Sociology Commons^™

"Dr. Right": Elderly Women In Pursuit Of Negotiated Health Care And Mutual Decision Making, Kevin Evans, Suzanne Robertson

The Qualitative Report

This study explores a group of elderly women who were searching for physicians that were interested in providing negotiated health care options with particular interest in mutual decision making. The grounded theory approach was used to explore the health care interactions between the physicians and the elderly women (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Qualitative interviews were conducted with eleven women, 75 years and older. The categorical working title of "Looking for Dr. Right" helped to focus our discovery of the reasons for these women's search for a new physician. Grounded in the data, a proposed hypothesis was developed regarding the need …

We Have The Videoconference Equipment Installed, Now What?, Janine Lim, Shirley Freed

The Qualitative Report

As K-12 schools acquire equipment for videoconferencing, they often experience limited usage of the equipment. The purpose of this study was to identify specific concerns of educators currently involved in videoconferencing. The primary data for the study was 400 discussion posts from 34 educators in an online class about videoconferencing. Data were analyzed using a basic iterative hermeneutic approach. The findings fell into two major categories: teacher concerns and administrative support. Teachers' concerns were related to professional development and curriculum expectations, and administrative support issues included the placement of the equipment, scheduling, and budgeting. Successful implementation of videoconferencing requires the …

Setting Up Targeted Research Interviews: A Primer For Students And New Interviewers, Darren Noy

The Qualitative Report

This article analyzes key strategic considerations for setting up targeted research interviews, including human subjects and Institutional Review Board requirements, approaching respondents, the medium of contact, using technology, cultural conceptions of time and commitment, using networks, wading through bureaucracies, and watching for warning signs. By making these considerations explicit and conscious, we can better specify how to gain interviews for our research and how to ethically approach this task. This analysis will be most useful as a pedagogical explanation for students and for scholars newly approaching interviewing.

An Asian Indian Student's Identity: Living In Two Worlds, Kavita Mittapalli

The Qualitative Report

Using narrative inquiry, I tell the story of an Asian Indian student attending a large mid-Atlantic university who approached me in the summer of 2002 for my master's thesis interview. She was an Indian by birth who was adopted by White parents when she was an infant. She had not been to India since. Her story provided me with rich insights into her life including her childhood, identity formation, relationships with her adoptive parents and siblings, and social interactions outside home while attending school. I came to understand issues of meaning-making of her life and sub-culture through her story. I …

Visualizing Qualitative Information, Debra J. Sloane

The Qualitative Report

The abundance of qualitative data in today's society and the need to easily scrutinize, digest, and share this information calls for effective visualization and analysis tools. Yet, no existing qualitative tools have the analytic power, visual effectiveness, and universality of familiar quantitative instruments like bar charts, scatter-plots, and pie charts. Amid a discussion of the need for more powerful qualitative analysis and visualization tools, this article presents a device that takes us toward better representations of qualitative results.

The Proliferation Of Theoretical Paradigms Quandary: How One Novice Researcher Used Eclecticism As A Solution, David W. Stinson

The Qualitative Report

When a doctoral student plans to conduct qualitative education research, the aspect of the dissertation that often becomes problematic is determining which theoretical paradigm(s) might frame the study. In this article, the author discusses how he resolved the quandary through eclecticism. The author begins by describing briefly the purpose of his dissertation study, providing a justification for eclecticism in the selection of theories. He follows with a description of the three theories-poststructural theory, critical race theory, and critical theory-that framed his study and discusses briefly the methodology employed. The author concludes with a discussion of likely objections of his study …

Drama: A Comparative Analysis Of Individual Narratives, Susanna Belle Spaulding, James Banning, Clifford P. Harbour, Timothy Gray Davies

The Qualitative Report

In a narrative inquiry, five educators who taught college in prison share stories about working in this non-traditional learning environment that is often dangerous and frustrating. From the tension between the prison's emphasis on social control and the educators' concern for democratic classrooms, three broad themes emerged: working in borderlands, negotiating power relations, and making personal transformations. Large intact segments from transcripts of participant interviews form a dramatic text that illuminates how a selected group of educators made meaning of their experience teaching college courses to incarcerated students. A comparative analysis presented in a one act play brings together the …

Urban Transition, Poverty, And Development In The Philippines, Emma E. Porio

Sociology & Anthropology Department Faculty Publications

Draft report to be presented at the IIED-UNFPA research meeting on population and urbanization issues, London. September 2009.

