Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Spatial Relationships Of Carbon Dioxide Exchange In An Upland Forested Wetland Complex In The Western Boreal Plain, Alberta, Canada, Danielle M. Solondz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined the midday (10:00 - 16:00) growing season (April - October) surface cover CO₂ relationships with different canopy closures and microtopography (lawn and depression) in a forested upland - peatland - pond complex in the Western Boreal Plain, north - central Alberta, Canada. A dynamic - closed chamber technique was used to: evaluate the relative contributions of heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration and photosynthesis and assess the relative roles of substrate, plant communities, hydrology, and microclimates on CO₂ exchange.

Large differences were observed among the forest floors of landscape units with different canopy covers with respect to …

Ida Accessibility: Learning More About Whether Individual Development Accounts Can Work For Canada’S Poor, Molly Elliott

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) or matched saving accounts are programs designed to facilitate the building of capital and assets in low-income households. Based on the model of asset-based welfare policy, these programs propose to combat poverty through inclusion of the poor in asset building opportunities, which traditionally have been available to only middle and upper income households. Described as an anti-poverty strategy, Individual Development Accounts are growing in international popularity with asset-based policies already being included in Canadian income assistance programs. In order to better understand what some of the barriers might be to this anti-poverty program structure, this thesis …

“To Thine Own Self Be True”: A Narrative Analysis Of Social Group Disengagement And Associated Identity Implications, Catherine De Boer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of individuals who had voluntarily disengaged from social groups that had once been central to their self-understandings. Theoretical underpinnings of the study proceeded from the distinction made by social psychologists between personal identity, self-definitions derived from an understanding of one’s self as unique, and social identity, self-definitions derived from an understanding and identification of one’s self as a member of social groups. The overarching aims were to: 1) determine if a disengagement process exists, and if so, to discover its defining characteristics and phenomenological aspects; 2) describe the shifts …

Who Has Seen What When? Pornography’S Contribution To The Social Construction Of Sexuality During Childhood And Adolescence, Bente Skau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Pornography has a ubiquitous place in contemporary Canadian Society. With or without intention, children and youth are frequently exposed to pornographic images and depictions. There is little research detailing the types of exposure that occur and the impact of said exposure on this population. Through a detailed survey administered to approximately 450 first-year college and university students in Ontario, this retrospective and exploratory study answers the query, “when and to what type of pronography are children and young adults exposed and how does this exposure relate to subsequent sexual behaviours and attitudes?” Following a deatiled escription of pornography exposure, indicating …

A Qualitative Study Of Experiences Of Aboriginal Caregivers Of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Joyce Ellen Clouston

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A qualitative study of 20 caregivers of Aboriginal children with developmental disabilities revealed that caregivers continue to be guided by values rooted in traditional Aboriginal societies where all children were considered gifts of the Creator. The lives of vulnerable children had purpose, they were treated with respect, and the self-growth of the caregiver was connected to care of the child. The needs of young families were supported within a web of relationships in family and community. Disruptions to traditional family relationships began in the colonial era with the negation of Aboriginal culture and spirituality, and continue in many communities in …

An Exploration Of Bullying As Experienced By Sudanese Refugee Youths, Aislinn Clancy

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research is to explore the experience of bullying among Sudanese refugee youths living in Kitchener-Waterloo. Voices in the literature assert that bullying is experienced differently by different social groups. This study proposes to understand the phenomenon of bullying from the unique perspectives of Sudanese refugee youths. As a White middle-class Canadian-born woman, I consider myself a partial outsider to this group. As a partial outsider, I use reflexive strategies to constantly reflect on the impact of my social location on the participants and on the whole research process. To understand how Sudanese youths experienced bullying, I …

Role Changes And Birth Order In Female Adolescent Bereavement, Jennifer Joyce Evans

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis reports on the findings of a qualitative research study that explored role changes experienced by female adolescents after the death of a parent, with special attention paid to birth order. Seventeen women were recruited by convenience sampling for this study: nine were eldest daughters, three were middle daughters, and five were youngest daughters. All of the women lost a parent when they were between the ages of 11 and 17, and all were living at home with both parents at the time of the death. The findings were analyzed using a grounded theory method of coding (Glaser & …

Perceptions Of Change In The Urban Core: A Case Study Of A Satellite Campus In Kitchener, Ontario, Lindsay Woodside

