Sociology Commons^™

Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Social Survey 2010 Highlights, Robert Futrell, Christie D. Batson, Barbara G. Brents, Andrea Dassopoulos, Chrissy Nicholas, Mark J. Salvaggio, Candace Griffith

Reports (USI)

UNLV sociologists conducted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Social Survey (LVMASS) to identify the socio-spatial distribution of attitudes and attributes relevant to urban sustainability in the Las Vegas Valley. The project goal is to understand how Las Vegas residents think about urban sustainability issues across three dimensions: 1) natural environment; 2) community and quality of life; 3) economy.

Feminist Criticism: The Importance Of Sharing The Native Female Journey, Michelle Newfield

Communication Studies

The female Native American perspective is grossly neglected in mainstream media. Sadly, stereotypical images romanticize Native American women in a light that disallows them to be taken seriously in a modernized world. The fact is that the majority of women with American Indian ancestry do not live on reservations; they make up a considerable part of the general population.

There is an unfortunate “invisibility of Native women in comparison to men,” and “Native women are often represented by popular culture within the Plains Indian context, the generic Indian. Omnipresent is the ‘squaw’ who is portrayed as servant, concubine, beast of …

The Vortex Of Labor, Thomas Janoski, Christopher Oliver

Sociology White Papers

Three factors constitute the new global division of labor that causes structural unemployment in advanced industrialized countries: (1) Globalization has increased outsourcing and off-shoring with manufacturing jobs and white collar work moving overseas. (2) Lean production has moved throughout the manufacturing industries of the world, with the service industries following behind. Lean production reduces jobs but can also create some jobs. (3) Advanced technologies reduce old jobs (e.g., newspapers, post office, etc.) but also create new jobs. The internet allows jobs to be done from anywhere in the world, which aids off-shoring, and automation reduces jobs but creates a few …

Re-Imagining The Nature Of Development: Biodiversity Conservation And Pastoral Visions In The Northern Areas, Pakistan, Nosheen Ali

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Examines how, in the mountainous village of Shimshal, national parks and “community-based” conservation projects such as trophy hunting are deeply problematic, promoting exploitive ideologies of nature and development while delegitimizing the values and rights of pastoralists. The Shimshalis have creatively resisted the appropriations of their land by creating a Shimshal Nature Trust, implementing a model of ecological sovereignty instead of “community participation”—challenging the very logic of protected areas in international conservation.

Muslims In The Media:The New York Times From 2000 - 2008, Autumn Bishop

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although it is widely recognized that Muslims and Middle Easterners were negatively portrayed in the media after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, few scholars examine the long term media presentations of Islam in the United States. The studies that have explored the relationship of the portrayal of Islam by the media have used short term, limited sampling techniques, which may not properly reflect the popular media as a whole. The current research uses data from the New York Times from 2000-2008 in order to determine whether the popular media was portraying Islam in a disparaging manner. The analysis …

Bullying: Out Of The School Halls And Into The Workplace, Lucretia Cooney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to identify those people at most risk of being bullied at work. While much research is being conducted on school bullying, little has been conducted on workplace bullying. Using data gathered from a 2004 study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center for the General Social Survey, which included a Quality of Work Life (QWL) module for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), linear regressions indicated significant findings. As predicted, workers in lower level occupations, as ranked by prestige scoring developed at National Opinion Research, are more likely to be …

Exploring The Relationship Between Work, Family And Religion Among Clergy Families, Lenore Johnson

Dissertations

Studies examining how working adults manage the competing demands of family, home and work shed light on the interconnectedness of public and private life. The notion that private life is a refuge separate from work is highly contested, and the experiences of clergy families add further support to such claims. However, while clergy families experience many of the same strains as other families, the relationship between public and private life is noticeably impacted by the inclusion of religion, adding further complications to the process of balancing multiple responsibilities. In this study, I explore the complex relationship between these aspects of …

Comprehensive Yet "Passionate"— Discovering Qualitative Methods: Field Research, Interviews, And Analysis (2nd Ed.) By Carol A. B. Warren And Tracy Xavia Karner, Angela Yehl

The Qualitative Report

Warren and Karner’s (2010) second edition of Discovering Qualitative Methods provides the novice and/or student sociology researcher with a solid foundation in the historical and theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research as it is applied to the social sciences. Once the reader is grounded in the history and principles of qualitative research the book evolves into a rich, informative, "how-to" guide for those undertaking the complexities of contemporary qualitative research, including fieldwork, qualitative interviews, and collection of visual/textual and internet data.

