Sociology Commons^™

Communities, Place, And Conservation On Mount Kilimanjaro, Marie Bradshaw Durrant

Theses and Dissertations

The Chagga people have lived and worked on Mount Kilimanjaro for more than 250 years. Through traditions and social practices within their communities and families, strong bonds are established between the Chagga and their home on the mountain. Kilimanjaro National Park and Forest Reserve (KINAPA) was established in the 1970s to protect and conserve the mountain, based on a long history of colonialism and western ideals. As KINAPA has attempted to preserve the flora and fauna on the uppermost portion of Mount Kilimanjaro, they have alienated local residents from the land through a conservation approach that relies on "fences and …

The Effects Of Premarital Sexual Promiscuity On Subsequent Marital Sexual Satisfaction, Sherie Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

A satisfying sexual relationship is an important aspect of general marital satisfaction. Considering that most people will marry, understanding the factors influencing marital sexual satisfaction becomes important in understanding what makes happy, satisfied relationships and individuals in our society. This study builds on previous research, which has indicated that there are a number of "risky factors" associated with having numerous premarital sexual partners, by demonstrating that there are risks associated with the future marital relationship. Using exchange theory concepts, this study empirically examines the relationship between premarital sexual promiscuity and marital sexual satisfaction. The sample included 313 married males and …

Couples Sharing Recovery From A Husband's Addiction To Pornography: A Qualitative Study, Spencer T. Zitzman

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the therapy process for married couples recovering from addictive use of pornography. The author's proposal was that in conjoint couple therapy, clinicians are able to help organize the relationship to sponsor recovery while helping both members of the relationship heal individually. The prevalence and effects of pornography are discussed through a review of the current literature. Six couples were interviewed following the termination of their treatment in marital therapy to gain a holistic view of the process of recovery and gain groundwork for future development of a concise model of treatment. Results demonstrated that an increase in …

Helping With The Transition To Parenthood: An Evaluation Of The Marriage Moments Program, Elizabeth Brinton Fawcett

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to strengthen marriages during the transition to parenthood, the Marriage Moments program was developed from Blaine Fowers' virtues based model of marital quality. Marriage Moments is a non-intrusive, mostly self-guided approach to marriage education, which is easily incorporated into childbirth education classes. The Marriage Moments curriculum stresses building marriage on a strong foundation of friendship and partnership. In this model, marital friendship is strengthened through a shared vision of life and important life goals; partnership is nurtured by the virtues of generosity, fairness and loyalty.

This program was tested on 155 married couples that were expecting their …

Aggregation Techniques To Characterize Social Networks, Sara E. Sterling

Theses and Dissertations

Social network analysis focuses on modeling and understanding individuals of interest and their relationships. Aggregation of social networks can be used both to make analysis computationally easier on large networks, and to gain insight in subgroup interactions. Aggregation requires determining appropriate closely knit subgroups as well as choosing a measure or measures to represent the network data. This thesis provides the analyst with several techniques for using aggregation to analyze the characteristics of social networks. The contribution of this research lies in its ability to analyze a wide variety of social network structures and available data through two methods for …

Measuring Prejudiced Attitudes Toward Mexicans In Latter-Day Saint Missionaries During Missionary Service In The American Southwest, Jared A. Montoya

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the foundations of prejudiced attitudes toward Mexicans held by White Americans and to investigate a means of reducing it, paying specific attention to prejudice found within a subpopulation of White Americans. The origins of American prejudice toward Mexicans are outlined using both historical and psychological explanations. An understanding of these origins leads to the notion that increased favorable contact is the best method for reducing prejudice. A field study focusing on prejudice toward Mexicans among ecclesiastical volunteers demonstrated that missionary service can be considered a means of favorable contact. Eighty-one White American …

The Longterm Effects Of Television Mediation On Lds Young Single Adults: An Exploratory Study, Jennia Parkin

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examines what Latter-day Saint young single adults remember about their parents mediating the television and its use, and how those recollections contribute to their current attitudes and values toward the media, as well as their media choices. A stratified random sample of 267 LDS young single adults across the United States and outside the state of Utah responded to a cross sectional mail or online survey. The three mediation styles established by Valkenburg, Krcmar, Peeters, and Marseille (1999)—Restrictive, Instructive, and Coviewing—were used as the independent variables while scales assessing television offensiveness levels, attitudes, orientation, and usage were …

Predictors Of General Medical Use Among Individuals Seeking Therapy For Marital And Family Problems, Jacob D. Christenson

Theses and Dissertations

A number of studies have examined variables associated with medical use. However, most of the studies deal with samples that are not easily generalizable to other populations. In particular, no study is known to have looked at general medical use among people seeking services for marital and family problems. In this study, medical use of participants from the marriage and family therapy services at Brigham Young University Comprehensive Clinic was investigated to determine the best predictors of general medical use. Best subsets multiple linear regression showed that the best overall predictors of general medical use were anxiety and hostility.

