Sociology Commons^™

Students Against Driving Drunk (Sadd): Testing The Organization's Effects On Students' Behavior And Attitudes Toward Alcohol Use, William Post Jr.

Masters Theses

This research examines the influence of Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD) chapters on the reported behavior and attitudes towards alcohol use of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students in 208 public school districts in Michigan. This research is conducted at the intersection of social movement theory coupled with self-help group issues; theoretical approaches to explaining adolescent alcohol use; and SADD's etiological assumptions about adolescent alcohol use as derived from the organization's activities. These lead to comparing two types of SADD chapters (active and inactive) to school districts without SADD chapters, using students' (N=92,257) responses to the Michigan Alcohol and Other …

Investigating The Private Investigator, Michelle Garland

Honors Theses

A fast growing field of service is private investigations. There are an estimated 65,000 private detectives at work in the United States. This figure is up almost 65% from the estimated 40,000 in 1986. Investigation is a process of collecting data and applying logic which requires deductive and inductive reasoning. The purpose of this project is to examine these techniques, as applied to private investigation. This project will identify the various methods of investigation employed and focus on some ethical concerns of the profession. The structure is as follows: individuals who hire services will be identified, the ways in which …

Sisters In The Hood, Deborah Burris-Kitchen

Dissertations

This research assembles and organizes the literature in the areas of African-American women, the political economy of racism, the Black feminization of poverty, drug use and distribution, and gang violence. This dissertation explores extant theoretical approaches with a special emphasis on their relationship to the underground economy. The researcher uses ethnographic methods to examine the role that female gang members play in the underclass drug infested community of south central Fort Wayne, Indiana. Of the Black females interviewed, some were drug dealers, others were using illegal drugs, and still others were females who just found themselves in the inner-city, in …

The Role Of Elites In The Quality Of Life In Kalamazoo And Calhoun Counties, Sam S. King

Dissertations

My research examined the role of elites in the quality of life from 1890 to 1990 in two southwestern Michigan communities: Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties. This research is grounded in three research literatures: community power, elites and quality of life. My approach combined a quantitative analysis of six dimensions of quality of life and an historical analysis using case methods to look at the two communities over a 100 year time span.

My assumption at the beginning of this study was that elites play a major role in the quality of life. My data showed that some elites did have …

The Impact Of Mentoring On Leadership Among Young African-American Females, Joyce A. Montgomery

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived effectiveness of the mentoring relationship on the leadership behavior of female mentees in a community leaders program. More specifically, the researcher was concerned with what effects do the variables age, residence location, and family position have on aggressiveness, amount of influence, respect of knowledge, parental substitute and supportiveness components of leadership behavior among adolescent female mentees.

The target population consisted of 47 African-American adolescent females ages 14 through 18 years old attending the Community Leadership Program (CLP) based in Battle Creek, Michigan. The major data-gathering scale used, The Mentoring Leadership …

Toward A Biocritical Sociology, John Neuhaus

Dissertations

This dissertation is a critical discourse with three prominent trends in contemporary sociology. It is a critique of Emile Durkheim's admonition that sociological analysis, by definition, requires the exclusion of biological and psychological data. It shows, in contrast, that the exclusion of biosocial data removes vast sources of information which are useful and necessary in any interpretation of human behavior. This work also demonstrates that a biosocial perspective facilitates the development of a transcultural theory of human needs, which, if utilized, would enable sociologists to clarify a number of unproductive disciplinary conflicts concerning the definition and extent of social problems. …

Lost In The Fifties: A Study Of Collected Memories, Janelle L. Wilson

Dissertations

This is a study of ordinary people's recollections of the decade of the nineteen fifties. The theoretical concepts of collective memory and collected memories guide design and analysis. Unstructured interviews with 33 individuals who grew up in America in that decade were conducted. The snowball method identified potential informants. The data from these interviews, combined with secondary sources on that time period, served to reconstruct this decade. A number of themes emerged from the data; the decade was seen: as an apolitical time, as fun and innocent, as fearful with respect to atomic weaponry and Communists, as problematic for race …

