Sociology Commons^™

The Impact Of Student Organizations On The Development Of Core Competencies, Stanley Somtochukwu Ebede

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Higher education has a significant impact on the development of critical skills that improve students’ academic outcomes. However, academic institutions have not adequately focused more on the role of student organizations in supporting and improving student outcomes. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate students’ perception of the development of core competencies during their experiences at a comprehensive Midwestern university, specifically examining the differences of those involved in student organizations to those not involved.

The impact of student organizations on the development of core competencies was assessed using a survey that was designed around the core competencies outlined …

The Television Viewing, Dating, And Academics Of Young Adults, Michael D. Milmine

Master's Theses

Purpose of the Study

More than ever before, young adults have access to television content. Television programs are no longer relegated to the television set, but can be accessed on desktops, laptops, tablets, and even smartphones. The accessibility of television has increasingly allowed young adults to spend a significant portion of their day viewing these programs. Gathering information on how this viewing is related to their dating and academic habits is important to better understand the decision-making and outcomes for young adults in these two central areas of their lives. The purpose of this study was to measure the relationship …

From Grapes To Wine To Brands To Culture: A Qualitative Study Of Kentucky Wineries And Kentucky Wine Producers, Benjamin J. Triana

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

The Kentucky wine industry has grown from six wineries in 1999 to more than sixty wineries as of 2013. However, the industry has reached a crucial point in its development as funds allotted from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement ended in 2014. As a result, Kentucky wine producers must navigate the demands of local, regional, national, and international wine markets without the same amount of economic support provided in the early stages of the industry’s development.

The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) how Kentucky wine producers use cultural associations to manage their brands, (2) communicate with multiple …

Community And University Building Partner Work-Study Program, Barbara A. Pickering, Robyn Long, Lucy Garza Westbrook, Jermaine Jones

Presentations

1. The UNO Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center 2. Community Partners: Avenue Scholars Foundation and Metropolitan Community College 3. Placement Organization: Service Learning Academy 4. Evaluation Model: Institutional Commitment to Service (Holland, 1997)

Sport, Peace, And Development: Constraints And Possibilities (Review Of Brian Wilson, Sport And Peace: A Sociological Perspective, Ontario, Canada: Oxford University Press, 2012. Simon Darnell, Sport For Development And Peace: A Critical Sociology, London And New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2012.), David Karen

Sociology Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Cati Questions, Respondents, And Interviewers On Response Time, Kristen Olson, Jolene D. Smyth

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

In this paper, we evaluate the joint effects of question, respondent, and interviewer characteristics on response time in a telephone survey. We include question features traditionally examined, such as the length of the question and format of response options, and features that have yet to be examined that are related to the layout and format of interviewer-administered questions. We examine how these question features affect the time to ask and answer survey questions and how different interviewers vary in their administration of these questions. This paper uses paradata from the Work and Leisure Today survey and uses cross-classified random effects …

Hiv/Aids In Puerto Rican People Who Inject Drugs: Policy Considerations, Luz M. López, Lisa De Saxe Zerden, Philippe Bourgois, Helena Hansen, Roberto Abadie, Kirk Dombrowski, Ric Curtis

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We commend the important work of Deren et al. that underscores the high rates of HIV among Puerto Rican people who inject drugs (PRPWID) and highlights the health, social, and service disparities between Puerto Rico and the Northeast US region. As articulated in their article, HIV/AIDS risk and substance use are not individual problems with individual consequences—the epidemic impacts community and culture, across borders and boundaries. In addition to service disparities, various socioeconomic contextual factors are associated with and may exacerbate the spread of HIV/AIDS in PRPWID, including limited educational and employment opportunities, poverty, and political disenfranchisement. Efforts to reduce …

Patterns Of Substance Use Initiation Among Indigenous Adolescents, Les B. Whitbeck, Brian E. Armenta

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background—The data for this study come from an eight-wave panel study of Indigenous (Canadian First Nations and American Indian) adolescents from three U.S. reservations and four Canadian reserves.

Objectives—Our objective was to investigate variations in patterns of substance use initiation from early adolescence through early adulthood using data collected annually for 8 years.

