Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Estimating Mean Lifetime, John Bongaarts, Griffith Feeney

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The life expectancy implied by current age-specific mortality rates is calculated with life table methods that are among the oldest and most fundamental tools of demography. We demonstrate that these conventional estimates of period life expectancy are affected by an undesirable “tempo effect.” The tempo effect is positive when the mean age at death is rising and negative when the mean age is declining. Estimates of the effect for females in three countries with high and rising life expectancy range from 1.6 years in the United States and Sweden to 2.4 years in France for the period 1980-95.

Marriage In Transition: Evidence On Age, Education, And Assets From Six Developing Countries, Agnes R. Quisumbing, Kelly Hallman

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Marriage is an event of great social and economic significance in most societies. Despite the centrality of marriage in an individual’s life history, the literature on marriage patterns pays little attention to men. This paper examines trends in schooling, age, and assets at marriage for both men and women, and spousal differences in these variables in six countries-Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines, and South Africa-using comparable data sets and methodologies.

The Impact Of Quality Of Care On Contraceptive Use: Evidence From Longitudinal Data From Rural Bangladesh, Michael A. Koenig

Reproductive Health

This project provides convincing empirical evidence on the impact of quality of care on contraceptive use and fertility behavior through analysis of a unique longitudinal data set from rural Bangladesh. The findings from this project add important new and methodologically rigorous evidence to the emerging literature on the implications of service quality on contraceptive behavior. The results reaffirm the importance of female fieldworker outreach—both in terms of quality and the number of visits—on contraceptive use dynamics in rural Bangladesh. In addition to these substantive findings, the study makes important methodological contributions in assessing the impact of programmatic variables—especially quality of …

Access To Care Among Vulnerable Populations Enrolled In Commercial Hmos, Matthew J. Carlson, Jan Blustein

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Abstract: This cross-sectional study compares self-reported access to care among a representative sample of 13,952 HMO enrollees in New Jersey. Using multivariate logistic regression, this study found that compared with college graduates, those with less than a high school education reported more difficulty obtaining tests or treatment. Compared with whites, Hispanics were more likely to report difficulty seeing their primary care provider, and African Americans reported greater difficulty seeing a specialist and obtaining tests and treatment. Enrollees in poor health were more likely to report problems seeing a specialist and obtaining tests and treatment than enrollees in excellent health. Income …

Adherence To Medical Regimens In Low-Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: The Influence Of Perceived Control Constructs, Erin L. O'Hea

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Individuals with Type 2 diabetes often do not adhere to their treatment regimens (e.g., exercise, diet, medication, glucose monitoring). Non-adherence results in poor metabolic control, further morbidity and mortality, and increased health care utilization and costs. One common thread among many health-behavior-theories that attempt to explain non-adherence behaviors is the importance of perceived control. This psychosocial variable has most often been conceptualized as ‘health locus of control,’ which refers to the belief that one has the ability to influence or change one’s health outcomes. Inconsistent findings have been reported regarding the relationship of health locus of control and medical regimen …

The Bardic Utterance In Situation Comedy Theme Songs, 1960-2000, Joni Melissa Butcher

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the function of the bard in situation comedy theme songs. This study calls upon Fiske and Hartley's concept of television as a cultural bard, a singer and teller of stories that create and conserve community. The bard reaffirms the culture's identity while delivering social and political messages relevant to the culture at specific times throughout history. This study also draws upon social-historical and cultural perspectives, and a selective semiotic analysis to investigate the visual, vocal, and musical themes from four decades of television sitcoms. The shows and themes from the 1960s include …

Bureaucratic Influence In Congressional Roll-Call Voting, William Blair

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is on one of the many relationships that exist between the bureaucracy and government: decision-making by elected representatives and the political influence of government employees on their decision-making. Specifically, it is with bureaucrats and the degree to which they may utilize political influence to create a disproportionate influence over government policy and decision-making in the United States House of Representatives. I argue that the inherent qualities of bureaucrats suggest that they are significant and influential constituency for representatives. They are an identifiable constituency to representatives, and have the means and opportunity to wield political influence. …

