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Work And Family Variables As Related To Paternal Engagement, Responsibility, And Accessibility In Dual-Earner Couples With Young Children, Suzanne M. Nangle, Michelle L. Kelley, William Fals-Stewart, Ronald F. Levant

Psychology Faculty Publications

Fathers and mothers (N = 75 dual-earner couples) of preschool-aged children completed questionnaires that examined work and family variables as related to paternal involvement in three areas: engagement (i.e., directly interacting with the child), responsibility (i.e., scheduling activities and being accountable for the child's well-being), and accessibility (i.e., being available to the child but not in direct interaction). Fathers' reports of responsibility and accessibility were significantly predicted by structural variables and beliefs; however, fathers' reports of engagement were not predicted by work and family variables. Mothers' reports of work and family variables did not predict their reports of father involvement. …

Spaces Of Motherhood, Deirdre Conlon, Marcus Carvalho

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

In this paper our aim is to critically evaluate motherhood, as a social production that is deeply imbricated with the ideologies of patriarchy, technology and capitalism. We ground our analysis in Henri Lefebvre's (1994) theory on the social production of space and Barbara Katz-Rothman's (2000) examination of motherhood as it is constituted through ideology. Further, we draw on Smith's (1997) observation that it is possible to examine the production of space and materialization of capitalism at different scales; in this paper we focus specifically on the scale of the body and of the house in order to consider …

Time-Based Work-Family Conflict: Myth Or Reality?, Karyn H. Bernas

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined a time-based model of work-family conflict for a sample of 176 working women with childcare responsibilities. Building on the work of Edwards and Rothbard (2000) and role theory, a model was proposed to test the specific variables that define time-based work-family conflict. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the proposed hypotheses. Contrary to assumptions about time-based conflict, the results suggest that role time has a very limited impact on work-family conflict. Variables that were related to role performance and satisfaction included traditional gender role expectations, family involvement, family instrumental support, leader-member exchange, role overload, and …

Invisible Men In Family Planning: Determinants Of Men's Unmet Need In Bangladesh, Mahmuda Khatun

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The prevalence of unmet need for family planning is a primary justification for family planning programs, but the prevalence of men's unmet need for family planning and causes of unmet need have not been much explored. This study introduces the concept of men's unmet need for family planning. Using the data from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey of 1996-97, this study examined the effect of some important correlates (age, socio-economic status, availability of the family planning services, and knowledge about contraceptive methods) on the unmet need for family planning. This study was designed to address the research questions: Do individual …

Effects Of Gender Role Socialization And Investments In Human Capital On The Decision Of A Woman With Children Under School Age To Work Outside The Home, Marion A. Edrington

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The decision of whether or not to work while one's children are under school age is one that is faced by millions of women each year. Using data from the General Social Survey, this study was designed to address the research question: What are the factors that influence the decision of a woman with children under school age to work outside the home full-time, part-time or not at all? The specific effects of gender role socialization and investments in human capital were explored in depth. This study found that both gender role socialization and investments in human capital do have …

Perceptions Of Childhood Relation With Parents Related To Current Functioning, Peter O. Lielbriedis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships between perceptions of childhood relationships with parents, certain current self-conscious emotions, current religious orientation, and current risk-taking behaviors. The study also sought to develop models that would predict risk-taking behavior based on the other variables.

At an eastern university, 174 students (79 males) completed the Test of Self-Conscious Affect, Religious Life Inventory, Clark-Parent Child Relations Questionnaire, and the Past Frequency scale of the Cognitive Appraisal of Risky Events Questionnaire. Of these, 30 students were solicited from on-campus, religious organizations.

The data did not show an inverse relationship between “positive parenting” and shame proneness or risk-taking …

Television, Low Self-Control, And Deviance: Examining Basic Elements Of Gottfredson And Hirschi's General Theory Of Crime, Moises O. Mina Jr.

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

In a secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), this study examines the basic concepts of Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory of crime. A set of variables measured at ages 6-9 was used to operationally define the concepts of self-control, parenting, and deviance. The study tests for empirical associations between self-control, deviance, and parenting. Also, television viewing is introduced as a possible cause of low self-control. Age, race, and gender are included as statistical controls. Models of self-control and deviance were developed to analyze these relationships. Results found qualified support for the existence of significant …

The Effects Of Group Counseling On The Self-Esteem, Anxiety, And Behavior Of Children With Deployed Parents, Nancy Taylor Mitchum

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a six-session group counseling intervention for children who had a parent experiencing military-induced deployment. Participants were 65 children (30 boys, 35 girls) of enlisted military personnel attending elementary schools near the Norfolk Naval Base. Elementary school counselors facilitated the counseling groups.

