Sociology Commons^™

Seeds Of Change The Development Of Apple Farming In Mustang A Documentary Film, Gretchen Powers

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this Independent Research Project is to make a documentary film about the effects modernization has had on the apple farming industry in Lower Mustang since its 1967 introduction. This film focuses on both the influence of Buddhi Ratna Sherchan, the senior horticulturalist who first introduced apples to Mustang, as well as the both positive and negative effects modernization and climate change have had on the region. Findings indicate a general movement towards mass production of apples that utilizes the new road to export high volume production. The heavy hail and rain fall brought about by climate change …

Hoodie Today, Gown Tomorrow: An Ideological Rhetorical Analysis Of Gender-Neutral Clothing, Meridith Irene Styer

Masters Theses

The fields of psychology and sociology have long understood the importance of clothing in self-formation, this study extrapolates this social-science understanding into the realm of rhetorical analysis. This study looks at gender-neutral clothing and its role in meaning making and self identification for women. With a rhetorical basis from Richards and Ogden, this research uses the feminist works of Brummett and Butler to uncover both the positive and negatives effects of gender-neutral clothing on a woman's self-identification and perceptions. Through the presentation of a diffuse narrative and evaluation of the same, gender-neutral clothing is read and decoded for meaning. This …

I'M Ok, You're Not: Assessing Variable Influence On Perceptions Of The Mentally Ill Among College Students, Phillip Wagner

Masters Theses

Due to the alarming level of stigma associated with individuals with a mental illness, this present study seeks to understand the variables that influence perceptions of the mentally ill. The research questions for this study are as follows: RQ1: What are the latitudes of acceptance, rejection and non-commitment that college students identify in their perceptions of the mental health community?, RQ2: Does gender influence college student perceptions of the mentally ill?, and RQ3: Does the level of religious involvement that college students identify correlate to their perceptions of the mentally ill? The 257 participants completed an online survey that assessed …

An Examination Of Alcohol Expectations And Social Desirability In Fraternity Members On American College Campuses, Pietro A. Sasso

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Males who are members of American college fraternal organizations remain one of the heaviest drinking populations among college students (Wall, 2006). Within fraternities, alcohol use is ceded to social status (Larimer et al., 1997). This culturally ingrained alcohol misuse has confounded interventions and programming to address this phenomenon and response to these attempts have been low or nonexistent by fraternity members. This study investigated alcohol expectations and social desirability among fraternity members. It was hypothesized that as members enter and remain in the fraternity culture, distorted expectations and socially desirable behaviors may occur as demonstrated by differences between pledges and …

A Cross-National, Longitudinal Test Of Institutional Anomie Theory, Marc Alan Kittleson

Masters Theses

Institutional anomie theory, developed by Messner and Rosenfeld (1994), explains variations in crime rates across geographic areas and time as resulting from the interrelationship between social institutions and culture. Their theory predicts that when the institution of the economy dominates all other social institutions, and when norms and values focus heavily on monetary success, crime rates will be higher than when there is less dominance of the economy. Institutional anomie theory has been tested using a number of different methods and data from county-level to international-level aggregates. This study addresses the research question of whether variations in crime victimization can …

Income Inequality And Social Stratification: The Effect Of Market Versus State In Transitional Urban China, Qiong Wu

Masters Theses

The rise of inequality in China is one of the most serious social problems in the reform era in China. Previous studies have debated the relative importance of human capital, political capital, and other factors in determining personal income. By using a new dataset from 2006 China General Social Survey (CGSS2006), I replicate earlier tests to measure whether the market or state has more impact on incomes as a way to the competing hypotheses related to human versus political capital.

