Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Nonprofit Board Composition And Organizational Effectiveness: A Case Study, Terence Edward Hildebrandt

Theses and Graduate Projects

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Decision-Making By Adolescents In A Community-Based Youth Program, Mary Beran Skjold

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory research compares the decision-making skills between youth board members and youth non-board members within the context of a community-based youth group. The goal was to determine whether youth board members were more advanced in their decision-making skills than youth non-board members and were these skills utilized in other area of life.

The research design is both quantitative and qualitative: the survey had twelve questions and the interview had six open-ended questions. Twenty adolescents answered the written survey and, of these twenty, there were ten adolescents who were interviewed. The survey questions covered the areas of future work, ideology, …

An Exploratory Study Of Violence Intervention Program, Laura Turgeon

Theses and Graduate Projects

Teen violence has become increasingly prevalent. There have been several incidents over the last few years of violence in schools that have received national attention. Shootings by teens in Paducah, Kentucky and Springfeld, Oregon, for example are incidents in which the culmination of many factors comes in to play. There is a concern about dealing with troubleed youth and how to help them deal effectively with anger and violence.

This study evaluated one program that directly addresses the issue of youth violence. The school is located in a metropolitan area and works in collaboration with the county to provide a …

The Parent-School Partnership: Exploring The Role, Needs, And Barriers Of Parent Participation, Bethany J. Jarvis

Theses and Graduate Projects

The research reveals that a positive and active partnership between schools and parents is essential in successful learning and student achievement. Despite the comprehensive research in this area, educational practitioners remain ambivalent about parental involvement in schools, and parent participation is weak in many schools even when parents are invited. An exploratory study which addressed the role, needs, and barriers of parent participation was conducted using surveys to parents who have a child or children enrolled at Cambridge Elementary School. Cambridge Elementary School is located approximately 60 miles north of the Twin Cities Metro Area, and has close to 890 …

The Study Of The Use Of Advance Directives In Minnesota Nursing Homes As Perceived By Social Workers, Denise Sigstad

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study sought to discover the use of advance directives as reported by nursing home social workers. The focus is on residents who are living in nursing homes and are sixty years old or older. One hundred social workers in Minnesota were randomly surveyed on the current rate of advance directive use, barriers to completing the forms, and perceptions from social workers about whether they have or not have adequate knowledge and education to teach about advance directives. A review of the literatiare on advance directives shows the average use is only 5-18% for the elderly population. Survey findings confirm …

Self-Esteem In Adolescence Females: The Athletic Connection, Debra Smith Wagner

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study investigated the self-esteem, feelings, and experiences of five exceptional skill level and five average skill level female adolescent athletes. Although mainly a qualitative study, with emphasis given to in-depth interviews, this research design also used a quantitative instrument in order to record the self-esteem of each subject. Both methods were used to generate themes and analyze concepts relating to the self-esteem and experience of female adolescent athletes. The quantitative instrument revealed that all athletes had self-esteem scores in the average to very high categories. Exceptional skill athletes did have higher mean scores than the regular skill athletes and …

A Century Of Child Placing: 1900-1998, Laurie Boros

Theses and Graduate Projects

The following historical study explored and analyzed the policies in child welfare from 1900-1999 with a special emphasis on the last twenty years. The research attempted to discover common ideologies from the last century and to compare and contrast modern day child welfare practices to the turn of the twentieth century child welfare practices. Using content analysis, this qualitative study examined historical and current documents in search of common factors in the last century in the field of child welfare mid the placing out of children.

