This case study was undertaken to determine if the mission of the Regional Planning Program at Western State College is being fulfilled. The mission states that the Regional Planning Program should offer interdisciplinary, or integrated, education. The problem is the course work in the Regional Planning Program has become very specialized, creating fragmented education. The research methods, including historical review and in-depth interviews, indicate several findings that support the recommendation for a reorganization of the curriculum at Western State to implement interdisciplinary study. First, an historical analysis of the transformation of the college mission during the early 1900s reveals two major themes. One theme is the need for change in the academic programs to include practical applications. The justification for the creation of the Regional Planning Program at Western was based on the pragmatic aspects of the program. The other theme is the need for integrated education, or education that incorporates the theoretical with practical applications from several related disciplines, to solve problems. The historical review of the Regional Planning Program shows that integrated education is not being offered. Second, a review of the literature on interdisciplinary teaching, or cross-principles teaching, was conducted to determine how interdisciplinary programs are structured and how the Regional Planning Program at Western State compares to these programs. It was found that the interdisciplinary teaching techniques and curricular structure described in the literature are not part of the Regional Planning Program. Third, a series of in-depth, unstructured interviews were conducted with five professors. Two professors are members of the Regional Planning and Geography Department. The other three professors are members of the History, Biology, and Business/Economics Departments. It was found that these professors teach traditional, disciplinary courses. It was concluded from the case study that regional planning at Western State is not treated as an interdisciplinary field. Although the data indicate that the professors believe the Regional Planning Program should offer an integrated education, there have been few attempts to integrate course work. A reorganization to create an interdisciplinary approach at Western State is put forth in the conclusion.

abstract: Tourism is not always a lighthearted affair. Visitors are often attracted to places associated with dark and complex pasts, where communities host a wide range of lived experiences, memories and associations. While tourism has potential to facilitate progress and create opportunities, it may also emphasize a place’s hardships or its controversial history. For tourism development to be ethical and sustainable, it is vital to understand its community impacts, including how it may influence residents’ perceptions and wellbeing.This research investigated residents’ senses of affect and emotion within touristic spaces of Mostar, a re-emerging destination city in Bosnia and Herzegovina that experienced some of the worst physical destruction and human casualties during the Bosnian War of the 1990s. An interdisciplinary, multiple-methods approach employed qualitative and quantitative methods, including an intercept survey, resident interviews, participant observation, and autoethnography. In Part 1, construal level theory of psychological distance was applied in quantitative, survey-based research to understand how tourism may impact residents’ affective responses to local places. In Part 2, fourteen young adult residents were invited to experience their city as “tourists for a day,” visiting attractions alongside the researcher and reflecting upon their experiences via a three-stage interview process. The resulting article specifically explores the concept of affective atmospheres, drawing connections to interdependence theory. Part 3 employed a creative and introspective autoethnographic approach incorporating journaling, poetry and photography to examine the researcher’s own experiences and observations as a visiting researcher in a post-war city. This inquiry was inspired by works from cultural geography engaging non-representational theory and affect theory. These three discrete studies under a shared thematic umbrella allowed for an in-depth exploration of affect, emotion, and lived experiences within touristic spaces of a post-war, recovering city. Overall, findings suggest that residents perceive tourism as a generally positive force, fostering senses of pride and creating opportunities for the city to move on from the persistent social and economic repercussions of war. However, the social and affective impacts of war are deeply engrained within the fabric of the city, and tourism has the capacity to emphasize differences and discomforts amongst residents and visitors alike. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Community Resources and Development 2020

This dissertation examines the attempts by the government of Kenya to develop and implement policies directed toward the problem of urban unemployment. Specifically, this study focuses upon two policy areas directly related to the problem of urban unemployment: education and economic growth. Central to the urban unemployment problem is a potential conflict arising out of a rapidly growing number of school graduates on the one hand, and on the other, the limited opportunities for a sufficient level of employment for this segment of the labor force. An additional element of this study is an examination of the possible consequences of Kenya's external dependency upon the linkages between education, economic growth, and employment opportunities. A consistent theme contained in the development literature is that accelerated development in Third World nations such as Kenya depends upon enlarging the supply of educated and trained manpower. Without such manpower, it is argued, development leadership would be woefully lacking and economic growth would be retarded. On the basis of these assumptions, Kenya, like many other developing countries, has focused its attention on the rapid quantitative expansion of school enrollments from primary school to the university. In recent years, however, the idea that conventional educational expansion is an unmitigated social good and an engine for development has been challenged by the emergence of graduate unemployment. The dynamic rate of economic growth and a forceful campaign of Kenyanization have proven impossible to create sufficient employment to meet the now growing numbers of Kenyan students who feel themselves qualified. In an attempt to resolve this problem, government policies have been directed toward improving the different components of the school system: examinations, curriculum reform, and vocational and technical education. However, the impact of these educational strategies in solving the unemployment problem has been extremely limited by the restricted market for technical and vocational skills in the country. The result of this study suggests that the roots of the unemployment problem are in the structure of the society, and particularly in the failure of the Kenyan economy to industrialize and modernize at a rate that absorbs the labor force. These economic problems are traded to Kenya's continued dependency on external economic assistance, which reduces its ability to determine the course of national development independently. This economic problem is of such a magnitude, it can only be solved by structural adjustments, both internally and externally. The findings of this study confirm the dependency argument.

