Sociology Commons^™

The Effects Of Site Design On Neighboring Patterns And Safety Perceptions Among Residents Of University Apartments, Julie L. Steinbacher

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationships among site design, neighboring patterns and safety perceptions of residents of living in university housing communities at Western Michigan University.

Many previous studies have examined the impact of site on neighboring patterns and safety perceptions among residents of housing communities. However, most of these studies have been conducted to communities outside of university housing complexes. This study was developed because the college environment offers a unique perspective to occupants living in university sponsored apartments. Furthermore, residents in college housing communities tend to be diverse and transient and the impact of …

Question Block Order Effects In A Telephone Survey, Peter Montague Meyers

Masters Theses

Question order effects in a repetitive questionnaire was the focus of the study. A dataset was constructed based on results involving seven different organizations where the institutions were rotated into seven different blocked placements to test for order effects. This analysis used the Arts and Culture Survey conducted by the Kercher Center for Social Research at Western Michigan University in 1994.

Comparisons of means were used to determine whether fatigue from question repetitiveness affected respondents when responding to questions with fixed response questions, multiple responses, "don't know" responses, and open-ended responses. The issue of popularity was also examined to see …

Patterns Of "I Don't Know" Responses In Telephone Surveys, Christine Lewerenz Hinkle

Masters Theses

The question of how best to handle "don't know" responses continues to be a troublesome problem to survey researchers. There are no guidelines for handling "don't know" responses because little systematic investigation for the problem has been made. This research addresses the characteristics of those who answer "don't know" in social surveys. I am focusing on four independent variables, sex, age, income, and education. Included in this research will also be an independent variable of interviewer gender. The fact that most survey research does not record the sex of the interviewer has caused this research to be somewhat limited. I …

The Impact Of School Climate On Self-Reported Alcohol And Other Drug Use, Karen R. Humes

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of dimensions of the school climate upon twelfth grade self-reported alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use. In order to do this, social bond theory and its elements of attachment, belief, and commitment were tested. Data involving peer pressure to use drugs, perception of school drug policy enforcement, and college boundness were utilized in examining their relationship with drug use.

The data which were chosen for this study involved 141 Michigan public school districts and were based on the responses of 17,211 high school seniors collected during the 1993-1994 school year. Due …

Sense Of Coherence, Stressors, Perception Of Stress And Drinking Patterns Among College Students, Jeanne C. Debruyn

Masters Theses

This research examined the protective qualities of Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence (SOC), a social-psychological dispositional concept, in relation of the daily hassles associated with the transitory college years of students, perceived stress, quantity/frequency and patterns of alcohol use. This cross-sectional study (n=103) was site-based in the classroom. Data were collected by survey questionnaire administered by the primary researcher. Results indicated that SOC affords protection to students possessing a strong SOC by allowing them to perceive the hassles associated with college life as less stressful and in ameliorating the negative consequences of heavy drinking. Significant problems with alcohol were found in …

Housing Satisfaction In The Suburbs: A Racial Comparison, Amonda Stokes

Masters Theses

The primary focus of this study was to compare African Americans' and European Americans' satisfaction with housing in the suburbs. Previous literature suggests that African Americans are living in older suburbs, close to the central city, and in lower quality housing than European Americans.

The population of this study consisted of black and white households living in the suburbs. This was a national sample taken from the American Housing Survey (1991). Cross-tabulations were conducted to determine differences by race of affordability, age of housing unit, ownership, neighborhood satisfaction, and housing satisfaction. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine which variables …

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 …

Social Interaction Among Fifth Graders, Dawn Michelle Hinton

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the social isolation of black girls as compared to the social isolation experienced by black boys, white girls and white boys. One fifth grade classroom was chosen as the population of interest. There were twenty seven students in the classroom. Of those there are: six black females, nine white females, five black males and seven white males. Two methods were employed to collect and analyze the data for this investigation. The first method was sociometric surveys which were used to measure social isolation among those being studied. The second method utilized was …

Effects Of Witnessing Domestic Violence On Children, Theresa L. Bundy

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of domestic violence on children. The main questions explored were the effects of domestic violence on the self-perception and behavior of children. The children at a shelter for domestic violence completed the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children and the Self-Perception Profile for Children, depending on the child's age. The children also completed a questionnaire on their views of relationships and their future. The mothers of the children completed a standardized scale that paralleled the scale completed by the children, along with questionnaires on the …

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 …

Gender, Waking Personality, And Sexual Behavior In Dreams, Jeffery W. Willis

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

African American Nurses' Perceptions Of Social Support Available During Graduate School, Jacquelyn Denese Pettis

Masters Theses

This study examined African American nurses' perceptions of social support available during graduate school that contributed to their completion of graduate studies. A descriptive correlational research design using a mailed questionnaire was employed for the study. The sample consisted of 91 African American nurses who were women and had completed graduate studies within the United States. A modified Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (Norbeck, Lindsey, & Carrieri, 1981) was used to collect the data.; Data analysis consisted of reporting means, standard deviations, and range of scores for perceived social support available. Pearson's correlations and t-test were used to examine significant differences …

Low Income Women's Perception Of Preparedness For Self Care And Infant Care Following Discharge From A Less Than Forty-Eight Hour Hospitalization For Birth, Patricia M. Ritola

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe perceptions of preparation for self care and infant care of new mothers of low income following a short hospitalization for childbirth. Orem's nursing model was used as the conceptual framework for the study. A descriptive correlational, cross sectional design was used to examine preparedness for self care and infant care. The sample (N = 50) consisted of women who were served by Michigan Medicaid, 18 years or older and were hospitalized less than 48 hours. A telephone interview was conducted seven days after discharge.; Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings identified …

