Sociology Commons^™

Technological University Dublin's Programme For Students Learning With Communities(Slwc): Report September 2008- September 2011, Catherine Bates, Elena Gamble, Sinead Mccann

Programme Reports

•Programme introduction: from slide 5 •Policy context: from slide 11 •Benefits of CBL/CBR: from slide 20 •Examples of projects: from slide 25 •Programme support structures: from slide 29 •Testimonials: from slide 74 •Statistics: from slide 86

PLEASE NOTE TO ACCESS ALL THE LINKS CONTAINED IN THIS PRESENTION, YOU MUST VIEW IT IN SLIDESHOW MODE THAT IS CLICK ON SLIDESHOW AND THEN VIEW SLIDESHOW.

Exercising The Mind: A Review Of Stretching Exercises For Qualitative Researchers, Kristen Chorba

The Qualitative Report

In this third version of Stretching Exercises for Qualitative Researchers, Janesick (2011) continues to refine and expand upon ways in which qualitative researchers-both new to the field and experienced-can extend and hone a number of skills essential to being an effective researcher. This book will be helpful to those wishing to learn more about and practice the art of qualitative research. Janesick combines valuable information and practical exercises in this text, which will assist in the development of skills essential to qualitative research, including interviewing, observing, journaling, narrating, analyzing, interpreting, and collaborating. This new edition includes a discussion on using …

The Effect Of Caretaker Separations On Indigenous Adolescents, Melissa L. Welch

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The family instability hypothesis has been researched among the general population as well as among African American and Mexican American populations, but not yet among Indigenous families. The purpose of this research was to examine whether experiencing separations from their caretakers (lasting at least one month), and the types of living arrangements that follow, affect Indigenous adolescents’ risk of meeting criteria for an internalizing, externalizing, or substance use disorder. Diagnostic criteria were assessed in Wave 6 using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Revised (DISC-R). The hypothesis that as the number of lifetime separations increases, the risk of meeting criteria for …

Ngo Outreach To Priority Refugee Population Demographics In Cairo, Joelle Petrus

Theses and Dissertations

Cairo is considered to have among the highest populations of refugees in an urban setting in the world. This urban setting presents a unique set of challenges particularly when delivering services and programs to a population with heightened vulnerability who are not easy to locate within the greater population of Cairo. In this context it is of great utility to strengthen outreach programs whose aim is to strengthen the connection between service receiver (refugees) and the service provider (the organization.) Another challenge to delivering services and programs to refugees is the greater diversity or heterogeneity of the population itself. However, …

Conversations On Method: Deconstructing Policy Through The Researcher Reflective Journal, Ruth C. Slotnick, Valerie J. Janesick

The Qualitative Report

In this article the authors argue that the researcher reflective journal is a critical interpretive tool for conducting educational policy analysis. The idea for this research grew from the experiences of a doctoral candidate (Ruth) in pursuit of a policy focused dissertation and a series of on-going conversations with her qualitative methodologist (Valerie). The structure of the paper takes a dialogue form on the topic of policy analysis and the various uses of the journal, including found data poetry and photographic representations of the self as a research instrument, which may expand the findings and increase options for data presentation. …

Exploring Iranian Women's Perceptions Regarding Control And Prevention Of Breast Cancer, Eileen Thomas, Socorro Escandón, Minoor Lamyian, Fazlolah Ahmadi, Sam Mohammad Setoode, Shokoofe Golkho

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to explore Iranian women's perceptions, behaviors, and beliefs related to breast cancer screening, breast cancer, and follow up care. A qualitative descriptive inquiry with both individual and focus group interviews was conducted in Tehran with 31 Farsi-speaking women, age 35 to 65 years of age. A constant comparison method of analysis assisted the researchers in gaining an understanding of factors that influence Iranian women's perceptions regarding the control and prevention of breast cancer. Findings suggest that insufficient knowledge regarding breast cancer and breast cancer screening is a significant factor among this population. Breast cancer …

A Definition Of Gender Role Conflict Among Black Professional Fathers, Ora Robinson