Barriers To Adherence In A Free Medication Program For Low Income Individual With Type 2 Diabetes, Bhrett A. Mccabe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Diabetes self-management and treatment require significant patient involvement to maintain appropriate glucose control. Glucose control is directly related to adherence to a variety of regimens, of which medication adherence may be most important. Unfortunately, adherence to these regimens has been quite poor. Among low income patients, the strongest reason given for medication nonadherence has been the cost associated with purchasing medication. In 1999, the Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division instituted a free medication program for low income individuals with chronic illnesses, including diabetes. Despite removing this strongest barrier to adherence among low income patients, initial data from this …

Metabolic Aspects Of Oryzanol In Rats, Michelle Smith Gillespie

LSU Master's Theses

Using a rat model, this study compared the bioavailability of three forms of oryzanol, a compound extracted from rice bran oil that has been associated with improved cholesterol levels. Various methods of extracting lipids from serum and liver were explored to determine oryzanol absorption. Cholesterol levels were obtained via enzymatic colorimetric assay and GCMS. Sprague Dawley retired female breeder rats were sustained for 11 weeks on a cholesterol-free diet to which either no oryzanol was added (n = 19) or 2.8 g/kg of oryzanol was added as: 7% oryzanol rice bran oil (RO, n = 8), crystalline oryzanol (CO, n …

Making The Internet Transition: Assessing The Needs Of Secondary Public School Teachers, Nancy Matt

LSU Master's Theses

Since the introduction of Internet technology in public schools, teachers who are enthusiastic about computer and Internet training have responded to school districts’ offers of off-site training and take part in grant-based programs to promote the use of technology. The first phase of promotion by attraction has been completed. The remaining teachers are not as enthusiastic and look to the school district to provide them with the type of training they require in order to incorporate Internet technology. Access to the Internet is just one of many elements involved in the overall problems that public high school teachers face using …

Goal Orientation And Feedback Sign As Predictors Of Changes In Motivation And Performance, Erin Michele Richard

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined the dimensions of goal orientation as moderators of the effects of feedback sign on changes in self-efficacy, effort, and performance over time. In general, the effect of feedback sign on changes in self-efficacy, effort, and performance was hypothesized to be strong for individuals high on performance goal orientation (PGO) and weak for individuals high on learning goal orientation (LGO). Participants completed several performance blocks of an implicit learning task that required individuals to control the temperature of a simulated chemical reactor. Participants were given manipulated normative feedback after each trial. Self-efficacy, effort, and performance were assessed at …

An Anthropological Examination Of Classic Maya Burials From Moho Cay, Belize: Skeletal And Dental Evidence Of Demography, Diet And Health, Erin Suzanne Lund

LSU Master's Theses

In the Maya area, archaeological excavations have yielded an abundance of skeletal material from a multitude of sites throughout Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras. In 1979, a series of excavations led by Heather McKillop at Moho Cay, Belize, revealed a number of human interments. This thesis analyzes the Moho Cay skeletal collection composed of remains from eight discrete Late Classic (A.D. 600-800) burials and nine other archaeological units. Skeletal and dental analysis of the remains included assessing minimum number of individuals per burial and establishing age and sex for each individual. The bones were also examined for signs …

A Convergence Of Modes: Present Status Of Online News Sites A Content Analysis Of 100 Online Newspaper Web Sites, Renee Chantal Duplessis

LSU Master's Theses

This study examines the current status of online news sites in terms of their level of convergence, and how they are affected by different organizational factors such as organizational influence, cross media partnerships and circulation size. A content analysis of the top 100 circulated newspaper dailies in the United States was conducted to provide understanding as to the current status of these online newspaper sites. A number of categories were examined including newspaper circulation size, updatedness, cross media partnership/ ownership, and level of convergence. Results showed that the majority of the Internet newspaper sites examined shared a media partnership on …

The Social Context Of Norse Jarlshof, Marcie Anne Kimball

LSU Master's Theses

A series of excavations from 1897 to 1951 showed the site of Jarlshof in Shetland to have been occupied by proto-Pictish, Pictish, and Viking peoples. These inquiries culminated in J.R.C. Hamilton’s 1956 monograph Excavations at Jarlshof, Shetland. In the years since the writing of the monograph, much new information has come to light that relates to the time periods found at Jarlshof. The concern of this thesis is how the new findings relate to Viking Age Jarlshof and how Viking Age Jarlshof relates to this new information. In order to set Viking Age Jarlshof into its overall historical context regarding …

The Relationship Between Family Daily Hassles And Family Coping And Managing Strategies, Olena Nesteruk

