Sociology Commons^™

A Kierkegaardian Understanding Of Self And Society: An Existential Sociology, Chris L. Jakway

Dissertations

In examining the history and development of existential sociology, it becomes clear that in its initial phases it was not intended to oppose traditional sociological research, but to complement it. I intend to show that the contemporary chasm between the methodologies can be narrowed with a reconsideration of their common roots in the work of G.H. Mead and the symbolic interactionists. Existential sociologists today offer a practical synthesis that combines that theoretical heritage with philosophic ontology dating back to the writings of Soren Kierkegaard.

My conceptual goal is reveal how the existential philosophy of Kierkegaard, while not irrational or solipsistic, …

The Influence Of Promise Keepers On Fathers’ Involvement With Their Children, Michael J. Walcheski

Dissertations

This study explores the influence of Promise Keepers (PK) on fathers’ involvement with their children. The large numbers o f men involved with PK and the anecdotal success of fathers and their families have created considerable dialogue in the popular press. However, there have been no empirical studies to date that contribute data about the influence of PK on father involvement.

The conceptual framework informing this study combined father involvement and postmodern feminist perspectives. A father involvement perspective emphasizes fathers’ presence, their capability and strengths, the moral dimension to fathers’ responsibility for their children, and factors that establish responsible fathering. …

Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Doctoral Students Mentoring Relationships With Faculty In Counseling Psychology A Qualitative Study, Julianne S. Lark

Dissertations

Mentoring is often endorsed within broader discussions of the education and training of students in counseling and psychology (e.g., Ellis, 1992; Gelso & Fretz, 1992; Kilburg, 1991), although, there is very little in the professional literature about these relationships (Carden, 1990). Out of the small amount of professional training literature on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) issues, Buhrke and Douce (1991) have provided the only discussion of counseling psychology trainees who themselves are LGB. There are no other published sources that discuss the practice of mentoring with LGB students in counseling psychology.

This qualitative study investigated (LGB) doctoral students’ mentoring …

The Relationship Of Gender Role Conflict To Male College Students' Receipt And Use Of Violence In Heterosexual Dating Relationships, Brady R. Harnishfeger

Dissertations

This dissertation assessed the relationship of attitudes toward aggression, dating relationship seriousness, and aspects of men's conflicted beliefs and expectations about the male role to involvement in physically violent dating relationships. Grounded in conflict theory, which states that conflict is an integral part of all close relationships, this research hypothesized that more accepting attitudes toward aggressian, more serious dating relationships, higher levels of concerns with success, power, and competition, and greater tendencies toward restrictive emotionality would be related to, and would combine to represent significant predictors of, men's receipt and use of physically violent conflict tactics while dating.

The sample …

The Implementation Of Group Mentoring Between At-Risk Teenage African American Males And Successful Adult African American Men, Cornell Mathis

Masters Theses

Little research has been done to examine the implementation of group mentoring. This study of group mentoring involving at-risk teenage African American males and successful adult African American men will provide insight into group mentoring as demonstrated through interpersonal communications.

An investigation of the composite reduction provides the foundation for establishing the following definition of the group mentoring experience. The mentees are drawn to the mentors by mutual respect developed through the use of a special language. Availability leads to bonding between the mentees and mentors. The relationships are fostered by the authenticity of both individuals while producing social enlightenment …

Contested Workplace: The Case Of The Strike Of The United Food And Commercial Workers Union Versus Meijer, Barbara Thomas Coventry, Marietta Morrissey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines the struggle between labor and management at four, newly-opened supermarket/discount stores, culminating in a strike. It considers workplace control as an issue in the strike and its resolution. Edwards' typology of workplace control is reviewed, along with other indirect forms of control explored in recent literature. Workers complained most stridently about direct control mechanisms. Workers' objections to technical and bureaucratic control played only a minor part in workers' decision to strike and the work stoppage's outcome. Indirect controls, including customer and gender-specific control mechanisms, were seldom questioned or acknowledged by workers. On the other hand, both the …

Poor Children "Know Their Place": Perceptions Of Poverty, Class, And Public Messages, Susan Weinger

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This qualitative study hears and clarifies some of the voices of children concerning how they feel their lives are circumscribed by living in poverty, by public messages about the poor, and by their views of their socioeconomic status. Twenty-four children between the ages of 5-12 years were interviewed using snapshots of different economic level homes in order to capture their uncensored responses. Findings reveal that the children view poverty as a deprivation, perceive societal messages as disparaging of the poor, and have some difficulty holding on to positive views of themselves. These children's thoughts about the realities of their lives …