The Nature Of Law And Its Effects On Certain Criminal Acts: A Comparative Study Of Saudi Arabia And The State Of Michigan, Abdulrahman Almejel Alfaraj

Masters Theses

The nature of law and its effects on certain criminal acts was the focus of this study. In this study the researcher compared the effect of two laws: (1) Saudi Arabia law which is a sacred law, and (2) the State of Michigan law which is a secular law. This comparative was on three criminal acts: (1) Homicide, (2) Rape, and (3) Theft. The data for this study were based on secondary data obtained through records available to the public. The purpose of this study is to examine and to compare the nature of punishment for crime and its effects …

Race And Language On A College Campus, William H. Dozier

Masters Theses

This research was used to measure the attitudes of students toward African American English at a predominantly European American University. It was hypothesized that significant differences would be found between the responses of the African American and European American students. Using a random telephone survey of the population, three (Language Legitimacy, Language Acceptance, and Cultural Value) of the four hypotheses were found to be significant. The fourth hypothesis (Employment Inhibition) was rejected indicating that both groups felt language was used as an employment stratification device. The data showed that although there were significant differences in the attitudes by race over …

Gophers, Ghosts, And Electronic Dreams: A Feminist Critique Of New Literary Forms, Jennifer Sue Boyers

Masters Theses

New literary forms was used as a method to show that women writers construct notions of objectivity, subjectivity, reflexivity and privilege fundamentally different than do males who are writing new literary forms. A narrative new literary form construct was employed and epistemological issues were explored in a self-referentially reflexive way.

The history and epistemological assumptions of new literary forms was explored in order to provide a context for the study. The feminist critique examined the use of autobiography in sociological writing, looked at women writers in the area of science studies, and explored essentialist and non-essentialist feminist epistemologies.

It was …

Role Of Social Institutions In A Multicultural Society, K. R. Ramakrishnan, Pallassana R. Balgopal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

With the rapid change in the demographic structure of the American society, the United States is becoming a mosaic of multiculturalism. Such changes have dramatic implications for social institutions. To understand such changes an overview of the evolution of multiculturalism from a historical perspective is provided. The concept of cultural pluralism is discussed for delineating the role of social institutions. Also examined is the issue of affirmative action, and the role of social welfare institution.

Tripartite Cultural Personality And Ethclass Assessment, Ken Huang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article assumes of the necessity of a theory of "tripartite personality" and utility of ethclass assessment in cross-cultural therapeutic interventions. It includes, (1) determinants of human behavior; (2) ethnocentrism and effects on groups and individuals, both majority and minority; (3) strategies of conventional intervention and its cultural encapsulation; (4) the proposed tripartite cultural personality, and psychocultural intervention; (5) the ethclass assessment and how it can be incorporated into the DSM-III-R (now, DSM-IV) Multiaxial Diagnostic System.

Is The "Underclass" Really A Class?, E. Walton Zelly Jr

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The concept of an "underclass" departs from previous determinations of social class based on criteria of education, occupation, and income in favor of the more subjective and less quantifiable criteria of the degree of social dislocation and the departure of a population from middle class norms and values. A study reviews current definitions of "the underclass"; contrasts this class description with "the poor" in the 60's and before; and suggests that "the underclass" is a pejorative label which has the effect of "blaming the victim", and has negative implications for the formulation of public policy directed toward the population thus …

Motherhood And Modernity. Christine Everingham & Mothering. Evelyn N. Glenn, Grace Chang, And Linda Rennie Forcey (Eds.). Reviewed By Michelle Livermore, Louisiana State University, Michelle Livermore

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Evelyn N. Glenn, Grace Chang, and Linda Rennie Forcey (Eds.). Mothering, New York, NY: Routledge, 1994, $49,95 hard cover, $16.95 paper cover.

Christine Everington. Motherhood and Modernity. Bristol, PA: Open University Press, 1994. $75.00 hard cover, $25.00 paper cover.

Feminism And The Politics Of Difference. Sneja Gunew And Anna Yeatman. Reviewed By Martin Bombyle, Fordham University., Marti Bombyk

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Sneja Gunew and Anna Yeatman, Feminism and the Politics of Difference, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994. $48.95 hardcover; $17.95 papercover.

