Sociology Commons^™

The Chore Curriculum, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The term “curriculum” in chore curriculum conveys the idea that there is a discernible regularity to the process whereby children attempt to learn, then master and finally, carry out their chores. While the academic or “core” curriculum (of Math, English, Science) found in schools is formal and imposed on students in a top–down process, the chore curriculum is informal and emerges in the interaction of children’s need to fit in and emulate those older, their developing cognitive and sensorimotor capacity, the division of labor within the family and the nature of the tasks (chores) themselves. The primary theme of this …

Why Anthropology Of Childhood? A Short History Of An Emerging Discipline, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The paper has four goals: to refute the claim that anthropologists have not studied childhood; to provide a cursory history of the field; to provide an organizational schema for reviewing the literature in the field and; to suggest a strategy for future scholarship in the anthropology of childhood.

Unmasking Children's Agency, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The goal of this paper is to identify (unmask) and critique the movement to promote children’s agency as a cornerstone of research, care, education and intervention with children. The article makes a case that this movement is harmful to a scientific approach to the study of childhood, distorts or ignores key understandings of the evolution of childhood and culture. The article demonstrates that the agency movement is ethnocentric, classist and hegemonic representing the dominance of contemporary bourgeoisie child-rearing. It imposes a single, privileged ethnotheory of childhood upon the diverse societies of the world with alternative ethnotheories and practices. Lastly, the …

Contributions Of Cultural Services To The Ecosystem Services Agenda, T. C. Daniel, A. Muhar, A. Arnberger, O. Aznar, J. W. Boyd, K. M.A. Chan, R. Costanza, T. Elmqvist, Courtney G. Flint, P. H. Gobster, A. Gret-Regamey, R. Lave, S. Muhar, M. Penker, R. G. Ribe, T. Schauppenlehner, T. Sikor, I. Soloviy, M. Spierenburg, K. Taczanowska, J. Tam, A. Von Der Dunk

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Cultural ecosystem services (ES) are consistently recognized but not yet adequately defined or integrated within the ES framework. A substantial body of models, methods, and data relevant to cultural services has been developed within the social and behavioral sciences before and outside of the ES approach. A selective review of work in landscape aesthetics, cultural heritage, outdoor recreation, and spiritual significance demonstrates opportunities for operationally defining cultural services in terms of socioecological models, consistent with the larger set of ES. Such models explicitly link ecological structures and functions with cultural values and benefits, facilitating communication between scientists and stakeholders and …

Reducinggroundwater Nitrate In The Judith River Watershed: A Participatory Approach To Achieveeffective Management For Improved Water Quality, S. Ewing, A. Sigler, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, C. Jones, G. Weissmann

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Rising levels of nitrate in groundwater threaten human health and downstream ecosystems. In the Judith River Watershed, Montana, groundwater nitrate concentrations frequently exceed 10 mg L-­‐1, and may be increasing due to agricultural practices on thin soils overlying shallow, unconfined aquifers with short groundwater residence :mes. Previous extension and research ac:vi:es in the watershed have provided key data and established working relationships with local stakeholders, but adoption rates of water quality best management practices (BMPs) have been low. With this project, we undertake a participatory approach that engages agricultural producers and stakeholders to:

Under What Conditions Do Community Demographics Influence Aggregate Recycling?, Edward Kotter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tons of household waste go to landfills throughout the western United States each year. Recycling has been a popular way for cities to extend the life of landfills by decreasing the amount of waste entering them. The development and implementation of recycling programs has not come without challenges. People recycle or do not recycle for different reasons. Much research has been done to understand who recycles, who does not recycle, and what recycling program characteristics elicit greater participation. This study adds to the existing body of literature by focusing on determinants of community-level recycling in the western United States. This …

Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Disparities Between U.S. Non-Hispanic Whites And Hispanics, 2000-2009, Andrew E. Burger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Seasonal influenza produces substantial disease within the United States every year. Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines for influenza, millions of individuals go unvaccinated each flu season, with notable differences across racial/ethnic groups. Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), I examine vaccination rates among non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics during the 2000-2009 influenza seasons. After developing a new method that addresses shortcomings of BRFSS vaccination measures, I find that non-Hispanic whites exhibit higher vaccination rates than Hispanics. Through a series of logistic regression models I show that the disparities between non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics narrow after controlling …