This country demonstration paper is part of a broader five-country study on urbanization. The paper describes the urbanization pattern in the Philippines, with the aim of improving our understanding of trends/patterns and their relationships to other social, economic, political and demographic processes. It analyzes the historical and structural forces that have shaped the urbanization of Philippine cities. Briefly, it describes the growth and expansion of cities particularly their roles and functions in urban and national development for the last 50 years, with …

How I Learned To Design And Conduct Semi-Structured Interviews: An Ongoing And Continuous Journey, Silvia E. Rabionet

The Qualitative Report

Qualitative interviewing is a flexible and powerful tool to capture the voices and the ways people make meaning of their experience Learning to conduct semi-structure interviews requires the following six stages: (a) selecting the type of interview; (b) establishing ethical guidelines, (c) crafting the interview protocol; (d) conducting and recording the interview; (e) crafting the interview protocol; and (f) reporting the findings. A researcher’s personal journey in crafting an interview protocol to interview HIV researchers is summarized. She highlights that training and experience are crucial and identifies some readings that can help in the process.

The Presentation Of Self Reminded Me Of Dale Carnegie's Best Selling How To Win Friends And Influence People, Ralph Turner

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

Dr. Ralph Turner, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California Los Angeles, wrote this memoir for the Erving Goffman Archives and approved posting the present version on the web.

Nebraska And Lancaster County's Demographic Trends, David J. Drozd

Presentations

Presented to the Kiwanis Club of Lincoln.

How I Learned To Conduct Focus Groups, Maribel Del Rio-Roberts

The Qualitative Report

The use of focus groups may provide researchers with important insights into research questions via participant discussion and interaction. As a human services practitioner and researcher, I became interested in learning how to conduct focus groups in order to apply these steps to my research and gain valuable insights about the human experience that the focus group interaction aims to bring to light. In this review, I will highlight the steps that I took to learn to conduct focus group research and through my experience I hope that readers gain familiarity and clarity into this unique qualitative research approach.

Goffman Turns To Me And Says, “Only A Schmuck Studies His Own Life”, Gary Alan Fine

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

This conversation with Gary Alan Fine, John Evans Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University, was recorded over the phone on August 21, 2009. Dmitri Shalin transcribed the interview, after which Dr. Fine edited the transcript and approved posting the present version in the Erving Goffman Archives. Breaks in the conversation flow are indicated by ellipses. Supplementary information and additional materials inserted during the editing process appear in square brackets. Undecipherable words and unclear passages are identified in the text as “[?]”.

A Multivariate Analysis Of The Sociodemographic Predictors Of Methamphetamine Production And Use, Todd A. Armstrong, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

To date, research testing the community characteristics associated with methamphetamine production and use has found that the community-level sociodemographic predictors of methamphetamine production and use vary from those of drug use in general. In this study, the authors furthered the research in this area using data from all 102 counties in Illinois. These data included measures of sociodemographic characteristics taken from the U.S. census, measures of methamphetamine production and use, and a measure of arrests for controlled-substance violations. Negative binomial regression models showed that poverty and the racial and ethnic compositions of communities were the strongest and most consistent predictors …

A Case Study Of Community College Students' Perceptions Regarding Faculty's Practice Of Online Course Delivery: Virginia Community College., Loretta Roberts Beavers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study focused on students who had matriculated in online courses in the Business Management Program. The setting for the study was a Virginia community college. The purpose of this study was to examine the social, faculty and administrative, and technology influences on students' perceptions of online learning. Students' conveyed experiences and perceptions of the tools and practices faculty used to implement online learning were coded and categorized to generate grounded theory that may be used to govern distance learning implementation.

