Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Fifty Percent Divorce Rate: Deconstructing A Myth, Dennis L. Peck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An overview of competing perceptions about divorce in the United States establishes the basis for a discussion of the incidence of divorce, divorce rates, and the public myth of a 50 percent divorce rate. A partial explanation for the acceptance of this myth is offered through a discussion of the salience of attitude as well as other public issues.

Book Reviews

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BOOK REVIEWS

• Profiles in International Social Work. Merl C. Hokenstad, S. K. Khinduka and James Midgley (Eds.) Reviewed by Fredrick L. Ahearn, Jr. Catholic University of America.
• Internationalizing Social Work Education. Richard Estes. Reviewed by Charles Guzzetta, Hunter College.
• The Welfare State in Israel. Abraham Doron and Ralph Kramer, Reviewed by Howard Jacob Karger, Louisianna State University.
• The Radical Right and the Welfare State: An International Assessment. Howard Glennerster and James Midgley (Eds.). Reviewed by Michael Sherraden, Washington University.
• The New Eastern Europe: Social Policy Past, Present and Future. Bob Deacon. Social Policy, Social Justice and Citizenship in Eastern Europe. …

Family Preservation: A Professional Reform Movement, Marc Mannes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Family Preservation is examined as a manifestation of collective professional activity intent on reforming various aspects of the social welfare system. George Smelser's theoretical framework is used to analyze and interpret the emergence and development of the Family Preservation Movement. The article identifies societal problems which spawned the movement, the formation of a shared belief system, and the confirmation and sanctioning of those beliefs. Factors which mobilized increasing numbers of professionals to the cause, efforts which reflect collective action, and the conventionalization and standardization of the movement are discussed.

Doubling Up: Low Income Households Sheltering The Hidden Homeless, Edward F. Vacha, Marguerite V. Marin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The costs and benefits of sheltering the homeless experienced by "informal shelter providers "-people who shelter their homeless friends and relatives-are investigated. The benefits of informal sheltering to the community are also examined. Informal shelter providers are among the most destitute in the community, and they are at great risk of becoming homeless themselves. The community receives considerable benefit from informal sheltering. The dependency of the community on the fragile system of informal shelter providers for prevention of homelessness indicates the inadequacy of present housing programs and the failure of our housing policies. Recommendations for preserving and nurturing the invisible …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 20, No. 3 (September 1993)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

SPECIAL ISSUE: FOCUS ON FAMILY ISSUES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• FAMILY PRESERVATION: A PROFESSIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT - Marc Mannes
• DOUBLING UP: LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS SHELTERING THE HIDDEN HOMELESS - Edward F. Vacha and Marguerite V. Marin
• HOMELESSNESS: THE SERVICE PROVIDERS’ PERSPECTIVE ON BLAMING THE VICTIM - Elizabeth Tracy and Randy Stoecker
• WOMEN OFFENDERS INCARCERATED AT THE OHIO PENITENTIARY FOR MEN AND THE OHIO REFORMATORY FOR WOMEN FROM 1913-1923 - Rudolph Alexander, Jr., Lola Butler, and Patricia Sias
• UPPER MIDDLE CLASS SUPPORT FOR THE IDEA OF FAMILY ALLOWANCES - Beth Spenciner Rosenthal
• PUBLIC POLICY AND THE ENERGY NEEDS OF LOW INCOME FAMILIES …

Women Offenders Incarcerated At The Ohio Penitentiary For Men And The Ohio Reformatory For Women From 1913-1923, Rudolph Alexander, Jr., Lola Butler, Patricia Sias

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Unquestionably, women offenders have been subjected to discrimination by the criminal justice system. However, the quality and extent of the discrimination have been the subject of debate. Early male scholars wrote that women offenders were treated chivalrously and leniently. Later female scholars have disagreed and contended that under so-called chivalry women offenders were punished more severely, especially for sex crimes. World War I had a national influence on women imprisoned in reformatories for prostitution, as federal legislation was passed to suppress prostitution and related behaviors. This paper examines qualitative and quantitative data from 1913 to 1923, especially data on the …

Public Policy And The Energy Needs Of Low Income Families, W.M. Theisen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Iowa legislature debated whether to change its utility disconnection policy. The debate centered around three questions: 1) whether family size or income influences energy consumption; 2) whether elderly people consume more energy than families; and 3) whether energy subsidies foster increased energy use and energy waste. This paper reports energy consumption patterns for a sample of low income people. Economic demand theory predicts that energy consumption will increase as income increases. This hypothesis was statistically rejected. Second, legislators assumptions about energy consumption were formulated into hypotheses. These hypotheses were statistically rejected.

