recognition Software To Transcribe Digital Interview Data In Qualitative Research, Jennifer L. Matheson

The Qualitative Report

Transcribing interview data is a time-consuming task that most qualitative researchers dislike. Transcribing is even more difficult for people with physical limitations because traditional transcribing requires manual dexterity and the ability to sit at a computer for long stretches of time. Researchers have begun to explore using an automated transcription process using digital recordings and voice recognition software (VRS). While VRS has improved in recent years, it is not yet available to the general public in a format that can recognize more than one recorded voice. This article outlines a strategy used to circumvent this problem and improve the speed …

Linguistic Research Strategies Versus Quantitative Research Strategies--Different Roles, Different Results, Joseph Yeager, Linda Sommer

The Qualitative Report

Selecting a statistical framework for a behavioral study has profoundly different results than does a linguistically framed research strategy. The linguistic strategy overcomes many limitations inherent in statistical strategies and offers more meaningful results. Inferential statistical studies often discuss how the findings “explain” the results of the study. Seldom mentioned is the fact that statistical explanations occur in terms of the framework of statistical methodology. Statistical explanations do not explain anything in terms of the actual behavior at issue and do not lead to subsequent interventions about the motivated choices for a target group. Linguistic strategies work especially well if …

Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall, Brad Howey

The Qualitative Report

No abstract provided.

Letting Go Of Data In Aboriginal Australia: Ethnography On “Rubber Time", Sara Stevens Zur

The Qualitative Report

While attempting to investigate modes of musical transmission among the Yol ŋ u People in Northeast Arnhem Land Australia, questions regarding the meaning of the word “research” led to the decisive abandonment of data collection. Specifically, the processes of observation, recording, and other typical Western means of genera ting data seemed to be in direct opposition to the way knowledge was traditionally shared. The author critically examines her multiple attempts at conducting this research, and discusses why eventually giving up on the research led to a more profound understanding.

Using Hermeneutic Phenomenology To Investigate How Experienced Practitioners Lear N To Communicate Clinical Reasoning, Rola Ajjawi, Joy Higgs

The Qualitative Report

This paper is primarily targeted at doctoral students and other researchers considering using hermeneutic phenomenology as a research strategy. We present interpretive paradigm research designed to investigate how experienced practitioners learn to communicate their clinical reasoning in professional practice. Twelve experienced physiotherapy practitioners participated in this research. Using hermeneutic phenomenology enabled access to a phenomenon that is often subconscious and provided a means of interpreting participants’ experiences of personal learning journeys. Within the philosophy underpinning hermeneutic phenomenology , researchers need to design a research strategy that flows directly from the research question and goals of the research project. This paper …

Making Meaning Of Graduate Students’ And Preservice Teachers’ E-Mail Communication In A Community Of Practice, Janet C. Richards, Susan V. Bennett, Kim T. Shea

The Qualitative Report

This inquiry examined graduate students ’ and preservice teachers’ e-mail communication as they made decisions about supporting the instructional needs of children at-risk in a community of practice summer literacy camp. The correspondence gradually evolved from impersonal to interpersonal communication over a ten-week time span, and influenced the preservice teachers’ responses. S even themes were identified in the graduate students’ messages that ranged from questioning and complaining to promoting collaboration. The study illuminates the developmental stages of interpersonal relationships and demonstrates the reciprocal nature of interactive dialogue through the medium of e-mail communication. Conclusions are that long-term e-mail exchanges can …

Entre La Ra Ź On Y La Pasión: La Intimidad Sexual En Parejas Heterosexuales Ante La Empresa Preventiva Del Vih/Sida, Domingo J. Marqués Reyes, Sheilla Rodríguez Madera, Leida Matías Carrelo

The Qualitative Report

This article establishes heterosexual relationships as spaces out of control and, from Foucault’s view of power, positions them as answer to the discourses generated by society to control sexuality. This qualitative study included 20 Puerto Rican couples (11 seroconcordant and 9 serodiscordant) with the objective of identifying variables related to relationship satisfaction with sexual intimacy among women living with HIV/AIDS. Results evidence how in many instances sexual relations are, in fact, moments where passion precedes reason. By involving in high risk behavior, they ignore the preventive enterprise, distance themselves from reason and imposing passion. We come to conclusions about social …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Asynchronous Online Discussion On Blackboard, Hsin-Te Yeh, Maria Lahman

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand students’ perceptions of using asynchronous on line discussion as a learning tool. Six pre-service teachers who took a course in educational technology applications for secondary grades at a Rocky Mountain region mid-sized university were selected to be interviewed. Phenomenological data analysis was used to analyze the interview data. The interviewees’ perceptions of the asynchronous on line discussions centered around purposes, group size, tools for learning, advantages/disadvantages, and the instructor’s role. The findings of this study provide instructors with helpful information on how students perceive asynchronous online discussion and also provide instructors …

“I Just See All Children As Children”: Teachers’ Perceptions About Inclusion, Jane M. Leatherman

The Qualitative Report

This narrative study examined teachers’ perceptions of their inclusive classrooms. Eight early childhood teachers responded to open-ended interview questions about their experiences teaching children with and without disabilities in the same classroom environment. The social constructivist view of teaching and learning is highlighted as the teachers construct their knowledge of inclusion and how it meets the needs of children with disabilities in the inclusive environment. The following themes emerged from interview analysis: the inclusive classroom is a great place for children, the teacher needs additional education, the teacher needs support from administrators and to be included in decisions about the …