Sociology of Culture Commons^™

State Terrorism In The Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Social Constructionism And The Question Of Power, Amani Michael Awwad

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Elites In The Quality Of Life In Kalamazoo And Calhoun Counties, Sam S. King

Dissertations

My research examined the role of elites in the quality of life from 1890 to 1990 in two southwestern Michigan communities: Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties. This research is grounded in three research literatures: community power, elites and quality of life. My approach combined a quantitative analysis of six dimensions of quality of life and an historical analysis using case methods to look at the two communities over a 100 year time span.

My assumption at the beginning of this study was that elites play a major role in the quality of life. My data showed that some elites did have …

Gold-Encrusted Chaos: An Analysis Of Auschwitz Memoirs, Mary D. Lagerwey

Dissertations

One way to better understand the Holocaust is to look closely at several survivors' stories. In my dissertation I closely examine six published memoirs of women and men from one time and place: Auschwitz, 1942-1945. Specifically, I ask three questions:

1. How do Holocaust memoirs relate a universal human story?

2. How are Auschwitz memoirs informed by gender?

3. How do Auschwitz memoirs exemplify a polyphony of voices which engulfs and transcends gender differences?

In exploring the first question, I develop a thesis, that there is a universal story which captures the experiences of Auschwitz survivors' experiences. Next, I develop …

The Occurrence Of Alexithymia In Children And Adolescents With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Michael S. Routh

Graduate Theses

Previous studies of the relationship between alexithymia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have utilized samples of combat veterans with PTSD. However, children and adolescents who have experienced trauma and are diagnosed with PTSD exhibit similar or identical symptomology. The current study examined alexithymia in a sample of children and adolescents diagnosed with PTSD. It was hypothesized that the sample, when compared to non-PTSD and control samples, would reveal a significantly greater severity of alexithymia and PTSD. Although overall results were not consistent with previous research, trends of group means supported a relationship between alexithymia and PTSD. 1

Alaskan Native Suicide, Karl T. Pfeiffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Construction Of The Right To Development: The United Nations, Human Rights, And Economic Development, Nader Izzat Said

Dissertations

The origins of human rights are of interest to social scientists. This study focuses on the construction process of the right to development as related to the UN. The emphasis is on the claims-making processes surrounding the creation of the right to development. To understand these processes, a theoretical framework has been developed. This framework combines interactionism, collective-behavior approaches, a dialectical theory of law-creation, and a capitalist world-economy theory. It is expected that this theoretical framework will explain the specific, organizational, and structural processes that led to the creation of the right to development.

Data for this study came from …

The Attributes Of Leadership In Southern Baptist Churches In West Texas, Tim Winn

Graduate Theses

This study deals with leadership attributes in Southern Baptist churches in West Texas. A review of literature indicated that leadership in the congregations would tend to reflect the perceived purposes of the group, would be elected by the church or arise to counter poor leadership by the elected leader(s), probably be relationship oriented, and that the selection of leaders would be affected by the size of the churches and the length of tenure of the pastors. The study attempted to determine if there were characteristics that set leaders apart from non leaders in the churches. Six variable clusters of characteristics …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of The Collectivism-Individualism Paradigm: The Influence Of Confucian Values On The Conflict-Handling Behavior Of Male Graduate Business Students In Hong Kong And The United States, Randy Ki-Kwan Chiu

Dissertations

Problem. The Collectivism-Individualism literature argues that there is a difference in the way that Americans and the Chinese handle conflict based on differences in culture. It is also speculated that these differences have been influenced by Confucian values. However, these positions have not been conclusively supported by empirical findings.

Method. Both the Chinese Value Survey and Thomas and Kilmann's Management-of-Differences Exercise were administered to 124 U.S. White American graduate business students and 142 Hong Kong Chinese graduate business students. Three null hypotheses were formulated. These hypotheses stated that there is no linear combination of Integration, Human-heartedness, Confucian work dynamism, and …

Community, Violence, And The Nature Of Change: Whitecapping In Sevier County, Tennessee, During The 1890'S, William Joseph Cummings

Masters Theses

During the 1890s, a series of extra-legal and illegal activities known as "whitecapping" occurred in Sevier County, Tennessee. While the early episodes were based on traditional responses to deviant behavior in rural communities, whitecapping reflected the loss of community within the county. This study examines the relationship of whitecapping and community in Sevier County and how it changed during the 1890s. The several, often contradictory, social conditions which affected the life of every Sevier Countian are also examined to show the decline of community consensus during this period. Finally, the events galavanizing public opinion against the whitecaps are analyzed to …