An experimental/control group pretest-posttest design was employed. Independent variables were the child's participation in the Children of Deployed Parents-Group/control group, child gender and age. Dependent variables were self-esteem, anxiety, and behavior as measured by the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), the Child …

A Study Of The Knowledge And Attitudes Of Physicians Toward Victims Of Spouse Abuse, Ramani N. Garimella

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to measure the knowledge and attitudes of physicians toward victims of spouse abuse. All 150 practitioners in the specialities of emergency medicine, family medicine, obstetrics-gynecology and psychiatry, in a large area general hospital are included in the sampling frame; 76 responded (RR = 51%). Knowledge and attitudes were measured using the Physician Survey on Spouse Abuse. Rosenberg's Tripartite Model of Attitude formed the theoretical basis for this study. Participants were 72% male, 90% white, 88% currently married, with a mean age of 44 years (SD = 7.99). Mean years in practice was 14.61 (SD …

Transgenerational Attachment, Life Stress, And The Development Of Disruptive Behavior In Preschool Children, Mary Jane Call

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

While a great deal of research focuses on representations of attachment, behavioral disorders, and life stress separately, research integrating these concepts has just recently begun (DeKlyen, 1996). The current study focuses on the links between transgenerational attachment, life stress, maternal psychopathology, and the development of behavior problems in preschool boys. Participants included 52 mothers of preschool boys (Mean Age = 56 months) who attended private preschool (N = 23) or a Head Start Program (N = 29). Participants completed a battery of assessment instruments including the Attachment Style Inventory (ASI) (Sperling & Berman, 1991), the Q-Set (Waters & Deane, 1985), …

An Evaluation Of An Urban Community College Single Parent And Displaced Homemaker Program, Linda Myers Rice

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of an urban community college Single Parent and Displaced Homemaker program composed primarily of minority women, many of whom were receiving public assistance. The critical dimension of mattering (Schlossberg et al., 1989) formed the conceptual framework for the evaluation.

Program effectiveness, impacts, efficiency and participant needs were assessed. The primary methodology was survey research. A descriptive and a causal comparative study were conducted to determine if there were significant differences in the number of semesters completed and the number of credits taken by program participants when compared to students …

A Study Of Child Abuse: Race Gender And Family Structure, Linda Wyatt Faircloth

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Using 1989-1994 data collected from the Portsmouth Department of Social Services in Portsmouth, Virginia, this study looked at severity and recidivism of child abuse in Portsmouth from 1989-1994. Analyses of data from the Portsmouth Department of Social Services indicated that children living in single parent families are more likely to be severely abused than children living in two parent families but no differences were observed for race and age.

Men Who Batter: Personality Variables, Relationship Variables, And Treatment Outcome, Lisa M. Petrica

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between the personality characteristics of male batterers and treatment outcome. It also examined a pattern of communication found in violent couples where the male pursues the female and the female withdraws in an argument. The study also compared alcohol use with treatment outcome.

Twenty-one men who attended a group psychoeducational treatment program for batterers completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). The men were divided into three groups based on their scores: non-pathological (normal profile), narcissistic/antisocial (elevated psychopathic deviate scale), and severely disordered (elevations on several scales). Pre and post-test measures were completed: Dyadic Adjustment …

The Influence Of An Early Childhood Program On The Academic Achievement, Attendance, And Attitudes Of Urban At-Risk Students, Daisy Mccray Murphy

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of an early childhood preschool program on the achievement, attendance, and attitudes of at-risk students in an urban Southeastern school division in Virginia. The study compared two groups of Title I eligible four-year-olds, those who participated (n = 88) and those who did not non-participate (n = 54), in a preschool program. A review of the literature revealed that early intervention efforts have addressed the school success dilemma for at-risk students with varying degrees of effectiveness. Increased attention toward the implementation of developmentally appropriate learning environments have afforded at-risk students …

A Discovery-Oriented Process Study Of Enactment In Family Therapy: Development Of The Family Therapy Enactment Rating Scale, Elizabeth Ong-Mythuan Fong