Getting Noticed: Middle Childhood In Cross-Cultural Perspective, David F. Lancy, M. Annette Grove

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Although rarely named, the majority of societies in the ethnographic record demarcate a period between early childhood and adolescence. Prominent signs of demarcation are: for the first time, pronounced gender separation in fact and in role definition; increased freedom of movement for boys while girls may be bound more tightly to their mothers; and heightened expectations for socially responsible behavior. But, above all, middle childhood is about coming out of the shadows of community life and assuming a distinct, lifetime character. Naming and other rites of passage sometimes acknowledge this transition, but it is, reliably, marked by the assumption or …

Queering Gender: How Transgender College Student Navigate Gender, Rachel Jaggi

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In response to the “Doing Gender” theory as proposed by West and Zimmerman, some scholars have argued that the theory perpetuates gender inequality and leaves no room for social change. These scholars argue that research needs to be directed towards deconstructing the gender system, thereby “undoing gender.” Transgender individuals, who appear to be playing with the system of gender, provide an important conduit through which to examine the possibility of transcending the gender binary. I conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with transgender college students to examine the extent to which these individuals are able to overcome the dichotomous gender …

White Blues: Can Eric Clapton Embody Du Bois' Double Consciousness?, Ryan Patrick Gabriel

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In this article I explore if Black consciousness, as described by W.E.B. Du Bois' theory of double consciousness, can be taken on by those who are White. I analyze songs both written and covered by Eric Clapton, to examine if elements of double consciousness are in his music. Furthermore, I analyze album covers that have Clapton's image on them, looking for characteristics of physical Blackness. My findings reveal that Eric Clapton does take on aspects of double consciousness, through his music, and facets of physical Blackness. Thus, I discover it is possible for Whites to experience elements of double consciousness.

Sociodemographic Correlates Of Public Land Use And Management Preferences Among Utah Residents, Ashley R. Styczynski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to look at the preferred use and management of public lands in the state of Utah. The data used in this study was collected through a statewide, random survey measuring the respondent’s preferred use and management of public lands along with social and demographic information. Several quantitative tests were conducted on the variables used to illustrate the following: a snapshot of what the survey population looks like, how each independent variable interacts with the dependent variable, and finally, the combined interaction of all of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The primary goal …

For Love Or Money: Has Neoliberalism Impacted Fertility? A Historical Comparison, Elizabeth Anne Kiester

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Known as neoliberalism, an economic philosophy has spread throughout the world and may be contributing to total fertility rates that have fallen well below replacement value. I present two neoliberal mechanisms and how they may have driven total fertility rates around the world well below replacement levels and inhibited growth. These include increased social risks in the labor market as well as in the household. I then build a theoretical framework based on the social embeddedness of markets as conceived by Karl Polanyi and the concept of social risk as suggested by Richard Breen, suggesting that the unique combinations of …

Upper-Class Adolescent Delinquency: Theory And Observation, Nick Marsing

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Delinquency in adolescence has captured the imagination of thinkers and researchers for generations. In this thesis, a unique segment of adolescent delinquency is examined: delinquency in upper-class adolescents. My experience working in residential treatment centers was a catalyst for this research and inspired the primary question which guides the work: "Why would upper-class adolescents commit delinquent acts?" In an attempt to answer this question, the "Big Three" (strain, control, and social learning) sociological theories of crime and delinquency are used to explore upper-class or "elite" delinquency. After examining each theory I demonstrate how none of them, individually, can adequately explain …

Housing Factors Associated With Marital Satisfaction, Samantha J. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the direction and magnitude of the relationship between levels of marital satisfaction and two main housing variables--the housing burden ratio and the amount of home equity. The influence that these variables have on levels of marital satisfaction was mediated and moderated by how satisfied couples were with their homes and their finances, as well as their perceived experience of economic pressure. The results ultimately provide insights that can improve both couple well-being and financial/housing situations by pinpointing factors that account for the variance in marital satisfaction.