The data revealed areas in the field of child welfare that have been present …

Youth In Treatment Foster Care Homes: Outcomes At Discharge, Joey S. Glassman

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory quantitative study examines existing records of 193 youth discharged from treatment foster care homes between January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1997 and whether a correlation exists between the number of youth with mental health issues in a treatment foster care home, and the achievement of positive, non-institutionalized or negative, institutionalized outcomes at discharge. This research was compiled from treatment foster care homes in the Minnesota based Human Service Associates therapeutic foster care agency. According to Public Law 97'272 and social work ethical practice, the child welfare system strives to place children in the least restrictive, nurturing living …

Lesbian Mothers' Interaction With The Lesbian Community, Victoria L. Grimm

Theses and Graduate Projects

Empirical evidence dating back almost 30 years shows no significant differences between children raised by homosexual and heterosexual parents. Now concentration must shift to how lesbian and gay parenting cope and fulfill their parental roles ln the face of multiple discriminations from both the heterosexual and homosexual communities. A format of focus group discussions is a non-threatening method to determine the level of social changes that lesbian mothers experience after children are added to their families. This study concentrates solely on three lesbian mothers. The participants were solicited through newspaper and bulletin board ads and "snowball" sampling. Major themes that …

Policy Analysis Of Wisconsin's Domestic Violence Mandatory Arrest Law, Holly C. Mcabee

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory paper is an attempt to examine the factors that led to the criminalization of domestic violence. Beginning with an overview of the history of reform movements to end family violence, the report then reviews the factors that influenced the enactment of mandatory arrest policies in Wisconsin, as well as across the United States. The last sections critically examine existing research on the deterrent effects of arrest. Research suggests that arrest may have some deterrent effects on different offender subgroups, however, may be a relatively weak sanction and deterrent effects may be short term. The greatest point of intervention …

Effects Of Foster Care On The Family System, Rochelle Del Greco

Theses and Graduate Projects

Despite volumes of studies and research on foster care as an intervention, there has been very limited research conducted on the effects foster care has on the family system as perceived by the foster parents. This study attempted to find some preliminary information about how the foster family is affected by foster children living in their home. Surveys were sent to 50 foster families in a rural county in Minnesota. The survey looked for correlations and frequencies in variables that had both positive and negative impact on the family system. As identified by the learning theorists, children learn from the …

Perceptions Of Intimacy By Men Who Choose Violence: An Exploratory Study, Sigrid Finke

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory study examined the perceptions about intimate relationships of 21 heterosexual men who had been court-ordered to domestic abuse groups at an urban social service agency. Within four separate focus groups, six open-ended questions were asked about intimacy, gender role beliefs, and perceptions of relating to partners, other adult males, and children. Findings indicated that the men with traditional outlooks (i.e. those w'ho had a strong belief in male headed households), expressed a more difficult time with intimate situations. Those men who held liberal views (i.e. that both men and women share both provider and care taking roles), tended …

Physical Violence During Pregnancy: Maternal Complications And Birth Outcomes, Vilma E. Cokkinides, Ann L. Coker, Maureen Sanderson, Cheryl Addy, Lesa Bethea

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: To assess the association between physical violence during the 12 months before delivery and maternal complications and birth outcomes.

Methods: We used population-based data from 6143 women who delivered live-born infants between 1993 and 1995 in South Carolina. Data on women's physical violence during pregnancy were based on self-reports of partner-inflicted physical hurt and being involved in a physical fight. Outcome data included maternal antenatal hospitalizations, labor and delivery complications, low birth weights, and preterm births. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to measure the associations between physical violence, maternal morbidity, and birth outcomes.

Results: The prevalence …

The Satisfaction Of Adoptive And Non-Adoptive Foster Parents : Why Are They Satisfied?, Monicke L. Baker

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

This paper examines the perspectives of foster parents on their role in the lives of their foster children, with emphasis on the laws, Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 that govern the foster care/adoption system. This paper will present different views, both good and bad, of adoptive and non adoptive foster parents: the experiences, emotions, and feelings they experience in wanting to be a permanent parent and placement for their foster child /children, when they are unable due to various circumstances. Five foster parents were interviewed. Results showed that foster parents are satisfied but it is due to …

