Sociology Commons^™

Toward A Model Of Interorganizational Fields : A Case Study Of A Social Service Federation, Ralph Cherry

Dissertations and Theses

The concept of interorganizational field refers to the pattern of relationships or the context within which organizations negotiate or compete to accomplish their goals. This paper examines the proposition that the type of interorganizational field shapes and· influences interactions between organizations. To explore the nature of any contextual effects, a hypothesis is extracted to represent each of four subareas of the literature: the transaction or exchange, the resource dependency, the communication, and the division of labor subareas. Non-verification of the hypotheses indicates the extent and the manner in which interorganizational fields can affect relations between organizations.

A case study of …

The Resilience Of The Child As A Factor In Successful Adjustment To Permanent Placement, Lani Maureen Mcdonald

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores the hypothesis that constitutional factors were significant in mediating their successful adjustment. The adjustment of children who in the past would have been viewed as permanently scarred and unable to adjust has provided researchers with an idiosyncratic situation that has also been found in other studies: children have adjusted despite odds against it and children considered to have incurred minimal trauma have had difficulty adjusting.

Parental Perceptions Of Behavioral Changes In Children Following Divorce, Kenneth W. Bork

Dissertations and Theses

This research was undertaken primarily to describe the parental perceptions of the effects of divorce upon the children age eighteen or younger of the first married couples filing for divorce in Clackamas County, Oregon during 1975.

The Relationship Between Social Isolation And Child Abuse: A Critical Literature Review, Ann A. Pederson

Dissertations and Theses

This review began with an interest in treatment of child abuse and in how a study of social isolation might lend direction to treatment of abusing families. The literature leads one to believe that social isolation is somehow involved, but that the process is far from clear. The intent of this review is to synthesize the findings available on the relationship between social isolation and child abuse, to encourage further thought on how the concept of social isolation can be refined and operationalized, and to discuss the implications of that relationship for treatment and prevention of physical abuse. The information …

A Study To Determine If Service Workers Want Additional Training Regarding Black Issues, Patricia Dickerson, Diane S. Whalen

Dissertations and Theses

The study is based upon five research questions which seek to determine service workers’ perceptions of black life experiences, the causes of black clients’ problems, and possible ways to alleviate these problems. Service workers are asked if present modes of intervention are effective in working with black clients. They are further asked if training regarding black issues would help facilitate their working with black clients, and if so, what areas of training would be most useful.

The researchers could have chosen any from among several client groups for this project. It was decided to limit the study to one group, …

A Validation Study Of The Family Environment Scale: Family Incongruence Score, Linda Joanne Neale

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the validity of the family incongruence score, a statistic which quantifies the discrepancies between family members' perceptions of their family system using answers given on the Family Environment Scale. Based on findings concerning incongruence in other environments, it was hypothesized that high family incongruence scores would be associated with more problems in the family system.

The Use Of Discrediting Labels In The Maintenance Of Socially Constructed Reality, Nathan Church

Dissertations and Theses

Over the past two decades an increasing number of theorists and practitioners have called for a thorough rethinking of the underlying assumptions of the concept of rrental illness and the traditional psychiatric nodes of responding to mental disorders. The work of this group of writers has come to be referred to as the "antipsychiatry" literature. The insights of this perspective center largely about a rejection of those theories and methods of treatment that are based upon the medical model. Many writers point to the use of traditional psychiatric practice as an oppressive instrument of social control. While much of this …

Role Demands Of Professional Women In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Soraya Wali El-Deen Assad

Dissertations and Theses

The present thesis is concerned with professional women in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia. Because of the social changes taking place in Saudi Arabia, the position of women is subject to both traditional and modernistic influences. While an increasing number of females are receiving higher education and expanding their aspirations , the traditional cultural values dealing with woman's role in the family are still an important consideration.

The thesis is based on the theoretical perspective that the individual role system is over-demanding. Fulfilling role demands causes difficulty or "strain"; if a person conforms fully in one direction, fulfillment will be difficult in …

Disengagement Of Older People In An Urban Setting, Melvina Somers

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation reevaluates the controversial Disengagement Theory of aging introduced by Elaine Cumming and William E. Henry in their book, Growing Old (1961), with particular emphasis on aging in the city.