The results of the ordinary least squares regression analysis show no significance in party membership, state ownership, and work experience, …

The Chill Of A Wintry Light? Borough Of Duryea V. Guarnieri And The Right Of Petition In Public Employment, William A. Herbert

Publications and Research

This article analyzes the Supreme Court’s decision in Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri, which held that in order for a petition, grievance or litigation by a public employee to be protected against retaliation under the Petition Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution it must satisfy the public concern test applicable in retaliation cases alleging a violation of the Speech Clause. The decision was issued in the midst of a renewed contemporary debate over public sector collective bargaining and other statutory rights in public employment. The article analyzes the decision in the context of American public sector …

Empowered Minds And Sterilized Bodies: The Decisions And Lived Experiences Of Surgically Sterilized Women In Santo Antonio De Jesus, Leah Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the last several decades, Brazil has experienced a rapid fertility decline from 6 births per woman in 1965 to 1.8 births per woman in 2006. Though Brazil lacks a significant and organized family planning program, this fertility decline has been caused in large part by an extremely high rate of female sterilization. Of the 81 percent of women living in union who use birth control, 29 percent are surgically sterilized, placing Brazil at the third highest rate of female sterilization in the world. This research analyzes the sterilization narratives of 10 women from the city of Santo Antonio de …

Land Rights, Cultural Hybridization, And Self-Determination Of First Peoples A Case Study Among The Ngöbe Of Western Panama, Clancy Jandreau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hydroelectric and mining projects driven by Panama’s prosperous growth, have come into collision with the country’s largest indigenous population, the Ngöbe. Recently, the Ngöbe took to the streets in a large-scale indigenous rights mobilization that brought their struggle the international scene. Threats to the Ngöbe land and livelihood are nothing new to this group, but the scale and nature of these projects are testing the Ngöbe in an unprecedented fashion. They have had to organize and mobilize to defend their self-determination, using methods well outside their traditional way of life. This article examines the impact of this type of cultural …

The Reproductive Rights Movement: 1914-Present, Angela A. Badore

Student Publications

The Reproductive Rights Movement has, throughout its history, been heavily affected by public perception. Both its proponents and opponents have therefore taken to using language in order to frame the controversial issues in ways that best achieve their respective objectives. This paper explores the terminology used to discuss such issues as birth control, sterilization, and abortion since 1914, when the term ‘birth control’ was first used.

Factors That Influence Helping Behaviors: Does Race And Socioeconomic Status Of A Victim Influence Whether Others Help?, M’Keba Barksdale

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Personal Factors that Influence Helping Behaviors The murder of Kitty Genovese played an historic role in promoting research on helping behavior (Manning, Levine & Collins, 2007). For many years research articles, psychology books, and other references about the murder of Kitty Genovese informed people that she was stabbed to death in front of her home while 37 witnesses watched and did not help. However, more recent research has shown that this research was not accurate (Manning, Levine & Collins 2007). There were actually 38 witnesses and some who testified at the murder trial, that at a first glimpse it did …

Social Media Networking Strategies For The Yale New Haven Center For Emergency Preparedness And Disaster Response (Ynh-Cepdr)/ Yale New Haven Health System Center For Healthcare Solutions (Ynhhs-Chs), Amanda Smith

Masters Theses

This paper investigates the uses and gratification of social media for both personal and organizational usage among employees at the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response/Center for Healthcare Solutions in New Haven, Connecticut. The purpose of this thesis is to assess and evaluate the relationship between YNH-CEPDR/CHS' usage of social media tools and the organization's employees' personal attitudes, beliefs and usage of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Employees of CEPDR/CHS were surveyed regarding the function of social media for emergency management communication and the promotion of products and services. Results suggest that while employees generally agree …

Community Gardening: Benefits Focused Strategies, Joseph Zaanan Tellschow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Throughout history humans have had varying degrees of interaction with nature and natural environments. This interaction has shaped our species in almost every way possible from our physical traits to our behaviors and places we have chosen to occupy. Currently, humans have developed such overwhelming mastery of the planet that it is easy for many humans to feel disconnected from nature. This separation could have detrimental effects on various aspects of human well-being including physical and mental health. To understand these effects, it is important to evaluate the benefits that humans receive from exposure to nature and interaction with natural …

Understanding Loyalty And Motivation Of Professional Sports Fans, Victoria Wilkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors which create continuous and permanent commitment to a specific professional sports team.