The Formative Evaluation Of A Family Life Education Website, Brynn Marie Steimle

Theses and Dissertations

Hundreds of family life education (FLE) websites are now available on the Internet, allowing individuals and families unprecedented access to FLE information. Evaluation is critical to ensuring the quality of and improving FLE websites, yet few FLE website evaluations have been conducted. This study formatively evaluated a new family life education website, called Forever Families (http://www.foreverfamilies.net or http://foreverfamilies.byu.edu), assessing website utilization using Web-based software, and receiving visitor feedback through the use of an online survey. Quantitative survey items assessed knowledge gains, how interesting the content was, usefulness, attractiveness, ease of use of the website, whether or not the site met …

Marriage Moments: A New Approach To Strengthening Couples' Relationship Through The Transition To Parenthood, Tamara Gilliland

Theses and Dissertations

Strengthening marriages is important to the well-being of individuals, families and communities. The transition to parenthood brings with it particular risks and opportunities for marriage relationships, yet no interventions have been successful in accessing a large number of couples during this critical time prepare and strengthen them for the challenges of becoming parents. The healthcare system has an established education infrastructure (childbirth education) that interacts with a significant number of couples during the transition to parenthood and has become increasingly open to incorporating relationship strengthening efforts into existing programs. The Marriage Moments program was designed to access couples through this …

Determination Of Seric Retinol Levels In Relation To Consumed Diet And The Prevalence Of Anemia In Preschool- And School-Aged Children In The Communities Of Cuambo And La Rinconada, Imbabura Province, Verónica Chávez

Theses and Dissertations

In this investigation the seric retinol levels were determined in order to relate them with consumed diets by preschool- and school-aged children and the prevalence of anemia in the communities of Cuambo and La Rinconada, Imbabura province, in order to later compare them with reference values. Blood samples were taken from 74 children from the two communities, 30 in La Rinconada and 44 in Cuambo, beneficiaries of the Benson Institute, to determine retinol, ferritin, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Also, a 24-hour record with frequency of food consumption survey was given to the studied children's parents, making a sample of 56 families. …

Implementacion And Strengthening Of Family Orchards For The Diversification Of The Diet And To Improve The Consumption Of Vegetables And Available Fruits In The Communities Of The Rinconada And Cuambo In The Period 2001-2002, Guido Arellano

Theses and Dissertations

The general objective of this investigation was to implement and strengthen family orchards for the diversification of the diet and improvement of the consumption of vegetables and fruits available in the communities of the Rinconada and Cuambo. They collaborated in the implementation and strengthening of the family orchards and by means of focal group techniques determined the readiness, seasonal variance, and alimentary habits of the available vegetables and fruits. They made 10 nutritive preparations in each community in participating shops with the foods that were harvested in the orchards and with the help of consistent educational material as 2 three-page …

Design And Application Of A Nutrition Education Program Based On A Test Of Improved Practices For Pregnant Women And Women Of Childbearing Age In La Rinconada And Cuambo, Odila Nicaragua

Theses and Dissertations

This study was done with the objective of designing and applying a nutrition education program based on a test of improved practices for pregnant women and women of childbearing age in the rural communities of Ibarra canton: La Riconada and Cuambo. For this, information was collected on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding the eating habits of pregnant women. These results were used to identify content and recommendations to reinforce and/or instruct about eating during pregnancy. Nutrition education was based on the methodology of the improved practices test, which consisted of testing the recommendations in families' homes before recommending them …

Red Series Reference Values In Healthy People From 15 To 60 Years Old Who Live Between 1700 And 1850 Meters Above Sea Level (Coroico - Nor Yungas - La Paz, 2001), Maria Eugenia Quispe Nina

Theses and Dissertations

This study occurred in the area of Coroico at 1700 meters above sea level and in the community of Carmen Pampa, situated at 1850 meters above sea level. Coroico is the capital of Nor Yungas province, department of La Paz. This study hopes to contribute information on reference values for erythrocyte numbers, hemoglobin values, and hematocrits for people between 15 and 60 years old that live between 1700 and 1850 meters above sea level, with the goal of facilitating precise diagnosing of anemia. The study used samples of healthy people, residents with more than two months in Coroico, of middle …

Deception Detection: Study Of Information Manipulation Through Electronic Identity Theft-Email Forgery In The U.S. Military, Roy V. Rockwell

Theses and Dissertations

This research describes the results of a field experiment which examines the effects of warnings on system trust and individual awareness in government computer systems through the use of email forgery. The experiment consisted of forging a trusted government email account and trying to get government computer users to reply to a forged email address. The results revealed that warning individuals about possible email forgery did not increase their awareness or reduce their level of system thrust in the email system nor did it increase their ability to detect email forgery. The results did determine that government computer users are …