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The university satellite campus is a recent planning instrument used to revitalize struggling downtown cores. The satellite model, however, is not without controversy. To gain an insight into the debate, this study focuses on the perceptions of groups involved in bringing the Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work satellite campus to downtown Kitchener, Ontario. Approaches to revitalization since World War II are examined together with the current downtown revitalization initiative in bringing university satellite campuses to downtowns. The strengths and weaknesses of the university and community dynamic are highlighted as they relate to the main university campus and host …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Jamiacan Immigrant Youth In Two Southern Ontario Cities, Kathleen M. Hogarth

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research done with immigrant youth in Canada has been largely focused on educational outcomes. The experiences of Jamiacan immigrant youth in Canada have not been explored in great depth in the literature. Canadian statistics show however that Jamiacan immigrant youth account for the largest grouping of Caribbean immigrant youth in Canada. Other data sources point to the fact that Jamiacan youth are more likely to be criminalized and face added challenges in society because of racial stereotyping. The goal of this thesis therefore was to explore the experiences of Jamiacan immigrant youth in Kitchener and Toronto, Ontario through an investigation …

Narrowed Interpersonal Worlds: Gender Differences In Affiliation-Focus And Dominance-Focus, Oshrat A. Hodara

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research is to investigate whether there are gender differences in the perceptions of affiliations of dominance behaviour over a large sample of social interactions. We were particularly interested in the variability of these perceptions and whether they differ in men’s and women’s perceptions of themselves and others. This research utilizes the framework of interpersonal theory, in which the two main features of people’s behaviour, affiliation and dominance, are proposed to be unrelated to each other and form a circumplex structure. In study 1, a subset of personality adjectives was selected, which demonstrated good circumplex structure. These …

Evapotranspirative Controls In A Low Arctic Tundra Environment, Daring Lake, Nwt, Canada, Shawn Lecompte

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Determining the extent to which changes in vegetation assemblages influence evapotranspiration in the Arctic could potentially contribute to a more realistic estimation of evaporation in a warming climate.

This project aims to determine whether variations in PET and AET rates measured at six tundra vegetation communities can be attributed to the differing vegetation. This will provide a more realistic estimate of change in the water and energy cycles, as well as evaporative processes for a warmer future, caused by enhanced global warming. Predictions of temperature and precipitation regarding future climate in Canada’s Western low Arctic vary greatly. The majority of …

Embracing Life After Breast Cancer: Exploring The Holistic Health Of Survivors, Christine Yakiwchuk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Health, from a holistic perspective, is more than physical well-being. The experience and treatment of breast cancer has an impact beyond physical health, with psychological, social, and spiritual factors playing a role in wellness. Physically, treatment such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy often have disruptive side effects such as, fatigue, breast soreness, nausea, vomiting, hair loss and weight gain, as well as the possibility of losing one or both breasts (Mustain et al., 2002). Psychologically and emotionally, women may experience anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, fear and repression, psychological distress and persistent fears of recurrence (Glanz & Lerman, 1992). The goal …

A Comparison Of The Perceptions Of Risk And Health Between Old Order Mennonites And Mainstream Society In The Grand River Valley: A Cross-Cultural Analysis, Ewa Dabrowska-Miciula

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The role of culture in the geography of health and technological hazard perception research is an important and relatively recent avenue of research. This dissertation contributes to this research by exploring cross-cultural differences in health and risk perceptions and by examining the relationship between health and place. It involves an in-depth examination of perceptions and meaning of health, as they exist in the local context. It is the first geographical research conducted with individual members of the Old Order Mennonite community considering perceptions of health, technological hazard and understandings of environmental risk.

The studied communities are situated at an agricultural/industrial …

Using Measures Of Print To Predict Reading Ability And Children At-Risk For Reading Disabilities In Spanish-Speaking Second Language Learners, Amy K. Grant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Due to the changing nature of Canadian society, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of literature focusing on second language reading acquisition. In this particular study, Spanish-speaking students learning English as a second language (L2) were compared to students who speak English as a first language (L1) on various measures of reading ability and specifically on measures of print exposure, which assess extracurricular reading. Past literature on print exposure has found that print exposure questionnaires serve as significant predictors of variance in reading comprehension, word reading, among other variables (e.g., Cunningham & Stanovich, 1993). The current study …

Social Anxiety And Rumination: The Effects Of Alcohol, Susan Reed Battista

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Previous reserach has found a positive relationship between social anxiety and rumination. A positive relationship has also been found between social anxiety and alcohol use in clinical samples. The current study investigated how alcohol affected levels of rumination in socially anxious and non-socially anxious individuals. It was expected that consuming alcohol would decrease levels of rumination in socially anxious individuals. Eighty male participants were recuited (38 high in social anxiety and 42 low in social anxiety). Most participants were White (86%), students (78%), who ranged in age from 19 to 69 (M=22 years). Individuals were randomly assigned to …