This dissertation addresses the following research questions: How do physical features of high density college dormitories affect residents' perception of crowding, and what kinds of design strategies are available for alleviating the perceived crowding? The data source was responses to a self-administered questionnaire from residents of living units which were randomly sampled from three dormitories of comparable physical density at Oregon State University. Seven hypotheses were used to examine the relationship between perceived crowding and physical features associated with different settings in selected dormitories. The first hypothesis sought to clarify how selected physical variables, compared with selected social and personal variables, contributed to perceived crowding both in dormitory dwellings (floor crowding) and rooms (room crowding). For the remaining hypotheses, comparisons were made to determine if differences existed between groups living on floors with varied corridor length, floor height (distance above ground level), and bathroom location, and between groups living in rooms with varied desk location, room location, and window orientation. Using multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance as the major tools for hypothesis testing, the study found that: (1) both room and dwelling crowding were not significantly affected by the selected physical, social, and personal variables; (2) floor crowding was significantly lower among residents of short corridors and among those who shared suite rather than community bathrooms. Variations in floor level did not affect perceived crowding; (3) room crowding was not significantly affected by variations in desk location, room location, and window orientation, but rather by the interactive effects of window orientation and floor height.

Female labor and commuting behavior has been inappropriately approached by traditional economic and location theories. While labor economists assume that commuting is a "fixed" element of the cost-of-entrance, they ignore the spatial variation in wage rate or job opportunities. Urban economists, on the other hand, treat the variation in commuting distance as a function of household housing consumption, and a "fixed" amount of labor supply is assumed. Both assumptions are unrealistic, especially in the case of females. The major contention raised in this study is that labor supply and commuting behavior are interrelated decisions. This "simultaneity" relationship should be captured by any model studying either labor or commuting behavior. In the case of female household members, time as a scarce resource must be allocated more efficiently since women are traditionally assigned housework responsibility--be they housewives or working women. A simultaneous-equation model has been specified to simulate the household decision of appropriating its (economic and human) resources among female income-earning activities--i.e., market labor supply and commuting--and housework. Time is adopted as the measurement unit of the three endogenous variables. Demographic and environmental variables are included in order to obtain the most efficient estimation and to link the results of this research to other economic and sociological studies. A two-stage Tobit and OLS estimation procedure is employed, according to the characteristics of the data, to avoid the selection bias problem (Tobin, 1958; Killingsworth, 1983). The results derived give (empirical) support to the theoretical argument that the relationship between commuting and labor supply is not a single-direction one, suggesting that the estimation of the traditional single-equation model may well be subject to serious specification bias. The theoretical and empirical inferences provided by this study contribute to a better understanding of how a household perceives its female members' domestic service and income-earning activity. Also, theoretically, the estimation can be used to give a more precise measure of the local (potential) labor pool and a more precise prediction of the amount of (female) commuters using certain routes. All these contributions have significance with respect to the firm's location decision and production planning, and the planning for the provisions of other public services.

There are two approaches to estimating the quantity of water required in an urban area: the requirements approach and the economic approach. The requirements approach extrapolates from past growth trends of the urban area. Water consumption and population are extrapolated into the future using a trend line based on prior years; the future requirements of the area are determined according to past experience. This approach served well when water was essentially a free good. But now that it is an economic good that requires production, the requirements approach tends to overestimate water requirements. The alternative is the economic approach which takes into account different characteristics of an urban area. Among these characteristics are economic, demographic, geographic and climatic. This approach leads to better use of information to estimate future water consumption. This dissertation is a cross-sectional analysis of municipal water districts in Oregon. It is based on the economic approach. Data on specified variables were collected by sampling and surveying more than 1,000 water districts in Oregon. The data were analyzed using Multiple Linear Regression. The general hypothesis of the study is that municipal water use in Oregon can be estimated by using independent variables other than size. Weather, per capita income, average price of water, marginal cost of water, the amount of fixed charge for basic water use, allowed quantity of basic water use, and non-residential connections were regressed on the per capita per day water consumption for residential, commercial, industrial and total users. The hypothesis was confirmed; price was a significant variable in the different uses of water. Climate was found to be significant in estimating the residential use. Variable charge as well as climate were found to be significant in commercial use. Fixed charge and sewage charge were somewhat significant in estimating the industrial use. The results of the study are consistent with the theory and the findings of previous studies. Three models were developed; a general model, a residential model and a non-residential model. These models helped to identify climate and price as effective variables in estimating water demand in the study area within the context of the economic approach.

