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2011

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Articles 18601 - 18630 of 19540

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Impact Of Race And Psychosocial Factors On Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Young Adults In The Prodrome To Psychosis : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At The Center For Intervention Development And Applied Research, Boston, Massachusetts, Paula Daniela Mazzotta Jan 2011

The Impact Of Race And Psychosocial Factors On Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Young Adults In The Prodrome To Psychosis : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At The Center For Intervention Development And Applied Research, Boston, Massachusetts, Paula Daniela Mazzotta

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Few studies have examined how the mental health system in the U.S. presents barriers to help seeking especially among non-White populations. The purpose of this investigation was to identify racial disparities and psychosocial barriers to help seeking among clients in the prodrome to psychosis vulnerable to progression into schizophrenia. Using secondary data from a mixed-methods questionnaire, this study collected descriptive data relaying the perspectives of People of Color and their White prodrome counterparts on their perceived needs, attitudes, and experiences of professional mental health services. Using a sample (N=15) of prodromal individuals in the Boston-metro area, a semi-structured questionnaire measured …

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Moving From The Couch To The Mat : Clinicians And The Practice Of Yoga, Their Practice And Recommendations Of Yoga As An Adjunct To Therapy, Sarah Maria Mcnulty Jan 2011

Moving From The Couch To The Mat : Clinicians And The Practice Of Yoga, Their Practice And Recommendations Of Yoga As An Adjunct To Therapy, Sarah Maria Mcnulty

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory/descriptive survey was to inquire of therapists who might or might not have a personal yoga practice, whether they recommend it to their clients as an adjunct to therapy. There has been an increasing research literature regarding the treatment of both physical and mental health issues with body work modalities that go beyond traditional –talking cure– interventions; yoga has been shown in some such studies to have positive influence on the lives of those who practice it, including clinicians themselves for purposes of self-care and avoiding burnout. Questions posed by the current survey were –Do clinicians …

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An Exploration Of The Potential Interplay Between Mood Disorder And The Artistic Process, Daphne Nayar, Daphne Kaur Nayar Jan 2011

An Exploration Of The Potential Interplay Between Mood Disorder And The Artistic Process, Daphne Nayar, Daphne Kaur Nayar

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide a deeper understanding of the complex reciprocal interplay between an artist's diagnosable mood symptoms and his or her creative process through the personal narrative of the artists. To this end, 15 artists of both solitary and performance orientated disciplines were interviewed utilizing a semi-structured open-ended interview format. These artists included painters, poets, an actor, a performing artist, vocalists and musicians, who had all considered themselves to be professional artists for at least five years. As part of the inclusion criteria, each of the artists had been diagnosed with either Depression (Dysthymia …

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Environmental Racism : Exploring Suffering And Healing Through Collective Resistance, Brooke Allison Moore Jan 2011

Environmental Racism : Exploring Suffering And Healing Through Collective Resistance, Brooke Allison Moore

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical study was undertaken to explore how trauma theory can broaden our understanding of the psychological impact of environmental racism, and how liberation theory could be utilized to better prepare social workers to identify and understand the impact of environmental racism in the lives of clients and elucidate the role the profession should play in alleviating this form of oppression. Aspiring to examine the phenomenon and each of the theories from the vantage point of a perspective that falls outside of a dominant lens, this study explored race-based traumatic stress as a crucial element of a comprehensive definition of …

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Can Analysis Align With Antiracism? : An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Psychoanalysts Working Toward Social Justice, Madeline Rae Nussbaum Jan 2011

Can Analysis Align With Antiracism? : An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Psychoanalysts Working Toward Social Justice, Madeline Rae Nussbaum

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This research study is an exploration of the ways in which practicing psychoanalysts work towards antiracism in clinical practice. The study is based on an independent and in-depth investigation of 9 practicing psychoanalysts who self-identify as committed to the goals of antiracism. The study examines the ways in which theoretical orientation, analytic training, and clinical practice experience impact the analysts' commitment to antiracism and their ability to feel effective in their work. The study was designed using the constructivist grounded theory method for data collection and analysis. This method takes into account the social location of the participants and the …