Statement of Objectives: There is no denying that the current economic standing of the United States does not promote spending large sums of money on entertainment and leisure. Since taking a family to a professional sports game gets rather expensive, families are lead to pursue other alternatives while deciding how to spend free time. The costs of game attendance, including tickets, parking, food, beverages and souvenirs, can easily surpass one hundred dollars, which is undoable for many …

A New Moral Socialization Model: Wrongfulness And Legal Atitutde As Mediators In Predicting Adolescent Rule-Violating Behavior, Kristen M. Williams

Honors Theses and Capstones

One of the most baffling questions in delinquency literature is why some adolescents engage in these rule-violating behaviors while others refrain. Some researchers have found support for a link between moral reasoning and rule-violating behaviors (Blasi, 1980). The legal socialization model includes legal attitudes as the mediator between the two (Cohn, Bucolo, Rebellon & Van Gundy, 2010). In the current two studies, the researchers tested a moral socialization model with wrongfulness and approval as mediators based on data from middle and high school students as well as college students. In the first study, the model was tested longitudinally with middle …

Activism In The Gulf Coast After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Sara Em Gassman

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

You Sir Are A Fine Young Gentleman. Thank You, My Lady: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Eighteenth Century Conversations Regarding Gentility And Gender, Kati Overbey

Masters Theses

This study rhetorically analyzed the eighteenth century work of Richard Steele and Joseph Addison's The Spectator and Eliza Haywood's The Female Spectator using Kathleen Turner's framework for rhetorical history as social criticism integrating text and context. Ten essays from The Spectator as well as ten essays from The Female Spectator were selected based on content and subject matter regarding manners and gentility. When Turner's framework for analysis was applied to the essays, defining characteristics of gentility were revealed. A presentation of the results of the textual and contextual analysis of these twenty selected essays is provided. An analysis of the …

The Correlation Between The Three Reading Fluency Subskills And Reading Comprehension In At-Risk Adolescent Readers, Craig Courbron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine which of the three reading fluency subskills were most strongly correlated with reading comprehension in adolescent at-risk readers. The participants were 82 adolescent males (ages 13-19) who had been committed to a juvenile detention facility. Archival data from a two-year period was collected from a maximum security juvenile detention facility in a rural section of the Northeastern United States. The Measures of Academic Progress test was used to collect reading comprehension data; the Qualitative Reading Inventory-4 test was used to collect reading speed and reading accuracy data; the Multidimensional Fluency Scale was …

Superstars And Misfits: Two Pop-Trends In The Gender Culture Of Contemporary Evangelicalism, Kelsy Burke, Amy Mcdowell

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper examines gender in two forms of mediated contemporary Protestant evangelicalism in the United States: a male-dominated punk network, called Misfits United, and a women’s group studying Beth Moore’s Bible study, It’s Tough Being a Woman (ITBAW). While the appearance and performance styles of these two groups are drastically different, both support gender hierarchies in similar ways. Misfits United and Moore’s ITBAW present the gender of their Christian God as flexible, even transformative, and in effect open up discursive space to conceptualize gender on non-traditional grounds. Paradoxically, however, both reinforce traditional gender roles by emphasizing what distinguishes God from …

Relationships Between Educators' Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Administrators' Gender, Stephanie Potter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine the differences between teachers' mean job satisfaction scores based on the administrators' gender and examine the relationship between the administrators' gender and teachers' organizational commitment plans in Tennessee middle schools. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment was measured by the Tennessee Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) Survey that was administered online and completed by Tennessee teachers voluntarily and anonymously. A stratified random selection of schools based on the administrator's gender (female, n = 85; male, n = 85) was selected (N = 170) from those achieving the predetermined response criteria …

Rape Myth Acceptance And Rape Attitudes In Campus Hook-Up Culture, Karolina Staros

Masters Theses

This study examines the norms of hooking-up and compares these norms to rape culture in order to measure rape myth acceptance or supportive attitudes towards rape as they manifest in hook-up culture on campus. By consulting what is already published in scholarship about rape culture and rape myths, this study builds on the very limited literature on hook-up culture.

This study uses mixed methods to inquire about norms of hook-up culture and measures the rape myth acceptance and rape attitudes by gender of respondents in a Midwest campus environment. By addressing the issues that students face with gender inequality and …

The Salt Shaker (Vol. 8, Issue 4), Valparaiso University

SALT Shaker

No abstract provided.