Method—At baseline the sample included 675 Indigenous adolescents (M age = 11.10, SD = .83; 50.3% girls). First, we calculated cumulative rates of substance use initiation by age. We then examined whether the cumulative initiation rates were moderated by gender using logistic regression …

The Christian Farmers Federation Of Ontario: Integrating Christian Principles With The Practicality Of Farming, Suzanne M. Armstrong

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis examines the Christian identity and characteristics of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO), a general farm organization active in the diverse agricultural sector of Ontario, Canada. It highlights the intersection of religion and farming that emerged from interviews and participant observation within this group. The thesis probes what it means for them to be responsible Christian farmers in contemporary agriculture. Christian and secular scholars from three key areas of scholarship—Dutch immigration to Canada, agriculture of the middle or family farming, and Christian stewardship—help to contextualize their responses.

The CFFO was founded as a Dutch neo-Calvinist organization within …

The Reinvention Of The Canadian Armed Forces Chaplaincy And The Limits Of Religious Pluralism, Michael T. Peterson Rev. Dr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Reinvention of the Canadian Armed Forces Chaplaincy offers an analysis of how an historically Christian religious organization, one prominently sited within an important Canadian institution, adapted to pluralism. This research is the first to examine Canada’s military chaplaincy since Benham Rennick’s (2011) more broadly focused study of the role of religion in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). My study is the first to focus specifically on the chaplaincy and on the ways in which it has sought to develop and maintain a pluralist identity. I trace the process by which a legacy Christian institution developed a self-image as a …

Hunting For 'Paper Gangsters': An Institutional Analysis Of Intelligence-Led Policing In A Canadian Context, Crystal Weston

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Contemporary police departments are facing immense pressure to preserve public safety while also remaining fiscally accountable. As a response to economic pressures, police services are turning to intelligence led policing (ILP). ILP promises ‘smarter’ and more efficient policing with the use of advanced technologies and data analysis for decision-making. The present study examines ILP implementation in one urban Canadian police department. Through in-depth interviews with fifteen patrol and middle-management members, fifty-five hours of observation, and an analysis of organizational documents, I examine how ILP reform has been understood and enacted by patrol officers on the ground. From this analysis, I …

Domestic Violence & No-Drop Policies: Doing More Harm Than Good?, Jolene Vincent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past few years, much debate has been centered on domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), and how it should be handled in our society and criminal justice system. In previous years, domestic violence has been seen not only as a private family matter, but a situation in which no outsiders should intrude. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control stated that intimate partner violence is a public health problem with 27% of women and nearly 12% of men who have had some sort of experience with sexual or physical violence at the hands of an …

Women On The Line: A Qualitative Study Of Women's Experience Of Work In The Meat Industry, Jessica Jacques

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the experiences of women who work in the meat industry. Drawing from symbolic interaction and standpoint theory frameworks, this research focuses on how gender, race, and nationality influence work experiences and family life for women in comparison to men in the meat industry. This study is based on 15 in-depth interviews with men and women who work in management positions and in the processing rooms of meat companies where non-human animals are disassembled in the production of food. Data collection and analysis were performed using grounded theory methods of inquiry. Participants' stories highlight women's experience in adapting …

Understanding Vulnerability In Alaska Fishing Communities: A Validation Methodology For Rapid Assessment Of Well-Being Indices, Conor M. Maguire

All Master's Theses

Social well-being indices measure how fishing communities are likely to be affected by social-ecological perturbations, and are a significant tool to identify the primary issues influencing communities’ sustained participation in fishing activities. In an attempt to further our understanding of how communities are affected by such perturbations, we have developed a rapid assessment methodology to test the external validity of a set of well-being indices that measure community vulnerability. This methodology informs how well such indices reflect the communities they represent by measuring elements of well-being through field observations, and comparing them to corresponding index components created from secondary data …

Tracking Onslow: A Community In Transition. Edition 6, Mid 2015, Karma Barndon, Kayt Davies, Sarah Wright

Tracking Onslow: a community in transition

As far as I know, this is the final edition of Tracking Onslow. Back in 2012 a collaboration was born between Edith Cowan University and the Shire of Ashburton. We agreed to make a series of six magazines over three years in order to track the impact of the gas hubs on the Onslow community. The deal required an understanding on the part of the Shire that the journalism in the magazine would be independent. This magazine is not a PR tool for the shire, for Chevron, for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or for any particular group in …

Hiv Infrastructure Study Jackson, Mississippi, Susan S. Reif, Elena Wilson, Carolyn Mcallaster, Miriam Berger

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The A-Bomb Victims' Plea For Cosmopolitan Commemoration: Toward Reconciliation And World Peace, Hiro Saito