This study used existing data from …

By-Products: Immigration, Raids, And Meatpacking In Rural Communities, Kevin D. Hanks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to show the short- and long-term responses and adaptations of workers and employers in the meatpacking industry to the new immigration enforcement strategy of the increased use of worksite immigration raids. Worksite raids have become part of the new immigration enforcement strategy of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (I.C.E.). A review of the literature regarding the meatpacking industry, its history, relocation to and impacts on rural communities, and of immigration policy over the last 70 years is conducted. A case study of the Swift & Co. meatpacking plant in Hyrum, Utah that experienced …

Exploring The Relationship Between Place Identity And Personalization Of Space In Temporary Student Housing, Joshua H. Rowley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationship between the personalization of one’s physical environment and the degree of place identity the person has toward their space, specifically those living in temporary student housing. There have been several studies on peoples’ inherent need to personalize their space. While previous research has identified key factors that help to define place identity in general, this study addresses the fact that not much has been said about how people in temporary housing, specifically student housing, actually go about creating their living spaces.

The key issues this research addressed were the …

Socioeconomic Status, Women, And Hiv: Do The Determinants Of Female Hiv Vary By Socioeconomic Status In Cameroon?, Joyce Ndueh Mumah

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is currently one of the greatest health challenges being faced by many developing nations, especially countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that more than 25 million Sub-Saharan Africans are infected with the disease, with more than 2.8 million new infected cases in 2006. Mortality from the disease is high, with an estimated 2.1 million having already died from the disease. Women are more likely to be infected with the disease, and account for more than half of all global HIV/AIDS cases. Sub-Saharan African (SSA) women, specifically, constitute about 77 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases in the …

Assessingopportunities And Barriers To Reducing The Environmental Footprint Of Natural Gasdevelopment In Utah’S Uintah Basin, B. Gentry, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, L. Belton, G. Theodori

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Development of natural gas resources in the United States has increased dramatically over the past two decades, a boom driven by favorable prices, new technological developments, and growing interest in domestic sources of energy with a smaller carbon footprint than coal or oil. Most of the expansion in U.S. natural gas production has been from so-called ‘unconventional’ reserves in which extensive natural gas resources trapped in continuous sandstone and shale formations can now be extracted using modern directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies. The Uintah Basin in northeastern Utah has been one of several areas in the U.S. where major …

“Getting Noticed”: Middle Childhood Incross-Cultural Perspective, David F. Lancy, M. Annette Grove

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Although rarely named, the majority of societies in the ethnographic record demarcate a period between early childhood and adolescence. Prominent signs of demarcation are: for the first time, pronounced gender separation in fact and in role definition; increased freedom of movement for boys while girls may be bound more tightly to their mothers; and heightened expectations for socially responsible behavior. But, above all, middle childhood is about coming out of the shadows of community life and assuming a distinct, lifetime character. Naming and other rites of passage sometimes acknowledge this transition, but it is, reliably, marked by the assumption or …

Seeing The Forest For The Trees: Managing Social Conflict And Forest Restoration, Steven E. Daniels, Jens Emborg, Greg B. Walker

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This paper examines the role that social conflict is likely to play in forest restoration projects. A definition of conflict as “perceived goal interference among interdependent parties” serves as a point of departure for the discussion, and the nature of forest restoration conflict is systematically examined by focusing on each aspect of the definition: perceptions, goal interference, the parties, and their interdependence. Agencies undertaking restoration projects are encouraged to adopt a discourse orientation, wherein they recognize that 1) their public involvement efforts are creating a discourse that can incorporate a wide array of values and voices and 2) groups may …

The Effect Of Father Involvement On Marital Satisfaction, Tasha Dawn Falslev

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The effect of father involvement in childrearing on parental stress and marital satisfaction of wives in newlywed couples was assessed in a sample of couples married five years. Results showed that marital satisfaction is positively correlated with the wife's perception of husband's involvement in activities of childcare and negatively correlated with the wife's stress. The association between husband 's perception of involvement and wife's marital satisfaction was less strong.

The implications for these findings on family life education for couples in the early years of marriage are discussed. Suggestions for interventions to promote father involvement are presented.

Latino Entrepreneurs In Nontraditional Destinations: The Case Of Northern Utah, Rebecca A. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A recent trend in immigration is the arrival of foreign-born Latinos to new destinations in the American West and South. The influx of these immigrants has been accompanied by growth in Latino-owned businesses. Although we know a great deal about ethnic entrepreneurship in traditional immigrant destinations, few studies have been conducted to examine this phenomenon in new immigrant destinations. The purpose of this study was to collect, analyze, and report the experiences of Latino entrepreneurs in one new immigrant destination, namely Cache County, Utah. The study finds that Latino entrepreneurs in the study draw heavily on family ties in their …

Who Wins And Who Loses? A Community Approach To Understanding The Well-Being Of Boomtown Residents, Douglas Alan Malloy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to accurately identify residents of a boomtown who are either experiencing a higher level of well-being, or lower level of well-being. By definition, we consider the former to be winning, and the latter to be losing. Multivariate ordinary least squares regression analyses help to distinguish between winners and losers by generating statistical coefficients which will show both strength and direction of the relationship between individuals and various indicators of social well-being.