Disengagement theory embodies the antithesis to the traditional activity theory of aging based on a work ethic. Disengagement theory holds that normal aging is an inevitable mutual withdrawal or disengagement between the aging person and others in the social system, that it is universal, and that, by impl ication,it is a mutually satisfying condition since it results in a new equilibrium between society and the aging individual. The theory …

A Descriptive Study Of Some Problems Of Widows In Portland, Oregon, Kathleen Marsha Davis, Gail Petchesky

Dissertations and Theses

Widowhood is an inevitable phase of the life cycle for three out of every four married women. It is apparent by the lack of research about widowhood that it has been neglected as a developmental phase in the life cycle. Presently there are ten million widows in this country and their numbers are increasing each year. It is appalling that with a population this large, little attention has been directed towards research about widowhood. Other than recognizing that the widow may have financial problems for which Social Security provides assistance, few people realize what it means to be widowed. For …

The Effects Of Urban-Rural Life Histories Of The Aged On Urban Adaptation, Michael R. Deshane

Dissertations and Theses

Among the major interests of students of urbanism and urbanization in the United States have been the understanding and explication of differences between urban and rural segments of American society. Coupled with this has been an attempt to theoretically delineate the effects of these differences on the social psychological adjustment of urban and rural inhabitants. The culmination of this work in sociology is to be found in Wirth's (1938) essay "Urbanism as a Way of Life." Wirth identified three major differences between urban and rural lifestyles which have been the impetus for considerable research and controversy. The three major differences …

Gender Roles In The Camping Situation, Carol Alice Carlson

Dissertations and Theses

The intent of this thesis is to investigate the extent to which people depart from traditional gender roles in a situation of leisure. The lack of normative structure in the camping situation offers a chance for participants to do sex typed tasks differently than in the more structured home situation.

Participant observation was used because of the exploratory nature of the project. Research was conducted the month of July, 1973. Four Oregon campgrounds were visited. Campsite clusters to be observed were chosen randomly. A systemic time schedule was developed in which various clusters were observed at as many different times …

Grassroot Organizations In The Black Community In Portland, Danny B. Copeland

Dissertations and Theses

This is a descriptive study of grassroot organizations in the Black community of Portland, Oregon. The primary objective of this study is to determine whether the Black community of Portland is actively working to improve the socio-economic and political position of the Black residents of Portland, or whether it is disorganized, apathetic, and removed from the main stream of society.

To achieve the goals of this study, answers will be sought for the following questions: Are there grassroot organizations in the Black community of Portland, Oregon? If yes, how many are there? Who are the members? What is the nature, …

Toward An Understanding Of Men And Masculinity: Some Dimensions Of The Social Construction Of Knowledge In Social Work Professional Journals, Robert Bailey, Denny Patella

Dissertations and Theses

This work is an attempt to critically evaluate the way men and masculinity have been portrayed in and through social work journals and to develop an annotated bibliography of the professional periodical literature as it relates to the masculine gender role. It is also an analysis of authorship in order to determine differential participation by the sexes in social work journals. These analyses will be used to assess the current status of “masculinity” and gender role issues in the profession and to suggest areas of future growth.

A Model For Decision Making: A Systems Approach, Eleanor Weitman

Dissertations and Theses

This paper addresses itself to the problem of the analysis of the decision making processes in the area of Human Resources Planning.

Evaluative Research And Nutrition Programs For The Elderly, Leonard D. Cain

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report looks at the means to evaluate the Nutrition Act, Title VII-Nutrition Program for the Elderly, (Public Law No. 258, 1972).

Quality Of Life Assessment Of Chronic Hemodialysis Patients At The Artificial Kidney Unit Of Good Samaritan Hospital And Medical Center, Karen Jones Whittle, Michael Tripp, Bruce De Young

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate certain factors that affect the quality of life experienced by the chronic hemodialysis patient population served by the Artificial Kidney Unit at Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, Portland, Oregon. The intent of the study was to discover if there was a significant difference in quality of life between patients who dialyzed at home and patients at the Artificial Kidney Unit (center patients).

