bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Muscle Manor: the Use of Sport Metaphor and History in Sport Sociology
Authors: Klein Alan M.
Published: March 2007

This paper looks at one historical paradigm in the study of sport. Using social traits reflective of feudalism and capitalism, big time bodybuilding developed a set of seemingly contradictory institutions and values. Atavistic social and political relations were fused with a modern capitalist economic base. Two important traits in bodybuilding's ideology - dependency and individualism - are examined as reflective of these different epochs. It is shown that feudal ideology and social traits at times function to obscure capitalist relations and vice versa. The consequence of such interplay is to reinforce existing political and economic configurations by preventing competition and retarding cohesion within bodybuilding's rank and file.
Belfast United: Encouraging Cross-Community Relations through Sport in Northern Ireland
Authors: Sugden John P.
Published: March 2007

Northern Ireland is a society which has a long history of community division. It is often claimed that sport has the capacity to serve as a medium for reconciliation between rival factions. Evidence suggests to the contrary that, in its native cultural setting, sport can reflect and even exaggerate existing divisions and this tends to be the case in Northern Ireland. Belfast United is a sport based community relations programme which carefully and deliberately manipulates the conditions under which sport is played in an attempt to promote better understanding between selected groups of young Protestants and Catholics living in Belfast. The highlight of the programme involves a residential experience and playing tour in the United States. Detailed evaluations reveal that, in the short term, exercises such as this can have a significant impression on the attitudes of the participants towards those affiliated with different religious traditions. The long term impact of Belfast United is almost impossible to gauge. The paper concludes by offering a series of principles which, after further research, may be adapted as a basis for good practice in the area of sport and community relations.
BLACH RADIO'S ROLE IN SPORTS PROMOTION: SPORTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND SPONSORSHIP
Authors: Johnson Phylis
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of sport and education in community service promotional events that have been conducted by commercially licensed Black/urban radio stations. Four events were examined: The River City Football Classic in Louisville, Indianapolis' Coca-Cola Circle City Classic, Black Expo Chicago, and Unity Weekend in Philadelphia. These promotions have not only honored African American athletes, but have also encouraged African American students to participate in sport events and attend African American colleges or universities. Information was gathered through personal interviews with radio station management, newspaper clippings, stations' public files, promotional file material, and observation of the promotional events. Through creative partnerships with local business, corporate sponsors, and local government, these radio stations have been able to promote events that they could not otherwise afford. Finally, the problems inherent in the corporate sponsorship of these events by alcohol and tobacco companies will be discussed.
DRUGS, SEX, AND CRIME IN SPORT: AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Paccagnella Michelle , Grove J. Robert
Published: March 2007

An investigation was conducted into the impact of controversial publicity on perceptions of well-known sport performers. Undergraduate students (N = 106) rated six high-profile sport stars on 11 dependent variables assessing attitudes and ascribed personality characteristics. Three types of publicity were assessed: steroid use, criminal activity, and sexual stigma. Initial analyses revealed significant multivariate effects for gender, type of publicity, and the interaction of these variables. Examination of univariate effects showed generally favorable perceptions of sexually stigmatized athletes and highly negative perceptions of athletes associated with criminal acts. The results also indicated that athletes associated with the use of performance-enhancing drugs were evaluated harshly and that male / female differences existed for certain types of stigma.
RUGBY LEAGUE IN AUSTRALIA: THE SUPER LEAGUE SAGA
Authors: Rowe David
Published: March 2007

Rugby league, the most popular winter sport on the eastern seaboard of Australia, has in recent times been thrown into turmoil. The cause of this disruption was the arrival in 1995 of what in Australia is called “pay TV.” The effectiveness of sport in attracting subscribers prompted a struggle over the pay-TV rights for rugby league between Australia's two most powerful media proprietors—Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer. The result was that, after lengthy and expensive legal action, rival competitions are to commence in 1997. This short note traces the history of the fight for rugby league occasioned by the globalization, privatization, and technological development of the media. It is suggested that close attention to off-field action, especially in the media industry, is necessary for an understanding of the trajectory of contemporary sports.
THE INEQUITABLE NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF MEN'S AND WOMEN'S ATHLETICS AT SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE UNIVERSITIES
Authors: Wann Daniel L. , Schrader Michael P. , Allison Julie A. , McGeorge Kimberly K.
Published: March 2007