Review Of Who Will Care For Us: Aging And Long Term Care In Multicultural America. Ronald L. Angel And Jacqueline L. Angel. Reviewed By Martin Tracy, University Of Southern Illinois., Martin Tracy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Ronald L. Angel and Jacqueline L. Angel, Who will Care for Us: Aging and Long-Term Care I Multicultural America. New York: New York University Press, 1997. $29.95 hardcover.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 25, No. 2 (June 1998)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• CONTESTED WORKPLACE: THE CASE OF THE STRIKE OF THE UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS UNION VERSUS MEIJER - Barbara Thomas Coventry and Marietta Morrissey
• EXPOSING AND REFRAMING WELFARE DEPENDENCY - Elizabeth Bartle
• THE FORGOTTEN MANY: A STUDY OF POOR URBAN WHITES - Reba L. Chaisson
• ATTITUDINAL PREDICTORS OF PREFERRED POLICY OPTIONS: CONTRASTING AFDC WITH WORK PROGRAMS - Jill Littrell and Sahna Diwan
• POOR CHILDREN "KNOW THEIR PLACE:" PERCEPTIONS OF POVERTY, CLASS, AND PUBLIC MESSAGES - Susan Weinger
• RETHINKING SELECTIVISM AND SELECTIVITY BY MEANS TEST - Chack-kie Wong
• ESTIMATING HOMELESS POPULATIONS THROUGH STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING - Christopher G. …

Review Of Alternatives To Social Security: An International Inquiry. James Midgley And Michael Sherraden. Reviewed By Eric Kingson, Boston College., Eric Kingson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

James Midgley and Michael Sherraden (Eds.), Alternatives to Social Security: An International Inquiry. Westport, CT: Auburn House, 1997. $49.95 hardcover.

The Foucault Panopticon Model In Motion: The Internet As A Candidate For Corporate Abandon, Thomas Wells Brignall

Masters Theses

The possible negative impacts the Internet could have on our society, because of its powerful observation potential is the topic of this thesis. In my work I deconstruct several historical and current texts on the Internet. I then critique modern cultural constructs of the Internet and compare and contrast using historical as well as meta-analysis to dissect the real from the simulated.

I have found that a majority of the Internet's current construction lies in the hands of private companies. In my finding, using historical analysis of previous company policies that the potential to observe, track, and keep large databases …

The Role Of Ethnicity Among International Students In Adjustment To Acculturative Stress, Mohd. Tajudin Hj Ninggal

Dissertations

This study examined whether there were differences in six acculturative stress themes among three Malaysian ethnic groups who were enrolled at Western Michigan University during the Fall, 1997 semester. The study also investigated whether the following demographic attributes: (a) gender, (b) academic major, (c) financial sponsorship, (d) family socioeconomic status, (e) type of residential setting, and (f) scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) affected Malaysian students in relation to the six acculturative stress themes: (1) Perceived Discrimination, (2) Homesickness, (3) Perceived Hate, (4) Fear, (5) Culture Shock, and (6) Guilt.

A total of 138 respondents …

A Sense Of Entitlement To Self In Relationships: An Elaboration Of Attachment And Feminist Object Relations Theories, Suzanne Elaine Wolfe

Dissertations

Many women who present for psychotherapy with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety describe a common pattern of involvement in current and past nonmutual relationships. This phenomenon is described and explored in light of a new conception of entitlement. It is proposed that one’s sense of entitlement is a relative relational position along a continuum from overentitlement through healthy entitlement to underentitlement, and that these women are often underentitled in their adult relationships. Their relationships are often with overentitled others, and they may hold internal convictions that their place in relationships is to be underentitled. A particular pattern contributing to underentitlement …

Visitor In A Foreign Land: Reflections On Intercultural Adjustment In The Republic Of Armenia, Jerry L. Johnson

Dissertations

This first person, autobiographical account of one American citizen’s nine-week experience covering two years in the Republic of Armenia answers the question, aIs it possible to become resocialized in a foreign culture?’ Employing the experimental writing method called personal experience narrative, the author uses personal journal accounts and autobiographical stories as primary data to demonstrate his movement from ’modem tourist’ (MacCannell, 1976; 1992) to resocialized individual and provide a rich and detailed description of the Armenian homeland undergoing significant social changes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

This study offers a model of socialization called ’life-learning’ to …

African-American Females And The Glass Ceiling In The Defense Logistics Agency, Velma Lee Clay

Dissertations

This study explores the career advancement experiences of African American women who have successfully broken through the glass ceiling. The term “glass ceiling” refers to artificial or invisible barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevent qualified women and minorities from advancing into senior-level management positions. Studies have confirmed that a glass ceiling does exist for African American women and that they are severely underrepresented in top level government jobs, they have less opportunity for advancement, and both gender and race are perceived as factors in their limited representation (MSPB 1992).

