Sociology Commons^™

The Effects Of Religious Affiliation And Attendance On Illicit Sexual Behavior And Substance Abuse, Thomas W. Zane

Theses and Dissertations

A sample of 7724 college students in Washington and Utah was selected to study the relationships of religious activity and religious affiliation to illicit sexual behaviors, use of marijuana, and getting drunk. For all religious affiliations (except for the Jews), there were significant correlations between church activity and the measured illicit behaviors. LDS rates of behavior were significantly lower at <.001 for the five illicit behaviors. Two factor analyses were calculated to determine which sexual behaviors would load on a single factor and which substances would load on another factor. Extramarital coitus, heavy petting, and passionate kissing formed the first "sexual" factor. The use of beer, liquor, and marijuana combined with the behavior getting drunk to form the "substance-abuse" factor. A canonical analysis reported a moderate relationship with a canonical coefficient of .534 between the two factors. A discriminant analysis based on each subjects' religious affiliation and activity level yielded a 70-80 percent correct classification percentage.

The Impact Of The Mormon Migration On The Community Of Kirtland, Ohio, 1830-1839, Mark R. Grandstaff

Theses and Dissertations

In the early decades of the nineteenth-century, an era of cultural change and disorientation, many turned to revivals to displace insecure emotionalism and to insure themselves of a place in the emerging society. Others, such as the Mormons sought an all encompassing plan that would dispel confusion and restore order to a decadent society. This search led some Mormons to follow their Prophet to Kirtland, Ohio. Once in Kirtland, various sociological conflicts developed which affected how the citizens of Kirtland would perceive their Mormon neighbors. Tantamount to these conflicts was the rapidly increasing Mormon population which triggered a corresponding rise …

Strengthening The Family: A Guide For Lds Single Parent Mothers, Jane C. Beuhring

Theses and Dissertations

Raising a family as a single parent is difficult at best. As an LDS single parent, these difficulties take on a unique challenge. The purpose of this project is to offer specific, LDS related guidelines to assist the LDS single parent mother in strengthening her family and thus acquiring the skills needed in handling the unique challenge of raising a family in a gospel oriented society. A variety of resources were used to include theorists, practicioners, scriptures, and personal experiences. Examples and case studies demonstrate the integration of gospel principles and family practices as they relate to LDS single parent …

Selected Aspects Of Family Change In Provo, Utah: A Replication Of Canning's 1955 Survey, Richard B. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a replication of Canning's 1955 survey of family life in Provo, Utah. The original sample consisted of 239 couples who were married and currently living there. The replication was a 1983 mail survey that used many of Canning's original questions and included a sample of 255 Provo families.

This study measured changes in several courtship and family variables using the companionship family as an ideal type. Findings included increases in the emphasis on the role of romantic love in mate selection, handsomeness as an attractive quality that women seek in a spouse, family members seeking recreation outside …

Level Of Marital Adjustment And Spiritual Well-Being Among Latter-Day Saints, Robert W. Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

This research will focus specifically on SWB [spiritual well being] among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). By virtue of his membership in this denomination, the researcher is more familiar with the theology, religious life and traditions of the LDS than those of any other denomination. Latter-day Saint theology has been well defined, and because of a fundamental belief in the prophetic ability of a single leader of the church, the doctrine and practices of the Latter-day Saints are consistent throughout the United States and the world.

Perceived Similarity And Value Agreement Identification With Parents Among Lds Adolescent Males, Thomas Lee Partridge

Theses and Dissertations

Four models of parental identification (perceived similarity with father, perceived similarity with mother, agreement with important parental values and agreement with more trivial parental values) were constructed. The effects of several parenting behaviors (i.e., support, undifferentiated control, guilt and love withdrawl) as well as various structural variables upon the parental identification of a sample of LDS adolescent males were tested. Data were obtained from 565 adolescents and their parents and the data for each boy was linked with that of his parents.

