Sociology Commons^™

Cultural Conceptions Of Health, Caroline Stephens

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Healthcare is a complicated structure, influenced by multiple economic, social and cultural factors. It is problematic enough to determine how to administer healthcare in countries that rely only on the western healthcare system, but it is even more difficult in places such as Madagascar where multiple healthcare systems exist. Today the Malagasy have a culture that combines the many French practices with the traditional Malagasy beliefs, traditions and values. Many Malagasy chose to utilize allopathic medicine, but many others still prefer to go to a traditional healer. By gaining a better understanding of the average Malagasy person’s perceptions of proper …

Healers And Researchers: Towards A More Balanced Relationship, Gracie Tewkesbury

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In my seminar paper, I discussed the benefits for both parties of collaboration between traditional healers and modern scientific researchers. If research is done on the medicinal effects of plants, these cures can be used more safely and effectively by members of the community. This relationship is greatly beneficial in theory, but the reality is less than ideal. Researchers, especially foreign ones, depreciate and exploit the knowledge of healers, and as a result, healers are often distrustful and unwilling to collaborate. The relationship between healers and researchers potentially holds the cures to countless diseases and can contribute directly to greater …

Western Influence, Latent Racism, And Their Impact On Access To Health Care In Madagascar, Jessica Joy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While the Malagasy commemorate their Independence Day on June 26 as the day they were freed from colonization and allowed to function as their own country with their own cultures and practices, colonization and Western influence has left an indelible mark on Madagascar that continues to exert its power to this day, shaping Malagasy social behaviors, values, and lives. The introduction of the slave trade to Madagascar in the mid-1800s, as well as French colonization, has left behind a thriving latent and structural racism in the country; a Western ideal of beauty, made complete by its valorization of fair skin, …

The Benefits Of Having An Integrated Health Care System In Madagascar, Elizabeth Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For my individual research, I wanted to look into all the benefits that could be offered by collaborating allopathic and traditional healthcare systems and how such a system is accomplished in Madagascar, in order to weigh and to discover the feasibility of using integrated healthcare systems as sustainable development in other parts of the world. Furthermore, as Madagascar sets the example in my research this summer, the use of traditional and modern medicine as an integrated health care system best serves the majority of the Malagasy population for several important reasons.

“Mind The Gap” Addressing The Gap Between Health Care Policy & Health Care Reality In Madagascar & The Way Forward Integrating Traditional Medicine & Ethical Reform Within Health Care, Laura Dillon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

At first glance the health care system in Madagascar looks pretty good. No health care system is perfect, in fact most are far from perfect, but some certainly work better than others. On paper it seems that the current system in Madagascar would be among those that “work better”. Sadly, there is oftentimes a disconnect between what a government writes on paper and what happens in reality; looking around the streets of Antananarivo it quickly became apparent that Madagascar is an example of this disconnect. You do not have to be a health care professional to see the lack of …

The Implications Of Demographic Change For Resource Management In The Northern Forest, Kenneth M. Johnson, Susan I. Stewart

Sociology

No abstract provided.

How Do Religion And Belief Systems Influence Traditional Medicine And Health Care In Madagascar?, Whitney Franklin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Religion and beliefs consistently shape social structures, laws, and even medicine. In Madagascar, this is extremely evident when considering traditional medicine but also exists in modern medicine. Christianity and traditional beliefs are the two main systems that have shaped traditional medicine to what it has become today. These opposites function as a duality that becomes apparent when looking at certain events in Madagascar’s history and the examination of the evolution and rituals performed in the different types of traditional medicine. Through the methodology of interviewing traditional healers and gathering historical information from experts in lectures, I can make sure to …

How To Be The Best At Everything: The Gendering And Embodiment Of Girl/Boy Advice, Barbara Lesavoy

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

This paper explores the binary divide packaged under the children’s How be the Best at Everything (2007) girl/boy advice books. Postmodern and materialist feminist thought as a lens into media-infused social and class reproduction provide a theoretical framework in interrogating this gender binary. I argue that that the books, as heteronormative nostalgia, operationalize a theory I term “gender retraction,” a phenomenon in which the vast knowledge that informs our identity spectrum propels us into a cultural time warp, where, with an array of socially inscribed possibilities, the binary clarity of age old girl/boy categories has resurging appeal The paper exposes …

Maud Lavin: Push Comes To Shove : New Images Of Aggressive Women, Deborah Herz

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

No abstract provided.