The Qualitative Report

There is very little literature that depicts the parental role of Black professional fathers positively or that samples Black participants from the upper economic strata. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into how Black professional fathers experience or perceive gender role conflict and identify clinical implications. Grounded in phenomenological methodology and gender role conflict theory, the framework is based on gender role devaluations, gender role restrictions, and gender role violations (O'Neil, Good, & Holmes, 1995). The emerging experiences found in this project were (a) a conflict between the Black and White races and (b) conflict with parental …

Evolutionary Theory Of Mate Selection And Partners Of Trans People: A Qualitative Study Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Amanda Forde

The Qualitative Report

Despite much research into mate selection, non-heterosexual populations are often only included for comparison purposes, while trans people and their partners are overlooked. This study attempts to address this using qualitative methodology to explore the mate selection of the partners of trans people. Six participants were recruited from online communities and interviewed via instant messaging, the results were then analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The author organised the results into four themes. Theme one: Identities/relationships which defy categorisation, Theme Two: Attractive traits and mate selection, Theme Three: Impact of past romantic relationships, other relationships and life changes and Theme Four: …

Winning The Phd Game: Evocative Playing Of Snakes And Ladders, Carolyn Dickie

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this paper is to describe a qualitative approach to developing an understanding of the lived experiences of PhD students. Rather than relying on textbook reports and theories about studying a higher degree by research, by allowing the students' voices to be heard, explicit and conscious research can be used to generate appropriate responses to the needs of students as they progress through the PhD process. Thematic analysis focuses on identified themes and patterns of research-learner behaviours.

A Tool In The Kit: Uses Of Bullshitting Among Millennial Workers, Daniel D. Martin, Janelle L. Wilson

The Qualitative Report

This study explores the nature, use, and social organization of one form of communicative action that is common in everyday life -- "bullshitting." We use this form of communication to assess the ways in which dimensions of community, power and status are created in interaction. Abiding by the canons of ethnographic content analysis, we gathered data from over one hundred student respondents to ascertain the behaviors, utterances, and stories that people define as "bullshitting." The study finds that members of the "millennial generation" hone skills both in the telling and detection of this form of communication as they participate in …

School Counselor And School Psychologist Perceptions Of Accountability Policy: Lessons From Virginia, Ryan Richard Ruff

The Qualitative Report

This paper is concerned with the professional efficacy of school counselors and school psychologists that operate under the umbrella of accountability reforms. Research questions addressed counselor and psychologist job roles and responsibilities, as well as their personal perspectives on the impact of accountability reforms on both the classroom context and student socio-emotional development. Interviews were conducted with counselors and psychologists of varying professional experience and school level, with analysis following analytic induction. Results indicate that the efficacy of student support personnel has been negatively impacted by accountability reforms, but schools that maintain a positive culture dedicated to excellence minimize that …

Participatory And Action-Oriented Dissertations: The Challenges And Importance Of Community-Engaged Graduate Research, Emily Van Der Meulen

The Qualitative Report

Graduate students commonly experience isolation and estrangement when conducting their final research projects, which can contribute to difficulties in completion. A creative and socially beneficial way to offset academic isolation is for graduate students to engage in participatory and action-oriented research projects with local communities. Facilitating a research study with a local partner can be a richly rewarding experience. This article argues that students who enjoy working in collaborative environments and want their final research projects to lead to beneficial social change can find fulfillment in action research (AR) methodologies. Critiqued by some for its lack of tangible and practical …

Promise And Possibility For Aspiring Principals: An Emerging Leadership Identity Through Learning To Do Action Research, Stella C. Batagiannis

The Qualitative Report

This case study explored the promise and possibility of doing action research both for aspiring principals engaged in such research and for professors using it as pedagogy for teaching educational leadership. The study of a class of graduate students aspiring to be principals had a constructivist theoretical framework. The research design consisted of three tiers: tier one: a reflective self-study by the professor evaluating the pedagogy of developing action research team projects; tier two: an analysis of the self-evaluations of the aspiring principals on the pedagogy of developing action research team projects and its effect on their learning; and tier …

Stigmatization Of Overweight Patients By Nurses, Eileen Creel, Ken Tillman

The Qualitative Report

The focus of this research study was the exploration of the phenomenon of stigmatization of obese persons by nurses. The philosophical tradition of Phenomenology based on Heidegger's view of the person guided the researchers in uncovering the meaning of stigmatization for eight chronically ill individuals with a body mass index greater than 30. Stigmatization by nurses for this group of medically obese women meant being exposed to unintentional harm, presuppositions, and reluctant care. Perceptions of stigma were manifested in shame, marginalization, and anxiety in seeking health care. Nursing care could advance positive outcomes when including non-discriminatory care related to weight …

