Sociology of Culture Commons^™

The Splintered Art World Of Contemporary Christian Music, Jay R. Howard, John M. Streck

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

...More than twenty years after CCM was begun, the Evangelical world still does not entirely trust rock music - Christian or otherwise - and in the context of this controversy CCM was born, has taken shape, and continues to evolve (Cusic 1990, p. 197). Consequently, out of the necessity to respond to the suspicions of the church (as well as the pressures of the rock music industry), the CCM art world has been forced to develop rationales for the acceptance of the rock idiom as a means for communicating a Christian message. While young fans have had to find rationales …

Popular Music And A Sense Of Place In Singapore, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper illustrates how popular music written, produced, and performed by Singaporeans provides a means through which the culture and society of Singapore may be understood. Music with English language text conveys a sense of place and reflects a distinctively Singaporean spirit and identity. The paper examines four themes: the portrayal of Singapore's multiracial population which reflects a unique cultural synthesis; the Singaporeans' concept of urbanity, manifested as the simultaneous attraction and repulsion towards the city and the desire for nature and the rustic; the distinctive social engineering in Singapore; and the way in which global issues are imported into …

Making "Music At The Margins"? A Social And Cultural Analysis Of Xinyao In Singapore, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Formalist critics and aestheticians have argued that music does not possess any kind of "extra-musical" significance, that there is no meaning beyond the form and structural relations of the notes. For them, music exemplifies the laws of mathematical harmony and proportion rather than the social and political contexts within which it is produced, reproduced and consumed. This view has been challenged by a number of social theorists: Max Weber, Theodor Adorno and Edward Said have all argued for an understanding of music within its social, cultural, economic and political contexts. Such analysis of popular music is now unquestioned. Indeed, it …

Planning In A Multicultural Society: Building Bridges And Beyond, Nazmul Alam, Theodis Perry Jr.

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

This handbook was designed and developed within the scope of our Planning Workshop class. The Planning Workshop class, a two-term sequence course, consists of second-year graduate students in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program (MURP) at Portland State University. Students are required to do a group project which addresses a current planning problem or issue in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.

This handbook represents our investigation of educational and training strategies for individuals in the field of urban and regional planning on possible ways to operate effectively in a racially and culturally diverse community and workplace. It is …

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 …

Serial Killer Pedagogy, Peter Mclaren

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"I will not mince my words. We live at a precarious moment in history. Relations of subjection, suffering, dispossession, and contempt for human dignity and the sanctity of life are at the center of social existence. Emotional dislocation, moral sickness and individual helplessness remain a ubiquitous feature of our time. Our much heralded form of democracy has become, unbeknownst to many Americans, subverted by its contradictory relationship to the very object of it address; human freedom, social justice, and a tolerance and respect for difference. In the current historical juncture, discourses of democracy continue to masquerade as disinterested solicitations, and …

Music And Cultural Politics: Ideology And Resistance In Singapore, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper focuses on popular music written and produced by Singaporeans to illustrate the nature of social relationships based on ideological hegemony and resistance. Analysis is based on two groups of music: 'national' songs supported by the government in the 'Sing Singapore' programme; and songs brought together in Not the Singapore song book. Interviews with local lyricists and analysis of video productions provide supplementary information. Music is used by the ruling elite to perpetuate certain ideologies aimed at political socialization and to inculcate a civil religion that directs favour and fervour towards the nation. Music is also a form of …

Social Change And Attitudes Of Educated Elite Toward The Role Of Women In Qatari Society, Jassim Al-Nassr

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes of educated elite toward \ the role of women in Qatari society. Attitudes were viewed as reactionary, traditional, and liberal.

A questionnaire technique was used to gather data for this study. Five hundred eighty-two questionnaires Were distributed at eighteen Qatari ministries and official establishments. The response rate was 62.37%.

The six hypotheses tested in the study examined the relationships between the independent variables of gender, level of education, major and place of study, religious commitment, and job status, and the dependent variable of attitudes of Qatari educated elite toward the role …

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 …

Elderly Hispanics In The United States: Their Use And Non-Use Of Social Services, Paulina X. Ruf

Masters Theses

The Commonwealth Fund Commission on Elderly people Living Alone (1988), conducted the National Survey of Hispanic Elderly, 1988. Using data from this survey, the present descriptive work, examines the use and non-use of selected social services by general demographic characteristics of the elderly Hispanic sample. In addition, general characteristics of this sample are discussed. A summary of the findings and recommendations for future research conclude this thesis.

The findings indicate that although the elderly Hispanics in the United States reported needing the selected social services used in this thesis, many of them reported not using these services. Additionally, as the …

The Social Construction Of Emotions: New Directions From Culture Theory, E. Doyle Mccarthy

Sociology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

National Identities Confronting European Integration, Antonio V. Menéndez Alarcón

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

This article examines the relationships between cultural identification and the process of European integration. Specifically, it describes and analyzes 1) people's cultural attachments to Europe as a common social organization and 2) the connection between people's perception of European integration and the defense of a national cultural identity

Vilifying The Enemy: The Christian Right And The Novels Of Frank Peretti, Jay R. Howard

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Peretti's novels provide a clear statement of the worldview of conservative Christians who hold the Bible to be literally true and without error. Not only is the reader presented with doctrinal positions, but the implications of those positions for life in modern society are spelled out as well. In this essay, I analyze Peretti's views of the modern world, its heroes and villains, and argue they are representative of the views of the New Christian Right (Liebman and Wuthnow) in the late 1980s and the 1990s.

