Sociology Commons^™

The Use Of Therapeutic Rituals In Substance Abuse Treatment, Becky L. Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the use of rituals in substance abuse counseling. Data were obtained from a total of 25 mental health workers in the substance abuse field from the northern region of Utah. Four research questions were asked about rituals and their use in substance abuse counseling: (1) Are addictions therapists using rituals? (2) How did therapists determine when to use rituals? (3) What types of rituals do they use? and (4) How do therapists assess ritual effectiveness? Results indicated that about three fourths of the mental health workers questioned were using rituals in their treatment protocol with substance abuse …

Nurturing Thenext Generation Of Wisconsin’S Dairy Farmers, B. Barham, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, S. Stevenson, J. Taylor

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

A strong dairy economy has both economic and social benefits for Wisconsin. While support for beginning dairy farmers is not the only way to sustain and increase dairy productivity, it is an important strategy that can renew the dairy industry with new farmers. There are many challenges in attracting new people to the dairy business. New dairy farmers often face high start-up costs for land, equipment, and facilities. Volatile milk prices, long hours, and hard work reduce the appeal of a career in dairy farming. In the 1990s, prospective dairy farmers could readily find off-farm jobs that often paid better …

The Roles Of Womenon Wisconsin Dairy Farms At The Turn Of The 21st Century, J. Vogt, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, M. Ostrom, S. Lezberg

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Use And Implications Of Bovinesomatotropin For The Wisconsin Dairy Sector In The 1990s, B. Barham, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, S. Moon

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Seven years have passed since the U.S. government approved the commercial use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), a synthetic relative of a naturally-occurring growth hormone that stimulates milk production in cows. Prior to approval, national controversy over rBST, more popularly known as BGH (bovine growth hormone), raged for almost a decade (Barham, 1996). Opponents and proponents alike envisioned rBST as a juggernaut technology, one that would change the dairy industry in dramatic ways, first and foremost by substantially raising herd productivity and overall milk production and then perhaps by driving away consumers from dairy products. With these concerns in mind, …

Smart Growth And Wisconsin Agriculture, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Relatively low and volatile agricultural commodity prices have placed increasing pressure on the state’s farm sector in the 1990s. At the same time, an unusually robust non-farm economy has generated significant demand for rural housing and recreational land development. The result has been a dramatic acceleration in the rate of farmland conversion to non- farm uses over the last 15 years. Non-farm growth pressures have affected many other aspects of Wisconsin’s urban and rural landscape as well. To help communities grapple with these new challenges, the state legislature passed a new “Smart Growth” law in the fall of 1999 (1999 …

The Effects Of Family And Education Backgrounds On The Self-Identification Of Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Persons In Utah, Petra M. Rose

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the effects of family and educational background factors on three dimensions of social identity among 35 deaf and hard-of-hearing respondents in Utah. Three dimensions of social identity-were distinguished: self-definition (i.e., the degree to which a respondent defined himself or herself as deaf), self-evaluation (i.e., the degree to which a respondent attached value and emotional significance to identifying himself or herself as deaf), and group introjection (i.e., the degree of commitment, belonging, and loyalty a respondent attached to membership in the Deaf community). Semi-structured, videotaped interviews were conducted with 35 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in Utah. Respondents were …

Mentoring At-Risk Youth: An Intervention For Skill Building In Problem Solving, Decision Making, And Conflict Resolution, Deborah J. Heater

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Low interpersonal skill level in younger youth has shown to lead to higher rates of delinquent behavior in older adolescents. Utah State University Extension established a program titled Youth and Families with Promise (YFP). This is a research-based mentoring program where mentors were screened, matched to individual youth, and activities planned that focus on 8 of the Search Institute's 40 assets. The program provided services for 156 at-risk youth ages 7 to 16 in six Utah counties, 66 of whom completed a pretest and posttest assessment. This research-based, intervention/prevention program has shown that the interventions used were effective in building …

Clinical Homework Directives: A Qualitative Exploratory Study, Emil F. Harker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A qualitative study was conducted to better understand how marriage and family therapists use homework directives in their work with couples. Eleven therapists of different marital therapy orientations were interviewed. Remarkably, all of the therapists reported using clinical homework directives in their practice with couples, including those clinicians who primarily identify themselves with psychodynamic models- -models that do not typically include homework in their constructs. Four themes emerged as to why homework is given: (a) to augment or extend the therapy session outside of therapy, (b) to help the clients focus on the therapy process between session, (c) to assess …