What is the Impact of Breaking the Glass …

Assessing Child Care Need In Niles, Michigan, Lori L. Mcneil

Masters Theses

Many parents struggle to secure adequate child care while they work and/or attend school. With the passage of welfare reform legislation, which in part requires AFDC parents to enter/reenter the workforce, locating child care options will likely become increasingly more difficult.

This study describes child care needs of one community based on a survey of parents at thirteen different sites. The research measured the discrepancy between existing child care resources and child care demand within the community.

Analysis of the data revealed that the ways in which parents provide care for their children differed considerably in Niles from the most …

Prostitution In U.S. Society: Moving Beyond Traditional Feminist Frameworks Of Analysis, Megan M. Coats

Masters Theses

In this thesis, I explore the different ways that prostitute women's voices have been silenced by groups which have historically controlled the social and academic discourse on prostitution. Utilizing the research method of standpoint epistemology, I first discuss why the prostitute activist's voices must be considered as the central source for scientists theorizing on prostitution. Next, I give an account of some historical influences which have shaped the discourse on prostitution, affecting the development of legislation regulating prostitution. Then, I provide a history of the development of the liberal and radical feminist discourse on prostitution. I also include some contemporary …

Community Leaders’ Perceptions Of Violence Against Women As A Public Health Issue, Deborah J. Bartz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to identify correlates of support for the involvement of local public health departments in the prevention of violence against women. The research is a secondary analysis of data from community leaders in the 50 public health catchment areas throughout Michigan.

A total of 525 community leaders were identified by health officers and were mailed surveys that dealt with a wide range of health policy issues. Three hundred and fifty-one surveys were returned.

The analysis were designed to determine which factors would affect support for treating violence against women as a public health issue. A …

When Do Single Mothers Work? An Analysis Of The 1990 Census Data, Marta Elliott, John F. Packham

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study analyzes the relative effect of the amount of public assistance income received one year on the probability that a single mother is employed the following year compared to a variety of other determinants of employment status. The analysis is based on a national sample which was drawn from the Public Use Micro data 5 percent Sample (PUMS) of the 1990 U.S. Census. It consists of the 275,744female householders who were divorced, separated, widowed or never married, and living with their own children age 18 and under. Logistic regression was utilized to calculate the probability of being employed in …

Community Organizing And Comprehensive Community Initiatives, Mark Joseph, Renae Ogletree

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In order for comprehensive community initiatives (CCIs) to be sustained beyond their initial funding period, they must "take hold" in a community and develop the capacity of community members to control and guide the community-building process. Given that CCIs are usually formulated largely by sources external to the community, such as private foundations and government agencies, it can be difficult for CCIs to achieve the necessary level of local participation. Furthermore, conflicts over the dynamic of power within the CCI, and differences over internal versus external interest, can make interaction between external agents and community members problematic. The author suggests …

Improving The Quality Of Child Care In The Rural South, Margaret E. Griffin, R. Dwight Hare, Patrica A. Baggerly, Melinda M. Leftwich, Sue Standifer, Susan A. Elkins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A collaborative of six social service agencies and a state university determined that the single most pressing need of families in a 14-county, rural area was child care. The Training Resource Center, developed through a W K. Kellogg Foundation grant, worked with day care licensing and early childhood professional groups to develop a plan to address the systemic nature of the problem of how to improve the quality of child care. Programs developed included training, mentoring, NAEYC accreditation, and a resource library. After 15 months, some programs show the possibility of sustainability.

Partnerships For Vitalizing Communities And Neighborhoods: Celebrating A "Return"!, Linwood H. Cousins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In 1994, ten community and university partnerships joined the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to develop training strategies that would improve social systems and better serve families and neighborhoods. The partnerships and training strategies were to be based on what the Foundation refers to as the "assets model"- or seeing the strengths and assets of families and neighborhoods, rather than their deficits, as the primary building block for social systems (Parsons, 1997). Called the "W. K. Kellogg Foundation Families and Neighborhoods Initiative, Community/ University Partnerships," according to Beverly Parsons, a program evaluator, "Funding is provided for sites to demonstrate that partnerships …

Partners For Change: Community Residents And Agencies, Julie O'Donnel, James Ferreira, Ralph Hurtado, Ellen Ames, Richard E. Floyd Jr., Lottie M. Sebren