Ethnic Identity, Intergroup Relations And Welfare Policy In The Canadian Context: A Comparative Discourse Analysis, Adrienne S. Chambon, Donald F. Bellamy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper illuminates the negotiation of group identities and intergroup relations in the Canadian context. It presents an empirical, comparative analysis of group claims around social assistance policy using discourse analysis. Lexical, semantic and narrative analyses of Aboriginal and multicultural documents show a complex organization of intergroup relations, with distinct and at times conflicting claims. In view of the tensions, responsive policy development requires that historical specificity, complexity, and even incompatibilities be taken into account.

Ethnic And Minority Groups In Israel: Challenges For Social Work Theory, Value And Practice, Eliezer D. Jaffe

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Israel is a Western, democratic, pluralistic enclave in the Middle East. Multiple ethnic groups, mass immigration, religious diversity, and the current ethnic dilemmas experienced there provide ample opportunity for study. The social work role in addressing the ethnic and cultural challenges in Israel is discussed without minimizing or reducing the complexity of the issues. A closer examination of social work as a vehicle for ethnic sensitivity and understanding of ethnic diversity is required. Knowing how to work with diverse populations and ethnic conflict is imperative in Israel and elsewhere.

Responses To Aging In Great Britain: The Black Experience, Wynetta Devore

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Ethnic minority persons who migrated to Britain from the Caribbean and Asia in response to the call for workers are now elderly. British social workers have not responded well to their needs. This article examines recent progress in social work education and practice in West Yorkshire. It examines research related to elderly needs conducted by the Kirklees Metropolitan Council. Also examined are anti-racist, ethnic-sensitive education and practice models developed by faculty and practitioners.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 22, No. 1 (March 1995)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPECIAL ISSUE ON SOCIAL WORK WITH MINORITY AND ETHNIC GROUPS

Guest Editor - Efriede G. Schlesinger

• INTRODUCTION - Elfriede G. Schlesinger
• ROLE OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY - K. R. Ramakrishna and Pallassana R. Balgopal
• ETHNIC SENSITIVE SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: THE STATE OF THE ART - Elfriede G. Schlesinger and Wynetta Devore
• CULTURAL VALUES AND MINORITY PEOPLE OF COLOR - Doman Lum
• IS THE "UNDERCLASS" REALLY A CLASS? - E. Walton Zelly, Jr.
• NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDREN: FULFILLING THE PROMISE OF THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT - Anthony McMahon and Ernest N. Gullerud
• TRIPARTITE CULTURAL PERSONALITY …

Cultural Values And Minority People Of Color, Doman Lum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article delineates various dimensions of culture, factors influencing acculturation, majority and minority values, and etic and emic dimensions of cultural values. It contributes to the debate about whether there are distinctive minority people of color values or whether these values are a function of migration and social class. It introduces the concepts of transcultural, cross cultural, paracultual, metacultural, and pancultural as well as cultural ethclass.

Lives On The Edge: Single Mothers And Their Children In The Other America. Valerie Polakow.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Valerie Polakow: Lives on the Edge: Single Mothers and their Children in the Other America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993. $22.50 hardcover.

Review Of The Velvet Glove: Paternalism And Conflict In Gender, Class And Race Relations. Mary R. Jackman. Reviewed By Doreen Elliot, University Of Texas At Arlington., Doreen Elliott

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Mary R. Jackman, The Velvet Glove: Paternalism and Conflict in Gender, Class and Race Relations, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1994. $38 hardcover.

Evolving Sisterhood: An Organizational Analysis Of Three Sororities, Bonnie J. Galloway

Dissertations

From 1851 through June, 1993, more than 2,800,000 women have been initiated into the twenty-six National Panhellenic Conference sororities. Not only are members active during collegiate years, but many continue participation through alumnae groups. Upholding the principles of community service and moral development, sorority women volunteer time and talent in a myriad of ways that benefit local communities and the greater society as a whole. Sororities also provide women important leadership training and experience.