The current investigation extended previous research on gender inequities in media coverage of athletics. Sports sections from three university-sponsored newspapers were examined. Researchers recorded the number of male and female authors, number of articles focusing on male and female athletics, number of lines focusing on male and female athletics, and number of photos focusing on male and female athletes. Results revealed that male athletics received greater levels of coverage than did female athletics and that the percentages of female coverage were less than the percentages of female students enrolled and the percentages of female varsity sports offered at the target institutions. The inequities were greater at the two larger universities. Discussion centers on reasons underlying the findings.
SPORT, MASCULINITY, AND BLACK CULTURAL RESISTANCE
Authors: Carrington Ben
Published: March 2007

This article develops an account of the meanings associated with sport in relation to Black masculinity, and the use of sport as a form of cultural resistance to White racism. The absences within sociology of sport theorizing in relation to race are shown before examining the historical and contemporary significance of sport within racialized societies. Drawing on participant observation and semistructured interviews, an account is given of how a Black cricket club in the north of England is used by Black men as both a form of resistance to White racism and a symbolic marker of the local Black community. Three themes are traced in this regard, namely the construction of Black sports institutions as Black spaces, the use of Black sports clubs as symbolic markers of community identity, and the role of cricket as an arena of both symbolic and real racial and masculine contestation.
Neighborhood Parks
Authors: Gold Seymour M.
Published: March 2007

Most people do not use neighborhood parks. The causes and implications of nonuse are summarized. Ways to measure nonuse and a new approach to recreation planning based on user objectives are outlined. Design and management solutions are described to reduce levels of nonuse and make neighborhood parks more effective urban recreation places.
Issues in the Evaluation of Human Services Delivery
Authors: Rossi Peter H.
Published: March 2007

There is general agreement that human services (i.e., services that depend on direct inter personal contact between a deliverer and a client) are difficult to evaluate. This article points out some of the sources of this difficulty: first of all, the theories lying behind the delivery systems are often deficient. Second, delivery of such services is highly operator- dependent and hence often radically transformed in delivery, in ways that tend to negate the intended treatment effects. A strategy for the evaluation of human services delivery is proposed consisting of several steps, in which the underlying theory is first tested, next the ability of any system to deliver the services in question, and finally whether given delivery systems can deliver a relatively pure version of the service.
Recidivism Comparisons Across Groups
Authors: Lloyd Michael R. , Joe George W.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents a general solution for the estimation of the recidivism rate and the proportion of persons who will ultimately recidivate (assuming that some persons will never recidivate) based on the model proposed by Maltz and McCleary (1977). In addi tion, tests of significance for these estimates are presented. These tehniques are illustrated using data from a follow-up study of former drug abuse treatment clients.
Workers Handling Errant Youth
Authors: Gillham James , Bersani Carl , Gillham Darlene Napady , Vesalo John
Published: March 2007

Although vouth workers frequently undergo in-service training, methodological shortcomings in evaluations of these programs often obscure the effects. This article reports on a field experiment that randomly assigned school counselors, juvenile court staff, and a variety of other youth workers to a training (experimental) or control group. Results support five of eight hypotheses comparing trainees with controls in terms of (1) tech niques such as reinforcement and (2) certain attributes of interpersonal relations with the youths in caseloads as well as with these youths' parents and friends. Shortcomings in the content of the training program appear responsible for inconclusive results on one hypothesis and lack of verification of two others.
A Scaling Model for Survey Monitoring
Authors: Bechtel Gordon G.
Published: March 2007

Social indicators work has been dominated by "objective" measures expressed in various physical units (for example, crime rates). The present work is part of an attempt to correct this imbalance by providing a method for monitoring subjective indicators over different demographic segments and time points. The present monitoring model, which is based on psychometric scaling theory, is also similar to models in test theory and choice theory, and its parameters are estimated noniteratively. A principal advantage of this model, when applied to survey rating scales, stems from built-in parameters which provide for its evaluation. This evaluation reveals encouraging results in the present applications of the model to cross-classified survey data. Other potential applications, including quasi- experimental methods, are also discussed.
Title I Selection Methods and the Coverage of Disadvantaged Students
Authors: Hennessy Michael , Takata Glenn , Ames Nancy L.
Published: March 2007

This article has two purposes: to explore the effects of school and student selection pro cedures on the proportions of various student groups that have access to and/or receive Title I services, and to assess whether funding inadequacies or student selection pro cedures are responsible for current levels of Title I service to disadvantaged students. Data from a demonstration study of compensatory education are used to address both objectives.
Contraceptive Delivery Systems
Authors: Teachman Jay D. , Rahardjo Pudjo
Published: March 2007