Transitions During University Life: Academic Persistence For Married And Single Students, Sandra A. Krambule

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to look at the many factors that influence the transition to college life and academic persistence within the family life cycle framework using the ABCD-XYZ model of resource management. The sample included 348 students with declared minors within the College of Family Life. The dependent measure was student persistence in college. Independent variables included academic and institutional factors, gender and marital factors, family academic traditions, student motivation and commitment, self-esteem, stress factors, and social support. The results of this study indicate that the persistence variables chosen were better able to predict those who remain in school …

The Impact Of Minority Group Membership On Changes In Selected Health Outcomes Among Midlife Americans With Type 2 Diabetes, Brenda H. Ralls

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Minority ethnic groups have disproportionately high rates of diabetes prevalence and complications. This study examined the degree, nature, and mediation of ethnic differences in changes over time in four health outcomes: functional limitations, emotional symptomatology, psychosomatic symptomatology, and self-reported health status. The theoretical context incorporated tenets from the social characteristics and the minority status perspectives.

Data were drawn from two rounds (1992 and 1996) of the Health and Retirement Survey, a national plane survey of midlife Americans. The study focused on a subsample of 744 respondents who had been diagnosed with diabetes or high blood sugar by the time of …

The Changing Face Of Wisconsin Dairyfarms: A Summary Of Pats Research On Structural Change In The 1990s, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, B. Barham

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Medium-sized, diversified, family-labor farms1 have long defined the structure of dairy farming in “America’s Dairyland.” The red barns, silos, farm houses, and fields of hay, grain, and pasture associated with these operations have given rise to the state’s distinctive pastoral landscapes. As family businesses these farms have been successful enough to provide their operators with “middle-class” standards of living. Nationally, in the 20th century, Wisconsin’s dairy sector produced more milk and especially more cheese than any other state in the U.S. Among Wisconsin residents, much cultural pride stems from the state’s preeminence in dairying — car license plates bear the …

The Use And Performance Of Intensiverotational Grazing Among Wisconsin Dairy Farms In The 1990s, M. Ostrom, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Growing numbers of Wisconsin dairy farmers have reported success using management intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) techniques that rely on pastures as the primary source of forage for their milking herds. The Program on Agricultural Technology Studies (PATS) has been tracking the use and performance of MIRG systems in Wisconsin since the early 1990s through periodic, large-scale, random sample surveys and on-farm interviews with Wisconsin farmers. Utilizing recent results from the PATS 1997 and 1999 Wisconsin Dairy Farm Polls, this report provides an important update to previous PATS reports. In our surveys, the dairy farmers who report utilizing pastures for forage …

Farming Inwisconsin At The End Of The Century: Results Of The 1999 Wisconsin Farm Poll, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, S. Moon, M. Ostrom, B. Barham

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Farming in Wisconsin has undergone considerable change in the last few decades. U.S. Census statistics suggest that the state lost almost 13 percent of its farms and over 10 percent of its farmland between 1987-1997. The decline in farm numbers was particularly severe for mid-sized commercial livestock farms. During this period, the number of hog farms dropped by almost 60 percent, dairy farms fell by 40 percent, and farms with any harvested cropland declined by more than 20 percent (Buttel, 1999). Meanwhile, when dairy and hog farm number declines are removed from the equation, census results show that there was …

How Wisconsin Farmers Feed Theircows: Results Of The 1999 Wisconsin Dairy Herd Feeding Study, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, J. M. Powell

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The Wisconsin dairy industry has seen dramatic changes over the last 20 years (Jackson- Smith and Barham, 2000). Overall, dairy farm numbers have been cut in half since the early 1980s, and the average size of remaining herds has increased by more than 60 percent (from roughly 40 cows to over 65 cows per herd). Despite these changes, most dairies are still single-family businesses, relying on household members for virtually all their farm labor requirements (Buttel et al., 2000). In 1998, state statistics suggested that over 70 percent of Wisconsin dairy operations were milking between 30 and 99 cows, and …

A Profile Of Wisconsin's Dairyindustry, 1999, F. H. Buttel, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, S. Moon

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

In the late winter and early spring of 1999, the Program on Agricultural Technology Studies (PATS)2 surveyed over 1,600 of Wisconsin’s dairy farmers. Because the sample was large, was drawn randomly from the Wisconsin Dairy Producers List, and yielded a relatively high response rate (50 percent), the results provide a scientifically reliable snapshot of the Wisconsin dairy farming sector as of the spring of 1999. This report provides an overview of the initial findings of the overall study. The emphasis of this report is on the characteristics of the Wisconsin dairy farming sector, and on the characteristics of the operators …