LSU Master's Theses

The primary focus of the study was to examine the relationship between family daily hassles and family coping and managing strategies. Additionally, the three dimensions of daily hassles, time and energy involvement, positive influence, and negative influence, were investigated. Data were collected from 290 families with school-age children. Mothers and fathers completed a self-administered survey on family daily hassles and family coping and managing strategies. The final sample consisted of 255 mothers (51% African American) and 128 fathers (62% White) of families with first and third grade children from a mid-sized, southern city. The findings of the study indicate that …

Toward Validation Of The Sports Behavior Checklist: A Comparison Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Control Group Children In A Sports Environment, Aaron Clendenin

LSU Master's Theses

Data from participants (N = 124) was entered into a principal components analysis to test the factor structure of the Sports Behavior Checklist ([SBC] Johnson & Rosen, 2000). The subscales of the SBC were correlated with relevant subscales of the Conners'- Revised Parent Form ( Conners, 1997) and Social Skills Rating System (Gresham & Elliott, 1990). Both of these analyses were conducted to determine the construct validity of the instrument. Additionally, a subsample (N = 92) of low socioeconomic status individuals was used to compare groups of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (n = 49) and non-clinical (n = 43) children on the …

Continuity And Revolution: The Basis Of The American Revolution In The Common Law And The Ancient Constitution, As Explicated By John Dickinson, Joseph Leland Feeney

LSU Master's Theses

How revolutionary was the American Revolutionary War? My thesis is that, for a broad cross section of Americans, the political scientific rationale of the American Revolutionary era was based on the Common Law and the Ancient Constitution. In this paper I have investigated the life and writings of John Dickinson so as to provide a standpoint from which the continuity of the Ancient Constitutional and Common Law ethos can be seen as a subtext of the American "Revolutionary" War.

A Diffusion Of Innovations Approach To Investigate The Brand Name Change Of A Higher Education Institution, Jacqueline Eiswirth Tisdell

LSU Master's Theses

Understanding the communication concepts behind promoting a brand name is essential to the successful adoption of that innovation. This research links diffusion of innovations theory, branding, and public relations by exploring the name change of a higher education institution. Extensive work has been done in the areas of branding and diffusion of innovations theory. However, this study links the two. The adoption of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette new name by its alumni was studied by analyzing the public relations campaign post-name change and by gathering background information on previous diffusion of innovations research and the importance of brand …

Factors Influencing The Effects Of Realistic Job Previews On Applicant Judgments Of Organizational Attractiveness, Natalie Trask Bourgeois

LSU Master's Theses

Realistic job previews (RJPs) involve the presentation of both positive and negative job attributes to job applicants. Although several researchers have studied effects of RJPs on satisfaction, turnover, and performance, comparatively less research has focused on the effects of RJPs on attraction. This study extends previous RJP research by sampling both students who are education majors and currently employed teachers. It compared their ratings of attraction to organizations represented by an RJP or a traditional job preview (TJP). In addition, both teachers and education students completed a measure of negative affectivity (NA). Contrary to expectations, results of this study showed …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Followership Modalities And Leadership Styles Among Educators At Selected High Schools In Jackson, Mississippi, Joyce Elaine Johnson

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of the relationship between followership modalities and leadership styles. High-school teachers and principals in the Jackson Public School District in Jackson, Mississippi, participated in the study.

Method. Methodological triangulation that combined quantitative and qualitative methods served as the study's research design. A 45-item Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5x-Short), developed by Bass and Avolio (1995), and a well-established measure of leadership style, was administered to the principals.

A 20-item, self-diagnostic questionnaire, developed by Robert Kelley, designed to measure followership modalities, was administered to the high school teachers who …

The Phenomenon Of Woman-On-Woman Abuse And Its Relationship To Gender Profile And Personal Experiences Of Women, Deborah Johnson Spence

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. Female-on-female aggression is often inferred, or drawn from studies conducted with children or males. Little or no information is available that reports behaviors perceived as mistreatment or abuse among women. The purposes of this study were to investigate (a) behaviors demonstrated by women that women consider abuse or mistreatment; (b) the extent to which these perceptions of abuse/mistreatment were related to gender profiles; and (c) the extent to which personal experiences as victims or perpetrators of abuse were related to age, race, and education.