Parental support and family religious and recreational activities were found to be the most reliable predictors of parental …

Population Movement And Growth In Utah County, Utah 1940 To 1980, Brian W. Maxfield

Theses and Dissertations

Utah County, Utah, and more particularly the Utah Valley area, has undergone an enormous change during the last forty years. Rapid growth and urbanization brings with it the problems of urban sprawl. Controlling this sprawl is determined often times by an effective growth policy. Mapping and analyzing growth patterns and trends is a useful method in determining the effectiveness of the "growth towards the cities" policy of Utah County. Research was conducted by using maps, air photos, and field work in locating the growth history of the county.
Growth has been influenced by several factors among which are the physical, …

Mormon Land Ownership As A Factor In Evaluating The Extent Of Mormon Settlements And Influence In Missouri 1831-1841, Wayne J. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis has been to demonstrate as clearly as possible the full extent of Mormon Land in Missouri during the years 1831-1841. An identification has been made of the names of several thousand of these early Mormons and will further show the scope of Mormonism during this period. This study will add detail to what previous writers have stated about this trying period for Mormonism.

As accurately as possible, the author has identified where the Mormon settlements were, through graphs and charts. It has been demonstrated that the Mormon population extended beyond the traditional areas they have …

A Study Of Divorced Mormon Women In Salt Lake County: The Extent To Which They Use The Agencies And Institutions Available To Help Meet Personal, Financial, And Employment Needs, Melinda G. Stapley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to (a) describe the characteristics of divorced Mormon women residing in Salt Lake County, (b) determine the extent to which these women were aware of and used government, private, and Mormon church agencies after divorce in helping them solve their problems, and (c) determine the extent these women felt each agency was effective.

Responses from the questionnaire indicated that more than half of these women could be categorized as displaced homemakers. Results showed significant decreases in income before and after divorce. The women in this study had higher than national average occupational levels and …

The Diffusion And Dispersion Of The Reorganized Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints: An Overview, Diane D. Peffers

Theses and Dissertations

The diffusion patterns of cultural characteristics and ideas is an area of geographic research which has gained considerable attention in recent years. This thesis is a study of the diffusion of the Reorganized Church as its members and missionaries have spread worldwide from their origins in the American Mid-West.

The slow expansion of the RLDS faith has been studied in terms of its past and present geographic locations, its pattern of movement from one place to another and its difficulties in achieving a large, international membership.

Utah's Anti-Polygamy Society, 1878-1884, Barbara Hayward

Theses and Dissertations

The Anti-Polygamy Society was established in 1878 to try to encourage Congress to abolish the practice of plural marriage tn Utah Territory. In the brief time that it existed, the women of this Utah-based group sent petitions, circulars, and letters to Congress and many leaders of the country urging that laws be passed to end polygamy. Much of their work was also carried out in the society's newspaper, the Anti-polygamy Standard.

By the time that laws were passed that restricted polygamy, the Anti-polygamy Society no longer existed. Nonetheless, the society was important in the anti-polygamy crusade because it was …

A Multi-Valued Attitudinal Study Of Obscenity And Freedom Of Expression, Allen W. Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine whether religiosity is a determining factor in public reaction to obscenity issues.

A sample population of 452 residents of the community of Idaho Falls, Idaho was selected using a technique based on a list of random numbers in October, 1979. Path analysis, Chi-square analysis and Spearman's correlation were used to measure the results.

The study found there is a significant relationship between religiosity and behavior intention toward obscenity issues. The affective component of the attitude organization functions somewhat as a mediating variable. There were also findings that members of the Church of Jesus Christ …

The Child's Sex And Birth Ordinal Position: Its Effects Upon Fathers' Interaction With Their Natural Five-Year-Old Children In A Selected Provo Utah Mormon Sample, D. Wayne Brown Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Thirty-nine fathers were observed to determine if they interact differently with their child as a result of the child's sex or birth ordinal position.

Results indicated that fathers expected more of their sons, had a higher readiness of explanation for them, and criticized them more often. Fathers gave more praise, physical contact and supportive behavior to their daughters. Birth ordinal effects paralleled and interacted wiith the child's sex.

Stepwise regression yielded a mean value of 44.16 in explaining the overall variance in dependent variables. It emphasized the number of hours the father spent with his child and family, the father's …

Parental Control Of Children's Television: An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Control And Family Home Evening, Marion Wixom Mccardell

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the relationship between a secular behavior—television control—and a religious one—Family Home Evening. The findings show that there is a relationship, with those having favorable attitudes toward Family Home Evening and those who hold casual FHE's being most inclined to exercise positive control over their children's television viewing.