The Right To Die Debate: The Demonization Of Dr. Kevorkian And The Creation Of A Moral Panic Surrounding Physician-Assisted Suicide In The United States, Dana White

Honors Scholar Theses

The Right to Die Debate is a recent but highly controversial moral matter. In particular, physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is an issue that has been evaded by the medical community for years. As of 1990, most states had never encountered the issue before and therefore did not have any laws in place to prohibit PAS (Strate et. al, 2005). Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a retired pathologist from Royal Oak Michigan was the first to publicly address PAS. He brought the issue into the limelight through a bizarre and crude series of assisted deaths that had a lasting impact on not only the …

A Study Of Regional Language And Identities In A Small Occitan Village, Patrick Sacleux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study utilized qualitative methods to approach regional language abilities of local respondents and how it affects their regional identity. The theoretical framework of this study explored some of the tenets of symbolic interaction emphasizing on identity theory and how the flexible aspect of face-to-face interaction can define the self and someone's regional identity as it relates to their regional language use. Data for this study were collected in a small Occitan village in Southern France. In particular, the study explored the link between an individual residential setting, his/her age and his/her ability to speak the regional language. The …

Gender Dependence And Attitudes Toward The Distribution Of Household Labor: A Comparative And Multilevel Analysis, Sheri L. Kunovich, Robert M. Kunovich

Sociology Research

We use comparative and multilevel methods to examine attitudes toward the distribution of household labor in 32 countries. We test hypotheses derived from Baxter and Kane’s (1995) gender dependence theory, which suggests complex relationships between societal-level gender dependence, individual-level gender dependence, and gender attitudes. Country-level data are from the United Nations and survey data are from the International Social Survey Programme’s 2002 Family and Changing Gender Roles III module. Our analysis is among the first to combine societal and individual indicators of gender dependence using multilevel modeling and to test for cross-level interactions between societal and individual gender dependence. Results …

Elder Abuse Identification And Intervention: Final Report To Blue Cross-Blue Shield Of Michigan Foundation, Mary C. Sengstock

Sociology Faculty Research Publications

In 2006 through 2008, Dr. Mary Cay Sengstock held a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation to study the effectiveness of the current system for identifying and assisting abused elders in the State of Michigan.

This document presents the Final Report of the project. It can serve as a model, not only for the State of Michigan, but for other states regarding the mechanisms which are effective in identifying and assisting abused elders, as well as the problems and dilemmas which may arise.

Graduate Training In Sociological Theory And Theory Construction, Barry N. Markovsky

Faculty Publications

Nearly all of sociology's top graduate training programs require their students to complete one or two courses on sociological theory. The instructors for these courses have an extraordinary opportunity to affect the perspectives and practices of future generations of scholars. This study assesses the backgrounds, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of those instructors regarding different approaches to theorizing, with particular attention paid to topics related to science and to theory construction. Sociologists who teach required theory courses in the discipline's top fifty graduate training programs were asked a series of questions pertaining to their own training and to the courses they …

Grant, Erin M. (Fa 235), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 235. Paper: "Goal Posts and Parking Lots" written by Erin M. Grant for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Heroes: A Realistic Depiction Of Heroism, Cheryl’Lynn Joost

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

In the world we live in, heroes are traditionally thought of as perfect individuals who always save the world. Perfection, however, is unrealistic in the real world. The television series Heroes is a form of text that provides viewers with heroes that are more realistic to the real world and easier to relate to. Heroes, which debuted in September of 2006, follows various people around the world who have recently discovered that they have extraordinary abilities. With their newly discovered talents, the characters now have to decide how to use them. This study critically analyzes particular characters that illustrate the …