The Examination Of Fixed And Multi-Tier Source Monitoring Training With Children, Sean Curtis Cameron

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The current research consists of two studies examining children’s source monitoring training. As previous research (e.g., Thierry & Spence, 2002; Poole & Lindsay, 2002) on source monitoring training is somewhat inconsistent, this research examined two different types of source training with 3–8 year old children. In Study 1, 131 children across two age ranges (3–4 and 7–8 years) were given comparable source training to that completed by Thierry and Spence (2002). General results indicated that the training benefited 7–8 year olds at two delay times, but only benefited younger children that met the established criterion in training. In Study 2, …

The Role Of Christian Faith In The Acculturation And Identity Development Of Chinese Immigrant Youth, Lynn Chyi-Ing Liao

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Immigration is a life-altering experience that significantly contributes a context for identity formation, a critical and salient task during the years of late adolescence and emerging adulthood. Religion as a influential factor in the lives of youth has often been overlooked and considering the transnational quality of Christianity, it may have an important role to play in the acculturation and identity development of immigrant youth.

In this qualitative study, I chose to interview Chinese immigrant youth aged 18-23, who are recent immigrants and self-identify as Christian. The central idea of this exploratory inquiry is that each individual interprets experiences of …

Mothers Of Children Placed In Out-Of-Home Care: Everyday Realities And Child Placement Experiences, Nancy Colleen Freymond

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This qualitative study focuses on the everyday realities and child placement experiences of 31 mothers of children placed in out-of-home care in south western Ontario. The stories used in this analysis were collected for the Partnerships for Children and Families Project, a multi-year research project that is committed to developing an understanding of the lives and experiences of families and children who are served by Children's Aid Societies and/or children's mental health services. Twenty six mothers in this study were interviewed on one occasion, ranging from one to two hours in duration. Five mothers in this study had multiple interviews. …

Intra-Urban Spatial Accessibility: An Improved Methodological Approach, Jeremy W.E. Mcandrew

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The study of accessibility is commonly utilized to further the social equity debate. However, the accessibility literature is ingrained with, and perpetuates, a form of spatial error; aggregation error. The presence of this spatial error severely hinders the applicability of accessibility research in the study of our environment. This thesis seeks to eliminate forms of spatial error from the study of accessibility through the use of comprehensive high resolution spatial information. A service accessibility study is undertaken utilizing origin data collected at the parcel level, while destinations are represented by a diverse and detailed database identifying businesses which cater to …

Impacts Of Organized Sport On Family Life And Travel Demand, Jodi Murray

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In response to the rise in popularity of children’s organized sport there is a need to further our understanding of its impacts, both on family-life and on travel demand. Sport participation has become an integral part of raising children, and its typically rigid structure has significant impacts on many aspects of daily life and management. In order to meet the deamnds of a sport lifestyle, families depend on the “family van” as the main mode of transportation; thus increasing recreation travel. This thesis utilized mixed quantitative/qualitative methods to explore the relationship between youth hocky participation, family life and travel demand. …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 8 2007, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Controlling Listeria Monocytogenes On Ready-To-Eat Poultry Products Using Carboxymethylcellulose Film Coatings Containing Green Tea Extract (Gte) Combined With Nisin And Malic Acid, Brittany Adams, N. Hettiarachchy, M. G. Johnson

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The ability to control Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat poultry products using carboxymethyl-cellulose film coatings containing green tea extract (GTE), malic acid (M), nisin (N), and their combinations was evaluated. The antimicrobials (GTE: 1.0%, nisin: 10,000 IU/g, malic acid: 1.0%) were incorporated alone or in combination into a carboxymethyl cellulose film coating. Pre-inoculated, fully cooked chicken pieces (~1g, 1cm x 1cm x 1cm) were coated with the film solution. The coated chicken pieces were stored at 4°C and the inhibitory activity against Listeria monocytogenes was evaluated at 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. The highest inhibitory activity was found in …

Differences In Junior High, High School, And College Coaches’ Self-Perceptions Of Behavior, Scott D. Salthun

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine coaches' self-perceptions of their competence in (a) training and instruction, (b) positive feedback, and (c) social support. Also, differences in coaches' gender, competitive level, leadership style, gender of athletes, age, and number of years coaching were investigated in relation to their self-perceptions. A modified questionnaire from Ipinmoroti (2002) was used as the instrument in this study. The questionnaire included three of the five subscales of the leadership scale for sport: (a) training and instruction, (b) positive feedback, and (c) social support. A total of 85 coaches participated in this study. A series …

Beyond Westphalia: Competitive Legalization In Emerging Transnational Regulatory Systems, Errol E. Meidinger

Contributions to Books

Published as Chapter 7 in Law and Legalization in Transnational Relations, Christian Brütsch & Dirk Lehmkuhl, eds.