Social Work Assessment: Case Theory Construction, Cynthia D. Bisman

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

To intervene effectively, social workers need to make sense of clients and their situations. A case theory approach to assessment provides a framework to formulate assessments that are clear and directly related to the real-world problems clients present. Explaining the problem situation, case theory forms the foundation for selection of intervention strategies and methods to achieve change. Building case theory requires practitioner abilities to form concepts, relate concepts into propositions, develop hypotheses, and organize these into a coherent whole. Including case background information, observations and relevant professional literature, case theory presents an accurate and cogent comprehension of the client Two …

An Historical Analysis Of Open Adoption In The United States, Molly Crosby Cave

Theses and Graduate Projects

Adoption has been a way of creating families for centuries. The trend toward more direct and communicative relationships between adoptees, birth parents and the adoptive parents is gaining favor in the adoption arena. The purpose of this analysis is to place an historical context on the evolution of open adoption and to analyze its strengths and weaknesses. The outcome of this research indicates that open adoption is a positive way to build families and create lasting relationships between the adoptee, birth parents and adoptive parents.

Preadolescents With Attachment Disorders: An Explanatory Study In A Residential Treatment Center, Teresina J. Schellinger

Theses and Graduate Projects

An increasing number of children are failing to develop secure attachments to caregivers. Many are involved with the child welfare system and display an overwhelming number of problems--emotional, cognitive, developmental, physical, moral, behavioral, and social. This exploratory study using qualitative and quantitative methods addresses how one residential treatment center has worked with this population. Case records, selected through a purposive sampling, of 14 discharged preadolescents and information from key informants support findings of this research. Themes discovered assist this treatment center, and possibly others, in understanding the relationship between the behavioral and therapeutic needs of these children and the practice …

Medication And Conduct Disorder: Professional's Perceptions Of Its Helpfulness, Deann L. Reese

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study explores the use of medication to treat children diagnosed with conduct disorder. The use of medication to treat this disorder is a controversial issue, and one that has been well researched in inpatient settings by psychiatrists. However, parents of these children and social workers serving these families need to be informed of its usefulness on a basis that can be applied to other settings, since many of these children are discharged from inpatient settings back into their families and original communities. This study surveyed 7 staff of a behavioral health unit where children diagnosed with conduct disorder were …

Ua66/4/3 Ssw News, Vol. 1, Issue No. 2, Wku Student Social Workers

Student Organizations

Newsletter created by and about Student Social Workers organization. Articles:

• Mission
• Becoming Involved
• Attention 101/205 Students
• National Association of Social Workers Meetings
• Social Work Students Honored – Dawn Long, Christy McClendon, Darlene Wells
• Congratulations to Student Social Workers on the Success of Kentucky Association of Social Work Educators
• Student Social Workers Social
• 1999-00 SSW Officers Nominated
• SSW Year in Review
• Thanks to 1998-99 SSW Officers

A Strengths Perspective On Adolescent Parenting: Helping Educate, Empower, And Support Adolescent Mothers, Lisa A. Rittgers

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore what adolescent parents participating in the Supporting Teens and Empowering Parents (S.T.E.P.) program identify as practical program suggestions that they felt would enhance the value and interest level for adolescent parents participating in parenting programs. This study was founded on the strengths approach to program development, which focuses on the belief that the strengths and resources of people and their environment should be the primary focus in development. The qualitative research data was gathered through exploratory interviews with four adolescent parents who participated in the S.T.E.P. program. There were five interview topics, …

In Her Own Words: A Qualitative Case Study Of Foster Care, Adoption And Independent Living, Elise N. Zuber

Masters Theses

This is a biographical account of a young lady who was involved with the child welfare system for eleven years. “Jill” entered foster care when she was eight years old. She was adopted by her foster parents and re-abused as a young adolescent by her adoptive father. Jill re-entered foster care, experiencing several foster homes, caseworkers and counselors. This year Jill Is one of 20,000 foster children who will assume independence from the child welfare system.