It is the purpose of this research to examine the interactions between organizations and the work of coordinating agencies in influencing those interactions using social exchange theory. A model was developed, incorporating elements of exchange theory, and the components of that model examined in the community. Techniques of change and the outcomes of activities of the coordinating agency were examined in an effort to develop a "case study" of a coordinating agency's activity in the community. Historically, social services were provided in the community through informal, often familial, networks. With the urbanization of society, social services have become more formalized and specialized with a remarkable increase in the number of individual agencies. Movement from a "growth" to a scarcity economy and new federalism as well as concern with duplication, overlap, and gaps in services have led to an interest in the coordination of these activities. The Area Agency on Aging, considered by many to be a forerunner to the Allied Services Act, was implemented in 1973 by the federal government for the purpose of coordinating services to the elderly in the community. The goal of the Area Agency is the development of a comprehensive coordinated community service system. The activities of six such coordinating agencies as well as the social service organizations in their areas were studied to determine the explanatory value of social exchange theory. Additionally, attitudes of service providers toward various tactics for community change as well as the perceived outcomes of coordinating agency activities were investigated. The study of the Area Agency on Aging as a coordinating agency in the community was accomplished in two waves of data collection. The first, consisting of indepth interviews with 84 individuals in six areas, took place from May through July of 1975. The second wave involved indepth interviews and a mailed survey. Data were collected from 191 individuals in 126 agencies in three areas, urban, rural and urban/rural mixed. The data were coded and analyzed by computer to determine trends and relationships. The interview schedules were analyzed for specific cases. These objective and subjective data were used to "reconstruct" this study of interaction and coordination. A model, Organizational Interaction Model, was derived utilizing social exchange theory. This model contains the elements of commodities: funding, information, access to influentials, clients, staff and technology; valuing criteria: integration, status, world view, autonomy, domain and power; and arenas of exchange: planning, contracts and letters of agreement, hearings and meetings, evaluation and monitoring, and client transfers. These elements were examined, and their explanatory value for activities in the community involving organizations and coordinating agencies was determined. Change techniques, involving varying types as well as levels of intervention, were studied in terms of their perceived appropriateness by community organizations. The data suggested changes in activities of coordinating agencies, social planners, and makers of policy. Perceived outcomes of coordinating agency activity over the past three years show positive impacts in the community generally, though individual impacts vary. Finally, the implications of these findings are discussed for coordinating agencies as well as local and federal policy makers, with suggestions for future research. Social exchange theory offers rich ground for the study of community service systems and the coordination of interactions within corrrnunities.

This study is an inquiry into some of the effects of the housing environment on the behavior of children. The city can be seen as a structure which facilitates communication and interaction because of the large number of intersecting individual pathways which the city represents. Young children, however, have little experience of this city: for the most part, their microcosm extends only a few blocks from home. Cities are a function of density and large numbers of people, and these two characteristics are also descriptive of multi-family structures. In the child's microcosm, multi-family dwellings could be considered as the type of communication-facilitating structure which is analogous to the city. The housing environment was examined along its physical dimension (housing environment as a piece of territory), socio-spatial dimension (social characteristics which are descriptive of the territory), and social dimensions (characteristics which are not tied to a specific spatial location). Children's behaviors were examined in terms of strategies for adapting to sensory load produced by the housing environment. Three procedures were used to obtain data: observation of the children, at home and at a day-care center; interviews of both the child and a parent; and a test constructed by J.A. Desor to measure tolerance for social density. The subjects were 32 4- and 5-year-old children enrolled in the day-care center at Portland State University. Protocols of behavior episodes collected in field observation were coded by two coders, and inter-coder reliability was computed. The coefficient for a completely naive coder was 0.76; for a coder familiar with the concept of 'behavior episodes,' the coefficient was 0.86. Convergent validity of the behavioral measures was evaluated using a multitrait-multimethod matrix. ~nile the measures show high face validity, convergent validity was not established for similar measures drawn from the home and school environments. The exception to this was the measures of play-group size, which showed a consistent pattern of convergence. The matrix of correlations of measures which were descriptive of the housing environment showed a fairly clear clustering of the measures along the expected dimensions. A t Test showed that there were significant differences between single-family and multi-family homes. In analyzing the hypotheses, it was found that children living in buildings with more peers show a greater acceptance of social density than children living in buildings with fewer peers. This strategy expressed itself in behavior also, for children living in buildings with more peers also played with more people. The relationship was cross situational, suggesting that this strategy is a 'functional unity,' or a consistent pattern of the child's personality. It was also found that the number of people in the neighborhood was related to the extent to which the child rejected offers for interaction. However, since there were no significant differences in number of people in the neighborhood between single-family and multi-family dwellings, this relationship does not distinguish between apartment and single-family dwellers. It was also found that, if length of time in the present housing unit is controlled, there is a negative relationship between the number of people in the housing environment and the duration of play activity. No differences were found in the amount of solitary play or the number of settings used.

