Refugees come from diverse backgrounds and the issues they face depend on their particular circumstances. Some of the issues refugees face include cultural shock, language difficulties, lack of established networks and often discrimination. Christchurch has a growing refugee community with their own social needs. The survey detailed in this dissertation was undertaken in response to the Canterbury Refugee Council identifying the lack of comprehensive data available for refugee resettlement outcomes in Christchurch. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the living conditions experienced by the refugee community in Christchurch. The participants were from the four main refugee groups resettled over the past decade, namely people coming from Afghanistan, Kurdistan area, Ethiopian, Somalia and Eritrea. This survey was undertaken at a time when international literature concludes that refugees are one of the most vulnerable groups in society and emphasises the vital role that housing alongside other factors have on positive resettlement outcomes. A quantitative approach was adopted to gather information rather than test hypotheses; it was designed to investigate housing, neighbourhood and sources of income. It also included what, if any, social support is available from the wider community, and explored some of the main current problems faced by the refugee families. The survey concludes that despite good intentions and some successes, there are still many obstacles for refugees resettling into their new environment. Refugees continue to experience chronic unemployment and struggle to access suitable housing for their families. The issues raised in this survey highlight the importance of acknowledging and responding to refugee diversity.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [103]-116).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1982.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1981.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1982.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1981.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-126).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1992. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [102]-109).

There is a dearth of literature examining how the cohesiveness of the team may be connected to individual athlete participation in youth sport settings. Although results from studies conducted with adult athletes (Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley, 1988; Prapavessis & Carron, 1997a; Spink, 1995) suggest a positive link between perceptions of team cohesion and individual participation, this relationship has not been established with adolescent athletes. The purposes of the studies in this dissertation were: (1) to examine the relationship between cohesion and participation in a youth sport sample; (2) to examine if task cohesion moderated the relationship between perceptions of teammates’ effort levels (descriptive norms) and a participation-related outcome (effort); (3) to experimentally test the combined influence of cohesion and descriptive norms on individual self-reported effort; and (4) to explore the plausibility of teammate support as one possible mediator of the cohesion-participation relationship. A multivariate approach was used in Study 1 to both establish the initial relationship between cohesion and individual participation as well as inform subsequent studies in this dissertation by identifying which specific cohesion factors (task, social) and participation-related outcomes (effort, attendance, intention to return to the team) were most strongly related. Multivariate results revealed that task cohesion was associated with two participation outcomes – effort and intention to return to the team. Examining if perceptions of cohesion would qualify the link between perceptions about how hard teammates were working and individual athletes’ self-reported effort levels was the purpose of Study 2. Both constructs emerged as positive, significant correlates of effort. As a follow up, a between-subjects experimental design with vignettes was used in Study 3 to test the combined effects of cohesion and descriptive norms about teammate effort on individual self-reported effort levels. Building upon Study 2’s correlational findings, cohesion and descriptive norms both had an independent, positive influence on how hard players rated that they would work. The purpose of Study 4 was to consider one possible reason why team cohesion may be associated with individual participation - social support. To examine the proposition that social support may mediate the relationship between cohesion and participation, a prospective design was used in Study 4 to test the links between early-season cohesion, late-season perceptions of social support, and two participation-related outcomes (effort, intention to return to the team in the future). Results supported the plausibility of social support as a partial mediator for both outcomes. Taken together, these four studies provided initial evidence for the potential link between team cohesion and individual participation in youth sport. Additionally, the emergence of two other team-related constructs, descriptive norms and social support, suggests that these forms of teammate influence also may be associated with youth sport athletes’ participation on their team.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF MELISSA J. HAITHCOX, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in HEALTH EDUCATION, presented on June 29, 2009 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: Social Support Experiences of HIV Positive HIV/AIDS Coalition Participants: A Grounded Theory Approach MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Kathleen Welshimer For more than twenty-five years HIV/AIDS has overwhelmed and devastated all corners of the world, including the United States. Grassroots organizations and governmental have responded to this devastation by implementing various strategies, including community coalitions, to counteract the social and economic effects of HIV. While HIV/AIDS coalitions resemble other health promotion coalitions, they differ because People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) are federally mandated or required by the funder to participate. While it is thought that PLWHA membership is spurred largely by these mandates, other motivation and incentive to participate have gone undocumented. There is a plethora of research regarding membership and factors related to the success of HIV/AIDS coalitions, there is little focus on the influence of social support on community coalitions. The purpose of this study was to document the types and perception of social support experiences of People Living With HIV/AIDS with regard to their participation in HIV/AIDS coalitions. This study used a qualitative research design, guided by a grounded theory approach, to investigate and describe the social support experiences of HIV positive adults who participate in HIV/AIDS coalitions. Data collection consisted of 13 semi-structured, in-depth interviews and the researcher's personal thoughts and observations, recorded in a journal. Six main themes emerged from the data: (a) the acquisition of knowledge and information, (b) the desire to give back and help others, (c) the desire to participate in a "successful" effort, (d) the desire to stay connected through coalition activities, (e) the desire to give and receive social support, (f) PLWHA membership is the most important indicator of coalition success. Themes that emerged from participants' revolved around the need to belong and emotional support. The desire to feel valued was interconnected to most of the themes. In order to feel valued, PLWHAs had a strong desire to give back to others and strived to acquire information and skills to do so. Results revealed the influence of social support on the reasons PLWHAs join, continue or discontinue their participation in HIV/AIDS coalitions, the activities they choose to participate in, and their perception of coalition success. Recommendations for health education include exploring the inner dynamics of a coalition's membership as a way to evaluate coalition success from a more holistic and comprehensive perspective, clarify goals and objectives of HIV/AIDS coalitions to ensure members and leadership are on the same page, and explore the concept of a community organizer to cultivate participation and leadership in PLWHAs.