A major goal of community-based contraceptive delivery systems is to increase contracep tive prevalence among eligible women. This goal may be accomplished b y either recruiting more acceptors, increasing the duration of contraceptive use, or some combination of both. After a brief discussion of Indonesia's family planning program, evidence is pro vided that its village-based system is more successful than its clinic-based system in stimu lating women to use contraception longer. The case is especially true when comparing the effects of contraceptive resupply in the village versus that in the clinic. Furthermore, the advantage of the village becomes stronger after instituting controls for other factors which could influence contraceptive motivation.
Statistical Distributions in Social Research
Authors: Vigderhous Gideon
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this article is to introduce social scientists to the Pearson System of Frequency Curves. This statistical procedure is an important tool in the identification of a wide range of statistical distributions from empirical data. Given that sociological phenomena are more likely to conform to various types of skewed distributions rather than the normal one, it is a methodological advantage to identify a specific skewed dis tribution which conforms to a statistical distribution. The article presents several em pirical examples in the identification of statistical distributions and provides possible useful applications in social research.
The Role of Evaluation in Mental Health
Authors: Stevenson John F. , Longabaugh Richard H.
Published: March 2007

Mental health evaluation is reviewed as a specialized branch of the field program evaluation. Historical influences on the field, current issues and techniques, and unique role requirements for the mental health evaluator are presented in a detailed review of the literature. Role demands and specific evaluation methods are described in relation to several actual and potential evaluator roles, including information monitor, summative judge of program worth, formative collaborator in program development, and change agent. Techniques reviewed include outcome measurement, goal-attainment scaling, cost- analytic procedures, epidemiology, ecological approaches, information systems, systems analysis, and peer review. The adoption of metaevaluation procedures to improve the utility of mental health evaluation efforts is advocated.
Damn the Experts and Full Speed Ahead
Authors: Datta Lois-Ellin
Published: March 2007

Views on the federal role in stimulating educational change have shiftedfrom beliefin the value of long-term efforts to develop innovations intended for specific populations to an emphasis on helping schools learn how to manage change, identifying and solving their own problems. The evaluative study of the impact of four federal demonstration pro grams, Federal Programs Supporting Educational Change is one of the main evidentiary foundations for this shift in belief. The evidence cited in the FPSEC study is compared to the claims against directed development and for local problem-solving. It is argued that the conclusions of the study are not just ified by the data presented, and that the case for the unique power of local problem-solving as a dominant metaphor of change remains to be made empirically.
Employment Changes and the Food Stamp Program
Authors: Griffin Kenyon N. , Mutti John H.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the effect of increased coal production on the food stamp program in Kentucky's coal producing counties. The linkages between coal production and employment and the food stamp program were analyzed using a two-step economic model. Changes in employment in eastern Kentucky coal producing counties were more closely tied to coal output than in western Kentucky. Thus, reductions in the number ofrecipients and food stamp expenditures were greater in the East. Projections from 1973-1976 data suggest that any future coal related growth may lead to a reduction in food stamp payments wherever production methods are more labor intensive; however, it appears that welfare recipients in coal producing regions may well be worse off as a result of economic growth stimulated by a coal boom.
Linked Raters' Judgments
Authors: Howard George S. , Maxwell Scott E.
Published: March 2007

The traditional procedure for obtaining judges' ratings to ascertain if treatment-related change has occurred involves the randomization of the materials to be rated and the separation of pretest from posttest materials. An alternative approach (linked judgments) is offered as a potential solution to certain instrumentation-related threats to statistical conclusion validity of the incumbent rating procedure. Data are presented which suggest that linked raters' judgments might provide a more powerful index of treatment effectiveness than the traditional procedure.
Prediction and Association for N-Way Classification Tables
Authors: Velicer Wayne F.
Published: March 2007

A general model for prediction and association is described for the situation in which both criterion and predictor(s) are discrete variables. The model is based on the concept ofproportion of error reduction. The related measure of association is the Goodman and Kruskal LB. The approach can be employed for the general case involving any number of predictors and the related measures of multiple and partial association are described. Although the exact sampling distribution of LB is unknown, the asymptotic standard error has been derived and can be employed for appropriate tests of significance. The prediction model is based on the use of configural patterns. A general comparison of this procedure to alternative procedures for contingency tables is discussed in terms of the purpose of the analysis
Organizational Change Efforts
Authors: Macy Barry A. , Mirvis Philip H.
Published: March 2007

This article presents two methodologies for evaluating organizational effectiveness and program costs versus benefits in organizational change programs. The first methodology describes the development of a standardized approach for identifying, defining, and measuring indicators of work behavior and performance that fit a broader concept of organizational effectiveness than traditional production and financial outcomes. The second methodology describes methods used to estimate the costs and benefits of work innovation or change programs, in terms of both economic and social utility. A framework for assessing organizational change is provided from which behavior and financial results can be estimated and compared with program costs to develop a cost-benefit ratio. Both methodologies are used to monitor and assess an extensive longitudinal quality of work life experiment.
Studying Policy Implementation
Authors: Schneider Anne L.
Published: March 2007