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The Invisible Home Front : Impact, Coping, And Needs Assessment Of Family And Friends Of Unmarried U.S. Military Service Members Deployed To Iraq And Afghanistan, Sarah Elizabeth Keyes Jan 2011

The Invisible Home Front : Impact, Coping, And Needs Assessment Of Family And Friends Of Unmarried U.S. Military Service Members Deployed To Iraq And Afghanistan, Sarah Elizabeth Keyes

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Purpose: U.S. military institutions define service members' loved ones as including only dependent (married) spouse and children and provide information and support services to this group. However, around 50% of active duty military service members are unmarried and have "nondependent" loved ones such as parents, siblings, significant others, and friends who cannot access any of the military-provided information and support services. The aim of this study was to document the impact of war zone deployments on the family, significant others, and friends of unmarried service members and their coping methods, and to describe the support resources needed by this group. …

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The Implications Of Physical Beauty Norms On Gender Identity Development, Sexual Identity Formation, And Sense Of Self In The Femme Queer Community, Megan Oberdorfer Jan 2011

The Implications Of Physical Beauty Norms On Gender Identity Development, Sexual Identity Formation, And Sense Of Self In The Femme Queer Community, Megan Oberdorfer

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study sought to ascertain what physical beauty norms are present in the femme queer community and how these standards of beauty influence the experience of women who selfidentify as femme and queer. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with 10 participants that selfidentified as female, femme, and queer, this qualitative study examined how standards of beauty in the femme queer community affect one's sense of gender identity, the process of one's sexual identity formation, and one's sense of self. For the purpose of this study, the term queer serves an inclusionary function and is used to define a wide range of sexual …

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"Living In Front Of A Mirror" : Staff Members' Perspectives On Living And Working In Residential Therapeutic Communities, Rebecca Sierra Shulman Jan 2011

"Living In Front Of A Mirror" : Staff Members' Perspectives On Living And Working In Residential Therapeutic Communities, Rebecca Sierra Shulman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study was developed in order to gather information on residential therapeutic communities for individuals in mental health recovery. Although there is much literature on the therapeutic community modality, little is written about residential therapeutic communities (RTCs) in which staff members alongside clients in the community. The researcher was interested in gathering perspectives of current and former staff members who have worked and lived in such communities. Ten participants from two separate residential therapeutic communities in New England were interviewed. Participants must have shared a home with clients for at least 3 months. All participants were asked open-ended questions …

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The Lies That Bind : Heteronormative Constructions Of "Family" In Social Work Discourse, Cassie Maude Peterson Jan 2011

The Lies That Bind : Heteronormative Constructions Of "Family" In Social Work Discourse, Cassie Maude Peterson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The social work profession has a long, enduring history and commitment to American families, and has often led the way in embracing alternative family arrangements. Gay and lesbian families are gaining more political visibility and lobbying for the rights and protections from which they were previously excluded. Therefore, this study is an analysis of social work's contemporary, defining representations of gay and lesbian families. Twelve, gay and lesbian "family" research studies were culled from the database, Social Work Abstracts, and subjected to queer discourse analysis in order to illuminate how these alternative family forms are being constructed within the discipline …

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Personal Experiences Of Formerly Obese Individuals Maintaining Significant Weight Loss : A Descriptive Study : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At The Weight Management Program Of San Francisco, Inc., San Francisco, California, Jennifer L. Simon Jan 2011

Personal Experiences Of Formerly Obese Individuals Maintaining Significant Weight Loss : A Descriptive Study : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At The Weight Management Program Of San Francisco, Inc., San Francisco, California, Jennifer L. Simon

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explored and described how psychological processes relate to maintaining significant weight loss. The goals for this study were to add to the weight literature the personal experiences of individuals maintaining significant weight loss and to better understand the needs of these individuals so as to develop psychological interventions that are effective in assisting with successful weight loss maintenance (WLM) and in reducing the perceived difficulty of WLM. Twelve formerly obese adults currently engaged in WLM, recruited primarily from The Weight Management Program of San Francisco, Inc., were interviewed about their perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and self-concepts as they reflected …

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Antisociality, Childhood Sexual Trauma, And Cognitive Distortions Surprisingly Not Predictive Of Deviant Sexual Arousal In Male Sex Offenders Who Have Abused Children, Amanda Klein Slatus Jan 2011