For the purposes of this study, House, Livingston and Swinburn’s definition of quality of life was used. Their definition states that quality of life is a function of the …

Social Impact Assessment At The Neighborhood Level, William H. Triest

Dissertations and Theses

This paper originated as a result of one of the stated objectives of the Salem Primary Prevention Project. That project, operating jointly with Marion County Community Mental Health, Salem School District 24J and the City of Salem’s Community Development Department, has had as one of its stated objectives, the development of a mechanism to review the impact of planned change at the local level.

For several years both the staff and Advisory Committee for the Primary Prevention Program had wrestled with the complexity of developing such a review or assessment mechanism. Existing literature on social impact assessment appeared to deal …

Social Work Intervention And Patients' Utilization Of The Kaiser Health Care System, Pegi Sten, Liz Swint Young

Dissertations and Theses

This study was an analysis of social work practice in a medical setting: analyzing the work of a medical social worker in an outpatient clinic located in a metropolitan area. The primary purpose of this descriptive study was to evaluate the performance of a medical social worker in a Kaiser-Permanente outpatient clinic and to determine if there were possible associations between social work intervention and patient utilization of existing services offered by the Kaiser Health Care system, also referred to herein as Kaiser. Specifically, the study attempted to determine if there were quantitative changes in patient contacts, and utilization of …

Motivational Factors Behind Repetitive Abortions, Kelly Osmont, Ellen Wolfford

Dissertations and Theses

This practicum intends to explore the motivational factors behind repeat abortions. The underlying assumptions of this study include: (1) women have abortions; (2) women have repeat abortions. Based on these assumptions, the two research questions are (1) are there significant factors in the causation of repeat abortions, and (2) what are the implications regarding the lack of information and service to women which have a direct relationship to repeat abortions.

An Investigation Of The Combined Effect Of Agency Support And Professional Social Workers' Training On The Type Of Family Therapy Practiced By Agency-Based Social Workers, Betsy Marsh Mccartor, Margaret Labby

Dissertations and Theses

All persons are born into some form of family unit. The traditional family is a unit of people who live together over periods of time and have ties of marriage and kinship. Even if that unit is separated, as in death or adoption, qualities of one's personhood are closely connected with forebears and parents. Whether for good or bad, the family profoundly affects the individual.

The family is an important unit. Many stresses impinge upon it. The church and extended family are less influential on the family today. The school is less influential. Where does the family turn for support? …

A Descriptive Study Of The Pragmatic Issues In Obtaining An Abortion Among Sixty-Five Women At Lovejoy Specialty Hospital, Portland, Oregon, Barbara E. Bordner, Wendy Green, Susie Milberg

Dissertations and Theses

In view of the current diversity of public opinion concerning the legalization of abortion in this country, it appears timely that a study of the pragmatic issues faced in obtaining an abortion be undertaken. The researchers see this as a step toward narrowing the lag between the enactment of the abortion law and the delivery of services that allow the right of abortion to be an accessible choice for women.

There has been a change in public opinion, regarding the right of abortion, only recently. In 1960, a public opinion poll showed that fewer than 15 percent of the population …

Personal Incidental Fund: A Study In Policy Making, Shirley Rackner

Dissertations and Theses

Originally, the focus of this project was to be a policy analysis and survey of the new procedures and regulations established by the state of Oregon for the protection and management of nursing home residents' Personal Incidental Funds (PIF). The analysis was to be divided into four phases, according to a pre-planned timetable. The last phase was to be a field survey of the policy's impact upon nursing homes and adult service workers. The timetable was synchronized with that of the Congregate Care Consultant from the Public Welfare Division's (PWD) Adult Services Unit, whose responsibility it was to develop and …

Self-Esteem And The Elderly : An Exploratory Study Of A Residential Population In A Home For The Aged, Vernon E. Hoffer

Dissertations and Theses

The two primary purposes of this exploratory study were (1) to establish the theoretical tenability of focusing on the maintenance of self-esteem as a means for enhancing the quality of life in the institutionalized elderly, and (2) to identify factors related to self-esteem in a home for the aged sample.