Management Intensive Rotational Grazingin Wisconsin: The 1990s, M. Ostrom, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Growing numbers of Wisconsin dairy farmers have reported success using management intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) techniques that rely on pastures as the primary source of forage for their milking herds. The Program on Agricultural Technology Studies (PATS) has been tracking the use and performance of MIRG systems in Wisconsin since the early 1990s through periodic large-scale, random sample surveys of Wisconsin dairy farmers. This fact sheet incorporates recent results from PATS 1999 Dairy Farmer Poll into an overall summary of PATS grazing research.

Limitations Of Agricultural Land Useplanning Tools In Rural Wisconsin, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, J. Bukovac

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Recent opinion polls suggest that farmland preservation is one of the most widely shared goals for local land use planning in Wisconsin. Although the state has long been a leader in the use of tax and zoning policy tools to protect agricultural lands from residential or commercial development, continued high rates of farmland loss have cast doubt on their effectiveness. This paper critically examines statistical evidence for the effectiveness of farmland tax credit and exclusive agricultural zoning policies in Wisconsin. Using data collected at the township level (the local unit of land use decision-making in most counties), and controlling for …

Overview Of Emerging Conflicts Over Agriculturalland Use, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

I’d like to use my opening comments today to set the stage for the rest of the program. But first, a few words about my background. I’m a sociologist and an economist trained in the dynamics of change in the farm sector. I help direct a research and outreach unit called the Program on Agricultural Technology Studies that tracks the impacts of new technologies and public policies on farm families, and only came to the world of land use planning through the back door. Specifically, as we’ve worked with farmers across the state in the last five to seven years, …

Wisconsin Dairy Farmer Views Onuniversity Research And Extension Programs, M. Ostrom, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, S. Moon

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Over the last decade, the Program on Agricultural Technology Studies (PATS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has received a wide range of formal and informal comments from Wisconsin farmers regarding the direction of university research and extension programs. In an era of declining Extension budgets, increasing privatization, and a rapidly changing farm structure, the debate about where to focus scarce public resources takes on an added significance. Is there still an important role for land grant institutions to play in agriculture in the new century? If so, how can limited resources be targeted most effectively? What do farmers and other …

A Social Analysis Of Grazing Management On National Forest Lands: A Case Study In Catron County, New Mexico, Alexis S. Watts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rural west in this country faces increased national pressure concerning the management of natural resources on public lands. Issues regarding natural resource management are becoming more important as they continue to affect rural communities and capture the attention of a variety of interest groups. Natural resource managers are increasingly required to consider social dimensions of resource use and management. Lack of consideration in these areas can lead to dissatisfied, and even hostile, local residents and interest groups. Often land managers face criticism from many groups at once as a result of management decisions.

This study analyzed a particular resource …

Temperament, Attachment, And Parenting Stress In Infancy: Relations To Social Competence Of Second Graders, Gina A. Cook

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The importance of social competence in children's development has been recognized, and evidence has been found that children who are socially incompetent are at risk for academic problems. Yet the influences that may be involved from infancy, such as temperament and attachment, have not been explored longitudinally. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of infant temperament characteristics on later social development and to explore the idea that this influence may be affected by the infant's attachment security mediated by parenting stress.

Eighteen-month-old infants, from a previous study, were studied as second graders to examine whether their …

Relating Children's Social Competence To Maternal Beliefs And Management Strategies Of Peer Relationships, Eryn D. Hamel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the links between maternal beliefs about the importance of children's social skills, modes of obtaining social skills, management strategies, and children's social competence. Subjects were 67 mothers whose 3- and 4-year-old children attended one of five preschools in Cache Valley, Utah. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing their beliefs about the importance of social skills, their beliefs about how children acquire social skills, and the ways they are involved in their children 's peer relationships. Demographic measures were also completed by the mothers. Classroom teachers completed the Child Behavior Scale on every child in their class, regardless of maternal …

Forced Sexual Intercourse In Relation To Female Adolescents' Risky Sexual Behavior, Psychopathology, And Behavior Problems, Mathew Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