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

With the effectiveness of psychotherapy now well-supported in both the individual and family literatures (Garfield & Bergin, 1994), we are entering an era where questions of how and why therapy works are of interest. More specifically, there has been support and encouragement by some researchers (Rice & Greenberg, 1984; Mahrer, 1988) for the use of discovery-oriented methodologies to explore clinical phenomena that have yet to be empirically validated. The following is a discovery-oriented study of enactment, a structural family therapy intervention. The theoretical goals of enactments, their relevance to clinical practice, as well as how they are actually implemented in …

Grandparents Today: A Demographic Profile, Maximiliane E. Szinovacz

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This article presents a demographic profile of grandparents, using the National Survey of Families and Households. Specific dimensions of grandparenthood addressed include grandparents' survival, the timing of grandparenthood, grandparents' involvement in other roles, surrogate parenting, and stepgrandparents. The data indicate considerable heterogeneity among grandparents of different genders and races or ethnicities. They also suggest modifications in previous descriptions of modern grandparenthood.

Differences In Married Versus Maritally Disrupted Children's Frequency Of Contact With Their Mothers, Sonya Dee Thompson

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the effects of children's marital status on the frequency of contact they have with their mothers. As American society ages and marital disruption remains high, it is important to determine if there are differences in the relationships adult children have with their aging parents. A secondary analysis was conducted on data collected in 1986 for the General Social Survey. Two hypotheses were created from theory:

(1) From dependency and obligation theories, it was predicted that maritally disrupted adult children would report having greater contact with their mothers than married adult children.

(2) From status and resource adjustment …

A Case Study Of The Perceptions Of Character Education In A Large Urban Community, Suzanne G. Houff

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This case study seeks to provide insight into the community perception of character education in a large urban area that does not currently implement an explicit program in moral values. The community is established through adolescents in middle school, parents of the adolescents, school counselors and community members. Informants are selected in an attempt to ensure a diverse cross section of the middle school communities.

Perceptions of character education are established through the process of interviews and a card sort involving a total N of 72 stakeholders. Each respondent is asked to provide definitions, synonyms and/or examples of a given …

A Model Of Paternal Involvement In Child Care And Household Labor, Jennifer Fancher Bonney

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The current study was designed to test a model predicting fathers' involvement in child care and household labor. Participants were 120 couples of 1-to-4 year old children. The participants were recruited from 12 local daycares. Mothers and fathers independently completed a measure assessing participation in child care and household labor; the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (Schumm et al., 1986); the Male Role. Norms Inventory (Levant et al., 1992); a measure assessing beliefs about the parental role (Bonney & Kelley, 1996); and a demographic questionnaire. The LISREL approach to data analysis was employed. The findings indicate that the following constructs work …

Virginia's Eastern Shore High School Students: Factors That May Impact Their Educational Aspirations, Valdimir Demont Handy

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Using 1995 Survey data collected from high school students on Virginia's Eastern Shore, this thesis investigated whether or not self-esteem and perceived parental expectations play a role in the educational aspirations of rural high school students. Results demonstrated that self-esteem and perceived parental expectations are both positively related to students' educational aspirations. Caucasians and females were found to have higher educational aspirations than their counterparts. Results also indicated that the relationship between self-esteem, perceived parental expectations, and students' educational aspirations does not vary significantly across ethnicity or gender in this rural population. The information from this study, coupled with previous …

The Effects Of Race And Socioeconomic Status On The Acceptance Of Biracial Individuals, Erika Lela Gilyot

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study investigated the effects of race and socioeconomic status on the acceptance of biracial individuals having one Black and one White parent. A sample of 153 Black and 114 White college students were divided into high- and low-socioeconomic status based on demographic information. Acceptance of biracial individuals was measured by 2 modified versions of the Social Distance Scale (SDS1 and SDS2) developed by Bogardus (1928), a shortened version of the Scale To Measure Attitudes Toward Defined Groups (AS) developed by Grice (1934), and a measure of Perceived Commonality (PC) developed by Feather (1980). The Marlowe-Crowne (1960) Social Desirability …

Causal Models Of Work-Family Conflict From Family And Organizational Perspectives, Lyse Guttau Wells

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

More women are entering the workforce and the number of dual career couples has increased and will probably continue to do so. As women's tasks and responsibilities outside of the home have increased, those within the home have not diminished resulting in higher work-family conflict (Greenglass, Pantony, & Burke, 1988). This research examined a woman's work-family conflict from both work and family perspectives. Two models were described and tested. One model included individual and family antecedents and consequences of work-family conflict. The antecedents included sex-role attitudes, role salience, and perfectionism in the wife. The consequences were quality of family life …