Literature reviewed relative to the importance of self-esteem, its development, and its maintenance or change indicated that (1) self-esteem is related to personal satisfaction and effective social functioning: (2) self-esteem develops and is maintained or changed as a function of factors in an individual’s immediate interpersonal environment; and (3) institutionalization …

An Aspect Of The Process Of School Desegregation: The Effects Of Reading Ability Grouping On Social Attractiveness And Peer-Perceived Success, David A. Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

Research on the effects of school desegregation has failed to produce conclusive findings. An over emphasis on the outcomes of school desegregation, usually assessed through the use of standardized test scores, has created a situation in which there exists a paucity of studies of the day to day process of school desegregation: instructional practices, student interaction, and teacher behavior in the classroom. More research on the process of school desegregation is needed if its results or outcomes are to become more interpretable.

International Variation In Metropolitanism: National Integration Into An International System Of Countries As An Important Consideration, Michael Lee Lindsay

Dissertations and Theses

The research reported here is directed toward the determination of whether or not the proportion of a country's population living in cities of 100,000 or more is significantly affected by that country's involvement in trade relations with other countries. The proportion of a country's population living in cities of 100,000 or more was termed its level of metropolitanism. It is proposed that international variation in metropolitanism is a function of, among other things, the country's position relative to other countries in a world system of intersocietal functional linkages. It is argued that one of the best indicators of the functional …

Aging And The Semantic Differential: Semantic Stability In The Measurement Of Social Evaluation, Marilyn Diane Petersen

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the validity of utilizing the same semantic differential test as a measure of social evaluation for persons of different ages. The semantic differential, a rating technique by which judgments of stimuli are made on seven-interval bipolar descriptive continua called "scales", currently receives widespread usage as a measure of attitudes toward aging and the elderly. However, a lack of semantic stability across stimuli and across subjects, known, respectively, as "concept-scale" and "subject-scale" interaction, has been found to occur with the technique in various areas of research. That such a lack of stability might …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Population Density, Density Related Social Factors, And Physical Morbidities, Douglas King Huebner

Dissertations and Theses

The relationship between the number of persons per room in the home and the relative occurrence of stress-related morbidities of hospitalized patients is investigated. The social factors of age, social class, and level of social support also are examined as they relate to both density and morbidity type occurrence. The population under study is composed of all Kaiser-Permanente Medical Care Program members twenty years of age and older, discharged from Bess Kaiser Hospital during 1974, and whose diagnosed morbidity was included in specific morbidity categories. All data were obtained through the facilities of the Health Services Research Center, Kaiser Foundation …

Deviant Self-Concept Among Marijuana Dealers: Examining The Applicability Of Labeling Concepts, Cynthia Madaris

Dissertations and Theses

The subject of this thesis is dope dealing in marijuana. However, the main interest in this topic is not centered on unique behavior patterns of persons engaged in this illegal activity nor is it much concerned with the activity itself. Rather, this study was designed to investigate empirically claims of labeling theorists and deviance theory. Through focused interviews with dealers of marijuana, an inquiry was made into deviant self-concepts on the part of those persons. More specifically, attention centered around the variables of type of dealer (lid or small quantity pound); length of time in dealing business; and contact with …

Need Assessment Methodology, Gerald A. Burns, Janet S. Putnam

Dissertations and Theses

A need assessment is a systematic process of determining community needs through the comparative analysis of people, problems, and services. Although need assessments of some form have existed since biblical times, it has only been within recent years that their use in social planning has become prominent. This is attributed to the increasing belief in the necessity of pertinent data to make decision-making responsive to community needs.

Ten basic issues should be considered in designing a need assessment, These are: 1) Purpose; 2) Decision-making context; 3) Agency resources; 4) Scope; 5) Future studies; 6) Staff roles; 7) Data collection; 8) …