A Descriptive Study Of The Needs Of Family Members Of Trauma Patients, Sally Laur Sutkowi

Masters Theses

This study examined the perceived needs of family members of trauma patients using Molter's (1979) Critical Care Family Needs Inventory. The ranking of needs of major and minor trauma patients family members were analyzed to determine differences between these two groups.; A convenience sample of 41 family members of trauma patients were surveyed. They included family members of 17 minor trauma patients and 24 major trauma patients. Minor trauma patients were those patients with Injury Severity Scores 12 or less. Major trauma patients had ISSs scores of 13 or greater. All 45 needs were considered very important by at least …

Caregiver Wellness Following Interventions Based On Interdisciplinary Geriatric Assessment, Julie A. Smith

Masters Theses

The study purpose was to examine the effect on interventions based on interdisciplinary geriatric assessment on family caregiver's wellness. A pretest-posttest research design was used, including a sample of 35 family caregivers of frail older adults. Neuman's Systems Model provided the theoretical framework. Care recipients and caregivers were evaluated by an interdisciplinary geriatric team and interventions for that family were developed and implemented. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test were performed to compare scores of pretest and posttest scores on self-rated health, the Burden Interview and Life Satisfaction, before and after the intervention. Results indicated that there was …

Perceived Needs Of Parents Of Critically Ill Children, Linda D. Scott

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to (a) identify the perceived needs of parents of critically ill hospitalized children, (b) identify parental needs as perceived by critical care nurses, and (c) identify the differences in these perceptions.; A descriptive research design with a non-probability convenience sample was used. The sample consisted of 30 parents or primary caretakers of critically ill children and the responses of 30 pediatric critical care nurses. Data were obtained by a structured interview technique. Data analysis included a comparison of the relationship of parental total scores and the nurses' total scores. No significant differences were found …

What Are The Perceived Needs Of Parents Of Critically Ill Neonates?, Linda B. Corliss

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify needs of parents during the hospitalization of their critically ill neonate. Studies indicate that parents of critically ill neonates are under a certain degree of stress and that sources of stress are identifiable by parents and equated to needs and the importance of those needs.; This study used an exploratory, descriptive design to document the needs of parents while also identifying variables that influenced those needs. Parents of 29 critically ill neonates (n = 53) were interviewed using a revised version of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) designed by Molter …

Diversity Management: An Administrative Case Study In A Tax-Exempt Human Service Organization, Jerry L. Johnson

Masters Theses

Diversity management is a business strategy that is intended to create an organizational climate where people from diverse backgrounds can succeed based on their work performance and not their personal similarities or differences with the organization's leadership. Diversity management programs are intended to help business remove barriers resulting from discrimination.; The present study investigated the need for a diversity management program in a tax-exempt human service organization. The perceptions and attitudes of organization employees, measured by survey instruments, in conjunction with an employee compensation study, provided the data for this investigation.; The instrument designed for this study and the random …

Concerns/Needs Experienced By Low-Income Mothers Following A Postpartum Hospital Stay Of Less Than Forty-Eight Hours, Karen S. Kujala

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe the needs and concerns that low income women experience during the first seven days at home following discharge from a postpartum hospital stay of less than forty-eight hours. Dorothea Orem's theory of self-care was the conceptual framework.; The sample (n = 50) consisted of Medicaid eligible postpartum mothers, 18 years of age or older, who were discharged with their infants in less than 48 hours after delivery. The mothers were contacted by telephone seven days after discharge to complete an interview regarding concerns they might have experienced.; Data were analyzed descriptively. The …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 Borders Of A Canvas Tent: An Analysis Of Feminist Utopian Novels, Catherine R. Caldwell

Masters Theses

This thesis is a critical examination of three feminist utopian novels: Woman on the Edge of Time, by Marge Piercy; Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, and Les Guerilleres, by Monique Wittig. The study, derived from the sociology of knowledge and deconstruction theory, focuses on similarities and differences involving: (a) sexuality; (b) community building; (c) religion; (d) decision making processes, political systems, and modes of production; (e) crime, deviance and political conflict resolution; and (f) child rearing. The analysis demonstrates that utopia may serve to critique dominant ideology. It also shows how utopian novels treat, and suggest possibilities …

The Ethnic Aspects Of Population Change In Latvia After Independence, Ilmars Mezs

Masters Theses

This study examines current and historic ethnic and demographic trends and their spatial and cultural contexts within Latvia. Comparisons with the other two Baltic states are also presented and discussed. The Latvian population underwent fifty years of Soviet rule, with deliberate policies to dilute the homogeneity of Latvians through Russification, in-migration, and political dominance. The period from 1940 to 1991 greatly impacted Latvians and immigrants, who were mainly Russians, by placing stresses on the spatial structure of the ethnic groups and their cultural relationship.

Latvians in particular feared ethnic and cultural extinction. The process of ethnic dilution and mixing under …

Attitudes Toward Euthanasia And Suicide For The Terminally Ill: An Updated Analysis, Thomas Melvin Stankewicz

Masters Theses

Replication of Monte's (1991) analysis of euthanasia and suicide correlates was the focus of this study. In addition, a right to die index was created and results were compared to the replication findings. The data used in the analyses were from the 1985 and 1991 General Social Surveys.

Cross-tabulation and multiple regression analysis were conducted to determine: (a) whether euthanasia and suicide approval increased significantly between 1985 and 1991, (b) which variables were significant predictors of euthanasia and suicide attitudes, (c) whether changes had occurred between 1985 and 1991, and (d) whether results obtained using the right to die index …