Illegal Dumping: Large And Small Scale Littering In Rural Kentucky, Kenneth D. Tunnell

Justice Studies Faculty and Staff Research

Illegal dumping, a social problem greatly affecting some rural states, occurs at both the large and small scale as open dump sites and roadside trash. Focusing on Kentucky, a rural state without mandatory trash pickup and a per capita income below and a poverty rate above the national average, this photo essay describes the dumping and littering problem. As is shown, legislative and executive initiatives have made some inroads in large-scale clean up. Some local governments, however, appear apathetic about addressing illegal dumping in their own communities. Kentucky’s litter problem is showing few signs of improvement and roadside littering seemingly …

A Critical Analysis Of The Relationship Between Salvation And Social Justice In The Minjung Theology, Ilmok Kim

Dissertations

The intent of this study is to investigate the relationship between salvation and social justice in minjung theology. Minjung theology grew out of social awareness in the 1970s that created adesire to fight oppression and misery in Korea.

The introductory chapter defines the problem, which is to critically evaluate minjung theology's attempts to reconstruct the traditional Korean Christian notions of salvation. This study is primarily limited to the works of two representative minjung theologians: Nam Dong Suh and Byung Mu Ahn.

Chapter 2 traces the historical context of Korea from which minjung theology emerged. The chapter particularly notes the religious …

Using 'The Autobiography Of Malcolm X' To Teach Introductory Sociology, Brent D. Harger, Tim Hallett

Sociology Faculty Publications

In this chapter, we make the case for using The Autobiography of Malcolm X to teach introductory sociology classes. While The Autobiography of Malcolm X is an autobiography and not a novel, we summarize the literature on using novels in sociology and compare this literature to our own experiences using autobiographies in the classroom. We then describe how autobiographies are particularly helpful for introducing students to the concept of the ‘‘sociological imagination’’ before highlighting this with an in-class exercise. Finally, we discuss student feedback and some of the drawbacks to using autobiographies and the extent to which these drawbacks can …

Bridging The Theoretical Gap: The Diasporized Hybrid In Sociological Theory, Melissa F. Weiner, Bedelia N. Richards

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

In a nation of immigrants, most American ethnic groups have at some point wrestled with how to reconcile having an identity that is rooted simultaneously in their countries of origin and in the United States, particularly when they are also racialized ethnic minorities. This hybrid identity often blends divergent cultures and traditions. And sociologists, intent on explaining these tensions, have focused on the experiences that have shaped these identities for over a century. As a result, the theoretical roots of contemporary hybridity theories such as the segmented assimilation perspective, can be traced back to “classical” theorists of race, pluralism, and …

How Does Advertising Articulate The Tropes Of The Posthuman That Exist In Contemporary Culture?, Norah Campbell

Doctoral

The posthuman is a concept that has accrued much currency in disciplines as diverse as legal theory, artificial life science and philosophy. This thesis explores the meaning of the concept by initially examining what it means to be human, finding that art and science have so far failed to provide a long-lasting definition of humanness. Instead of a temporal “coming-after” stage of humanity, posthumanism might be more usefully seen as a concept that draws attention to the cracks that have always existed in the apparently water-tight description of the human- how the “human” has changed radically and continues to change …

Social Functioning: A Sociological Common Base For Social Work Practice, Thomas J. Blakely, Gregory M. Dziadosz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article describes the experience of a social work mental health agency with Social Role Theory (SRT), that is an organizing concept for the delivery of its assessment and treatment program. SRT has been called the process variable of the program, meaning how services are delivered. Social functioning, a concept taken from SRT, is a treatment outcome. The overall purposes of the article are to describe the contribution of sociology to social work practice, and to advance the argument that social functioning is a common base for social work practice generally.

Gender In Politics, Sheri L. Kunovich, Pamela Paxton, Melanie M. Hughes

Sociology Research

Women’s political participation and representation vary dramatically within and between countries. We selectively review the literature on gender in politics, focusing on women’s formal political participation.