Tradition And Change In Marriage Payments In Vietnam, 1963-2000, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, John Knodel

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This study analyses data from the Vietnam Study of Family Change to document trends and determinants of marriage payments in Vietnam from 1963 to 2000. We investigate the extent to which structural and policy transformations influenced the practice of payments, and estimate how societal changes indirectly impacted payments via their effects on population characteristics. Results indicate that marriage payments surged following market reform, but also reveal nuanced trends during earlier years. While the socialist attempts to eradicate brideprice appear to have been successful in the North before economic renovation, they were unsuccessful in the South. Structural and policy change explained …

Factors Impacting Counselor Competency When Counseling Sexual Minority Intimate Partner Violence Victims, Ryan Hancock

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

A queer theory perspective and grounded theory techniques were used to examine perceptions of counselor competency with sexual minority intimate partner violence victims. Ten counselors participated in two rounds of individual interviews. Results indicate that beneficial aspects of competency development occurred prior to, during, and after their graduate counseling program. Training deficits and personal impediments were also identified. Implications for professional associations, supervisors, and counselor educators are discussed.

The Motherhood Earnings Penalty: A Study Of Inequity Between Daycare Providers And Elementary School Teachers, Amanda Regis

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

English-Only Policy And Belief In The United States, Lauren E. White

Honors Theses and Capstones

English-Only initiatives are commonplace in the United States. Proponents of Official English would like to make the official language of the United States English despite the prestige English already has in the United States. The motivations behind this movement are varied and have substantial effects on the opinion of the American population. This paper examines a group of American residents in the Northeast, aged 18 and older. States considered Northeastern in this study are Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The survey distributed contains questions on the topic of English- only issues, …

Sick With Fear: Popular Challenges To Scientific Authority In The Vaccine Controversies Of The 21st Century, Ellen Watkins

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

In the 20th century, vaccines were heralded as one of the greatest medical inventions in history. In the late 1990’s, however, the myth of vaccine-caused autism caught fire. Despite mountains of evidence disproving the link, panicking Americans eschewed vaccines and turned against their physicians. Why did Americans turn their backs on doctors, scientists, and the health industry? This paper follows the vaccine controversy of the last thirty years, looking in particular at the relationship between science and the media. This paper analyzes the contrast between discussion of the hypothesized link in scientific circles and in popular news sources, seeking to …

Human Papillomavirus: How Social Ideologies Influence Medical Policy And Care, Fadi Hachem

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the ways in which new advances in the production of a vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) have been received by both the general public and the medical community. Despite its high prevalence in the general population, as a sexually transmitted infection, there is a great deal of shame and stigma associated with contracting the virus (Waller, et. al. 2007). HPV is a disease of disparities in that ethnic and sexual minorities are disproportionately affected. Since the HPV vaccine is most effective at both a younger age, and before the first sexual experience, …

The Pregnancy Project: Impact Of Ultrasound Use During Pregnancy Care, Paige Ricci

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

Use of ultrasounds during pregnancy continues to increase and there is much debate as to what the best practice is regarding their use, for what types of patients, at what volume level. Current evidence suggests, the extended routine use of ultrasound technology should be for all women that present complications to screen for structural anomalies during pregnancy. However, others have suggested that excessive ultrasound use may be both unnecessary, costly and potentially harmful. Evidence further suggests that mothers find the use of technology to be security enhancing during pregnancy and through the process of care, and that ultrasound use is …

To Live Means To Suffer: Exploring The Identity Of Chronic Pain Conditions, Gabriela Harris

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

This paper examines the necessary identity reconstruction for chronic pain patients through the use of illness narratives. The biographical interruption of a chronic illness, partnered with the patients’ inability to discuss embodiment and pain wholly (because language failures to capture the essence of pain and suffering) creates a devastating chasm between the world of the healthy and the world of the sick. Psychosomatic pain, and illnesses without diagnosis, are all the more divisive conditions, because these factors rob the patient further, disallowing them from constructing even an illness identity. Utilizing published patient interviews, sociological and anthropological texts, as well as …