Home Care Allowances For The Frail Elderly: For And Against, Jorma Sipila

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Arguments that have been presented for and against HCAs are considered below. The focus is on debates around traditionalist and feminist standpoints. Another central concern is to draw attention to the contextual boundaries of these debates; therefore we shall consider arguments both from the U.S. and Europe. Finland is presented as a special case, because this Scandinavian welfare state has an exceptionally extensive HCA programme.

Homelessness: The Service Providers' Perspective On Blaming The Victim, Elizabeth Tracy, Randy Stoecker

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Service providers who work with the homeless are frequently characterized as victim blamers. Eighteen service providers who work with homeless people were interviewed. The victim-blaming typification oversimplifies service providers' views on homelessness and of the individuals their programs serve. Service providers have a wholistic analysis of homelessness which encompasses both individual and systemic components.

Upper Middle Class Support For The Idea Of Family Allowances, Beth Spenciner Rosenthal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

There is a newly arisen opportunity for reassessment and redirection of children's policy using non-ideological, pragmatic solutions. Middle class attitudes toward family allowances are crucial to the implementation of the proposed solutions. This paper presents preliminary data indicating that current middle class attitudes are favorable toward the idea of family allowances. Potential explanations of this phenomenon are presented along with policy implications.

Book Notes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BOOK NOTES

• The Study of Welfare State Regimes. Jon Eivind Kolberg (Ed).
• Between Work and Social Citizenship. Jon Eivind Kolberg (Ed).
• The Welfare State as Employer. Jon Eivind Kolberg (Ed).
• Social Policy and Social Security in Australia, Britain and the USA. Helen Bolderson and Deborah Mabbet.
• Political Economy of Development: Development Theory and the Prospect for Change in the Third World. Burch Berberoglu.
• Social Policy in a Changing Europe. Z. Ferge and J. Kolberg (Eds).
• Arguing about the Welfare State: The Australian Experience. Peter Beilharz, Mark Considine and Rob Watts.

Families Of People With A Severe Mental Illness: Role Conflict, Ambiguity And Family Burden, James G. Hanson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The perspective of families of people with a severe mental illness has become a focus of interest for mental health professionals. This paper reports the results of an ethnographic study of families' perceptions of dealing with a severe mental illness in their midst. The findings suggest that the families face continual role conflict and ambiguity as the illness moves through characteristic stages. Attention is given to the families' experience and needs and to social workers' responsibilities for involving and communicating with such families in order to reduce a portion of their burden.

Community Development Corporations And Their Contributions To Democracy In Chicago, Carl E. Hanssen

Masters Theses

Community development corporations (CDCs) are non-profit, neighborhood-based, real estate developers. They share a common mission to improve social conditions in communities where they work. CDCs were developed based on two distinct models: (1) an intervention model, and (2) a grass-roots model.

This work was predicated on a theory of political science: high levels of social conditions correspond with high levels of democracy. High levels of democracy will be demonstrated by high voter participation. The work of CDCs and their impact on communities in Chicago was analyzed to test this theory.

Four CDCs and corresponding communities were chosen for this study. …

Effects Of Checklists And Feedback On Interviewer Documentation Errors, Ann Lynn Linklater

Masters Theses

A multiple baseline design was used to compare the effectiveness of checklists and feedback to improve marketing research telephone interview documentation. Three measures based on the combined errors of four interviewers were obtained: (1) errors per completed interview, (2) errors per interview with errors, and (3) most frequently occurring error in each of three error groups. The effects of three additional factors believed to affect interviewer performance were also investigated: (1) marketing research project, (2) complexity of the interview, and (3) lead worker responsible for editing completed interviews.

Only slight, mostly positive changes were visually evident across the dependent measures. …

The Acute Effects Of Cocaine In Pigeons Performing Under A Progressive-Ratio Schedule, Claudia Ann Jones

Masters Theses

Although the progressive-ratio (PR) schedule has been used frequently to quantify the reinforcing effectiveness of self-administered drugs, it has seldom been used to examine the effects of drugs on food-maintained behavior and has never been used to evaluate the effects of cocaine on such behavior. In the present study, the effects of acute administrations of cocaine were evaluated in pigeons responding under a PR schedule of food delivery. Overall, cocaine produced a dose-dependent effect on food-maintained behavior. In general, acute administrations of cocaine at 0.56 to 3.2 mg/kg increased breaking points, whereas doses above 5.6 mg/kg decreased breaking points. Low …

An Experimental Demonstration Of The Transitive Conditioned Establishing Operation With Pigeons, Rachel Nunes Da Cunha

Dissertations

Skinner (1938) dealt with motivation in terms of the operations of deprivation/satiation and aversive stimulation. Later, Keller and Schoenfeld (1950) introduced the term establishing operation to refer to such motivative variables, and Michael (1982, and in press) expanded the Keller and Schoenfeld (1950) concept to include a type of learned motivative variable not explicitly identified in the earlier treatments. The purpose of the present research is the laboratory demonstration of this form of motivation, that Michael referred to as a transitive conditioned establishing operation (CEO).

