Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Louisiana Department Of Children And Family Services : A Case Study Of Child Welfare Workers' Burnout, Crystal Ward

LSU Master's Theses

Social work can be an extremely gratifying profession. However, social workers who are exposed to graphic realities related to vulnerable and traumatized individuals and families may experience challenging workload demands and increased levels of burnout. To best understand and support these key human service workers, it is important to investigate variables influencing levels of burnout. In this study, the author examined whether specific individual worker characteristics contribute to burnout among child welfare workers in Louisiana. Characteristics were compared to individual variables such as job tenure, agency department, supervisor/front line worker, and educational background. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) was completed …

The Blessing Of The Fleet : Heritage And Identity In Three Gulf Coast Communities, Audriana Hubbard

LSU Master's Theses

Annual Blessing of the Fleet festivals are held throughout communities all along the Gulf Coast; each year boats parade down local waters to receive the blessing of the priest before the opening of the shrimp season. The shrimping industry has a long history in the area and has become intrinsically tied to local individual and community identities. This thesis investigates three festivals held in Chauvin and Morgan City, Louisiana, and Biloxi, Mississippi to understand how the festival is used by participants as a way of negotiating their shrimping identities in a changing socio-economic environment. The tourism and the oil industries …

Schizotypy: The Dynamic Relationship Between Trait And State Processes, Rebecca K. Macaulay

LSU Master's Theses

Importantly, elevations in emotional reactivity to stress are often found in individuals vulnerable for psychosis. This study investigated several meaningful factors that appear to either increase vulnerability to stress (degree of schizotypy traits, trait negative affect, low perceived control, and impaired selective attention), or increase resiliency to stress (trait positive affect). A modified Posner spatial-cueing task utilizing affective cues was employed to assess selective attention within a neutral and an uncontrollable stressor condition. Between group differences (high, medium and low in schizotypy traits) and interactions between affective traits, state affect, and perceived control were evaluated in order to shed light …

Cognitive Performance As A Predictor Of Functional Capacity In Schizophrenia, Tracey Lauren Auster

LSU Master's Theses

Previous literature has demonstrated that persons with schizophrenia suffer from cognitive deficits and struggle with deficits in everyday living skills, two areas of functioning thatare related in some way. Nearly all cognitive domains are affected in schizophrenia, and most of them have been associated with poor functioning. Therefore, a possible link is the existence of an attentional bottleneck where the demands of attentional load and the lack of attentional resources to handle these demands, decreases capacity to carryout everyday living skills. Researchers have suggested the existence of a structural bottleneck that limits individuals’ ability in the use of cognitive resources. …

The Effects Of Interactivity And Involvement On Users' Attitude Toward And Perception Of Brands And Purchase Intent On Facebook, Christina Persaud

LSU Master's Theses

Communications practitioners have long studied factors related to consumers’ impressions of brands as well as their intent to purchase from brands. While early research has focused on traditional advertising methods, newer research is geared towards understanding how interactive features are changing this relationship. The rise of newer computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies, specifically social media, has lead to many changes in the way organizations market their brands as they allow for unique, interactive communication between an organization and its publics. While the notion of interactivity, a core feature of CMC, has no one definition, researchers continue to examine its effects within …

The Reintegration Experiences Of Ex-Child Soldiers In Liberia, Gracie E. Brownell

Social Work Dissertations

Previous researchers have reported the lasting effects of child soldiering and the difficulties that ex-child soldiers experience as they transition to civilian living. The primary purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding about the reintegration experiences and meaning of reintegration as perceived by ex-child soldiers located in or near Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia. Furthermore, this study explores participants' expectations, perceptions of the reintegration process as well as contributing factors and obstacles to reintegration that helped shaped their reintegration experience within the context of Liberia. A phenomenological research design was used to study the reintegration experiences …

Professional Preparation And Practices Of Child Custody Evaluators: A Comparative Study Of Masters-Level And Doctoral-Level Practitioners, Aaron Robb

Social Work Dissertations

While a substantial amount of the research on child custody evaluation practices has focused on psychologists and psychiatrists, virtually none of the existing research has addressed child custody evaluation practices of social workers or other mental health professionals. This study explores and describes the training and practice differences between doctoral-level child custody evaluators, primarily psychologists, and their masters-level counterparts, who are drawn from a much wider professional background. The exact population of evaluators in the community is unknown, thus a snowball sampling method was utilized for outreach to evaluators who then provided responses to a survey instrument. Statistical comparisons of …