Defining A Social Problem: A Sociohistorical Analysis Of The Antinuclear Weapons Movement, Frances B. Mccrea

Dissertations

This dissertation is a sociohistorical analysis of the anti-nuclear weapons movement in the United States. This work conceptualizes social movements in advanced industrial societies by synthesizing certain aspects of social constructionism, resource mobilization and new class theory. The synthesis argues that progressive social movements are a form of class conflict in which members of the new class challenge the old elite for the control of cultural capital. Such movements are created, in part, by issue entrepreneurs, many of whom are intellectuals. The success or failure of any social movement organization is dependent on its own tactics and strategies, as well …

A Descriptive Study Of The Elements Which Affect Mexican-American Children's Educational Opportunities For Social And Economic Advancement, Linda Flores Quiroz

Graduate Theses

No abstract was provided.

A Cluster Analytic Study In Intercultural Communication Of Rokeach's Intrumental Values Among Lds Returned Missionaries, Lisa Bradford

Theses and Dissertations

Although much has been done in the study of values several important questions relative to the study of values remain. This thesis discusses the questions of what happens to the value systems of those who leave their culture for extended periods of time, do the perceptions of value systems become more accurate after exposure, and how does religiosity affect value systems.

The study was based on the idea that each of the cultures being tested (Latin and United States) had a distinct, general value system which differentiated it from the other and yet unified the individuals within it. In this …

Scientific-Technological Dependency And Uneven Development: The Case Of Iran, Abdullah Mehdipour

Dissertations

With the decline of various forms of military and economic power of the more industrialized countries (MICs) as the primary control structure for maintaining the dominance/dependence relationships with the less industrialized countries (LICs) in the international political and economic system, science and technology has emerged as a significant means for sustaining international status quo.

The problem of the study was stated in two questions. First, why and how Iran (an LIC) became dependent on more industrialized countries' science and technology. Second, what effect(s) did Iran's scientific-technological dependency have on its social structure, and what is the more appropriate strategy for …

The Pilgrimage To Elvis Presley's Graceland: A Study Of The Meanings Of Place, James W. Davidson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Sites become places when people bestow meaning, such as sanctity, upon them. Throughout human history, sacred places have continually emerged within cultural groups. Sacred places commonly focus on heroic figures. A pilgrimage is the visible expression of the sanctity of a place. This thesis examines the motives, meanings and experiences which are associated with the journey to Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion and grave in Memphis, Tennessee.

Data came from questioning 209 people visiting Presley’s home in the summer of 1984, from fan clubs around the world, and from personal interviews with key figures in Memphis. In my analysis of the …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of The Relation Between Degree Of American Acculturation And Androgyny, Chui-Liu Serena Gui

Dissertations

Problem. Research has identified culture as one of the factors which reinforces sex-appropriate behaviors and punishes inappropriate behaviors for each gender. The purpose of this study was to validate the theory that culture is an influencing factor in the development of sex-role acquisition through studying two diversely different cultures.

Method. This study employed the Bem Inventory for the measurement of sex-role typing. There were a total of 374 college-age females from either a Chinese culture or Anglo-American culture who participated in the study.The subjects were divided into five groups according to the degree of American acculturation. Three null hypotheses were …

Effects Of Religious Orientation On Attitudes Toward Death Among Students At Morehead State University, See Hwa Teh

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Social Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Sociology by See Hwa Teh in August of 1982.

The Degree Of Acculturation And Success Patterns In Three Generations Of The Japanese Americans In The Portland Area, Toshimasa Fujii

Dissertations and Theses

Past research shows that Japanese Americans have been successful occupationally, financially and educationally. This thesis examines factors leading to this success. It is generally argued that the greater the congruence between minority and majority value systems, the less likely conflict would be generated in the minority group's acculturation. There appear to be two opposed aspects in the acculturation of the Japanese Americans, relinquishment or retention of traditional Japanese values. Also important is the degree to which Japanese Americans identify themselves as American, or Japanese, or some mixture. This thesis focuses on the following questions: What types of values have been …

Changing Values Among Young Palestinian Middle Class Women From The West Bank, Vivian Edward Khamis

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Reading Problems And Teaching Strategies For Navajo Students, Sarahy Hutchison Almy

Graduate Theses

No abstract is provided.

Selected Variables Related To And Content Dimensions Of The Family Concept Of Seventh-Day Adventist Parents In Costa Rica, Emilio Garcia-Marenko

Dissertations

Problem. This study was concerned with the family concept of Seventh-day Adventist parents in Costa Rica. It was expected that an understanding of such concept would provide useful clues for the development of family life education programs sponsored by the Church.