The research design of this project takes a sociohistorical perspective. The study utilizes the population ecology model for organizations to examine three representative sororities: Chi Omega, …

Criminalizing Pregnancy: An Analysis Of The War On Drugs And The Fetal Rights Movement, Sheryl R. Fett

Masters Theses

The focus of study was the war on drugs and the fetal rights movement as they relate to the criminalization of pregnancy. There was a movement in the 1980s and early 1990s to prosecute pregnant women for prenatal drug use under child abuse statutes and/or drug delivery statutes.

A social constructionist framework was used to analyze this movement. This thesis utilized a qualitative case study relying on documentary analysis. Literature on the war of drugs and the fetal rights movement was analyzed as it related to the prosecutions of pregnant drug users and the subsequent criminalization of pregnancy.

It was …

Trauma In Adult Incest Survivors, Jane Kay Hedberg

Masters Theses

This study explored the traumatic effect of childhood incestuous abuse on the adult survivor. Eleven subjects were interviewed for this study. Hindman's (1989) trauma scale was revised, exploring issues of relationships, mental health, and living skills dysfunctions. In addition to the global score, the scale was disaggregated. Relationships between trauma and age at onset, physical and emotional violence, frequency, identification of self as victim, current relationship with offender, and response to disclosure were explored.

Several dimensions of feeling responsible were reported by victims, including feeling that there was something about them that made others victimize them, feeling responsible for protecting …

Gender Differences In Higher Education: A Comparison Of Males And Females Applying To Graduate School, Lynda Bennett

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to determine in what ways male and female applicants to graduate school are similar or different. Secondary analysis was conducted on survey data which described attitudes and behavior of students admitted to graduate programs at Western Michigan University. The purpose was to assess the relationship between gender and curricula selected, likelihood of applying for and receiving financial aid, and the influence of marital status. Gender did have a statistically significant relationship with curricula selection and influence of marital status. Furthermore, it appeared that women graduate students find marriage to be a more limiting factor …

How To Help The Working Poor Develop Assets, John R. Belcher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article explores the inability of the working poor to withstand income shocks. Because they often lack assets, the working poor are increasingly vulnerable to increasing deprivation. Interestingly, the welfare state enables the middle-class to develop and maintain assets through institutional arrangements. It is argued that solutions to the problem of poverty must include ways for the working poor also to develop and maintain assets.

The Al-Murrah Tribe In Qatar: Political Impact, Ali A. Hadi Alshawi

Masters Theses

Tribes and tribalism play significant roles in the Arabian Gulf. The focus of this study is on the Al-Murrah tribe, one of the largest tribes in East Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This study will provide an analysis of the Al-Murrah political structure and their relationship with the Gulf states.

This study gathered information using three methods. This researcher visited about 30 majlis (sitting rooms for men) and listening to over 900 tribesmen respond to issues provided by the researcher. Historical and official documents were investigated and personal observation and experience were also used.

Al-Murrah have strong kinship ties which leads …

Job Satisfaction Among Foreign Employees In The Private Sector In Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman Al-Suwaid

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships among job satisfaction and demographic variables for foreign employees in the private sector in Saudi Arabia.

The population for this study was foreign employees in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. A sample of 206 employees participated in the study from four private organizations in Riyadh. Each organization was visited to obtain permission to collect data from foreign employees. All subjects were given a packet of forms that included the Job Description Index, Job in General Scale, and Demographic Data Sheet. The subjects' responses were entered into the SPSS …

The Michigan Juvenile Waiver Package: An Analysis Of Its Use In Wayne County, Michigan, Kenneth C. Jackson

Masters Theses

On October 1, 1988, the Michigan Juvenile Waiver Package took effect in Michigan. One of the results of this was the implementation of prosecutorial waiver method in Michigan. Whereas previously juveniles could only be waived and tried in the adult court via a judicial waiver, now it was possible for the prosecutor to waive juveniles aged 15 or 16 if charged with one or more of seven specified Class 1A felonies. Data were collected for all youth subject to prosecutorial waiver in Wayne County over a five year period, from October 1, 1988 through October 1, 1993. Data included: date …