Community-Based Research Commons^™

2011 Life In Hampton Roads Survey Results*, Social Science Research Center, Old Dominion University

Life in Hampton Roads Survey Report

No abstract provided.

Collective Efficacy And Intimate Partner Violence: Community Context, Catherine B. Cowling

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Intimate partner violence is a very serious issue in the United States. In spite of improvements, there is still much work to be done. Policies focusing on formal controls such as arrest, orders of protection, and prosecution have questionable potential. However, collective efficacy and the examination of community context have much to offer the field of intimate partner violence. Collective efficacy, comprised of social cohesion, social capital, and informal social control, may be more effective in reducing intimate partner violence than use of traditional formal social controls alone. These community context variables may also be of great assistance in improving …

Domestic Violence And Recidivism: Does Stake In Conformity Matter?, Sara R. Olson

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Domestic violence is a pervasive problem throughout society and has been in existence since the beginning of interpersonal relationships. There have been changes in how the academic community, law enforcement, and the general public respond to this problem in the last thirty years. Punishments have become more punitive and mandatory arrest policies have been instituted. Mandatory arrest for domestic violence batterers has increased the number of batterers that are involved with the criminal justice system. In response to this increase, diversion to batterer treatment and other community based programs has taken the place of jail time for many offenders. This …

How Is Life In Hampton Roads?, Social Science Research Center, Old Dominion University

Life in Hampton Roads Survey Report

[Introductory paragraph]

The Social Science and Research Center (SSRC) at Old Dominion University recently conducted a Life in Hampton Roads telephone survey with the purpose of gauging the relative satisfaction regarding life in Hampton Roads. Additional goals of the survey were to determine the attitudes and perceptions of citizens regarding local issues, economics, government, as well as other key issues. In order to generate questions for the Life in Hampton Roads (LIHR) survey, Dr. Xiushi Yang, Director of the SSRC sent a University-wide email to invite faculty to submit questions of interest to them for the survey. This would allow …

The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2009, James V. Koch, Vinod Agarwal, John R. Broderick, Grace Chen, Chris Colburn, Vicky Curtis, Steve Daniel, Larry "Chip" Filer, Adrian Gheorghe, Susan Hughes, Elizabeth Janik, Yingxue Li, Feng Lian, Sharon Lomax, Linda Mcgreevy, Janet Molinaro, Jason Phenicie, Ken Plum, Gilbert Yochum

Economics Faculty Books

This is Old Dominion University's 10th annual State of the Region report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion or it's president, John R. Broderick. The report maintains the goal of stimulating thought and discussion that ultimately will make Hampton Roads an even better place to live. We are proud of our region's many successes, but realize that it is possible to improve our performance. In order to do so, we must have accurate information about "where we are" and a …

Sources Of Informal Social Control And The Relationship To Victimization In Southeastern Virginia, Jennifer R. Jones

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The link between community characteristics and crime has been at the forefront of criminological research for some time. Social disorganization theory focuses on the relationship between structural characteristics of communities and crime. Recent examination of the social disorganization perspective has emphasized the role of informal social control as mediating the effects of structural characteristics on victimization. In this study, contemporary social disorganization theory was tested using data from the U.S. Census Bureau: Census Tract Fact Finder (2000) and the Southeastern Virginia Community Survey (2008). This research addressed three central research questions: Is there a relationship between structural characteristics (i.e., poverty, …

The Effects Of Collective Efficacy And Dissatisfaction With Law Enforcement On Neighborhood Crime Rates, Kelly E. Cobb

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the effects of collective efficacy and dissatisfaction with law enforcement on neighborhood crime rates. A data set was obtained from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research titled, Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods: Community Survey 1994-1995 (PHDCN). This is one of the only studies which ask specific questions concerning collective efficacy and dissatisfaction with law enforcement, accompanied with a large, diverse sample. This research is important because it looks at two concepts, collective efficacy and dissatisfaction with law enforcement and their combined effect on neighborhood crime rates; violent …

Realistic Possibilities Of Passing Interest [Photo Essay], Nancy Viva Davis Halifax, Fred Yurichuk

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

This reflection on a series of photographs from the exhibition URGENT gathered by members from "A day in the life photography and story collective" begins to examine the way social structures are implicated in the lives of those who are living in poverty and how their lives can be rendered visible. Through our work in communities with people who are experiencing homelessness and insecure housing we consider the role of photography in picturing and subjecting communities to a gaze that has the potential to be empathic and engaged or uncaring and disengaged.