The author utilizes a qualitative method of case reporting. Interviews were conducted with Jill, former caseworkers, foster parents and therapists. In addition, a record …

Beyond The Study Of The Natural Man: A Gospel Perspective On Human Nature, Timothy B. Smith, Matthew Draper

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Assessment Of The Status, Structure And Process Utilized By Nevada's Family Support And Preservation Consortia To Achieve Collaboration, Marlys A. Morton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper presents a framework for understanding inter-organizational collaboration and describes and analyzes how collaboration was used as a method to build new service networks, the characteristics of the consortia, and the status of the collaborative processes.

Although the literature on inter-organizational collaboration in the human services is increasing, little is known about how regional consortia view the process of working together towards a common purpose. The results reported in this paper are intended to help fill that gap.

The findings reported in this study are based on a survey process using a standardized questionnaire to study the collaborative status. …

Individual Leadership's Role To Overcome White Male Privilege, Jarrod Englebretson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Our culture has been built by the white male philosophy and is responsible for the lack of cultural diversity in our society today. Even though steps have been take to eliminate racism, it continues to exist and is more prevalent in an unconscious form called male privilege and white privilege. These privileges allow white people, particularly white males, to take advantage of certain 'rights' which are inherent in our society simply because it has been largely defined by the white male.

Leaders need to break out of this type of thinking and be the catalyst for bringing this topic out …

Review Of Double Burden: Black Women And Everyday Racism. Yanick St. Jean And Joe R. Feagin. Reviewed By Wilma Peebles-Wilkins, Boston University., Wilma Peebles-Wilkins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Yanick St. Jean and Joe R. Feagin, Double Burden: Black Women and Everyday Racism. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1998. $35.00 hardcover.

Confronting Ageing As A Caribbean Reality, Joan M. Rawlins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article acknowledges the increased life expectancy which Caribbean populations presently experience. It draws upon data collected throughout the region and identifies some of the main concerns which families, communities and governments need to address, in order to ensure that the elderly will not be severely disadvantaged as a consequence of their increased life expectancy. The article recommends closer cooperation between governmental agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs) in determining the needs of the elderly, as well as the provision of services for them.

Opportunities For Social Workers In An Aging World, Jordan I. Kosberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

It is believed that there are professional opportunities for gerontological social workers in an aging world. To be discussed are potential social work roles within international organizations, multi-national businesses, foreign social service and academic institutions, with newly-arrived elderly immigrants, and in social work education, research, and training. It is concluded that-given global aging-if gerontological social workers do not respond to career opportunities, they will lose out to those from other professions.

Getting Old In The U.S.: Dilemmas Of Indo-Americans, Pallassana R. Balgopal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Adapting to old age is an arduous task in every society. For Asian immigrants because of drastically different value systems getting old in the U.S. poses a number of dilemmas. For the Indo-American elderly and their families a major dilemma is whether to expect and abide by the value orientation of collectivism or follow the main stream American value of individualism. In this study the ethnographic approach operationalized through Interpretive Interactionism for an understanding of the interaction between the elderly and their families and their overall coping and adaptation process in the United States is presented.

Introduction, Jordan I. Kosberg, Nelson W.S. Chow

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The countries of the world, both developing and developed, are aging. Some already have sizeable populations of elderly persons and others are beginning to experience an aging of their populations for the first time. The causes of population aging in countries of the world are many and include improved medical technology, use of birth control, and emigration of younger members of a society. The demographic "explosion" of the elderly comes at a time of rapid Westernization with changes in the tradition of family caregiving responsibility for elderly members of the family. Simultaneously, even in advanced societies, economic recessions and competing …

Policy Implications Of Australian Ageing: The Greying Of A Young Society, John Mccallum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Australian population ageing is moderate by Western country standards but there are major issues emerging in national policy debates. The proportions 65+ will double and the proportions 85+ will more than quadruple by 2050. The first concern is the long-term trend to earlier retirement from work along with a nearly universal dependency on publicly funded age pensions rather than on private savings and superannuation. New mandatory superannuation guarantee scheme will ease some of the financial pressure from income dependency. Secondly heart, musculoskeletal, cancers, mental illness and digestive diseases are high cost conditions but musculoskeletal and mental conditions are a higher …