Legislating Citizenship In The United States: The Impact Of State Building On Woman Sufferage Legislation, 1848-1918, Eric C. Dahlin

Theses and Dissertations

This is a state-level analysis of the impact of state building on woman suffrage legislation in the United States. This study examines all states in which state legislatures were conferred the power to submit a constitutional amendment to the electorate for approval. I use a sequential random-effects logistic regression model to estimate the effects of state building on legislative outcome. Legislative outcome is measured in three stages: whether or not a bill is introduced in either the House or the Senate during a legislative session, whether or not a bill is voted on in either the House or the Senate …

Balance And Conflict: Variation In Attaining Work-Family Fit Among A Homogeneous Population, Laura C. Koch

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of work-family fit has recently emerged in the work and family literature, comparable to work-family balance in that it represents interactions between work and family, and yet distinct from balance in its sense of universal ownership and responsibility. Using Barnett's (1998) model of the work-social system interface as a framework, this study explores the relationship between and predictive factors of work-family fit and work-family balance. Data are from a survey of Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management (MSM) graduate school alumni (n = 273). Findings indicate that fit and balance are indeed two separate constructs, with fit …

Making Friends To Last A Lifetime: An Ethnographic Study Of Parasocial Relationships And Soap Opera Characters, Emmalee Elizabeth Haight Pryor

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to build theory about parasocial relationships and to examine what affect, if any, religion had on parasocial relationships. Using qualitative methods, the researcher watched the show three times with five women followed by an in-depth interview. The women chosen were LDS stay-at-home moms who had watched a soap opera for at least a year.
From this data came several surprising findings about religion and soap opera viewing. The women said they did not feel guilty about the content of the shows, rather the time required to watch. This guilt was alleviated by structuring their …

Webbing Egypt: An Ethnographic Insight Into Levels Of Imagination Surrounding The Production Of Web Sites, Ivan Panovic

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an ethnographic description of practices of the producers of Egypt-based and Egypt-related websites.

Nutritional Food And Health Education With Instructive Lessons In The Community School Of La Rinconada, Cantón Ibarra, Province Of Imbabura, Olga Maria Gómez Chirán

Theses and Dissertations

The general objective of this work was to offer nutritional food and health education using instructive lessons that were prepared based on the diagnostic of knowledge among teachers and children in the School of La Rinconada. The study is descriptive-cross performed from October 2000 to June 2001. The universe of study is 100% of teachers and children attending schools in the communities of La Rinconada and Cuambo, totaling 104. The considered variables are diet, nutrition, and health-related topics. These variables contemplate the elementary education plan of study, besides providing training to students and teachers. Because the project was developed primarily …

Eating, Nutrition And Of Health Diagnostic Of The Elementary Schools Of The Communities Of Guambo And The Rinconada, Province Of Imbabura 2002-2001, Ruth Muriel

Theses and Dissertations

The rural communities of the province of Imbabura present multiple problems of environmental, educational, and economic kind. Previous studies show that the rural communities of the Ecuadorian population present serious problems of health and nutrition, among those that excel are: poliparasitosis, respiratory infections and diarrheal, malnutrition, deficiency of micro nutrients, sanitary deficiency, scarce economic resources and low level of instruction. All these factors have caused a decrease in the productive capacity of the country and affected their level of development. In addition, delay exists in size in the students, which leads to a decrease in the capacity for physical work, …

Religiosity And Delinquency: A Test Of The Religious Ecology Hypothesis, S. Cory Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

Research testing the relationship between adolescent religiosity and delinquent behavior is inconclusive. Some studies show a significant negative relationship while others indicate no relationship. Stark (1996) asserts that the relationship between religiosity and delinquency is a function of community religiosity as opposed to personal religiosity. Thus, in areas of high religiosity, there will be a strong relationship, while areas of low religiosity will show no relationship. This study looks at the relationship between religiosity and delinquency of LDS youth in four different religious ecologies: Utah County (high religious ecology), the East coast (moderate religious ecology), the Pacific Northwest (low religious …

Analysis Of The Livestock Production System Of The Poroma Community In The 2 Section Of The Oropeza Province, Department Of Chuquisaca, Freddy Claudio Ramí­Rez Serrudo

Theses and Dissertations

This study was performed in the Poroma community of the Oropeza Province, in the department of Chuquisaca. The Poroma community is characterized by a high poverty level among its members due to a number of different factors. Some of the major factors include: a restricted market, small farms, an absence of support systems, and a lack of support for agricultural development. This lack of support is seen in areas such as: research, roads, electricity, technical assistance, marketing systems, organization, and institutions that support rural development. Numerous studies on the production systems of farmers have described and analyzed the agricultural components …

The Availability And The Use Of Basic Services In Relation To The Nutritional Status, Acute Diarrhetic Diseases And Acute Respiratory Infections In Children Under Five Years Of Age In Three Rural Communities Of The Imbabura Province During The 1998-1999 Period, Margarita Caicedo Ceron

Theses and Dissertations

To a large degree, the political and economic conditions of third world countries influence poverty levels, especially in rural areas. This poverty affects the availability of basic services, such as potable water, refuse elimination, housing, and sewage systems. As a consequence of these deficiencies, more diseases are transmitted through the water and environment. These diseases include acute diarrhea and acute respiratory infections in children younger than five years of age. Consequently, it is important to have available water and sewage elimination to control these diseases among children and the general population.