Testing Social Disorganization As It Pertains To Prostitution, Wynter Leighanne Edwards

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The impact of crime on the community has gained notoriety within the sociological field over the last twenty years. With growing citizen concern it is important to understand the impact of crimes rates on communities. Social disorganization theory focuses on the relationship between crime and the community, however, little research has been done on social disorganization theory as it relates to victimless crimes such as prostitution. It is important to understand how variables derived from social disorganization theory explain levels of prostitution across neighborhoods. This is important because victimless crimes such as prostitution often act as precursors to greater crime …

Citizen's Satisfaction With The Police, Kim Barshanet Baskerville

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research project is to examine three competing models of citizen satisfaction with the police: 1) citizen characteristics, 2) citizen experience with the police, and 3) citizen quality of life issues. Data were taken from Criminal Victimization and Perceptions of Community Safety in 12 Cities, 1998. The relationship between citizen satisfaction and the three models were tested by examining different types of contact between police and citizens, race, age, gender, and quality of life, which was measured by satisfaction with neighborhood and satisfaction with city. In addition, an item labeled disorder, which takes into consideration acts of …

Social Disorganization And The Ability And Willingness To Enact Control: A Preliminary Test, Ruth A. Triplett, Ivan Y. Sun, Randy R. Gainey

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Dominant models in the social disorganization literature differentially focus on the ability of neighborhoods to enact social control and the willingness to do so. Despite the interest in both concepts, often no clear definition of either is provided, and there is little discussion of their relationship or how they interact to affect neighborhood crime rates. This paper begins to explore the relationship between ability and willingness to enact social control. The findings suggest that, for formal control, ability and willingness are closely related. Furthermore, at the aggregate level, concentrated disadvantage combined with perceived inability has a strong impact on neighborhood …

Social Disorganization Theory: Examining The Mediating Effects Of Social Ties And Disorder On Crime, Matasha L. Harris

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Using study data collected for a larger research project entitled Project on Policing Neighborhoods in Indianapolis, Indiana, 1996, the relationship between social ties and disorder on neighborhood structural characteristics and crime rates was tested. Using two Structural Equation Models the mediating effects of social ties and disorder on neighborhood structural characteristics and crime received partial support from the analysis of Indianapolis data.

The results revealed that poverty and family disruption exerts a positive impact on crime rates. The results also revealed that neighborhoods with high levels of racial heterogeneity have a negative effect on social ties. As well, the study …

Population Mobility High-Risk Environments And The Diffusion Of Hiv/Stds: A Community Based Study In Southwest China, Hongyun Fu

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Globally, population migration has been associated with the spread ofHIV/STDs in many countries. A similar trend has been observed in China from the very beginning of the HIV epidemic, but empirical research is very limited. Furthermore, the previous studies mainly focused on the micro impact of migration on individual migrant's risky behaviors. The impact of population mobility on the general population, especially on non-migrant residents, has been ignored. Using data collected from a specially designed community level survey, which was conducted in a province in the Southwest of China, this study examines the macro-level association between temporary migration and the …

Cabbagetown: (Re) Placing Identity, Jeremy W. Crampton

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

Cabbagetown is one of Atlanta's oldest industrial settlements, built for employees of the South's first cotton processing mill in 1881 during the heyday of southeastern textile mills. Today its identity and sense of place is highly contested. Originally a white working class community oriented around the mill, today it is undergoing gentrification -- the mill has been converted into gated lofts, and there are few long-term residents still left. Remarkably, the neighborhood is still distinct and unusual. It's almost as if a sense of history has settled into the neighborhood's bones and imbued its new residents with a …

The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2001, James V. Koch, Vinod Agarwal, Rob Baade, John R. Broderick, Michael Clemons, Steve Daniel, Jeffrey Harlow, Wil King, Sharon Lomax, Deborah L. Miller, Jim Oliver, Ken Plum, Wayne Talley, Gilbert Yochum

Economics Faculty Books

This is Old Dominion University's second annual "State of the Region" Report. While it represents the work of many individuals connected in various ways to the university, the Report does not constitute an "official" viewpoint of the University, or it's president, Dr. Roseann Runte.