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Efforts to combine the knowledge and skills of community residents and diverse professionals to bring about community and service delivery change are becoming increasingly popular, yet difficult to achieve. This article details, from the perspective of community residents and agency and university staff, the challenges, strategies, and benefits in developing one community-agency collaborative which has successfully engaged community residents. The program is located in a low-income, culturally-diverse, densely populated urban area. Challenges faced by the partnership included recruiting residents, reducing logistical barriers to resident involvement, joining together residents and agency staff, and aligning community and agency goals. Successful strategies in …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 25, No. 1 (March 1998)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• WHY FOSTER PARENTS CONTINUE AND CEASE TO FOSTER - Nolan Rindfleisch, Gerald Bean and Ramona Denby
• CLIENTILISM AND CLIENTIFICATION IMPEDIMENTS TO STRENGTHS BASED SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE - Charles D. Cowger
• WHEN DO SINGLE MOTHERS WORK? AN ANALYSIS OF THE 1990 CENSUS DATA - Marta Elliott and John F. Packham

SYMPOSIUM ON FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITY AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS - Guest Editors: Linwood Cousins, Loretta Williams and Peter Battani

• PARTNERSHIPS FOR VITALIZING COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS: CELEBRATING A RETURN - Linwood H. Cousins
• COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES - Mark Joseph and Renae Ogletree
• RECLAIMING COMMUNITIES AND LANGUAGES …

Review Of Feminism And Social Change: Bridging Theory And Practice. Heidi Gottfried (Ed.). Reviewed By Rebecca S. Carter, Louisiana State University., Rebecca S. Carter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Heidi Gottfried (Ed.), Feminism and Social Change: Bridging Theory and Practice. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1996 $ 39.95 hardcover, $14.95 papercover.

An Analysis Of Police Perceptions Of Community Policing And Female Officers, Rhonda Kaye Delong

Dissertations

Traditional and community policing differ in their approach to crime and other social concerns. Traditional policing emphasizes reactive response and enforcement while community policing emphasizes proactive response and community partnership. Often, these two types of departments select officers with specific characteristics which fit well with the philosophy of the department. Characteristics such as age, education, years of military experience, rank, years of police experience, type of department, and family members in the military and the police are examined in this study to determine perceptual differences among officers regarding the community policing philosophy and the role of women in policing. A …

Theoretical And Conceptual Lacunae In Sociological Theories Of Development: The Puerto Rican Anomaly, Dennis Malaret

Dissertations

Puerto Rico is presently facing serious economic and social problems which are characteristic of a neocolony. Many of these problems are associated with Puerto Rico's historical path of industrial development adopted in 1940s. This study, therefore, focuses on economic and development policies implemented in Puerto Rico since the early 1900s and the political and economic role the U.S. has played in such policies.

To understand Puerto Rico's structural problems, a theoretical framework has been developed. This framework combines developmentalist theories such as modernization, dependency, capitalist world economy and indigenous Puerto Rican theorizing. These theories have been critically assessed for their …

Drug Use Among Female High School Senior Students In Michigan: An Application Of Social Bond Theory, Halime Unal

Masters Theses

Drug use is a serious problem affecting the American adolescents today. The focus of this study was the relationship between the elements of social bond and drug use among female high school senior students. The elements of social bond were peer pressure, commitment to school, and the importance of religious belief. Drugs investigated in this study were cigarette, alcohol and marijuana. This study included the total population of female senior students during the 1994-95 academic year in Michigan who participated in the Michigan Alcohol and'Other Drugs School Survey (MAOD).

In order to test the relationship between the elements of social …

Defining American Dreams: An Ideological Analysis Of The Michigan Militia, Pamela Labelle

Masters Theses

The primary goal of this thesis is to explicate the system of beliefs underlying the militia movement in order to better understand how their particular ideology helps them make sense of the complexities and contradictions in the world in which we live. By delineating and analyzing their ideology, I demonstrate how it is rooted in the Constitution and the Bible, as well as how that rootedness can alternately support and work against their system of beliefs. I then examine the ideology of the mainstream American Dream to understand how militia ideology works in tandem with some of the principal tenets …

Professional Football Players Attitudes Toward Women And Violence, Shannon Marie O'Toole

Masters Theses

This study examined whether or not professional football players, because of the violence and aggression associated with their sport, tended to have attitudes that condoned or were conducive to violence against women. The forty-six subjects in this study were active members on teams in the National Football League and/or the National Football League sponsored World League. Information was gathered through the sue of self-reporting, non-random, questionnaires and interviews.

The study also explored the dynamics of domestic violence, the linking of aggression with professional sports and the characteristics of sport in United States society, especially as it relates to masculinity and …