The conceptualframework presented in this article is intended to be used as a tool to guide the researcher toward identification of the variables that should be included in a study of policy implementation. The concepts presented are, of necessity, quite broad to permit their application across a wide range of policies and agencies. The framework focuses on two main types of concepts: those from which variables can be developed that measure the "amount" or "degree" of implementation and those that can be used to identify the as pects of a policy that need to be incorporated in the study of implementation.
Residential Conservation Program Impacts
Authors: Berry Linda
Published: March 2007

Participants in utility-sponsored residential conservation programs are systematically different from nonparticipants. As a result self-selection is an important validity threat in studies of conservation program impact. Three approaches to dealing with this self- selection bias are reviewed: (1) designs that use participants as a control group, (2) construction of a matched sample on the basis of predicted energy consumption values, and (3) multiple regression analysis. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed.
The Excluded Variable Problem in Nonrandomized Control Group Designs
Authors: Dwyer James H.
Published: March 2007

A solution to the problem of specification error due to excluded variables in statistical models of treatment effects in nonrandomized (nonequivalent) control group designs is presented. The solution relies upon longitudinal observation involving at least two pre tests. The assumptions of a single equation probit model for selection bias, structural invariance, and a first order autoregressive pattern are sufficient to identify the model and treatment effect—with one overidentifying restriction. The estimate of the treatment effect is adjusted for an unmeasured variable that influences both the dependent variable and the selection of cases into treatment and control groups. A small simulation suggests that the use of a ML estimation program such as LISREL, which assumes multivariate normality and linearity, may provide reasonable estimates of treatment effects.
The Consequences of Participant Satisfaction With Energy Conservation Programs
Authors: Goitein Bernard , Weinstein Bob
Published: March 2007

The relationship between satisfaction with a residential energy audit and reported subsequent energy conservation behavior is investigated in a stratified random sample of 500 Illinois audit recipient. Results demonstrate a weak relationship between audit satisfaction and energy conservation behavior, a finding consistent with similar satisfac tion-behavior relationships studied in the literature of social and organizational psychology. Although impacts upon energy conservation behavior do not justify concern with participant satisfaction with energy conservation programs, other theoretical justifications for such concern are identified. It is concluded, therefore, that satisfaction should be measured as part of the comprehensive evaluation of an energy conservation program.
The Effects of Youth Employment Program Participation On Later Employment
Authors: Ekstrom Ruth B. , Freeberg Norman E. , Rock Donald A.
Published: March 2007

A three-year follow-up of a national sample of 419 youth employment training program participants and356 nonparticipants of comparable background showed that participants obtained more months of employment and had greater job satisfaction. These statistically significant differences were sustained even after controlling for the effects of age, sex, race/ethnicity, economic status, and local unemployment rate as well as for preprogram levels of education and reading ability. Program effectiveness, as determined by par ticipant-control differences in months of employment, was greater for minority than nonminority youth and greater for females than for males.
Estimating Industrial Customer Response To Load Management Operations
Authors: MacDonald S. Leslie , Hennessy Michael , Peles Peter P.
Published: March 2007

This article highlights the 1984 analysis results of the Large Industrial Interruptible/ Cur tailment project, a load management program operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. The project and its operating principles are described and a method for estimation of the demand reductions is presented. After the results of the seven operations that took place during peak demand days in 1984 are summarized, the efficiency of customer performance is evaluated by comparing the magnitude of the demand relief received to the amount expected. The article concludes with a discussion of some design implications of similar efforts.
Roles of the Evaluator in Innovative Programs
Authors: Fitzpatrick Jody L.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the role of the evaluator in planning and implementing an evaluation study of a new program to train school administrators in performance appraisal skills. Models developed by Chelimsky (1987) concerning the political continuum an evaluator follows and by Rossi and Freeman (1985) concerning the evaluation of innovative pro grams are used to analyze the role of the evaluator in affecting utilization. The case illustrates the similarities and differences between the federal, policy-level programs discussed by Chelimsky and locally based programs with both program and policy-level audiences. Further, the case demonstrates the broadened role of the evaluator in assisting in planning and developing an innovative program.
Success and Failure
Authors: Deutscher Irwin , Beattie Martha
Published: March 2007