Drew Humphries (Editor): Women, Violence, And The Media : Readings In Feminist Criminology. Series: Northeastern Series On Gender, Crime, And Law, Lisa S. Holley

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

No abstract provided.

Women As Consumers Of Reproductive Technology: Media Representation Versus Reality, Shirley Shalev, Dafna Lemish

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

In light of the growing role of media as a central source of health information, this article evaluates the contribution of television representations to the dissemination of information and social conceptions of women regarding new reproductive practices. The study reported here examined a case study of media representations of surrogacy in a popular television series in Israel, entitled A Touch of Happiness, which has been broadcast repeatedly over the last decade. The analysis compared the televised content with the legal framework and social reality of surrogacy, and found major discrepancies between the two. Thus, this study demonstrates the role media …

“An Ill-Bred Lady With A Great Big Chip On Her Shoulder”: Gender And Race In Mainstream And Black Press Coverage Of Eartha Kitt’S 1968 White House Dissent, Sarah Janel Jackson

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

An analysis of mainstream and black press coverage of Eartha Kitt’s January 1968 White House dissent on the Vietnam War is presented. Of particular interest is the way journalists constructed Kitt’s dissent for their audiences within intersecting discourses of gender and race. Findings reveal that mainstream journalists tended to undermine Kitt’s dissent by representing her within a gendered racial binary that denied her access to definitions of true womanhood. At the same time, despite presenting more explicit sexual objectification of the actress, journalists in the black press allowed her dissent legitimacy, challenging mainstream discourses.

A History Of Jewish Mothers On Television: Decoding The Tenacious Stereotype, Myrna Hant

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

Since the inception of television in the 1940’s the stereotype of the Jewish mother has persisted. This archetypal figure continues into the 21st. Century morphing from a purely ethnic figure to an icon depicting ambivalence about modern motherhood. In deconstructing the perpetuation of this portrait, two components are key: the historical significance of the shtetl mother and the writers and comedians who interpret the shtetl mentality. Most importantly, though, the inconsistencies towards mothers, so strongly birthed in the rise of Second Wave feminism, are still embedded in the Jewish mother stereotype.

Media Interpretation Of A Leading Woman Politician’S Performances And Dress Code Challenges, Mercedes Bengoechea

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

Based on a corpus of 63 press columns and reports, the paper analyzes how the media construct the identities of Carme Chacón, the first Spanish woman defence minister. It focuses on two salient pictures of her which represent the roles she successfully performed during her first eleven months in office (from April 2008 to March 2009): minister mother, and hybridly-gendered military officer/minister. The study reveals how Chacón’s success as a politician seems to be proportionate to her closeness to the socially sanctioned feminine role of mother, or to the powerful social roles of minister and military officer, performed from hybridly-gendered …

Suburban Poverty: Barriers To Services And Injury Prevention Among Marginalized Women Who Use Methamphetamine, Miriam W. Boeri, Benjamin Tyndall, Denise R. Woodall

Faculty Articles

Objective: This paper aims to identify the needed healthcare and social services barriers for women living in suburban communities who are using or have used methamphetamine. Drug users are vulnerable to injury, violence and transmission of infectious diseases, and having access to healthcare has been shown to positively influence prevention and intervention among this population. Yet little is known regarding the social context of suburban drug users, their risks behaviors, and their access to healthcare.