On Human Biological Diversity : Variation In Sexual Dimorphism Of The Skull Between African-Americans And European-Americans, Amanda Grace Kittoe

LSU Master's Theses

This study assesses sexual dimorphism of the skull in samples of African-Americans (AA) and European-Americans (EA). Morphology of the cranium is classically referenced as an indicator of sexual dimorphism in the fields of bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. Variation in size and shape of cranial elements has been found to differ significantly between ancestral populations. Abundant research suggests that patterns of sexual dimorphism also vary between ancestries. This study uses a sample of 55 AA females, 50 AA males, 49 EA females, and 49 EA males from the Hamann-Todd Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the WM Bass …

Exploration Of Comorbid Psychopathology Symptoms In Infants And Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Matthew Jason Konst

LSU Master's Theses

One area of research in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) involves efforts to better understand symptom manifestation at earlier points in an individual’s life. Researchers have consistently emphasized the importance of early intervention for children with an ASD, but the determination of the most efficacious treatment approach is often established on a case-by-case basis by taking into consideration an individual’s specific needs. The need for such individualized treatment approaches is accentuated by the high prevalence of comorbid psychopathology within the ASD population. The study of comorbid disorders among young children with ASDs has been hindered by a lack …

A Case Study Of North Texas Area Community Health Centers, Inc. And The Implementation Of Integrated Health Care, Brittany H. Eghaneyan

Social Work Theses

The purpose of this case study was to examine the implementation process of an integrated health care model in a primary care setting that serves a primarily low-income, Latino population. The main unit of analysis was semi-structured interviews that were conducted with seven clinical and administrative staff members. Additional units of analysis included direct observations, the grant application for the program, clinic reports and other related documents. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze the interviews. The results indicated that adequate training and preparation, buy-in from key personnel, possible communication barriers, tools for systematic follow-up and measurement, and organizational …

Geography Of Disability. An Analysis Based On The Socioeconomic Levels Of Two Metropolitan Areas: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon And Dallas, Texas, Silviya Pavlova Nikolova

Social Work Dissertations

This doctoral project investigated the performance of disability within two different political, cultural, and socioeconomic environments. Data were analyzed from decennial census data from Mexico (2010) and the U.S. (2000) that included a measure of disability prevalence and the activities on which disability status is assessed. In Chapter 1, the relevance of the study to the understanding of disability as a context-related matter was explained. Comparative statistics and scholarly reports on disability have been used to discuss the existing discrepancies between disability trends in developing and developed countries. An emphasis for a construction of multifactorial comparative model for disability research …

Change Management In The Information Age: Approaches Of Academic Library Administrators In Pakistani Universities’ Libraries, Sidra Shan, Maqsood A. Shaheen

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigates the understanding of senior/head librarians towards change management, what areas they consider most important for change, how they are managing the change in work place in context of information technology, acquisition of new resources, negotiating change among top and bottom level management and skill development, The study involves the supervisor librarians of fifteen public sector university libraries of Islamabad (capital of Pakistan) and Rawalpindi region as a sample and data were gathered by questionnaire, based on quantitative research method.

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letter - January 2013, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letters

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of The Information Dissemination Channels Used By The Zimbabwe Women’S Resource Centre And Network In The Provision Of Hiv/Aids Information To Women., Nancy Nhendodzashe, Collen Nhendo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In light of a high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among women in Zimbabwe, this study sought to assess the extent to which the Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) was effective in disseminating HIV/AIDS information to combat the pandemic among women. Literature reviewed that in as much as information was crucial in the fight against HIV/AIDS; there are other strategies that should be employed in combating HIV/AIDS to complement information dissemination activities such as economic empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality. The evaluation research design was used to accomplish the research objectives. The population of the study consisted …

The Use Of Icts In The Public Lbraries: A Case Study Of Oyo State Library Board, Ibadan, Nigeria, Olanike Oladunni Olaniyi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study attempts to investigate the efforts of the Oyo State Library Board in the use of ICTs among its users and staff. The study appraises the library services in the state to highlight the library services development to the populace of the state. The survey research method was adopted and questionnaire was used to collect data from 110 library users and 20 library staff within the headquarter library. The instrument contained three sections with thirty-five questions. The findings of the study reveal that despite the fact that the level of ICT literacy among the users and staff is relatively …