Agro-Socio-Economic Evaluation Of Three Rural Communities In The Colta Canton Of The Chimborazo Province, Ivan Asaquibay Paucar

Theses and Dissertations

The faculty of natural resources, School of Agricultural Engineering of ESPOCH, with an agreement since 1992 with the Benson Institute of Brigham Young University has been working with the development of small scale production before its diffusion it is necessary to know the real social- economic conditions and the technological levels of the most important harvests of the communities, that when this model is involved in the aspects that affect the production. For this reason this investigation was made necessary in which the following objectives were raised: 1. Evaluate the social-economic conditions of the communities of San Lorenzo of Cahuiña, …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Concerning Alimentary Customs And Beliefs Of Women With Children Younger Than 5 Years Old, Nursing And Pregnant Mothers, Of The Following Ethnic Groups: Black, Mixed Race And Natives In Three Rural Regions Of The Imbabura Province, 1998-1999, Elva Susana Yacelga Calderon

Theses and Dissertations

Ecuador, a country of multi-ethnic culture, has very acute health problems, especially in rural areas where two out of every three poverty-stricken Ecuadorians live. 77% of the population under 18 years of age is under the poverty level. The greater part of the indigenous population inhabits the rural areas of the Andes and the Amazon. 76% of children in the rural Andes are poor. Little Afro-Ecuadorian boys and girls also face severe disadvantages where, in the rural areas, poverty climbs above 70% of the population under 18 years of age. Academic desertion is another factor that affects especially the young …

Dating Behavior Of Latter-Day Saint Male Returned Missionaries: A Process Of Managing Desires, Nancy C. Mclaughlin

Theses and Dissertations

Each year thousands of Latter-day Saint males return to their homes after serving a two year religious mission. According to Latter-day Saint doctrine and cultural beliefs, these young men are expected to resume a normal life including dating and involvement in romantic relationships. Research and Latter-day Saint doctrine related to the dating behavior of returned missionaries (RMs) is reviewed. Most previous research has emphasized the quantitative analysis of single aspects of RMs dating behavior such as dating frequency and social status. In an attempt to add to this field of research, this qualitative analysis explored the attitudes and experiences of …

Representing Culture: Reflexivity And Mormon Folklore Scholarship, David A. Allred

Theses and Dissertations

When writing about a culture, ethnographers can convey important insights about society. However, ethnography can also misrepresent culture. To address this fact, reflexive ethnography attempts to influence both the methodology and the rhetoric of writing about culture. Reflexivity seeks to acknowledge the bias of the researcher. To include the voice of the cultural insiders, and to more closely represent the dynamics of cultures that always have an element of hybridity. However, reflexive ethnographies can also be unwieldy and impractical. Therefore, one must find a pragmatic application of reflexivity.

Reflexivity can have application to Mormon folklore studies. The most important Mormon …

Relation Between Internal Parasites With Basic Services And The Nutritional Status Of Children Five Years Of Age In The Indigenous, Black And Mestizo Communities Of The Rural Area, Imbabura Province, R. Patricio Paguay Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations

Various studies have been done to determine the prevalence of anemia in our country, but these studies don't reflect the true magnitude of this sickness, considered in Ecuador a problem of public health since these investigations correspond to urban sectors and margins and not to rural places where the care is very deficient and in certain cases useless, mainly because of the difficult access and the lack of economic resources of the government institutions. The current work was realized in coordination with the school of Nutrition and Dietetics and with the help of the Benson Agriculture and Food Institute was …

Elaboration And Validation Of The Educational Material Used In Nutritional Education In The Communities Of Copalacaya, Choquenaira, Callisaya, And Muruamaya, Of The Providence Ingavi Of The Department Of La Paz 1998, Maria Isabel Mercado Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

This work had the objective to elaborate and validate educational, graphic material to give Nutritional Education in the communities of Copalapaya, Choquenaira, Callisaya, and Muruamaya belonging to the Ingavi province. With exclusive material for the rural area and with themes directed toward women, men, and children, such material was elaborated with the participation of all the community, where each one of them they put its abilities and gave ideas to improve the material and on all requested that the drawings be as close to reality as possible. The development of the study proceeded by the following: It started with a …