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

Book Review, Suzanne B. Watson

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of the book: HELENA SZEJNWALD BROWN, ET AL., CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTALISM IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY: SOCIETAL VALUES IN INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER. (Quorum Books 1993) [264 pp.] Acknowledgments, bibliography, figures, index, tables. LC 92- 19851; ISBN: 0-89930-802-3. [$49.95. P.O. Box 5007, Westport CT 06881.]

Sericulture, Silk And South Union Shakers, Donna C. Parker, Jonathan J. Jeffrey

SCL Faculty and Staff Publications

Kentucky Shakers were particularly adept at the process of producing silk. Kentucky's temperate climate was conducive to mulberry tree cultivation and sericulture, the raising of silkworms. South Union Sisters hatched and grew silkworms to harvest the delicate silk fibers they used in the manufacture of kerchiefs, neckwear, hat bands, bonnets, and sewing silk. Occasionally entire garments such as dresses were made from the luxurious silk.

Decade Of Denial: Teens And Aids In America, U.S. House Select Committee On Children, Youth And Families

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Based on hearings, current research, and interviews with experts, including researchers, medical and service providers, AIDS educators, and youth who have been touched by the epidemic, this Select Committee report assesses the impact of the HIV epidemic on youth and identifies strategies policymakers and program planners might consider

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 …

Study On Street Children In Four Selected Towns In Ethiopia, Kevin Lalor, Angela Veale, Azeb Adefrisew, Unicef, University College Cork

Reports

The child is the most precious asset and the focal point of development for any country. However, unless children are brought up in a stimulating and conducive environment getting the best possible care and protection, their physical, mental, emotional and social development is susceptible to permanent damage. Ethiopia, being one of the least developed countries of the world due to interrelated and complex socio-economic factors including man-made and natural calamities, a large portion of our population - especially children - are victimized by social evils like famine, disease, poverty, mass displacement, lack of education and family instability. Owing to the …

Critical Theory And The Pragmatist Challenge, Dmitri N. Shalin

Sociology Faculty Research

Habermas's theory breaks with the Continental tradition that has denigrated pragmatism as an Anglo-Saxon philosophy subservient to technocratic capitalism. While Habermas deftly uses pragmatist insights into communicative rationality and democratic ethos, he shows little sensitivity to other facets of pragmatism. This article argues that incorporating the pragmatist perspective on experience and indeterminacy brings a corrective to the emancipatory agenda championed by critical theorists. The pragmatist alternative to the theory of communicative action is presented, with the discussion centering around the following themes: disembodied reason versus embodied reasonableness, determinate being versus indeterminate reality, discursive truth versus pragmatic certainty, rational consensus versus …

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 …

(Review) Hierarchy And Trust In Modern Mexico And Brazil, Robert Gay

Sociology Faculty Publications

Reviews the book "Hierarchy and Trust in Modern Mexico and Brazil," by Luis Roniger.

Genocide In Our Time : An Annotated Bibliography With Analytical Introductions, Michael N. Dobkowski, Isidor Wallimann, Alison Palmer, Alan Rosenberg, Evelyn Silverman, Sidney M. Bolkosky, Agi Rubin, Rouben Adalian, Lyman H. Legters, Eric Markusen, Israel W. Charny

Books

Genocide is a modern term whereby groups of people are killed on the basis of their religion, race, ethnicity, or nationality. This book suggest that modernity and the tremendous social differentiation that is a part of our modern world may, in part, be to blame. The authors examine textbook 20^th century horrors: from the massacre of the Armenians, to the planned famine in the Ukraine, to the Holocaust, and links of modern warfare to genocide. By studying cases of genocide, the authors hope to inform and connect to all other efforts to understand and to prevent the mass destruction …

Contemporary Christian Music: Where Rock Meets Religion, Jay R. Howard

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

...In the midst of this controversial relationship between rock music and religious messages, and as a response to a feeling of being "locked out" of the secular music industry, there has been a burgeoning Christian recording industry using rock music, known as Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). CCM involves the pairing of a Gospel message or Christian worldview with popular forms of rock music...

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 …

The Social Construction Of A Rape Victim: Stories Of African-American Males About The Rape Of Desiree Washington, Kevin D. Brown

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Commentary: Honor And Martialism In The U.S. South And Prussian East Elbia During The Mid-Nineteenth Century, Edward L. Ayers

History Faculty Publications

A commentary of Shearer Davis Bowman's essay on Honor and Martialism in the U.S. and Prussian East Elbia during the Mid-Nineteenth Century.

"Without a second and unarmed, I have no inclination to offer a fundamental challenge to Professor Bowman's argument or his character. In fact, he has served us well by focusing on honor, martialism, and dueling as indices of comparison between the antebellum planters and the pre-1848 Junkers. I would like to build on the wealth of detail he has provided to help clarify the larger comparison between the South and Prussia."

Variation Procedures In Northern Ewe Song, V. Kofi Agawu

Publications and Research

The major organizational principle of Northern Ewe song is one shared by numerous African, Oriental, and European musical traditions: a small number of models (variously described as "basic shapes," "archetypes," "background structures," "basic designs," "core patterns," "deep structures") is transformed in a wide variety of ways during performance. Variation takes place on different hierarchic levels both within and between songs and includes practically all of a song's dimensions (rhythm, interval, register, contour, harmony, and so on). This principle, although widely demonstrated in the literature on African song (see, among others, Jones 1976; Kauffman 1984; Schmidt 1984; and Erlmann 1985), is …