Practice Makes Perfect? A Retrospective Look At A Community Of Practice, Ramirose Ilene Attebury, Robert Perret, Jeremy Kenyon, Deborah Green

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Communities of practice have been touted in the organizational literature as an effective form of professional development in the workplace. When the University of Idaho Library faculty created one in the fall of 2008, they hoped the group would enhance new librarians’ understanding of publication requirements and research methods. Although the community seemed healthy during its first year, problems arose in subsequent years that led to its decline. Seeking to understand the nature of this decline, the authors conducted a survey and initiated a focus group discussion of former members. Analysis of data led the authors to identify three themes …

Publication Pattern Of Scientists Of Physical Research Laboratory (Prl), Ahmedabad, India, Nishtha Anilkumar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) is an institute of national repute and is being funded by Department of Space (Government of India). However, a bibliometric study measuring its research output has not been carried out yet. The present study is a step in that direction and tries to find the publication pattern of research carried out in the institute. The period covered is 1997 to 2006. The study aims to quantify the publication output of researchers at the institute, to study the productivity of scientists in PRL and to determine whether it conforms to the Lotka’s Law. It tries to discern …

User Satisfaction Level Of Scee Nust Islamabad Library From Library Services Quality, Naimat Ullah Shah

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of the study is to empirically investigate the relationship between the quality of services provided by the library and the level of user satisfaction from these services. The data was collected with self administered questionnaires from the SCEE NUST (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Science and Technology) library users. The study used regression analysis to analyze the data. Results show a significant positive relationship between library services quality and user satisfaction. The article also provides some practical implications based on the results. Limitations and future research directions are also mentioned.

Pervasiveness And Purposes Of Library Usage By Lis Students At The Islamia University Of Bahawalpur, Rubina Bhatti

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study was conducted to assess the frequency and purposes of the library usage by LIS students at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur. The researcher examined the usage of main library of IUB by students of 2^nd & 4^th semester of Department of Library and Information Science. Data were collected from 64 respondents through questionnaires. For data analysis, SPSS is used to determine the mean values of the reasons of library use, kind of material, access to the material, satisfaction with the library services, problem faced by the students and behavior of the library staff. The study shows …

Patrolling The Web For Pirated Content, Iram Zehra Mirza, Shahina Islam

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study is an attempt to get the insights on attitudes and behavior of people in the changing media landscape. The study highlights the online piracy of videos, games, movies, slides, mash-ups etc and addresses the impact that piracy is laying upon on the mindsets of users who are indulged in such activity. The study also signifies the reasons behind piracy, the frequency of doing so, modes of accessing, and likelihood of discontinuing the same. The study is one of its kinds which can be used as a means of awareness against the mass infringement cases which can help in …

Usability Analysis Of Homepage Of Websites Of National Libraries In Asia, Paramjeet K. Walia, Monika Gupta

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper aims to study the usability features of selected national libraries’ websites of Asia with regard to their general features of website, URL, window title, date and time, navigation, content, search and graphic and animation. A usability evaluation checklist was designed on the basis of guidelines given by Neilson and NIC (National Informative Centre) which was grouped into eight major criteria. After evaluating the homepage of selected websites under study it was found that the National Library of Japan is at rank number one among 23 national libraries of Asia and National Library of Maldives at the bottom rank. …

Open Access Literature Productivity Of Physics: A Doaj Perspective, Aswathy S, Gopikuttan A

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The World Wide Web has introduced new vistas for scholarly publishing which can be accessed online via internet. DOAJ is the most accepted and authoritative list of scholarly, peer-reviewed, fully Open Access journals. This study aims to analyze the contribution of open access literature in the subject physics through DOAJ. Directory of Open Access Journals covers literature contribution of a wide variety of subjects, countries and also different languages. Study analyses Indian contribution to DOAJ, institution-wise categorization, language-wise distribution.