This study explores the effects of income, insurance, and source of medical care on access to and utilization of health services. Profiles of dental, physician, and hospital services use are developed for more than 3,500 Oregonians. Low income, lack of health insurance, and/or an inappropriate source of medical care are hypothesized to be barriers to access and utilization. Households which face one or more of these barriers are identified as falling into a "Health Policy Gap." The data for this study were drawn from a 1978 random telephone survey of 1249 Oregon households. The survey was commissioned by the State Health Planning and Development Agency in conjunction with the Northwest Oregon Health Systems Agency, the Western Oregon Health Systems Agency, and the Eastern Oregon Health Systems Agency. The questionnaire was developed by the Oregon State University Research Center. Information was collected on use of health services, insurance coverage, income, household structure, health needs, health behaviors, and health satisfaction. A behavioral model of health services utilization was constructed, dividing the independent variables according to their relative mutability or amenity to policy intervention. Income, insurance, and source of care were selected as policy variables, while other variables less under policymakers' control were labelled household characteristics. The latter were assumed to reflect a household's propensity to consume services. They included household structure, health need, residential mobility, and health behaviors. Dependent variables included measures of dental and physician visits, use of the telephone for physician advice, preventive exams, and hospitalization during the past year. Multiple techniques of analysis were employed. Cross-tabular procedures were applied to investigate the interrelationship of income, insurance, and source of care. Multiple linear regression and partial correlation methods were used to select as control variables household characteristics highly correlated to each measure of health services use. Analysis of variance and multiple classification analysis were used to develop profiles of health services use. These last techniques allowed an examination of the relationship of each policy variable and health measure while applying increasing levels of statistical control. The initial bivariate relationship was studied in isolation; it was then studied while controlling for the other policy variables, and finally while controlling for both the other policy variables as well as selected household characteristic variables. Findings support the hypotheses. Income is found to be related to insurance coverage, and insurance coverage to source of medical care, although income is not found to be directly related to source of care. Low income, lack of insurance, and an inappropriate source of medical care depress use across almost all services. However, their relative barrier effects differ by the measure of service examined. After controlling for the effects of household structure, health need, residential mobility, and health behaviors, the greatest disparity in use of dental services remains due to income, in physician services to insurance and income, and in hospital services to insurance. Clear implications arise for policymakers, whether in the public or private sectors. The low income, the uninsured, and those with an inappropriate source of care face real barriers to access. Since the relative magnitude of these barrier effects vary by the health measure examined, neither income, insurance, nor health system delivery strategies can be assumed to evenly enhance use patterns. Their effects must be separately estimated for differing measures of health services. Furthermore, the relationship between these policy variables needs detailed study before large-scale policy interventions are undertaken. Understanding the complexity of these findings for different measures of health services as well as the interrelationship of income, health insurance, and source of care is crucial in designing and implementing more effective and equitable health policies in the future.

This is a policy implementation case study. The case is the relocation of the Town of North Bonneville, Washington, by the U.S. Army Corps of engineers. Three questions are addressed in this study. One, did the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in relocating the Town, accomplish what was intended to be accomplished? Two, how and why were Federal policies applicable to the relocation of this town changed during the implementation process? Three, what can the North Bonneville experience contribute to existent knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of policy implementation? The principal precepts for policy implementation promoted by this study of the relocation of the Town of North Bonneville, Washington, are as follows: (1) Implementing agencies must recognize and consider what they have to do or may have to do to accomplish what they are intended to accomplish,not merely what they want to do or expect to do. Potential impediments to implementation that are unrecognized and unconsidered may fail to develop, but unless addressed problems cannot be solved. (2) Implementing agencies must expeditiously study and understand the policies that they are assigned to implement. Failure of understanding presents the appearance of ambiquity; indeed, even the clearest policy is effectively ambiquous if it is not understood. (3) Implementing agencies must promptly and plainly explain the policies they are charged with implementing to affected and interested persons or groups. Failure to explain leaves affected and interested persons or groups to form their own expectations of what the policy is, which expectations if erroneous may be difficult to dislodge. (4) Implementing agencies must attend that once a policy is stated and explained all subsequent actions are consistent with the policy as stated and that any action that may appear to constitute a deviation is adequately explained. Otherwise the credibility of the agency and of the policy being implemented by the agency is undermined.