The purpose was to obtain a description of the family concept of Seventh-day Adventist parents in Costa Rica, by determining: (1) their Real Family Concept, its relationships to several selected variable, and its content dimensions; (2) their Ideal Family Concept, its relationships to several selected variable, and its content dimensions.

Method. One hundred and forty-seven subjects participated in the …

The Mahdiyya Of The Sudan, Zeinab Bashir El-Bakri

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Monopoly Study Of Authority, Micheale Hall Williams

Dissertations and Theses

The Monopoly Study of Authority was an institutional grant project designed to test the variables of authority and protection in a laboratory experiment conducted in the Small Groups Laboratory. Subjects (Ss) were recruited and paid a minimum wage to play Monopoly, while the Experimenter (E) manipulated the relevant variables, observed and video-taped the games.

The hypothesis states that the greater the investment, the more likely will the individual make efforts to protect it. The dimensions of investment were ego involvement (desire to win, competitiveness), and resource commitment (Ss were offered rewards of double-time pay for winning the Monopoly game). Efforts …

The Women's Liberation Movement And Identity Change : An Urban Pilot Study, Molly M. Doeneka

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in Women's Liberation results in identity change in the individual participants. As a pilot study, it examines the characteristic experiences of a study group of twenty-six local participants and compares the effects of their participation with a theoretical model of identity change process proposed by Ward H. Goodenough in Cooperation in Change. According to this model the process of identity change is a consequence of specific kinds of realizations fostered by a series of definable stages which are: 1) achieving a desire for identity change, 2) making a commitment to …

Social Studies In A Second Language, Anita E. Herman

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Mexican-American Children In The Process In Acculturation, Elizabeth Ford Stone O'Neill

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The web of Mexican-American life is complex in its origins, its manifestations, and its degree of identification with or alienation from the dominant culture. A thesis of the length of this one can deal with all this complexity only in a superficial way. However, by a rather narrowly defined examination of a few children certain insights may be gained which could be used as a basis for generalization about other children of similar background, and perhaps even for some tentative generalizations about the problems of the Mexican-American community as a whole.

With this purpose in mind -- to inquire intensively …

A Study Of Moral Development In Mormon Culture, Steve Foster Gilliland

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have indicated that the moral development of the child may follow a "developmental" process. That is, the child progresses through an invariant series of stages, each characterized by certain modes of thought. As the child passes from one stage to another, he integrates the old stage into the new one. Kohlberg proposed a hierarchy of six stages through which the child would progress on his way to moral maturity. His hypothesis has been supported by empirical evidence.

Research findings have indicated that the Mormon culture appeared to be different in values and moral behavior than other United States …

Acculturation Among Mescalero Apache High School Students, Richard B. Scott

Sociology ETDs

This thesis is a comparative study of the effects of the social environments of two types of schools on the acculturation process among Mescalero Apache Indian high school students. The two types of schools were an Indian boarding school, located some distance from the reservation, and integrated public schools, located in small town near the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. The Indian school removes the children from the home environment and its influences but places them where the opportunity for social interaction with members of the "Anglo" society is greater.

English language skill was used not only as an index of …

The Influence Of Max Weber And Emile Durkheim On Current American Sociology, Medard Mitchell

Sociology ETDs

The problem involved in this study is to determine as precisely as possible, through the use of a systematic method, (1) the nature and the influence of [Max] Weber and [Emile] Durkheim on American sociology; (2) the fields of American sociology that have been influenced by these men; (3) and finally, if there is an existent trend toward the greater use and concepts of these two men by American sociologists in recent years.

This work aims at a quantitative definition of the form and nature the influence of Weber and Durkheim takes in American Sociology rather than a qualitative evaluation …

Culture Change As Revealed By A Study Of Relief Clients Of A Suburban New Mexico Community, Gideon Sjoberg

Sociology ETDs

It is the Spanish-American family that this study will attempt to analyze. What changes has the family undergone in New Mexico? What changes have taken place in such phases of family life as mobility, parent-child relationships, adoption practices, family reciprocity, and home ownership?

In order to study this institution, the relief clients of San José, a small Spanish-American suburb of Albuquerque, New Mexico, were chosen as the field for investigation. Case records of the New Mexico Department of Welfare serve as the basis for analysis. Therefore, by way of summary, the problem might be stated as follows: What changes in …

Under The Blazing Sun : A Unit Of Work In Social Studies For The Fourth Grade., Virginia H. Franklyn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.