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper critically revisits the A-bomb victims' plea for cosmopolitan commemoration that takes humanity, rather than nationality, as a primary frame of reference. To this end, I first elaborate the nature of cosmopolitan commemoration espoused by A-bomb victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in comparison with another form of cosmopolitan commemoration pertaining to the Holocaust victims. I then analyze limitations in these cosmopolitan commemorations and explore how they can be transcended. In light of my critical analysis, I argue that genuinely cosmopolitan commemoration, a prerequisite for reconciliation and world peace, will appear on the horizon if the commemorations of the two …

Why Does Everybody Hate Me? Balance, Status, And Homophily: The Triumvirate Of Signed Tie Formation, Janice Yap, Nicholas Harrigan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Despite being one of the foundational theories of signed (positive/negative) tie formation, the evidence for balance theory is far from conclusive. A recent promising alternative is status theory, but a theoretical and explanatory gap still remains, with a dearth of theories and evidence. We put forward and test eight separate theories of signed tie formation on two face-to-face networks of friendship and esteem of 282 students. We use dimension reduction (factor analysis) on the results tables comparing the predictions of these eight theories for 50 ERGM parameters with our estimated models. We find three main paradigms explain the majority of …

Americans Overestimate Social Class Mobility, Michael W. Kraus, Jacinth J. X. Tan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In this research we examine estimates of American social class mobility—the ability to move up or down in education and income status. Across studies, overestimates of class mobility were large and particularly likely among younger participants and those higher in subjective social class—both measured (Studies 1–3) and manipulated (Study 4). Class mobility overestimates were independent of general estimation errors (Study 3) and persisted after accounting for knowledge of class mobility assessed in terms of educational attainment and self-ratings. Experiments revealed that mobility overestimates were shaped by exposure to information about the genetic determinants of social class—a faux science article suggesting …

Sex Offender Management Policies And Their Unintended Cosequences: A National Survey Of The Perceptions Of Professionals, Corey Call

Theses and Dissertations

The mid-1990s brought sex offenders to the forefront of policy issues due to several highly publicized cases of abduction, sexual assault, and murder involving children. Following these cases, a number of sex offender management policies were passed to quell public concern over the safety of children due to sex offenders. Most notably, these new sex offender management policies mandated the creation of publicly available registries of sex offenders and enacted residence restrictions that forbid sex offenders from residing within certain distances from areas where children commonly congregate.

Although current sex offender management policies have been revealed to be largely ineffective …

Race & Non-Racial Characteristics In Sentencing Length And Sentencing Type Disparity, Davis A. Estes

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing data from the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (SISCF) 2004, this research investigates the possibility that African American drug offenders receive lengthier prison sentences and are imposed more range of time or indeterminate sentences as opposed to flat sentences based on race and/or non-racial characteristics; specifically parole status prior to sentencing, plea agreement status, prior criminal history, education status prior to arrest, employment status prior to arrest, and parental incarceration. While regression analysis revealed racial sentencing disparity for length of sentence and type of sentence (p< .05 and p< .001 respectively), among non-racial characteristics, only education status prior to arrest proved a significant predictor for length of sentence (p≤ .001). African American drug offenders were more likely sentenced to indeterminate sentences as opposed to flat sentences and were less likely to receive short sentences of 0 to 4 years or medium sentences of 4 to 10 years as compared to long sentences of 10 or more years. Potential research implications include the necessity for additional research regarding racial sentencing disparity as length or type of sentences as opposed to disparity as a numerical or a percentage difference between racial groups as well as the utilizing of inmate data that encompasses recent changes in drug sentencing laws, e.g. crack cocaine versus powder cocaine. Future research might also consider the evolution of marijuana laws in the United States and the potential impact on racial sentencing disparity.

Boston Marathon Bombing And Experiences Of Solidarity: The Race To Understanding, Caitlin M. Price

Theses and Dissertations

Near the Boston Marathon’s finish line on April 15, 2013, an innocent looking backpack disguising a pressure-cooker bomb full of shrapnel detonated. Seconds later, another explosion happened amidst crowds of marathon spectators. Despite being one of the worst attacks on United States soil, an outpouring of positive and pro-social behavior occurred. Communities come together after disasters. Solidarity was felt between victims, first responders, and the community but with varying experiences. Through a content analysis of 12 oral histories collected by the WBUR Our Marathon Collection, three distinct kinds of solidarity experiences were uncovered: visceral, care-work, and virtual. This case study …

A Forward To The Special Issue On Neoliberalism In Education The Long Road To Redemption: Critical Pedagogy And The Struggle For The Future, Peter Mclaren

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Peter McLaren introduces a special issue of Texas Education Review focused on Neoliberalism in Education by advocating for critical pedagogy in the face of the challenges and harms wrought by American capitalism, politics, and "economic exploitation, racism, homophobia, sexism, imperialism, the coloniality of power and White supremacy".