This year's Report was produced with the goal of making Hampton Roads an even better place to live. Those who know and love the region of Hampton Roads frequently boast of its numerous strengths and successes, but we do so with the understanding that it would be possible for us to improve the region's performance in …

The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2000, James V. Koch, Aditi Agarwal, Vinod Agarwal, Rebecca Bowers, Steve Daniel, Michele Darby, John Gawne, Beth Herders, Jeffrey Harlow, Tatiana Isakovski, Sharon Lomax, Helen Madden, Stephen Medvic, Deborah L. Miller, Wayne Talley, Gilbert Yochum

Economics Faculty Books

Those who know and love the region of Hampton Roads wish to make it an even better place to live than it is currently. In order for us to achieve that end, we must know literally "where we are" in critical areas. This first "State of the Region" Report is designed to provide citizens with a detailed, though not burdensome, look at several critical aspects of the lives we live in Hampton Roads. The Report focuses on topics such as the regional economy (including the tourist and military sectors), the workforce, K-12 education, technology, and of course, government and regional …

A Study Of Community Satisfaction, Environmental Concern, And Attitudes Toward Development On Virginia's Eastern Shore, Tasha M. Brown

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study assesses community satisfaction, prodevelopment attitudes, environmental concern and intent to move on Virginia's Eastern Shore, an area that is experiencing population decline, high poverty levels, and competing interests of economic development and environmental concern. Poverty levels on the Eastern Shore differ substantially by race with 35 percent of Blacks compared to 12 percent of Whites living in poverty in 1990. Human capital theory suggests that rural residents, and rural minorities in particular, have lower incomes and more unemployment because they are not increasing their human capital through education and training. A review of previous research led to four …

Assessing Levels Of Cooperation Between Pace And Patrol Officers In The City Of Norfolk Virginia Police Department, Michael G. Goldsmith

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate two facets of the Norfolk Police Department's Police Assisted Community Enforcement, or PACE, program. While there has been much research on how community policing affects officer and citizen attitudes, there has been very little that focuses on organizational aspects of implementing this philosophy. This research uses a survey instrument to examine how Norfolk's structuring of their community policing program may have an impact on the way the officers involved cooperate with one another. Levels of cooperation and training are measured, as well as the effects that years on the department and education …

Fear Of Crime In Rural America: Fear Along Virginia's Eastern Shore, David Steven Simon

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Using 1996 Survey data collected from residents along Virginia's Eastern Shore, this study addresses fear of crime in rural communities. Most prior research has focused on fear of crime in urban communities or has reported a relatively low fear of crime in rural communities. However, some recent analyses have indicated unusually high fear in small towns experiencing rapid population growth and economic changes. Heightened fear of crime has been observed even where there has been no apparent increase in criminal victimization experiences. This study addresses fear of crime and its relation to perceived risk of victimization, density of acquaintanceship, community …

An Evaluation Of The Norfolk Interagency Consortium's Community-Based System Of Care For At-Risk Youth, Melody Bingman Wilt

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The primary purpose of this research was to design and to implement an evaluation model for the Norfolk Interagency Consortium (NIC). The research design employed in this study focused on four areas of investigation: program clarification, processes and activities, outcomes, and cost. The study utilized qualitative and quantitative methods and procedures.

The program clarification stage of the research served as a pre-evaluative phase. An evaluability assessment was incorporated to define and clarify the NIC'S program components and goals, and determine which goals were evaluable. Data regarding the target population also were collected.

The processes and activities investigation used a survey …