This paper analyzes several emerging transnational regulatory systems that engage, but are not centered on state legal systems. Driven primarily by civil society organizations, the new regulatory systems use conventional technical standard setting and certification techniques to establish market-leveraged, social and environmental regulatory programs. These programs resemble state regulatory programs in many important respects, and are increasingly legalized. Individual sectors generally have multiple regulatory programs that compete with, but also mimic and reinforce each other. While forestry is the most developed example, similar …

Perceptions Of Security And Attitudes Towards Cultural Diversity And Immigration Amongst Uk Migrants In Western Australia, Nikki Isaacson

Theses : Honours

Psychological research conducted within the field of ethnic relations has revealed a strong relationship between an individual's perception of threat to their ethnocultural group and their attitudes towards the entrance and presence of other ethnocultural groups within a society. The relationship is such that the greater threat that an individual perceives, the more likely they are to hold negative attitudes. This paper provides a review of research that has investigated this relationship; revealing that although a distinct negative correlation exists between perceived threat and intercultural attitudes, a number of factors influence the relationship. Factors discussed throughout this review include the …

Social Attributions Of Asymptomatic Women Towards Anorexia Nervosa: A Qualitative Study, Natalie Mcdonald

Theses : Honours

Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been identified as a complex, potentially lethal medical and psychological disorder, typically associated with a poor prognosis (Nordbo, Espeset, Gulliksen, Skarderud, & Holte, 2006; Signorini, De Filippo, Panico, De Caprio, Pasanisi, & Contaldo, 2007, 2007; Strober, Freeman, Lampert, Diamond, Teplinsky, & DeAntonio, 2006). The current review highlights the social and psychological elements attributed to AN by sufferers (Kelley, 1973; Nordbo et al., 2006; Woolrich, Cooper, & Turner, 2006), and through a social-cognitive explanation of attribution theory, identified the conceptual relevance of lay attributions towards AN and the lack of researched connection between the two concepts (Furnham …

Externalising Behaviour Problems And The Influence Of Classroom Environments In The Early School Years ; Student-Teacher Relationships And Teacher Discipline: Their Relation To The Externalising Behaviours Of Kindergarten To Year 1 Students, Emma Spencer

Theses : Honours

Some of the most influential people in a child's life are the teachers who aid them in their transition into the education system and the complex social environment that it brings (Blancher & Eisenhower, 2006). Children who display externalising behaviours early in childhood often experience greater difficulties than other children when entering school and throughout their education experience (Hinshaw, Lahey & Hart, 1993; Liu, 2004). The student-teacher relationship established within the classroom and the disciplinary measures utilized by the teachers can have a profound impact on the child's development both academically and socially (Galen & Underwood, 1997; Hamre & Pianta, …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Sense Of Belonging And The Possible Impact On Adolescent Development, Debra E. York

Theses : Honours

The nature of adolescence has been identified as a time of vast biopsychosocial changes that take place within a dynamic environment. The interplay between the individual developmental changes and the surrounding changing environments has been considered in relation to the development of depression during adolescence. Research has indicated that depression elevates during adolescence (Cicchetti & Toth, 1998). Both normative and non-normative changes pertinent to the adolescent have been identified as risk factors. Social support from family, peers and teachers has been found to facilitate positive influences to the adolescent's psychological and emotional well being. Particularly the role teachers' play in …

An Other(Ed) Handmaid's Tale : Child Care Workers: Seen But Not Heard, Kathrine Alice Sarah Whitty

Theses : Honours

Child care workers seem to have been forever assigned the lowest rung on the career ladder. Their low status has been attributed to several intractable factors: the socially devalued 'caring' nature of the role; the relatively small, disparate and non-hierarchically structured workplace; intimate association with an increasingly more marginalized group - children in their early childhoods; and an assumed complicity with a pseudo-surrogacy role of mother rendering them transgressors within a pro-natalist landscape. The institution of exclusive maternal care, for children prior to school, holds fast against the inexorable call for women to paid work. This dilemma resonates strongly within …