Socioeconomic Status And Health: Education And Income Are Independent And Joint Predictors Of Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Wendy C. Birmingham, Jenny M. Cundiff, Bert N. Uchino, Timothy W. Smith

Faculty Publications

Epidemiological research suggests that different indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) such as income and education may have independent and/or interactive effects on health outcomes. In this study, we examined both simple and more complex associations (i.e., interactions) between different indicators of SES and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) during daily life. Our sample consisted of 94 married couples who completed a one-day ABP protocol. Both income and education were independently related to systolic blood pressure and only income was significantly related to diastolic blood pressure. There were also statistical interactions such that individuals with high levels of both income and education …

Political Intolerance In The 21st Century: The Role Of Ideology And Emotion In Determining Intolerant Judgments, Matthew Cain

Masters Theses

Decades of research in Social Psychology have demonstrated that political intolerance is not displayed equally with respect to ideology. In particular, conservatives and those with right-wing beliefs are much more likely to display intolerant judgments than those with liberal or left-wing beliefs. This "prejudice gap" has been found to be so ubiquitous that it is now the conventional wisdom regarding the relationship between ideology and intolerance. However, a small, but growing literature challenges this presumed ideological asymmetry and has instead found that liberals and conservatives display intolerance under certain circumstances. Synthesizing the recent research showing ideological symmetry in intolerance judgments, …

Gendered Pathways To Office For Members Of The 112th U.S. House Of Representatives, Samantha Sarich

Masters Theses

Research both asserts that there is a particular path through careers in either business or law that many political candidates take to Congress and that female candidates do not always follow this standard path. Female candidates have been found to emerge from a wider array of experiences outside of business and law. Differences in pathways male and female candidates take to public office have been widely studied, yet little attention has been focused on whether or not female candidates having experience serving on the board of a non-profit organizations can be a part of a viable alternate pathway to public …

The Art Of Voluntelling: Research On Mandated And Altruistic Volunteers, Tyler Kalahar

Masters Theses

A comparison of mandated and altruistic volunteers that completed community service hours was conducted. Participants were enrolled at a mid-sized, mid-Western university. T-test and correlational analysis were conducted on data gathered through the Community Service Attitudinal Scale (2000). The data was used to compare and contrast the characteristics of mandated and altruistic volunteers. Mandated volunteers (M = 5.73, SD = 1.40) reported feeling like they were not making as much of an impact performing community service compared to altruistic volunteers (M = 6.61, SD = 1.17) at significance level (t(72) = 2.88, p< 0.01). Altruistic (M=6.25, SD=1.35) …

Being Bromo In A Heterosexual Dominated Culture: A Qualitative Approach, Nathan J. Wehr

Masters Theses

Homosexual males want to be a part of a social fraternity for the same reasons heterosexual males want to join a social fraternity, however, homosexual males going through recruitment could soon be welcomed into an environment that is not supportive of homosexual males. Studies have proven that unwelcoming and unsupportive environments can hinder identity development of males who are either homosexual, questioning their sexual identity, or bisexual (Long, 2011). This study was designed to focus on the support fraternities have for homosexual members joining fraternities and the level of support as a fraternity community. Using a qualitative approach, the researcher …

Moral Judgments Of Differing Transgressions & The Influence Of Willingness To Seek Counseling & Religiosity, Marni Naleway

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine how moral judgments differ towards substance abusers and unfaithful spouses. Furthermore, the study compared judgments regarding the gender of the transgressor, the transgressor's willingness to go to counseling, and the participant's level of religiosity. Participants in the study were provided with a scenario describing a substance abuse transgression or an infidelity transgression followed by a survey of questions inquiring about their judgments towards the transgressor. Results indicated individuals judge a transgressor more harshly in an infidelity transgression compared to a substance abuse transgression. Results also indicated a gender bias between transgressions as …

2015, Camp Research Forum Book Of Abstracts, American Camp Association

ACA National Camp Research Forum Abstracts

This book includes 16 abstracts that will be presented at the 2015 American Camp Association (ACA) Research Forum to be held during the ACA annual conference in New Orleans, LA from February 3-6. Twelve of these abstracts have been grouped into logical areas and will be verbally presented in four sessions.