The Ascription Of Mental Illness: Inside Societal Reaction, Kevin H. Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness is examined as a classification of deviance and as a social process. The labeling perspective provides preliminary concepts and problems for research. The goal of research is the examination of the process of ascribing the label "mental illness" to individuals and their behavior by significant others prior to their contact with official and organizational agents of treatment and control.

An exploratory interview research design thin the Fan district of Richmond, Virginia was executed. Fifty residents were interviewed. Preliminary data suggest that the primarily white, female, well-educated, professional sample was unwilling to stereotype the mentally ill, and revealed typifications …

The Relation Of Mormon Parental Religiosity And Family Size On Children's Educational, Occupational And Income Success, Marvyn William Hogenson

Theses and Dissertations

There have been several significant studies during recent years concerning the relationship between parental socioeconomic background and achievement. This research examines religious influence, parental control, family size, support, and educational encouragement which in turn influence educational and occupational attainment.

Data were obtained from questionnaires completed by 843 married Mormon men from Canada.

Only respondent's religious activity, parental support, and educational encouragement were significant in determining the occupational and educational attainment of the respondent. Family size and parental control were not significant.

A History Of The Growth And Development Of The Primary Association Of The Lds Church From 1878 To 1928, Conrad A. Harward

Theses and Dissertations

The Primary Association of the LDS Church is an organization assigned to direct week-day religious training of children four to twelve years of age. The object of this study was to determine what factors led to the birth of the movement, how the early program developed, what its main features were, what some of the major problems were and how they were solved, who some of the prominent people were in the movement, and what were some of its major accomplishments.

Results of the study have shown that the Primary became a great influence in the lives of many young …

A History Of The Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association 1939 To 1974, John Kent Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This study will present a comprehensive study of the YMMIA from 1939 to 1974. This study includes the emergence of different programs and the changes in age groupings, as well as goals of the program. A short historical background chapter will be included to acquaint the readers with the previous growth and development of YMMIA since it was instituted.

The Image Of Provo, Utah, As Seen Through The Perceptions Of Its Residents, J. Larry Murdock

Theses and Dissertations

The data for this study was gathered through a random stratified geographic sample from all residential areas of Provo. The study was based on 84 completed questionnaires which were gathered on the basis of a broad socio-economic cross section. All of the questions were open-ended, and included the drawing of mental maps of residents' images of Provo. The data was analyzed on the basis of respondents' areas of residence, age, length of residence in Provo and religious background.

The purpose of the study was to focus on the visual perception of Provo, Utah, as seen by its residents. The study …

An Analysis Of Attitudes Navajo Community Leaders Have Toward A Religion Sponsored Program Based Upon Membership Of That Faith And Amount Of Information Attained, Howard Rainer

Theses and Dissertations

The problem is to analyze the opinions of the Navajo community leadership towards a religion sponsored program, as related to their exposure to information about the program and to othether social variables. Specifically, this study is concerned with two main questions:
1. Is the reaction among Navajo community leaders towards the LDS Indian Placement Program related to the amount of information they have available about that program?
2. Is the attitudes of Navajo community leaders concerning the Placement Program related to their social economic status of age, religious affiliation, and other such variables?

The Influence Of Population Knowledge And Concern On Acceptable Family Sizes And Expected Family Size, Nancy Ross Hugo

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the influence of population knowledge and population concern on acceptable family sizes and expected family size. Analysis of the responses of 212 students in Introductory Sociology classes to a questionnaire survey revealed that the greater the student's population knowledge, the greater the degree of concern over population growth. Furthermore, the study revealed a stronger relationship between general knowledge of population processes and population concern than between specific knowledge of population sizes and growth rates and population concern.

Analysis of the relationship between population concern and acceptable family sizes revealed that the greater the degree of concern …

The History Of The Emery Stake Academy, Paul Robert Tabone

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a study of the early Church educational program in Southeastern Utah, especially the Emery County area. This study is to trace the growth and development of one aspect of this program from 1889 to 1922, and to lend special emphasis to the founding and location of the Emery Stake Academy, the buildings and their development, the growth of the curriculum, the enrollment, the activities, and the influence of the Academy upon the area.

A Sociological Profile Of Lds Inmates At Utah State Prison, Robert D. Payne

Theses and Dissertations

The present thesis is a study of 103 LDS inmates at Utah State Prison. It tests the hypothesis that the inmates are more likely to come from non-cohesive homes. In 1959, Dr. Evan T. Peterson completed a study of three thousand 12-18 year old LDS male youths. Out of Dr. Peterson's respondents, 112 sixteen-eighteen year old subjects were selectively drawn to match the inmate sample in terms of fathers' occupation and education. This stratified sample was used as the control group.