Methods: The data collection involved participant observation in the field, face-to-face interviews and focus groups. Audio-recorded in-depth life histories, drug use histories, and resource needs …

Ethnic Differences In Cigarette Smoking Behavior, Gang Lee

Selected Works Temporary Series

The goal of this study is to identify and compare predictors of smoking initiation, persistence and smoking status among Hispanics and Whites. The sample includes 1,410 Hispanic and non-Hispanic White adults living in El Paso, TX, USA and Doña Ana and Otero counties, NM, USA from the Paso del Norte 2002 BRFSS. Whites reported higher rates of cigarette smoking and became regular smokers earlier than Hispanics. Males were twice more likely to initiate cigarette smoking and progress to regular smoking than females among Hispanics, but this gender difference among Whites was not significant. Childhood exposure to drinkers or alcoholics was …

Hall, Ann C. And Bishop, Mardia J. (Editors): Mommy Angst: Motherhood In American Popular Culture., Carol Shelton

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

No abstract provided.

Race, Gender, And Research: Implications For Teaching From Depictions Of Professors In Popular Film, 1985-2005, Mari Dagaz, Brent D. Harger

Sociology Faculty Publications

When students enter college classrooms for the first time they inevitably have preconceived images of professors. According to research on student evaluations of teaching, these preconceptions have important implications in college classrooms. This study explores one avenue through which these preconceptions are perpetuated – popular film. Using content analysis we examine popular films released between 1985 and 2005 that contain professors in either primary or secondary roles. Our findings show stereotypical depictions beyond glasses, bow ties, and tweed jackets. Specifically, we find stereotypical images of race and gender as well as an emphasis on the importance of research, sometimes at …

Book Review: No Stones: Women Redeemed From Sexual Addiction By Marnie C. Ferree (Intervarsity, 2010), Margaret English De Alminana

Selected Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

No. 24: South Africa's Two Diasporas: Engagement And Disengagement, Jonathan Crush

Southern African Migration Programme

The African diaspora is increasingly viewed as a key to realizing the development potential of international migration. At the same time, there remains considerable confusion about who exactly constitutes the diaspora and which groups should be targeted for “diaspora engagement.” For some, the diaspora consists of all migrants of African birth living outside Africa. The African Union’s definition of the African diaspora, for example, “comprises people of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality.” The World Bank goes a step further to distinguish between an involuntary and a voluntary, a historical and a contemporary, component …

Chinese-Born Seniors On The Move: Transnational Mobility And Family Life Between The Pearl River Delta And Boston, Massachusetts, Nicole Newendorp

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

My account here of Chinese seniors’ migration trajectories to the U.S. in recent years builds on this increasing scholarly focus on the dialectic of the individual and collective in Chinese transnational family life by examining the motivations and desires of senior migrants who make use of recent opportunities for transnational mobility between China and the U.S. to reunite with family in the U.S.—all the while leaving other family members behind in China.

Sustainable Development Projects For Refugees Case Study: Measuring The Scope Of Sustainability Of Sustainable Development Projects And Microcredit In Eritrean Refugee Camps In Eastern Sudan, Khalid Alssardiyah

Capstone Collection

Sustainable development projects are a vital modern method in fighting poverty and in reducing unemployment; they provide the main motivation for communities to become involved in the decision-making process of building their lives in their society. International institutions focus on establishing sustainable development projects for many communities, but this concern has yet to reach those in the greatest need, such as the refugees in eastern Sudan.

This capstone paper identifies sustainability of sustainable development projects and microcredit, as well as the challenges facing these efforts. A case study was conducted on Eritrean refugees in Shagarab camp in eastern Sudan where …

Indigenous Perspectives: The Struggle For Land, Culture And Education In Rivas, Nicaragua, Jeremy Harrison-Smith

Capstone Collection

The domination of Western educational systems and the capitalist market over indigenous social economic structures has been detrimental to communities all over the world. The search for foreign investment and development opportunities, along with local government’s educational structuring has spread these systems to communities in Central America. This research explores first-hand accounts surrounding these influences through the perspectives of two Nahua indigenous communities in Rivas, Nicaragua. First, a history of indigenous struggles in Nicaragua along with U.S. economic influence on land rights, tourism and educational systems are explored. Then, the indigenous communities’ perspectives are presented to understand the effects of …

The Digital Age: Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans’ Use Of Technology 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Over the past decade, people have increasingly used the Internet for shopping, social networking, government services, learning and education. Are rural Nebraskans using the Internet for these applications? What do they believe are the benefits and drawbacks of these applications? In addition, people are increasingly using mobile devices to connect to the Internet. Are rural Nebraskans using their cell phones to access the Internet? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions.