Method. This study used the survey research method in which questionnaires …

A Study Of The Influence Of Birth Order And Other Variables On Student Perceptions Of School Effectiveness In A Southwestern Michigan County, Hamil Tobias

Dissertations

Problem. There is an increasing demand for quality education. In his initiative for education reform, U.S. President George W. Bush promoted the concept of no child left behind, in which he calls for more accountability. It is useful to examine student perceptions of how well the education system functions. Instead of a monolithic view, their perceptions were analyzed by birth order, gender, and ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent student perceptions differed by their birth order, gender, and ethnicity.

Method. This study utilized a 4 x 2 x 2 (birth order by …

Superior Haptic Perceptual Selectivity In Late-Blind And Very-Low-Vision Subjects, Morton A. Heller, Deneen D. Brackett

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Blindfolded sighted, congenitally blind, late-blind, and very-low-vision subjects were tested on a tangible version of the embedded-figures test. The results of ANOVAs on accuracy measures yielded superior performance by the very-low-vision and late-blind subjects compared with the blindfolded sighted and congenitally blind participants. Accuracy of the congenitally blind subjects was similar to that of the blindfolded sighted participants. However, all groups of blind subjects were significantly faster than the blindfolded sighted subjects. It is suggested that experience with pictures combined with haptic skill aid perceptual selectivity in touch.

Eric: Overview, P. S. Mcmillen

Library Faculty Publications

ERIC ( the Educational Resources Information Center) has provided, for over 35 years, the most extensive access to education related information in the world –currently more than 1.2 million records. Millions of people utilize ERIC’s diverse services and products every day. As Jim Kohlmoos, the president of the National Education Knowledge Industry Association emphasizes, “As the nation works to implement both the No Child Left Behind Act and the recently passed Education Sciences Reform Act, there has never been a greater need for ERIC and its resources.” (http://www.nekia.org/about-nekia.html)

Established in 1966, ERIC is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education …

U.S. Regional Newspapers' Coverage On China's Entry Into The Wto--A Regional Economy Approach, Ying Kong

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine whether a region's economy has an impact on regional coverage of China's WTO entry. It is predicted that regional newspapers vary in reporting this issue because of variation in the regional economic structure. The findings of the study support this prediction. A content analysis of 282 news articles in the U.S. regional newspapers finds that the regional economy can be a predictor of regional newspaper's coverage. For North Carolina, Illinois and California, significant differences exist in the regional coverage of China's WTO accession in terms of reference to key economic issue, reference …

Wright State University Women's Soccer Media Guide 2003, Wright State University Athletics

Athletics Publications

A media guide for Wright State University's 2003 Women's Soccer team. This guide includes photographs, player stats, game results, and records.

Table Of Contents

Ethnic Studies Review

Table of Contents for Ethnic Studies Review, Vol. 26, No. 1, April 2003.

Contributors

Ethnic Studies Review

Contributors to Ethnic Studies Review, Vol. 26, No. 1, April 2003.

Transcending The 'Tragic Mulatto': The Intersection Of Black And Indian Heritage In Contemporary Literature, Lindsey Claire Smith

Ethnic Studies Review

The supposed plight of multi-racial persons is widely depicted in modern American literature, including the works of William Faulkner, whose stories follow the lives of multi-racial characters such as Joe Christmas and Sam Fathers, who, reflecting characteristics of "tragic mulatto" figures, search for acceptance in a racially polarized Mississippi society. Yet more contemporary literature, including works by Michael Dorris, Leslie Marmon Silko, Toni Morrison, and Clarence Major, reference the historical relationship between African Americans and American Indians, featuring multi-racial characters that more successfully fit the fabric of current American culture than do more "traditional" works such as Faulkner's. While an …

Chinatown Black Tigers: Black Masculinity And Chinese Heroism In Frank Chin's Gunga Din Highway, Crystal S. Anderson

Ethnic Studies Review

Images of ominous villains and asexual heroes in literature and mainstream American culture tend to relegate Asian American men to limited expressions of masculinity. These emasculating images deny Asian American men elements of traditional masculinity, including agency and strength. Many recognize the efforts of Frank Chin, a Chinese American novelist, to confront, expose, and revise such images by relying on a tradition of Chinese heroism. In Gunga Din Highway (1994), however, Chin creates an Asian American masculinity based on elements of both the Chinese heroic tradition and a distinct brand of African American masculinity manifested in the work of Ishmael …