The data used in this thesis are from a community impact study issued in the spring of 2009, to residents of …

Private Or Public Insurance? The Institutional History Of Health Care In The United States And The United Kingdom, Karin M. Abel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary question at issue in this paper is the following: given the similarities between the two countries with regard to welfare state institutions, why have the United States and the United Kingdom diverged on the issue of health care? Drawing on sociological institutionalism, a branch of the new institutionalist paradigm, this paper provides an answer to this question: during the formative years of the health care stories in the two countries, variations in institutional and cultural conditions produced contrasting policy outcomes. More specifically, this paper discusses how the combination of institutions (political, labor, and medical) and culture led to …

Back Where They Once Belonged? Local Response To Afforestation In County Kerry, Ireland, Matthew S. Carroll, Áine Ní Dhubháin, Courtney G. Flint

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Afforestation has many benefits at the local regional and global scale. The local social impacts of planting new forests, however, depend on a variety of contextual factors and other details including who is doing the planting, which species are being planted, the location of the planting and, perhaps most importantly, existing land uses and their linkage to social and economic circumstances. This article presents case study research into these issues in two places in County Kerry Ireland. Utilising the concept of the differentiated landscape, we examine the somewhat varying social responses to afforestation in the two study sites in light …

When Nurture Becomes Nature: Ethnocentrism In Studies Of Human Development, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This commentary will extend the territory claimed in the target article by identifying several other areas in the social sciences where findings from the WEIRD population have been over-generalized. An argument is made that the root problem is the ethnocentrism of scholars, textbook authors, and social commentators, which leads them to take their own cultural values as the norm.

Parental Perspectives Of Play With Preschool Children, Danielle M. Jensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Research in child development has found that guided play can be a very effective teaching method for young children. Children obtain higher levels of play when parents have an understanding of play and its benefits to learning. This research is designed to assess how parents of children at the Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory view play as a learning technique. Also, this study considered the relationship between parental opinions of play and other parenting roles. A total of 22 parents of children enrolled in the Child Development Laboratory completed the Parent As A Teacher (PAAT) inventory. Results showed …

Invisible Abuse: Utah's Response To Emotional Child Abuse, Janae Sirrine

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The very nature of emotional child abuse makes it difficult to detect and report. Nevertheless, scholars and professionals in the field of child welfare have identified emotional abuse as being equally detrimental to children as physical abuse and neglect. Many states, including Utah, have unclear definitions of emotional child abuse. The purpose of this study is to interpret how Utah has used its statute on emotional abuse in the court system and whether the current definition of emotional child abuse has given Utah’s courts enough information and direction to prosecute those who emotionally abuse children. Data was collected by researching …

An Evaluation Of A Physical Activity-Based Residential Treatment Program, Eric Alan Mikkelsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated a physical activity-based residential treatment program. It explored the current literature on adolescent treatment implementing physical exercise with parental participation, specifically at residential treatment centers. While the current literature strongly supports physical exercise and family involvement in adolescent treatment, research on combining physical exercise with family involvement is insufficient at best.

The data were obtained from Telos Residential Treatment Center, an all-boys treatment program that incorporates a triathlon into their treatment curriculum and keeps pre- and posttest scores of the Youth Outcome Questionnaire for their students as well as completed questionnaires from students' parents. Research questions addressed …

Taiwanese Adolescent Psychosocial Development In Urban And Rural Areas, Chien-Ti Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate Taiwanese adolescent psychosocial development (i.e., autonomy and identity development) based on psychosocial theoretical models developed in western societies. Data were collected from both public senior high and vocational high schools in both urban and rural areas in Taiwan. Adolescent participants, with an average age of 17 years old, included 447 (about 54% were females) from urban areas, and 702 (62% were females) from rural areas. The results of this study revealed that Taiwanese adolescents from both urban and rural areas were similar to adolescent developmental ranges suggested in western theories. There were …