Till Death Do Us Part: Lived Experiences Of Hiv-Positive Married African American Women, Lorece V. Edwards, Shalon M. Irving, Anita S. Hawkins

The Qualitative Report

HIV/AIDS disease continues to be an escalating health problem, particularly among women. However, African American women are among the leading demographic groups for HIV prevalence in the United States. The typical woman with HIV/AIDS is young, in her late twenties, economically challenged, and of childbearing age. Participants were recruited from an HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic to explore their perceptions of social support, life experiences and marriage. Data were collected through tape-recorded interviews using a semi-structured guide and journaling. Participants reported that most of their time was spent providing care for their husbands who were HIV-positive. Very often their health and well-being …

The Unfocused Focus Group: Benefit Or Bane?, Nancy K. Franz

The Qualitative Report

Facilitating successful focus groups requires both science and art. One element that can fully challenge focus group facilitators includes how to handle the unfocused focus group. This article describes "unfocus" and the benefits and disadvantages of unfocus in focus groups. Lessons learned from and approaches taken on this journey are shared to enhance focus group facilitation best practices.

Mind The Gap: Unexpected Pitfalls In Doing Classroom Research, Amanda A. Baker, Joseph J. Lee

The Qualitative Report

Inherent in classroom research are the inevitable, and often unanticipated, challenges experienced by researchers. This article moves beyond the main issues highlighted in the literature and identifies some of the problems the authors encountered when conducting two common methodological procedures, classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews (SRIs), as part of our dissertation research investigations. The paper first surveys what the literature describes as the main areas of concern with these two procedures. It then pulls away from these resources to explore actual difficulties we experienced that we believe are inadequately addressed in the literature. Using illustrations from our dissertation projects, …

Induction, Deduction, And Cyclical Movement: A Review Of Qualitative Research Methods, Christine L. Patton

The Qualitative Report

In Qualitative Research Methods, Hennink, Hutter, and Bailey (2011) offer readers an overview of every phase of qualitative research from formulating research questions, to participant recruitment, to writing and presenting results. In each of these phases, the authors push readers to continuously move between induction and deduction and embrace the cyclical nature of the qualitative research process.

Qualitative Research From Start To Finish: A Book Review, Linnea L. Rademaker

The Qualitative Report

I reviewed Yin's (2011) recent publication entitled Qualitative Research from Start to Finish, with a particular eye to the benefits for the seasoned researcher, as well as significant aspects that are appropriate for the beginning and intermediate graduate student. A unique element of the book is the inclusion of a discussion of worldviews at the end of the book. Additionally, the adaptive focus of the book might be helpful for both novice and seasoned researchers.

Case Closed: An Earnest Review Of Ganon's Case Study As Research Method, Brian T. Gearity

The Qualitative Report

Gagnon's (2011) text is the most recent contribution to the growing corpus of knowledge on case study research. As a whole, the text contains all of the typical parts one would expect in an introductory text on case study research. The text begins with a brief discussion of paradigms and epistemologies and then gives way to issues of reliability and validity. Next, the reader is taken through a "step-by-step" approach to case study research with chapters on data collection, analysis, interpretation and writing reports. Drawing upon his own experiences using case study method, Gagnon identifies enduring concerns and provides several …

Positioning The Booty-Call Relationship On The Spectrum Of Relationships: Sexual But More Emotional Than One-Night Stands, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li, Jessica Richardson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Most research on human sexuality has focused on long-term pairbonds and one-night stands. However, growing evidence suggests there are relationships that do not fit cleanly into either of those categories. One of these relationships is a ‘‘booty-call relationship.’’ The purpose of this study was to describe the sexual and emotional nature of booty-call relationships by (a) examining the types of emotional and sexual acts involved in booty-call relationships and (b) comparing the frequency of those acts in booty-call relationships to one-night stands and serious long-term relationships. In addition, the manner in which sociosexuality is associated with the commission of these …