The present experiment used a treadle-key procedure similar to that of Ailing (1990), but with …

Correlates Of Job Satisfaction Among Private Sector Employees In Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Al-Helelah

Masters Theses

The primary objectives of the present study were to explore the level of job satisfaction and commitment among private sector employees in Saudi Arabia, and to examine the relationship between job satisfaction and employees' commitment.

Seven alternative hypotheses were tested against seven null hypotheses. Chi-square (x^2) was the test statistic for all seven hypotheses. The critical value of chi-square was determined by the degrees of freedom (df) and an alpha level of.05. Three hypotheses were confirmed that related job satisfaction to employees' commitment, satisfaction with length of working hours, and satisfaction with opportunities for interaction with co-workers on the job. …

Contracts In Conflict: Perestroika And The Decline Of Soviet Legitimacy, Karl Glenn Hokenmaier

Masters Theses

Gorbachev's perception of the Soviet Union's socio-economic crisis and his subsequent actions to correct the economy and reform the political system were linked with attempts to renegotiate the social contract between the state and the Soviet people. However, reformulation of the social contract was incompatible with the conditions of a second arrangement between the leadership and the nomenklatura--the Soviet ruling class. The failure of Gorbachev's reforms and the decline of Soviet legitimacy were linked to the irreconcilability of the nomenklatura's "political contract" and the social contract.

The construct of the social contract was utilized to represent the Soviet state-society relationship …

A Classification Of Ecosystem Desertification Using Satellite Imagery, Dzheltyrbas Gulf, 1980-1989, Marni D. Cavis

Masters Theses

This study focused on the development of a land cover classification method for the Dzhiltyrbas Gulf region southeast of the Aral Sea in the former Soviet Union. Desertification of the region was mapped based on ecosystem descriptions taken from a database defining four stages of desertification. Landsat MSS images (bands 1, 2, and 4) were used as the basis for classification. Standard unsupervised and supervised classification methods did not distinguish the level of detail required to map each stage of desertification in each ecosystem. Therefore, the ecosystems had to be defined and classified as separate entities (based on SBI and …

The Effects Of Arousal On Time Perception, J. Keith Cardwell

Dissertations

This study examined the effect of physiological arousal on subjects' time production skills. Time perception is a major element in clinical theories of demandingness and time urgency within the Type A behavior pattern.

Subjects were 94 graduate students, including 67 females and 27 males. They were assigned randomly to three groups: a control group and experimental Groups A and B. All subjects performed 15-, 30-, and 45-second pretest and posttest time production trials. The primary treatment for experimental groups was rapid breathing to increase subjects' heart beat at least 10% above their resting rate. Heart beat was measured by a …

Computer-Based Fluency Training With The Terminology Of Behavior Analysis, Guillermo E. Yaber-Oltra

Dissertations

This study examined the effects of computer-based fluency training on the learning of behavior-analysis terminology. Sixty-nine undergraduates studied the definitions of half a set of behavior-analysis terms using a computer program Think Fast (Parsons, 1989), and half using their regular methods. Think Fast training items consisted of typing the words missing from definitions. On seven out of nine post-training quizzes, students were better able to define terms previously studied with the computer program. In a related experiment, volunteers studied half a new set of terms using the computer, either typing or saying the answers. Students mastered the definitions better when …

The Effects Of A Monetary Incentive System On The Performance Of Rolloff Truck Drivers, Jeanne Marie Lameie

Dissertations

Studies have shown that individuals working under individual monetary incentive conditions perform at higher rates than those working under an hourly pay condition (Farr, 1976; Frisch & Dickinson, 1990; Gaetani, Hoxeng, & Austin, 1985; George & Hopkins, 1989; London & Oldham, 1977; Nebeker & Neuberger, 1985; Orphen, 1982; Terborg & Miller, 1978; Yukl, Wexley, & Seymore, 1972). Although these studies indicate that incentive pay improves productivity, the results of two laboratory studies suggest that the portion of pay that is tied to performance is not important (Frisch & Dickinson, 1990; Gillette, 1991). In other words, once pay is linked to …

Spanish Translation And Validation Of The Daily Stress Inventory, And A Comparison Of The Level Of Stress Experienced By Three Culturally Distinct Hispanic Groups, Senez Rodriguez-Charbonier

Dissertations

High levels of stress in the general population have been found to correlate both with psychological and physical illness. The fast growing Hispanic population in the U.S. is exposed to increased levels of stress associated with a number of situations (e.g., language barriers, and socioeconomic status). There are, however, no validated stress measures applicable to the Hispanic community as a whole.