We discuss both traditional explanations for women’s political participation and representation, such as the supply of women and the demand for women, and newer explanations such as the role of international actors and gender quotas. We also ask whether women are distinctive—does having more women in office make a difference to public policy? Throughout the review we demonstrate that a full understanding of women’s political representation requires both deep knowledge of individual cases such …

Systems Of Distribution And A Sense Of Equity: A Multilevel Analysis Of Meritocratic Attitudes In Post-Industrial Societies, Sheri L. Kunovich, Kazimierz M. Slomczynski

Sociology Research

Meritocratic attitudes are defined as general beliefs that education and its correlates should determine personal economic outcomes. Using the International Social Survey Project (ISSP): Social Inequality Module (1992), we examine both individual-level and country-level determinants of pro-meritocratic attitudes. According to self-interest and rational-action theories, individuals with high educational attainment and high personal income are expected to have strong meritocratic beliefs because meritocracy is in their best interest—they would gain under such a system. At the same time, both modernization and post-industrial theories imply that persons living in countries with a high degree of societal meritocracy hold stronger meritocratic beliefs than …

Cts Split 2007 The (Audio) Diary In Tourism Research, Deirdre Quinn, Nigel Morgan, Annette Pritchard

Articles

No abstract provided.

Metropolitan-Micropolitan Difference In Available Labor Force Characteristics: Three Great Plains Labor Basins, Michael Walker, Brett Zollinger

Sociology Faculty Publications

This study explores differences in labor availability characteristics among those living in metropolitan and micropolitan areas. Data used in this study are from surveys of adults in two adjacent Midwestern states and from three separate labor basins. Primary patterns under examination include wage demands, benefit demands, distance willing to commute for a job, perceived underemployment and entrepreneurial propensity. Bivariate analyses show no relationship between basin size and entrepreneurial propensity nor between basin size and willingness to commute. However, basin size has significant influence on four of the seven dependent variables, even after controlling for many sociodemographic characteristics. In multivariate analyses, …

Organizing For Community Benefit: Anti-Gentrification Effort In Providence, Ri, Katiuska Pérez

Senior Honors Projects

Throughout my college experience I didn’t really gain any basic foundation on how to organize and work with a group of people in a collective effort. I thought the best way to learn these skills in such a short amount of time would be to work with an organization that has been campaigning for positive social change for many years. I was referred to DARE (Direct Action for Rights and Equality) in Providence. I approached the director of the organization, Sara Mersha, and shared with her what I wanted to gain from a possible internship in her organization. She gave …

In Our Own Backyard: Methamphetamine Manufacturing, Trafficking And Abuse In Rural America, Kenneth D. Tunnell, Joseph Donnermeyer

Justice Studies Faculty and Staff Research

The abuse of methamphetamine ( or meth) is dramatically evident in the "before and after" faces of meth arrestees. Yet these pictures provide only a glimpse of the larger personal, environmental, and community fallout from methamphetamine use and production, an issue that barely existed 15 years ago in rural America, but has since grown into a large more serious problem.

“The Rise Of American Democracy: Jefferson To Lincoln” By Sean Wilentz, Cedric De Leon

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

North Central Sociological Association Presidential Address: Teaching And Learning And The Culture Of The Regional Association In American Sociology, Jay R. Howard

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

In this essay, I examine the role of teaching and learning in the culture of the regional association in American sociology. I analyze the programs of (1) the 2007 joint meeting of the North Central Sociological Association (NCSA) and the Midwest Sociological Society (MSS); (2) the 2007 annual meeting preliminary programs of the Eastern Sociological Society (ESS), the Pacific Sociological Association (PSA), and the Southern Sociological Society (SSS) along with the 2006 annual meeting programs of the MSS and NCSA, as well as the American Sociological Association (ASA); and (3) the 1991 NCSA and 1992 ASA annual meeting programs. I …

Play And Technology For Children Aged 4-12, Stella Downey, Noirin Hayes, Brian O'Neill

Reports

Research study commissioned by the Office of the Minister for Children, Government of Ireland, 2007.