An Analysis Of Earned Income Tax Credit Filers And Earned Income Tax Credit Non-Filers In Rural Communities, Nii O. Tackie, Deborah Yeboah, Ntam Baharanyi, Robert Zabawa, Mudiayi Ngandu, Henry J. Findlay, Eunice Bonsi

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This study focuses on assessing differences between earned income tax credit (EITC) filers and non-filers, specifically, identifying general characteristics, examining willingness to participate in asset building programs, and identifying key factors affecting EITC filing status. The data were obtained from a convenience sample of respondents in South Central Alabama, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that many respondents did not know that the EITC could be used as an asset-building tool. Also, the results revealed that socioeconomic characteristics played a role in whether or not one filed for the EITC. Since many respondents did not know that …

Children's Participation In Agricultural Activities In The Adopted Villages Of The Institute Of Agricultural Research And Training, Nigeria, Oyegbami Ajoke, Saka Jelili Olaide, Lawal Bosede Oluwakemi

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Children represent a critical social-economic group in the farm family set up and can play a myriad of roles in achieving sustainable development, especially in agriculture. This study examined children’s participation in agriculture with a view of identifying their training needs in agriculture and their career aspirations. A two-stage random sampling technique was used to select 100 children (50 each) from two adopted villages of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training that represent two agro-ecological zones in southwest Nigeria. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, mean and percentages, while participation in agricultural activities was ranked …

George Ritzer, Globalization: A Basic Text, Paul Monaghan

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Review of Globalization: A Basic Text, by George Ritzer

Alessandro Bonanno, Hans Bakker, Raymond Jussaume, Yoshio Kawamura, And Mark Schucksmith, Eds., From Community To Consumption: New And Classical Themes In Rural Sociological Research. Research In Rural Sociology And Development, Volume 16, Keiko Tanaka

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Review of From Community to Consumption: New and Classical Themes in Rural Sociological Research, Research in Rural Sociology and Development, Volume 16, by Alessandro Bonanno, Hans Bakker, Raymond Jussaume, Yoshio Kawamura, and Mark Schucksmith, eds.

Rural Masculinity And Antique Tractors: Reliving The Men In The Machines, Michael R. Nusbaumer

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

As the economic contexts of farming change, occupational supports for the maintenance of traditional rural masculinities diminish. When these past identities remain salient, identity discontinuity can occur and alternative mechanisms of support may be sought. Nostalgic remembrances may serve to reduce such discontinuity. The current inquiry explores antique tractor collecting as a means of restoring traditional rural masculinities. Data were collected through observations at antique tractor shows, interviews with collectors, and examination of the contents of collecting-related periodicals and other publications. Data reveal three unique ways in which tractor collecting allows for more full re-enactment of past masculinities. Symbolically anthropomorphizing …

From Vulnerability To Resiliency: Achieving Sustainable Communities Through Social Science, Anna M. Kleiner

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Presidential address delivered at the annual meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, Corpus Christi, TX, February 7, 2011

De-Placing Local At The Farmers' Market: Consumer Conceptions Of Local Foods, Damian C. Adams, Alison E. Adams

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Demand for local foods is typically explained using traditional product attributes like price, freshness, and taste. However, these factors fail to address more socially-based motivations or barriers to purchases. We administered a survey at two farmers’ markets (FMs) in Florida. The survey included: (1) respondents’ local produce purchases; (2) perceived cost and difficulty in accessing those products; (3) a Likert scale that measured attitudes toward local food; (4) a willingness to pay measure; (5) a definition of local by distance and ownership; and (6) frequency of produce purchases from traditional and alternative venues. A two-stage cluster analysis revealed three distinct …

The Rattler (Volume 99, Issue 1, Edition 1), 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.

Perceptions Of Beauty Among Female Chinese Students In The United States And China, Carly R. Staley, Ginny Qin Zhan

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This pilot study compared the perceptions of beauty among Chinese women who were exchange students in the United States with Chinese women who were students in their homeland. We interviewed 19 women in China and 19 women in the United States to determine differences in responses. In accordance with the sociocultural approach and the social comparison approach, we expected Chinese women in the United States to have a be more acculturate, more frequently conclude that American women were more beautiful than Chinese women, be more likely than those studying in China to report body dissatisfaction, be more likely to dislike …