Antisociality, Childhood Sexual Trauma, And Cognitive Distortions Surprisingly Not Predictive Of Deviant Sexual Arousal In Male Sex Offenders Who Have Abused Children, Amanda Klein Slatus

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

In this study I examined potential predictive factors of deviant arousal. Variables were chosen based on the relationship shown in previous literature between variables and sex offending and recidivism. The sample for this analysis consisted of 100 incarcerated sex offenders who completed the Life History Survey (Burton, 2003). This is a subset of the sample surveyed by Burton (2003). The hypotheses of this study were that antisociality, childhood sexual trauma, and cognitive distortions would each be predictive of deviant arousal and the interaction between the variables would be the strongest predictor of deviant arousal. No predictive relationships were found and …

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Listening For The Unconscious : An Exploration Of Lacanian Clinical Perspectives Applied To Social Work Practice, Katharine Barbey Thomas Jan 2011

Listening For The Unconscious : An Exploration Of Lacanian Clinical Perspectives Applied To Social Work Practice, Katharine Barbey Thomas

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explores clinical perspectives based on the work of Parisian psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan (1901-1981) applied to social work practice. Through in-depth interviews with five Lacanian clinicians residing in North America, this study asks what the unconscious as a clinical reality offers social workers in incorporating and listening for yet another dimension of human experience. The findings from the interviews will contribute to a critical reflection on social work's core values outlined in the code of ethics under the headings of "service," "social justice," "dignity and worth of the person," and "the importance of human relationships". In turn, this …

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Exploring The Experiences Of Lesbian Couples Using Fertility Services, Sarah Caitlin Williams Jan 2011

Exploring The Experiences Of Lesbian Couples Using Fertility Services, Sarah Caitlin Williams

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explores the experience of lesbian couples that have used, are using, or attempted to use fertility services since 2003. Thirty-three self identified lesbian women who were in a lesbian relationship at the time of using fertility services participated in the study by completing an online survey consisting of primarily open ended questions. Demographic information such as age and race were asked about both member of the couple.. Findings were analyzed using content analysis. Participant narratives revealed the complexities, challenges, successes, supports relied upon and obstacles encountered when using fertility services; as well as the strength and resiliency …

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Voices Being Heard : Experiences Of Adults With Congenital Hearing Loss Being Raised In Hearing Families, Kimberly Anne Wedner Jan 2011

Voices Being Heard : Experiences Of Adults With Congenital Hearing Loss Being Raised In Hearing Families, Kimberly Anne Wedner

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative research was conducted to study how people with congenital hearing loss experienced the impact of being raised in families where all other members were hearing. Literature pertaining specifically to people with congenital hearing loss was limited. Therefore this study reviewed previous written works mainly on families with a deaf member and linked them to the topic of people with congenital hearing loss in hearing families. The literature spoke to the importance of family members collectively contributing to the needs of a person with a disability on many levels. The theoretical framework of family therapy was used to study …

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Homing Geographies : Sexuality And Community Among Homeless Youth In Los Angeles, Heather Chelsey Wollin Jan 2011

Homing Geographies : Sexuality And Community Among Homeless Youth In Los Angeles, Heather Chelsey Wollin

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Scholarly literature on sexuality and homeless youth has focused almost exclusively on young people nested within a culture of risk on the streets. This study broadens the body of work on this population by exploring how homeless and runaway youth in Los Angeles make meaning of their sexualities. While these individuals are extremely vulnerable and fragile, they also display remarkable resilience. Researchers conducted two sets of in person, semi-structured interviews with six homeless youth at a homeless service agency in Los Angeles as part of an HIV peer intervention project. The interviews focused on sex education and messages about sexuality, …

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Feelings Of Preparedness In Assessing, Preventing And Treating Suicide Among Social Work Graduates, Katherine H. O'Brien Jan 2011

Feelings Of Preparedness In Assessing, Preventing And Treating Suicide Among Social Work Graduates, Katherine H. O'Brien