Since program participants are inclined to view evaluators as a threat to themselves and their program, and since such a perception can restrict the flow of information about a program to the evaluators, the authors attempted to avoid such alienation by assuring members that they would make no judgments of success or failure. The case is the American Sociological Association's Project to Improve Undergraduate Teaching in Sociology. A conceptual framework for the analysis is borrowed from organizational theory. Such concepts as goal succession, goal displacement, and goal perspectives help illuminate the program as an ongoing organization. The data consist of participant- observation field notes and published reports by the projects themselves.
Interactions Among Social Welfare Programs
Authors: Lewis Gordon H. , Morrison Richard J.
Published: March 2007

Social welfare is affected not only by individual progams such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), food stamps, and Medicaid, but also by the interactions among such programs and the interactions between these benefit programs and the taxation system, including not only federal income tax, but also the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), the dependent care tax credit, the earned-income tax credit, and state and local income taxes. As a prelude to understanding how the welfare system works, this article explores several specific ways in which such programs interact. It illustrates four different types of interactions: (a) the effect of one program on another, (b) the effect of one program on the whole set of additional programs, (c) the system of interacting tax and benefit reduction rates that jointly determine the cumulative marginal tax rate on income, and (d) the effects of interacting programs on the governments that create and maintain those programs. There are at least three benefits m analyzing such interactions. First, such an analysis draws attention to the complex ways in which programs affect one another; second it illustrates that the analysis of complex interactions such as this can be done; and third it provides some substantive knowledge about the nature of the present system that should be useful as issues of welfare reform are pursued.
Modified Scree Test
Authors: Race Kathryn E.H. , Planek Thomas W.
Published: March 2007

A recent Delphi study on recreational boating safety priorities is used as an illustrative example to further explore the utility of applying the modified scree test to Delphi data. After a brief overview of the Delphi method, the scree test's applicability is discussed in light of the work by Keith Zoski and StephenJurs, and the caveatspresented byJamesAltschuld and Phyllis Thomas. The procedures used in this present scree test then are described. The potential utility of the scree test, and Delphi studies in general, to evaluation research are noted.
An Evaluation of a Prototype Jobs Program Using an Event History Analysis of AFDC Cases
Authors: Barton Thomas R. , Pillai Vijayan K.
Published: March 2007

In January 1987, Kenosha County, Wisconsin implemented its work experience and job training program, a prototype job opportunities and basic skills training (JOBS) program. Kenosha's program requires participation, has broad coverage, and is relatively expensive. This article reports findings on the impacts the program has on aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) spells. The evaluation used administrative welfare data and an event history analysis. Findings suggest that Kenosha's program has no affect on AFDC-Basic spell lengths, has a positive impact on AFDC-Basic cases headed by never-married black teenagers, and has a negative impact on A FDC-Unemployed Parent cases.
Using Graphical Displays for Evaluation Data
Authors: Henry Gary T.
Published: March 2007

Graphics are widely believed to be useful ways to communicate statistical information and stimulate data analysis. Yet we often use only the most simple graphics, bar and pie charts, or tables to present data, especially with the evaluation's audcences. Little research is available to assess the effectiveness of graphical displays with evaluation audiences. Two types of graphical displays, a modified box plot and a multivariate STAR graph were compared with tables containing the same information in an experiment with five groups that comprise the audience for evaluation results. For the univariate display, the audiences for an educational evaluation were 67% accurate in interpreting evaluation results when using a graph, compared to 63% accuracy for a table. For the multivariate display, the audiences made accurate comparisons 70% of the time, but these results were bettered by those using a table (84%). However, an individual item analysis offers some guidance for designing multivariate graphics with nontech nical audiences that may be used to improve these displays.
Tracking and Follow-Up Methods for Research On Homelessness
Authors: Cohen Evan H. , Mowbray Carol T. , Bybee Deborah , Yeich Susan , Ribisl Kurt , Freddolino Paul P.
Published: March 2007

To conduct comprehensive treatment effectiveness studies, evaluators must frequently track, locate and interview service recipients long after program participation has ended. For some populations, this is an arduous task. But, despite wide variations in retention rates, the published literature from follow-up studies rarely provides information on their tracking, locating, or interviewing techniques. The present report concerns a 12-month follow-up study of individuals who were homeless and mentally ill, which achieved a remarkably high retention rate—over 70%. Quantitative information is presented on client characteristics related to locatability and agreement to be interviewed, as well as qualitative information on successful techniques, from a focus group session with research interviewers.
Program Evaluators and Ethical Challenges
Authors: Morris Michael , Cohn Robin
Published: March 2007