Data were collected through document reviews, semi-structured interviews, and field studies. The interview participants were selected from the …

Environmental Determinism: Broken Paradigm Or Viable Perspective?., Gerald L. Hardin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research was to examine the issue of environmental determinism. It was an ideology that was prevalent throughout the early decades of the 20^th century that held that the natural environment was responsible for virtually all human development. It helped bring the study of geography into the venue of postsecondary education, where it was viewed as a tool for study of human activities. It was a new science inspired by Darwinism that viewed human adaptation to the natural environment as critical to socialization.

Relying on historical sources, the purpose of the study was to reveal how environmental determinism became …

Burnout Potential Among Certified Athletic Trainers In Southwest Virginia And Northeast Tennessee As Measured By A Modified Version Of The Maslach Burnout Inventory., Dennis Cobler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the burnout potential of certified athletic trainers (ATCs) working in the regions of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. To determine burnout potential, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey was used. Permission to modify the inventory was obtained from CPP, Inc. Participants for the research study were identified by searching the NATA membership directory, state athletic training websites and state licensure websites. Sixty-seven ATCs were emailed invitations to participate. Fifty surveys were completed. Of these 50, five were eliminated from statistical analysis. Therefore, 45 surveys were satisfactorily completed producing a usable return rate …

Improving Teacher Morale With Team Building., Nanci Autumne Edmonds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to build a conceptual framework to explain the influence of team building among elementary school teachers to improve teacher morale. This framework is intended as the foundation for a team building model to provide principals and teachers with a guide for implementing sound team-building activities into inservice training and throughout the school year. What are the best practices for implementing team building and how can these practices encourage teachers to have a more positive outlook on their profession? The variables include school environment, school climate, different principals, principal changes, years of teaching experience, teaching …

Familial Influences On Second- And Third-Generation Teachers In An Eastern Tennessee School District., Henry Clay Blazer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if having a parent, a grandparent, or both a parent and grandparent who were educators was a contributing factor for teachers in not only choosing education but also remaining in the profession long term. I constructed a theoretical framework explaining the phenomenon. A review of the literature provided a basis for classifying motivations teachers have for entering the profession, possible reasons for leaving, satisfiers, and dissatisfiers. There were 18 participants in this grounded-theory research. The participants were identified using the snowball method. My study was conducted in a rural county in East …

Perceptions Of Educators' Use Of English As A Second Language Strategies And Research-Based Practices With English Language Learners In Northeast Tennessee., Marisol Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the level of use of English as a second or subsequent language strategies and research-based practices in the instruction of ELL students in Northeast Tennessee. The researcher sought to ascertain the perceptions of educators in Northeast Tennessee about teaching practices and beliefs in regard to the instruction of ELL students and to determine to what level these educators include ESL strategies and ESL research-based practices when teaching ELL students.

Participants in the study consisted of regular classroom teachers, English as a second language teachers, and principals from districts identified as ELL low …

An Analysis Of Gender-Based Pay Equity Of Instructional Faculty Members In The Virginia Community College System., Mary Beth Page

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on the premises of "Equity Theory" (Adams, 1963), this study evaluated the Virginia Community College System compensation rates and compared the salaries of similarly ranked and similarly qualified male and female faculty members. A quantitative analysis was conducted of the reported salaries of all full-time instructional faculty members in the Virginia Community College System in the Fall of 2006. The specific areas examined included salary, rank, highest degree earned, and full- or parttime employment status. Using the tenets of Equity Theory as a foundation, this study evaluated any differences in the compensation and rank between male and female faculty …

The Rattler (Special Back-To-School Edition: Summe 2009), St. Mary's University

The Rattler (Previous issues)

Founded in 1919, The Rattler is the student voice of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. The newspaper documents campus life, academic and social issues, student opinion, and local and national events as they relate to the University community. Content typically includes news articles, editorial commentary, arts and culture coverage, sports reporting, and advertisements.