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 …

Views Of Feminist Family Therapy: A Q-Methodological Inquiry, Bronwen Cheek

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The feminist critique of family therapy has had a growing impact on theory and practice for almost two decades (Hare-Mustin, 1978; Bograd, 1990). Writings on feminist family therapy (FFT) reveal both common and diverse opinions about what FFT is. The present study examined how views of FFT are segmented using Q-methodology (Stephenson, 1953; Brown, 1980; McKeown & Thomas, 1988), a small-sample empirical technique for identifying emergent viewpoints and studying their similarities and differences. A Q-sort instrument of 60 statements was constructed to sample diverse discourse on FFT. Magraw's (1992) interviews with leading experts in FFT served as a primary source …

The Association Between Perceived Family Support And Psychological Well-Being In Infertile Couples, Linda Marquardt Mintle

Health Services Research Dissertations

A correlational research design utilizing a cross-sectional survey methodology was used to investigate the association between perceived family support and psychological well-being in infertile couples. Family stress theory and the construct of boundary ambiguity were conceptual frameworks applied to the developmental family life cycle. Respondents were 35 married infertile couples with primary infertility recruited from a private For-profit infertility clinic located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Responses on the Moos and Moos (1984) Family Environment Scale and from the SCL-90-R developed by Derogatis (1977) measured perceived family support and psychological distress respectively. Major findings indicated that infertile couples rated their families …

A Comparative Study Of Victimization Experiences And Family Dynamics Of Adolescent Sexual Offenders And Nonsexual Offending Delinquents, Alicia Ann Chavis

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Research has directed little attention toward understanding and dealing with the adolescent sexual offender. In an effort to understand what makes adolescent sexual offenders different from other delinquents. I will examine the victimization experiences (sexual abuse and physical abuse) and the family dynamics (family violence, family incarceration and family structure) of both adolescent sexual offenders and nonsexual offenders. The research question is: what factors contribute to each group of delinquency the most? Although all of the factors influence delinquency, victimization is expected to be the most influential. This study utilized data from The Survey of Youth in Custody, 1987; a …

The Adversarial And Mediation Processes: An Exploration Of Outcomes In Child Custody Disputes, Cheryl Barakey

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts have seen increases in child custody disputes. This increase has caused many jurisdictions to seek alternatives to the traditional adversarial process. Mediation has attracted the most attention. Several jurisdictions such as Norfolk, Virginia, the one used in this study, now refer parents to mediation before the court will hear the case.

Unlike previous studies where divorce mediation was researched with child custody being one of the factors, this study examines the differences in the outcomes of the mediation and litigation processes used to solve only child custody disputes. The outcomes examined …

Correlates Of Disciplinary Practices In Working- To Middle-Class African-American Mothers, Michelle L. Kelley, Janis Sanchez-Hucles, Regina R. Walker

Psychology Faculty Publications

The disciplinary practices of 52 working- to middle-income African-American mothers were coded to assess the degree to which the mother took a parent-oriented versus a child-oriented approach across various aspects of discipline. Factors associated with physical punishment included maternal education and maternal age. The use of social/material control practices were associated with maternal age, father presence, and concerns about child victimization. Only maternal education was associated with restrictive discipline. Fear of child victimization independently predicted the use of material/social consequences. Findings are discussed in terms of the factors contributing to these individual differences, and the adaptiveness of these practices for …

Norfolk Resource Mothers Program Evaluation, Margaret Moore Konefal

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study uses the post-test only design to assess the preliminary effects of a community-based policy initiative, the Norfolk State University Resource Mothers Program (RMP), on the gestational ages, birth weights, and survival rates of infants born to participating adolescent mothers.

The RMP uses experienced mothers or paraprofessionals similar in race and socio-economic status to the participating teenagers. These persons are trained to assist pregnant adolescents and teen parents with nonmedical dimensions of pregnancy and child care. They recruit teens into the RMP, encouraging them to get early prenatal care. Resource Mothers provide teen mothers and their families with practical …

Characteristics Of Families And Home Environments That Facilitate The Successful Adaptation Of Children Into A Formal School Environment, Janice Elich Monroe

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to determine what characteristics of families are most likely to enhance the development of social capital in young urban school children and to determine which of these characteristics or combination of characteristics contribute to a child's ability to adapt positively to a formal school environment. This purpose was accomplished through the design and implementation of an ex post facto study utilizing qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The sample for this study included 33 second grade students from four target schools in the Norfolk Public School System who were identified as disadvantaged and as either …