A random sample of American Evaluation Association members was surveyed concerning the ethical challenges they encountered in their evaluation work Respondents who indicated that they had faced such challenges differed significantly (in amount and type of evaluation experi ence, as well as professional discipline) from those who said that they had never encountered an ethical conflict. Ethical problems associated with the reporting of findings by the evaluator were, by far, the most frequently mentioned. Also frequently described were conflicts involving the misinterpretation/misuse of results by stakeholders, contracting with stakeholders, and adherence to disclosure agreements. Aframeworkfor interpreting the study's findings, based on understanding the subjective commitment of evaluators to the roles of scientist and/or helping professional, is proposed.
Evaluating Industrial R&D
Authors: Robb Walter L.
Published: March 2007

The mission of a corporate research and development laboratory is to supply leadership technology that keeps the company's businesses winning in the global marketplace. Evaluation efforts must be simple and low in cost, must contribute directly to fulfilling that mission, must not distract researchers from their main tasks, and, most important, must help build credibility in the eyes of the lab's customers, the operating businesses of the company. These points are illustrated with special reference to General Electric's Research and Development Center.
Logistic Versus Hazards Regression Analyses in Evaluation Research
Authors: Land Kenneth C. , McCall Patricia L. , Parker Karen F.
Published: March 2007

This article examines and compares the advantages of employing logistic and hazards regression techniques in assessing both the overall impact of a treatment program and the extent to which the impact varies among different client subgroups. Data gathered from the North Carolina Court Counselors' Intensive Protective Supervision Project provides a context for the application of these statistical techniques to assess this program's effectiveness. This experimental project was designed topnovide intensive supervision for status offenders who are placed under the protective supervision of the juvenile courts in North Carolina. It is found that, although intensive supervision had the desired impact of reducing the probability of delinquent offenses during the early (first year and a half) phase of the project, this effect deteriorated over the full three and a half years of the experiment. In addition, the hazards regression analysis shows that youths under intensive supervtsion failed (recidivated with status or delinquent offenses) at a more rapid rate than those under regular supervision. Implications are drawn for the management and effectiveness of intensive supervision programs.
Maximizing Response to Surveys in Health Program Evaluation At Minimum Cost Using Multiple Methods
Authors: Day Neil Atherton , Dunt David R. , Day Susan
Published: March 2007

This article shows how the use of multiple methods of follow-up can enhance the rate of response to mail questionnaires. The field design reported here consisted of an initial approach by mail, followed by reminder letters, telephone calls, and personal visits to nonrespondents. This procedure resulted in accurate identification of persons who, although included in the sampling frame, were not in the target population. This effectively removed from the sample about 12% of initially selected persons who were "out-of scope. " The follow-up activities also increased the response rate by persuading many initial nonrespondents to return questionnaires. The general elements of the design are suggested for consideration by evaluators seeking high response rates using data collection strategies that are realistic given the budgets available in small to medium size evaluations. The procedures are particularly useful in circumstances where the sampling frame is suspected of including cases outside the scope of the study.
On Becoming "At Risk" Through Drug Education
Authors: Brown Joel H. , D'Emidio Caston Marianne
Published: March 2007

This large-scale student-centered, evaluation of the California Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Education (DATE) program shows how a state policy directed toward students at risk for substance abuse shapes perceptions, influences program directions, and affects both "at-risk" and "thriving" students. Qualitative data analysis revealed that a risk-oriented policy from the state influenced educators to use the risk factor model to shape services and identify at-risk students. Despite high implementation levels of services like Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), few (if any) positive effects on either at-risk students or thriving students were found. Although the program was directed to assist at-risk students, identification often preceded detention, suspension, or expulsion. For two reasons, researchers question the validity of the risk factor model as an effective school-based substance abuse prevention tool: (a) the risk factor model is inherently difficult to implement, and (b) it is misused as an individual diagnostic tool. Implications are discussed.
A Strategy for Accurate Collection of Incremental Cost Data for Cost-Effectiveness Analyses in Field Trials
Authors: Harrow Brooke S. , Lasater Thomas M. , Gans Kim M.
Published: March 2007

With many community field trials or education interventions, the cost-effectiveness analyses are not given a high priority. However, this type of evaluation is important for purposes of future adoption of the intervention. The accurate measurement of costs can best be served by prospective collection of data This article describes a methodology for collection of cost data that coincides with the intervention implementation. This cost analysis strategy has seven discrete steps. The Minimal Contact Education for Cholesterol Change study is used as an example of the use of this strategy. This intervention provides cholesterol education at six different levels of intensity at four different sectors. The intensity levels vary along a continuum from very little education input to a maximum level of intervention that might be practical in a screening setting. The cost-effectiveness analysis component of the study will identify the incremental cost- effectiveness of each intervention along the continuum.
Introduction
Authors: Bickman Leonard , Salzer Mark S.
Published: March 2007