This report details 2,490 responses to the 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll, the sixteenth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions …

Animal Welfare: Perceptions Of Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans: 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Connie Reimers-Hild

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

The manner in which food animals are produced, shipped and processed has been in the news lately. Specifically at question is whether or not current livestock practices adequately ensure the welfare of food animals. With a sizable animal agriculture production sector in the state of Nebraska, this is an important issue. How do rural Nebraskans feel about animal welfare issues? Do their opinions differ by age, education or their experience with livestock production?

This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 2,490 responses to the 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll, the sixteenth annual effort to understand rural …

Medical Pluralism In Morocco: The Cultural, Religious, Historical And Political-Economic Determinants Of Health And Choice., Tyler Martinson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Morocco is a culturally diverse intersection between the African continent, the Arab world and Europe. This multiplicity is mirrored in the country’s pluralistic medical system and beliefs surrounding the concepts of illness and health. Explanations of health are endorsed by culturally specific knowledge and are then naturalized and taken as objective. A synthesis of theoretical descriptions and political-economic of medical pluralism, along with historical analysis, explains the presence of multiple health practices and how a person’s choice of medical practice is heavily influenced by dynamic socio-cultural, religious, historical, political and economic factors. This study will help improve practitioner/client narratives of …

Development Of A Proposed Community Action Plan For The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Alicia Milla, Alexis Rodriguez

Community Engagement and Collaboration

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is a national organization that was started back in 1970 by two mothers of sons with type 1 diabetes. Since its founding, JDRF has awarded more than $1.5 billion to diabetes research around the world, including $9.9 million of research in San Diego. JDRF is a volunteer-driven organization with thousands of volunteers in locations worldwide. While JDRF is working hard to find a cure and improve the lives of those living with type 1 diabetes, it also has a goal of providing volunteer-led support programs to people with type 1 diabetes and their families. …

The Relationship Between Personality Traits And Driver Job Performance : An Empirical Study Of Haulage Companies In Peninsular Malaysia., Chandra Mohan Sinnandavar

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study contributes to the understanding of truck drivers’ personality and its relationship with their job performance, which is an area of research that receives little attention in Malaysia. Industry practitioners posit that managing drivers is the hardest part in managing a transport company. This study investigates the impact of drivers’ personality on their job performance. This study utilizes the Five Factor Model of personality which is extraversion, agreeableness, emotional stability, conscientiousness and intelligence and its narrow traits in investigating the relationship between a driver’s personality and his/her job performance. Data were collected from 147 drivers of nine haulage companies, …

When Erving Goffman Was A Boy, Sherri Cavan

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

Like creating a mosaic, the bits and pieces of Erving Goffman’s life yield a picture of a complex man who lived in troubled times and through his writings changed the way whole generations saw the world. Looking at that life I chose to focus on his boyhood, from childhood through adolescence. My purpose is here descriptive, an ethnography of a childhood recounting events of Goffman’s early life and placing them in their social, historical and cultural context. That done, I will have a few words to say about the themes that I see in this narrative as well as some …

Data Note: State Intellectual And Developmental Disability Agencies' Funding For Employment Services, Jean E. Winsor, Frank A. Smith

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Employment has been identified as a priority outcome in federal policy and state employment-first initiatives, and by individuals with IDD. Members of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered have issued a call to increase access to integrated employment and eliminate facility-based work (2009). In many states, the IDD agency and/or statewide advocacy coalitions have developed and implemented employment-first initiatives (State Employment Leadership Network, 2011). However, there is limited data available on the cost of integrated employment services compared to facility-based work services to guide the implementation of these initiatives.