Problems Associated With Newspaper Management In A Ghanaian University Library, Afia Densi Asare-Kyire, Edward Mensah Borteye Mr., Victor Teye Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper examined the collection, storage, preservation and other management practices of newspapers at the Serials Department of the KNUST Library. The study was based on the subscription statistics from April 2000 to April 2012, a period of thirteen years available at the Department.Observation was also made to augment data gathered from the newspaper statistics and analyzed descriptively. It was revealed by the statistics that newspapers are subscribed, received and collected on a daily basis (i.e. six days a week) thus creating a huge collection. It was further revealed that the newspapers are bound annually which makes it bulky and …

Acknowledgement Patterns In Annals Of Library And Information Studies 1999-2012, Gurjeet Kaur Rattan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present paper analyses the acknowledgements appearing in the research articles and short communications in Annals of Library and Information Studies covering the period 1999-2012. The acknowledgements included in this journal are further analysed in order to find out frequency of their occurrence, types, number of acknowledgements per paper, highly acknowledged individuals, and so on. The results show that slightly more than 20% of communications contain acknowledgements and an average acknowledgement per item is 1.49. The acknowledgements are of composite nature comprising of moral support, technical support, access to facilities, financial support and Peer Interactive Communication type. The most common …

Bibliometric Analysis Of Journal Of Knowledge Management Practice, 2008-2012, Nilaranjan Barik, Puspanjali Jena Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

ABSTRACT: The present study Bibliometric analysis of Journal of Knowledge Management Practice covers the 180 articles of 21 volumes in 5 years from 2008-2012. The investigators attempted to reveal the year wise distribution of articles, authorship pattern of articles, citation pattern, country wise distribution of articles, average number of citation per articles and length of papers etc. Results showed that, in the year 2011, highest 42(23.3%) articles were published out of 180 articles in 5 years. Single author contribution has predominant with 42.7%. Average numbers of citations per article are 19. In geographical distribution of articles, USA has contributed highest …

Practices In Library Staff Development: A Case Study Of Pakistan Academy For Rural Development (Pard) Library, Muhammad Arif Khan, Haroon Idrees Phd, Muhammad Mudassir Khan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study has been conducted to judge and document the initiatives taken for staff development at the library of Pakistan Academy for Rural Development (PARD) to enhance the performance of its employees for effective service delivery. This study also documents the visible change in professional improvement of library staff before and after such initiatives. The paper describes each initiative with explanation and practically applied examples showing its output and results.

This is an observational study where the data was collected through personal interviews, table-talks with employees, and annual Performance Evaluation Reports (PERs)of the subjects. Current and retrospective staff of PARD …

The Politics Of Special Collections And Museum Exhibits: A Civil War Or The War Of Northern Aggression?, Christopher J. Anderson

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This essay examines the political nature of curating special collections and museum exhibits. Exhibits are designed to draw attention to historical or contemporary issues in order for viewers to reflect on the past and to ask questions in the present. The contents of an exhibit also echo the educational backgrounds, interests, and biases of both curator and curatorial team. As a result exhibits are framed ideologically, sociologically, and even theologically in order to give voice to the voiceless and to champion certain positions from history. This essay investigates the contested nature of exhibits by highlighting their basic and complicated spectrums …

Michigan Academician, Volume 41, Issue 3

Michigan Academician

No abstract provided.

The Power Of The Hula: A Performance Text For Appropriating Identity Among First Hawaiian Youth, Cesily Hong

Doctoral Dissertations

Hawaii is an exotic land with a rich history and a culture imbued with meaning, including the performing arts. Such facets of any land need to be understood and preserved for future generations. The most significant aspect of Hawaiian arts is the hula kahiko, a text in motion, which when performed displays the story of Hawaii's past. The hula was forbidden by Protestant missionaries in the 1820's and was reduced to near cultural extinction. As a result, many First Hawaiians do not clearly understand the richness of their own history. Without this understanding, it is difficult for them to have …

Individual And Collective Diaspora Remittances In The Philippines And Korea: An Interpretation Of Narrative Identity, Communicative Action, And Recognition, Janice Gow Pettey

Doctoral Dissertations

Research Topic

This study examines the practices of sending remittances from the United States to receivers in the Philippines, and collective and individual remittances supporting reunification of Korea with the intention of providing financial support for sustainable living and community projects. The research analyzes the narratives with reference to identity and culture of diaspora Filipinos and Koreans in the United States who are remitters and donors in the United States supporting humanitarian causes in North Korea.

Research Theory and Protocol

Through critical hermeneutic theory formulated by Paul Ricoeur (2005,1992,1991,1983) and Jürgen Habermas (1981,1987,1984) and the interpretive inquiry protocol developed by …