This article introduces the special issue on measuring quality of care. The overall purpose of this issue is to encourage an increased presence of evaluators in quality-of-care research. The sections of this special issue are devoted to conceptual issues concerning quality and the future of quality measurement. They include a description of current governmental and pnvate efforts in measuring quality, a brief report on quality measurement efforts in Great Britain, and four quality-of-care research reports.
Managed Behavioral Health Care Premises, Accountable Systems of Care, and Ambha's Perms
Authors: Ross E. Clarke
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the concepts and approaches underlying managed behavioral health care and the need to assess quality of care. The author describes the Performance Measures for Managed Behavioral Healthcare Programs (PERMS) developed by the American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association (AMBHA), which is offered as a first step toward enhanced quality of care assessment in managed behavioral health care.
Anorexia as Symbolic Expression of a Woman's Rejection of Her Mother's Life
Authors: Korb Maria
Published: March 2007

Studies have failed to find consistent pathologic characteristics of mothers of women with anorexia nervosa. Yet the anorexic woman's perception of her mother remains implicated in the illness (Brumberg, 1988). Literature based on anecdotal and clinical reports of anorexia nervosa has questioned anorexic women's views of their mothers and their mothers' lives. Comparison of symptomatic and asymptomatic college women found that women with anorexia nervosa described more negative impressions of their mothers' lives. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic women expressed positive feelings for their mothers, but symptomatic women tended to say their mother's lives were perhaps fulfilling for the mothers but not desirable for themselves or that their mothers'lives were very difficult and dissatisfying for the mothers and they would not want such lives for themselves. Perception of maternal role model may be related to anorexia nervosa.
Reliability and Validity Issues in Phenomenological Research
Authors: Beck Cheryl Tatano , Keddy Barbara A. , Cohen Marlene Zichi
Published: March 2007

Reliability and validity are two areas where the criteria of logical empiricism appear to be imposed upon phenomenology as a research method. Cross-paradigmatic communication can result in difficulties because the same words may have different meanings. It cannot be assumed that reliability and validity have the same meaning in logical empiricism and phenomenology. Even among the three mostfrequently used phenomenological methods in nursing research, lack of consensus exists regarding the issues of reliability and validity. In order to help clarify reliability and validityfrom the phenomenological perspective, Colaizzi, Giorgi, and Van Kaam 's methodologies are compared and contrasted regarding their stance on these issues. Lincoln and Guba 'four major criteriafor rigor in qualitative inquiry, truth value, applicability, consistency, and neutrality may offer phenomenologists an appropriate alternative to logical positivists' terminology.
The Epistemology of Expectant Parenthood
Authors: Sandelowski Margarete , Black Beth Perry , Mercer Ramona T. , Bergum Vangie , Stainton M. Colleen
Published: March 2007

A secondary analysis of information obtainedfrom 288 interviews, conducted with 62 childbearing couples in the course of a qualitative and longitudinal study, suggests that much of the work of expectant parenthood is oriented toward getting to know the fetus. This article emphasizes the epistemological (as opposed to the emotional) relationship between parent and fetus.
Being a Mother and a Por Dia Domestic Worker Companionship and Deprivation
Authors: Bernal Pilar , Meleis Afaf I.
Published: March 2007

This article presents qualitative findings concerning women's maternal roles, based on interviews conducted in a study on role integration and health, in a Colombian sample of 60 women who are "por dia " domestic workers. The results describe the women 's worldview as they discuss the stresses and the satisfactions of their mothering roles. The results also include the coping strategies used to deal with the stresses inherent in the maternal role. Women describe how the companionship of their children, watching their children grow, and the nurturing they give their children provides them with pride and deep satisfaction. These satisfying aspects of their role are burdened by the stress related to worry about children's bad behavior, their illness, and a pervasive generalized sense of constant worry. Being single parents adds more stress to these women's lives. Participants coped emotionally through distraction and through talking with friends. Other coping strategies included calming self problem solving, talking with children, and substance use. The authors conclude with a discussion of the relationship between poverty and work situation as contexts for understanding maternal roles.
Redefining Smoking and the Self as a Nonsmoker
Authors: Brown Janet M.
Published: March 2007