The purpose of this study was twofold: First, to translate into Spanish the Daily Stress Inventory (DSI) (Brantley & Jones, 1989) and to validate the translation by conducting a correlation study between the the Spanish and the English versions. …

The Job Search Process In Michigan 1990-1991, Zhuoyan Gu

Dissertations

Two statewide general public surveys of non-retired adults conducted in March of 1990 and 1991 were analyzed to examine patterns of job search activity. Primary attention was placed on the 1991 survey. The core questions asked were about preferences for future job search media in terms of the respondents' past job seeking experiences . The general pattern observed was a movement away from the public state employment service towards "informal" contacts. There were, however, important differences in terms of the respondents' age, sex, education, occupation, and prior employment experiences.

Caring For Dementing And Nondementing Chronically Ill Elderly In Belgium: Modeling Salutogenic And Pathogenic Processes, Timothy John Gallagher

Dissertations

The predominant model in the study of stress and disease has been identified as the pathogenic orientation. The underlying assumption of this orientation is that stress is, by nature, disease causing. An alternative model is the salutogenic orientation (Antonovsky, 1979). Researchers using the salutogenic approach are concerned with explaining the origins of health. In the present study, a sample of Flemish caregivers {N = 126) to persons with chronic dementing and nondementing disorders is examined in order to detail how sense of coherence (a measure of personality disposition), the nature of patient pathology, demographic characteristics, coping resources, and perceived negative …

Offense Perceived, Appropriate Actions And Possible Solutions: A Research Of Censorship, Sharon K. Van Poolen

Masters Theses

Students at Western Michigan University were asked via a survey to read lyrics and indicate an offensiveness rating. Lyrics containing vulgar or sexual language or derogatory statements about religion received higher offensive ratings. Actions deemed acceptable in response to offensive lyrics include picketing and boycotting. Prevalent themes identified in the lyrics are antagonism toward religion, sexism and unhealthy sexual relations. Groups cited most frequently as potentially harmed by lyrics are children 5-12, adolescents and women. Respondents were questioned about participation in certain activities and what alternatives to direct censorship are acceptable. Most would prefer to be involved indirectly, for example, …

The Impact Of Third Party Reimbursement On Occupational Therapy And Vision Rehabilitation Services: A Comparative Case Study, Tiehan Liu

Dissertations

This is a comparative case study of occupational therapy and vision rehabilitation services. The purpose of this study is to describe how environmental forces, especially third party reimbursement, shape occupational therapy in terms of organizational form, setting, procedure of services and documentation process. The study will further examine the current external and internal conditions under which vision rehabilitation professionals may develop third party payment, especially Medicare and Medicaid. Based on environment theories and the experience of occupational therapy, the potential impact of such reimbursement on vision rehabilitation services is discussed.

Three forms of data were used in this study: (1) …

Failure Of Methamphetamine Withdrawal To Produce Behavioral Disruptions In Pigeons, William F. Potter

Masters Theses

Methamphetamine, a widely used recreational drug, is not known to produce physiological dependence. Few studies to date have examined whether behavioral dependence occurs upon sudden withdrawal from methamphetamine. In this study, pigeons (n=4) were trained to respond under a multiple FR 25 IRT > 6-s schedule of reinforcement, allowing for examination of drug effects upon a relatively high rate of responding (FR) and a relatively low rate of responding (IRT > t). Acute adminstrations of methamphetamine showed rate-dependent effects at low doses, while higher doses decreased responding under both schedules. Tolerance was demonstrated for all subjects except one at the highest dose …

The Use Of Nonhuman Subjects In Behavior Analysis: A Review Of Jeab Studies, Dylan David Schmorrow

Dissertations

This study examined the use of nonhuman subjects in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and the level of invasiveness of those studies. The invasiveness level of each study was determined according to the Shapiro and Field (1987) invasiveness rating scale. All studies published from 1958 through 1992 were considered. In addition to rating the individual studies with the invasiveness scale, data were collected concerning the species of the subjects and their number, whether anaesthesia, analgesia, drugs or toxic agents were used, whether surgery took place, levels of deprivation, and if the subjects died.

The findings from this …

Responses Of Female Therapists To Treating Adult Female Survivors Of Incest, Marcia A. Hollingsworth

Dissertations

How female therapists are affected by the long-term experience of treating adult female survivors was addressed by exploring therapists’ commonly reported affective, cognitive, physical, and imagery responses. The study specifically examined experienced female therapist responses for evidence of vicarious traumatization (McCann & Pearlman, 1990b), a transformation process whereby therapists who treat trauma victims may experience profound psychological effects, including lasting changes in seven basic cognitive schemas. The study’s findings were also considered in relation to four other models of therapist responses to treating incest survivors: burnout, secondary post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic countertransferences, and countertransference responses.

This study employed a …