The study confirmed the above family environment hypothesis. It found that when compared to the control group, the LDS …

The Settlement Of Teton Valley, Idaho-Wyoming, David Brooks Green

Theses and Dissertations

Teton Valley, throughout many centuries, has attracted several occupance groups, each interacting with the environment in various ways for various reasons. Indian and explorer contact did little to alter the surroundings. More frequent contact came, however, as trappers and traders visited the valley to trap beaver and meet in rendezvous.

The end of intensified fur trapping slowed contact with the basin. Government personnel, a painter, a few squawmen and horse thieves were the only inhabitants because Indians, remoteness, and harsh climatic conditions kept others out until 1882 when permanent agricultural settlers entered the valley. Hundreds of people followed, many of …

A Documentary History Of The Lord's Way Of Watching Over The Church By The Priesthood Through The Ages, Rex A. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Since the days of Adam the Lord has called upon the priesthood to watch over the families: To see that fathers are doing their duty as patriarchs over their families, and to assist and encourage the fathers in this responsibility. Thus thwarting the efforts of Satan to lead the children of men astray. The principle has always been for the priesthood to watch over the families. But the process of how this is done has changed from time to time according to the needs of the people. This treatise covers the history of these changes in documentary form.

In the …

Residency Differentials In Mormon Fertility, Brian Leroy Pitcher

Theses and Dissertations

Although one of the most consistent findings of recent fertility research is the convergence of the religious differentials in fertility, little data have been analyzed to discover the Mormon fertility trends and differentials. This study, based on data obtained on 1,001 Mormon couples, is concerned with describing the effects that the dispersion of Mormon families from the Mormon center in Utah to surrounding areas with various social conditions is having on the fertility of the relocated Mormon families. Data presented clearly show that such families do, on the average, have a lower fertility than do their Mormon contemporaries residing in …

The Box Elder Stake Academy In Its Historical Setting, Byron L. Parkinson

Theses and Dissertations

The Box Elder Stake Academy was a part of the Church System of Academies under the direction of Karl G. Maeser. The historical setting of Box Elder County is rather unique. It was here that Lorenzo Snow directed one of the most successful forms of the United Order. The nearby city of Corinne was established as one of the few gentile cities in Utah, and from there a new crusade to end Mormon rule in Utah was begun.

The Box Elder Stake Academy was one of the first academies created under the direction of the First Presidency of the Church. …

A Comparative Study Of The Book Of Mormon Secret Combinations And The American Mafia Organization, Ray G. Morley

Theses and Dissertations

The Book of Mormon and the Book of Moses, sacred scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have woven into their pages a brief history of secret combinations on the "American" continent. Secret combinations have caused the destruction of three previous civilizations that have existed on this continent.

The prophet Moroni warned the Latter-day American inhabitants that "This secret combination... shall be among you..." (Ether 8:24).

The evidence summarized in this study leads one to the conclusion that the American Mafia Organization (Cosa Nostra) is the same organization warned against in sacred scripture.

The Lord's Definition Of Woman's Role As He Has Revealed It To His Prophets Of The Latter Day, Mildred Chandler Austin

Theses and Dissertations

The Lord has not left women to wonder how to perform during mortality. The teachings of the ten presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have given very satisfying answers to most questions, and have invited women to ask God for inspiration of their own for further, personalized direction.

The counsel of the prophets gives women directions concerning whom, when, and where to marry. However, if the proper opportunities for a Church-recommended marriage don't present themselves, women are told to be patient and to spend their time giving one of the several services for which they are …

A History Of The Schools And Educational Programs Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In Ohio And Missouri, 1831-1839, Orlen Curtis Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a history of the schools and educational programs organized and maintained by the LDS Church while the saints resided in Ohio and Missouri between the years of 1831 and 1839. The instructors, curriculum, organizational structure, and the purpose of each school is given when information in these areas was available. In Kirtland, the Church organized the School of the Prophets, School of the Elders, Kirtland High School, Hebrew School, a singing school, a writing school, and a few grammar schools. The Church leaders in Missouri organized the Colesville school, a school in Independence, Far West School, and …