A grounded theory approach was used to develop a substantive theory answering the question, What are older adults'experiences who have quit smoking? Interviews were conducted with 21 elders with a mean age of 67 years who had quit smoking for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of S years. Data analysis yielded a core variable redefining smoking and the self as a nonsmoker, which was indicated by the major theoretical categories of recognizing the need to quit, making the decision, learning to be a nonsmoker, and sustaining as a nonsmoker Participants actually changed their views about smoking and themselves as smokers. They believed that they were vulnerable because of their ages and that age and smoking were a problematic combination. Findings support thatnurses and otherhealth care providers can assist olderadults in the process of quitting smoking.
Spiritual Interventions Provided by Mental Health Nurses
Authors: Tuck Inez , Pullen Lisa , Lynn Cynthia
Published: March 2007

This descriptive qualitative study explored the spiritual nursing interventions provided by mental health nurses. Fifty mental health nurses responded to open-ended interrogative statements to report on nursing interventions in three situations that supported the spiritual needs of patients and families. Their responses were grouped into four categories, nurses being with the client, doing for the client, encouraging the client to look inward, and encouraging the client to look outward. Being with was demonstrated through the presence of the nurse. Doing for included interventions performed on the clients behalf and included the nurse using time, people, and space to provide care. Clients were encouraged to look inward for strength and look outward for people and objects that could be resources for them. A serendipitous finding was that mental health nurses were able to describe the ideal spiritual interventions but reportedfewer instances of actually having intervened.
Hopefulness, Self-Esteem, and Perceived Social Support Among Pregnant and Nonpregnant Adolescents
Authors: Connelly Cynthia Donaldson
Published: March 2007

The concepts of hope, self-esteem, and social support have been identified as importantfactors in understanding a wide range of adolescent behaviors. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the relationship of perceived hopefulness, self-esteem, and social support with pregnancy status. Employing a cross-sectional design, a sample of pregnant (n = 58) and nonpregnant (n = 91) adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 completed the Hopefulness Scale for Adolescents (HSA), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ). Multiple regression analyses were used to assess the association of pregnancy status with hopefulness, self-esteem, and social support while controlling for age and socioeconomic status (SES). The effects of pregnancy status on each psychosocial variable were examined independently. Findings revealed pregnancy status was not associated with hopefulness, self-esteem, or perceived social support when age and SES were controlled.
Cop Out? The Media, “Cop Killer,” and the Deracialization of Black Rage
Authors: Sieving Christopher
Published: March 2007

In 1992, a number of public officials, political hopefuls, and police organizations declared discursive war on the black-recorded “metal” song “Cop Killer.” Exploiting the mainstream media's ban on reproducing in full the lyrics of the offending text, conservatives sought to direct public opinion against “Cop Killer” author Ice-T by deracializing the debate—that is, through wrenching the song's anti-police brutality sentiments from its social context. Surprisingly, the strategies employed by the Right to discredit “Cop Killer” coincide to a significant degree with the countertactics supporters used to defend it. This article explores the social implications of both sides' failure to consider or acknowledge Ice-T's song as a significant instance of cultural hybridity. By disseminating “white” music with a black accent, the makers of “Cop Killer” attempted to inform the suburban white teenager about social conditions such as racially differentiated policing: a project of extreme importance in an increasingly multicultural age.
Symptom Patterns in Depression and “Subthreshold” Depression among Adolescents in Hong Kong and the United States
Authors: Stewart Sunita Mahtani , Lewinsohn Peter M. , Lee Peter W. H. , Ho L. M. , Kennard Betsy , Hughes Carroll W. , Emslie Graham J.
Published: March 2007

This study compared the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) diagnostic interview information from a representative, stratified sample of 85 (selected from 2,212) Hong Kong and 1,706 age- and sex-matched U.S. adolescents. Current prevalence rates (Hong Kong: 2.2%, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.3% to 3.1%; United States: 2.2%, 95% CI = 1.6% to 3.0%) were similar in the two cultures. More Hong Kong compared to U.S. adolescents reported fatigue/loss of energy and fewer reported irritability. All Hong Kong participants with MDD reported fatigue, sleep, and concentration difficulties. Hong Kong adolescents who did not meet criteria for MDD but reported high levels of depressive symptoms showed social function and cognitions similar to youth with MDD and dissimilar to nondepressed youth. The results suggest that adolescent MDD is as prevalent in Hong Kong as in the West and that “subthreshold” depression is not a benign condition. Comparisons of symptom patterns in the two cultures showed culture’s influences on expressions of distress.
The Indian Ocean Festival 1984 as Music Education
Authors: Balough Teresa
Published: March 2007

[A vital aspect of the International Society for Music Education is the recognition of all musical cultures, the Oriental as well as the Occidental, folk musics as well as art musics. As the Indian Ocean Festival 1984 was essentially an international educational event and involved the musical cultures of over thirty countries of the vast Indian Ocean region, the following report is considered appropriate for inclusion in this journal.—Ed.]