During 1995, over 20,000 adolescents completed the in-home interview for The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). One question asked females if they had ever been forced to have sexual intercourse (FSI). In addition, they were asked about other sexual behavior, their psychological well-being, and behavior problems. The present study examines the associations between FSI and 26 outcome variables, comparing adolescent females who reported FSI with females who reported voluntary intercourse, and with females who reported no intercourse. In addition, the large Add Health sample allowed comparisons between five race/ethnicity groups and four adolescent groups broken down by …

Parenting Stress And Social Support Among Married And Divorced At-Risk Mothers, Sondra Moe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The stress parents feel affects how they fulfill their roles as parents and their own psychological well-being. Social support has been shown to help parents deal with the demands of their parenting roles while maintaining psychological health. Compared to married parents, divorced mothers are most at risk for parenting stress and negative feelings of well-being. Low-income can add further to the levels of stress in parenting and increase the need for sources of social support.

This study compared low-income divorced mothers to low-income married mothers. It explored mothers' perceptions of the stresses of parenting and feelings of wellbeing in relation …

Student Stress: An Analysis Of Stress Levels Associated With Higher Education In The Social Sciences, Darcy A. Keady

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A university sample of 238 undergraduate and graduate students between the ages of 19 and 58 completed the Student Stress Measure. Specifically, upper-division undergraduate students and clinical/nonclinical graduate students in social science programs (FHD, Social Work, Sociology, Psychology) were measured for stress level differences due to their particular academic requirements.

Results indicate that, overall, graduate students are more stressed than undergraduate students. Of the graduate students, Sociology students were most stressed in terms of Lifestyle stress scores. The comparison of clinical and non-clinical graduate students shows that there is no difference in stress levels. The Psychology and MFT graduate student …

4-H Contest Winners In Utah: Risk And Protective Factors, Ann E. Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study describes levels of asset development and involvement in at-risk behaviors among 4-H youth. To collect the data, 202 4-H teens participating in the 1996 Utah State 4-H Contests completed surveys. Results reveal numerous differences between males and females. Females scored significantly higher on 18 of 29 assets. Males reported significantly higher levels of involvement on 8 of 10 at-risk behaviors. Significant differences existed between types of 4-H clubs on 4 of 29 assets and 1 of 10 at-risk behaviors. No significant differences were found based on grade in school, years in 4-H, number of 4-H project areas, and …

The Relationship Between Mandatory Divorce Education In Utah And The Level Of Postdivorce Parental Conflict, Monte N. Criddle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was an association between current level of conflict between divorced parents and their attendance or nonattendance at the divorce education pilot program. A telephone interview was used to examine current level of postdivorce conflict. The first portion of the telephone interview used questions that were taken from the Family of Origin Scale (FOS). Questions were selected as they related to various stages of divorce. The second portion of the questionnaire obtained sociodemographic data. as well as information regarding relitigation. The telephone interview was administered to 160 individuals who participated in …

Preparation For Caregiving By Parents Of Children With Disabilities: An Exploratory Study, Mcarthur Hafen Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Older adults who provide care for an adult child with a disability have rarely been considered in the planning and preparation literature. As they grow older, these adults face the challenge of arranging care for their dependent children and for themselves. This study investigated influences on planning for one's own future care.

Results indicated that parents who prepared for their adult child's future care were more likely to prepare for their own care. When compared to adults without a dependent child, parents caring for an adult child with a disability were equally likely to plan for their own future care.

The Influence Of Video And Peer Tutoring On Attitudes Of High School Students Towards Peers With Disabilities, Marilyn Hammond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study measured the effectiveness of watching a motivational videotape and completing one semester of peer tutoring on changing high school students' attitudes towards their peers with disabilities. Attitudes were measured with the Scale of Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons (SADP), administered to classrooms in two randomly selected high schools before and after viewing the video. The SADP was administered to a different sample of students before and after completing one semester of tutoring peers with disabilities. Peer tutors also completed one-page weekly journals. Responses from all participating students were compared between the pre- and postassessments using paired t tests.

Seven …

The Emergence And Function Of Family Rituals In The American Family, John M. Kirkman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 1950 Bossard and Boll published their pioneering work on family rituals entitled Ritual in Family Living. Since then, numerous researchers have examined family rituals using various research designs. This study was done in the tradition of Bossard and Boll by closely examining the personal written accounts of 493 college-age students from a western university. Comparisons were made between the current sample and the sample of Bossard and Boll. Numerous changes in family rituals were identified. Christmas was found to be the most discussed ritual, but Christmas Eve rituals were more often discussed than Christmas Day rituals. The importance …