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Research on suicide assessment and prevention is limited in the social work field although social workers are the largest group of mental health practitioners treating individuals experiencing suicidal ideation. Recent literature points out social workers receive less than two hours training in suicidology during their graduate training programs. This study evaluates levels of preparedness and comfort in assessing and preventing suicide based on graduate training opportunities for MSW's. The study analyzed data received from 58 completed online surveys. Major findings show that social workers who received training on suicide assessment and prevention in their field placement internships were more prepared …

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The Hilltown Elder Network : A Study In Service To Elders : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At The Hilltown Community Development Center, Chesterfield, Ma., Deborah Grande Jan 2011

The Hilltown Elder Network : A Study In Service To Elders : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At The Hilltown Community Development Center, Chesterfield, Ma., Deborah Grande

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study assessed the value and efficacy of in-home services offered by The Hilltown Elder Network (HEN). Pre-existing data first obtained through an annual "Client Satisfaction Survey" issued by HEN administration to HEN clients during FY 2010 was examined. Of the 100 surveys mailed, sixty-nine program participants between the ages of 62 and 95 years, the median age being 84, responded. The agency-designed mixed methods survey functioned to solicit program input, to gauge participant satisfaction and also operated as a tool to gather necessary data for program funding. The objective of the HEN Program was to help seniors to remain …

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What Factors Deter Self-Identified White Anti-Racist Social Workers From Interrupting Acts Of Racism In Interpersonal Interactions, Mary Jane Panke Jan 2011

What Factors Deter Self-Identified White Anti-Racist Social Workers From Interrupting Acts Of Racism In Interpersonal Interactions, Mary Jane Panke

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Current National Association of Social Workers codes, mandates, and policies require members to work to end racism. Although there is a strong need for social workers to consistently act against racism there are times social workers choose not to interrupt racism in interpersonal interactions. This study was interested in learning how social workers understand their decisions not to act against racism to gain a better understanding of the barriers to interrupting racism. This information may assist social workers in meeting their personal and professional obligations to combat racism. Ten self-identified White anti-racist social workers were interviewed for this qualitative study. …

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The Door(S) Of No Return : How The Legacy Of Slavery Impacts Birth Outcomes For African American Women, Jennifer Baxendale Lally Jan 2011

The Door(S) Of No Return : How The Legacy Of Slavery Impacts Birth Outcomes For African American Women, Jennifer Baxendale Lally

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical study will explore the health disparity between the birth outcomes for white Americans and African Americans. Over the past five years there has been an increase in the literature coming out of the medical community examining this disparity. The recent interest has to do, in part, with the unresolved mystery these stark discrepancy posses. Through an exploration of historical developments beginning with the trans Atlantic slave through to the current state of African American women's reproductive health I will attempt to expand the understanding of how we as a society might better address the great imbalance in health …

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Perceptions Of Treating Professionals : A Pilot Study Conducted With Employees Of The Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital In Bedford, Ma, Alanna Rose Sieck Jan 2011

Perceptions Of Treating Professionals : A Pilot Study Conducted With Employees Of The Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital In Bedford, Ma, Alanna Rose Sieck

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The objective of this study is to gather information from mental health professionals at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts about how they perceive patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). By building on research that has already been conducted, the purpose of this study is to understand if individuals with BPD are stigmatized against by medical professionals. The primary question is whether or not BPD is thought to be synonymous with "difficult" or "hard to treat," leading to less effective treatment. This research will be conducted through an anonymous survey that will be emailed to members …

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Global Leadership Competencies In Theory And Practice, Laura Jean Franklin Jan 2011

Global Leadership Competencies In Theory And Practice, Laura Jean Franklin

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In the world of business, a twofold increase in global practices is expected between 2005 and 2029 (Alon & Higgins, 2005). Consequently, today’s multinational leaders require a combination of skills that differ significantly from yesterday’s domestic or “boundary-confined” leaders. This thesis provides an in-depth look at five key competencies attributed to leadership success from the cosmopolitan perspective. These five areas or elements are: An ethical perspective, a global mindset, a tolerance for ambiguity, an acceptance of complexity, and emotional and cultural intelligences. A literature review examines the theoretical and empirical findings related to global leadership, cosmopolitanism and each of the …

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Food And The Urgency Of Now, Kevin W. Concannon Jan 2011

Food And The Urgency Of Now, Kevin W. Concannon

Maine Policy Review

Kevin W. Concannon, undersecretary for food and nutrition services in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, discusses the necessity for food and nutrition programs, both because of the increase in hunger in the country and because of the rise in obesity. He notes that the focus on local and healthier foods is important in addressing both hunger and poor nutrition.