Goffman Sat On My Immediate Left At A Long, Oblong Table In A Room In The Social Science Building, Arnold J. Glass

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

Arnold Glass wrote this memoir at the invitation of Dmitri Shalin and approved posting the present version in the Erving Goffman Archives.

Multiple Perspectives On Mixing Methods: A Review Of Bergman’S Advances In Mixed Methods Research: Theory And Applications, Nisaratana Sangasubana

The Qualitative Report

More books on mixed methods research have been published recently. One notable contribution to this growing body of work is Bergman’s 2008 Advances in Mixed Methods Research: Theories and Applications. This edited work features contributions by different researchers and addresses a myriad of issues ranging from the need to re-conceptualize the paradigmatic differences between qualitative and quantitative approaches to methodological issues and challenges. This book should prove useful to researchers and graduate students interested in mixed methods designs.

Self-Reflection, Politics, Art, And Qualitative Research: A Review Of Denzin And Lincoln’S Third Edition Of Collecting And Interpreting Qualitative Materials, Silvia E. Rabionet

The Qualitative Report

The third edition of Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials, edited by Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, illustrates the varied perspectives of twenty five experienced qualitative researchers focusing on collecting, analyzing, and interpreting empirical materials. New topics are introduced in this third edition capturing the dynamic nature and emerging trends in the field such as arts-based approaches. It is a great reference book and a resource of unlimited possibilities. It provides a window for further inquiry for beginners, intermediate and experienced qualitative researchers. Many of the chapters read as powerful essays provoking self-reflection, political involvement, activism, and alternate ways …

Ua1c3 Portraits Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Portraits of people not otherwise categorized. This section includes unidentified images.

Erving And Ira Were Counting Cards When A Couple Of Biggest Men They Ever Saw Walked Up Behind Them And Said, “We Don’T Want Your Play, Partner”, Walter Clark

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

This conversation with Walter Clark, former researcher at the Alcohol Research Group, was recorded over the phone on July 17, 2009.Breaks in the conversation flow are indicated by ellipses. Supplementary information and additional materials inserted during the editing process appear in square brackets. Undecipherable words and unclear passages are identified in the text as “[?]”.

Unemployment Insurance: A Safety Net For Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence And Their Children, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Laura Dugan

Carsey Publications

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that over 5 million intimate partner assaults are perpetrated against women each year, and they lose more than 8 million days of work annually. Expanding Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to victims of domestic violence is one mechanism for supporting women as they seek to escape the violence in their lives.

Life History Or How Ethics Can Turn Into A Research Methodology: A Review Of Ardra L. Cole And J. Gary Knowles' Lives In Context, Maria Papantoniou-Frangouli

The Qualitative Report

Life history research described in the book, Lives in Context by Ardra L. Cole and J. Gary Knowles, constitutes an exercise of scholarship and at the same time of sensitivity towards "the other." The book represents a thorough account of a methodology that integrates the "ethical" as its leading dimension. The book consists of two parts. In the first part of the book the authors develop their approach to life history research. The second part includes articles of other researchers, who have put into practice similar perspectives.

College Students' Crime-Related Fears On Campus: Are Fear-Provoking Cues Gendered?, David May, Bonnie S. Fisher

Safety, Security and Emergency Management Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Gender plays a central role in the study of crime-related fear as does the description of various fear-provoking cues in the environment. Despite the ever-growing body of crime-related fear research, few researchers have examined which fear-provoking cues, if any, are gendered. Using a large sample of undergraduates from a public university, this article explores the gendered nature of fear-provoking cues and crime-related fears while on campus. Bivariate and multivariate results suggest that fear-provoking cues are not gendered for fear of larceny-theft or fear of assault. These results inform the fear of crime research on a number of dimensions and have …