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It’S Growing Season For Maine’S Food System, Deborah Felder Jan 2011

It’S Growing Season For Maine’S Food System, Deborah Felder

Maine Policy Review

In the introduction to this special issue, guest editor Deb Felder lays out the elements of a sustainable food system. She notes that the increased interest in more ecologically sustainable, safe, humane, and economical community-supported food systems has “put Maine in the forefront of the food movement.”

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Bringing Local Foods To The Farm Bill, Chellie Pingree Jan 2011

Bringing Local Foods To The Farm Bill, Chellie Pingree

Maine Policy Review

U.S. House Representative Chellie Pingree addresses the importance of revising the Federal Farm Bill to provide greater support to small, local farms if Maine and the nation are to have a sustainable food system..

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Economic Contribution Of Maine’S Food Industry, Todd M. Gabe, James C. Mcconnon Jr., Richard Kersbergen Jan 2011

Economic Contribution Of Maine’S Food Industry, Todd M. Gabe, James C. Mcconnon Jr., Richard Kersbergen

Maine Policy Review

Using existing state and federal data and Maine IMPLAN, a state-of-the-art economic modeling system, the authors present an overview of the economic contributions of Maine’s food industry. This includes food makers (farms, fisheries, food-processing companies) and food sellers (grocery stores, direct sales, restaurants). Each play a unique, but interconnected, role in the Maine economy and add up to significant economic impact.

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Growing Maine’S Foodscape, Growing Maine’S Future, Laura Lindenfeld, Linda Silka Jan 2011

Growing Maine’S Foodscape, Growing Maine’S Future, Laura Lindenfeld, Linda Silka

Maine Policy Review

Maine is experiencing a culinary renaissance. Creativity and entrepreneurship linked with culture and tradition are making Maine a food destination and a unique “foodscape.” Laura Lindenfeld and Linda Silka explore this convergence and its poten­tial to create jobs, protect assets, and support commu­nity values.

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Welcome To Portland; Now Let’S Eat, Hilary Nangle Jan 2011

Welcome To Portland; Now Let’S Eat, Hilary Nangle

Maine Policy Review

This case study describes how nationally-acclaimed chefs and restaurants and the farm-to-table movement have led to Portland, Maine becoming a major culinary tourism destination.

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Maine’S Food System: An Overview And Assessment, D. Robin Beck, Nikkilee Carleton, Hedda Steinhoff, Daniel Wallace, Mark Lapping Jan 2011

Maine’S Food System: An Overview And Assessment, D. Robin Beck, Nikkilee Carleton, Hedda Steinhoff, Daniel Wallace, Mark Lapping

Maine Policy Review

From an agrarian and seafaring past, Maine’s food system has seen profound changes over the past two centuries. Grain, milk, livestock, fish, potatoes, vegetables and fruits used to come from small, family farms. Today, most people in Maine don’t know where their food comes from. Many are dependent on federal, state and local “emergency food systems” such as food stamps, food pantries, and childhood nutrition programs. Food-processing facilities, distribution systems, and value-added products are in short supply. Nevertheless, Maine has a diversity and abundance of food prod­ucts. In this article, the authors provide a historical overview and current analysis of …

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Farms And The Working Landscape, John Piotti Jan 2011

Farms And The Working Landscape, John Piotti

Maine Policy Review

After years of losing farms and farmers, Maine is seeing an increase in the number of acres being farmed, due partly to a resurgence of interest in farming and new tools that help preserve working landscapes. These tools include agricul­tural easements such as those offered by the Land for Maine’s Future, the Buy/Protect/Sell program at Maine Farmland Trust, local ordinances, and several federal programs

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An Abundant Food System, Russell Libby Jan 2011

An Abundant Food System, Russell Libby

Maine Policy Review

Russell Libby imagines what an abundant food system would look like for Maine and what it would take to get there. His recommendations include expanding the production and financing base, encouraging year-round production systems, building up mid-sized markets, and integrating farms into the ecosystem

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