Midwifery is a word that, for many in this country, conjures up an image of superstitious old women delivering babies in primitive conditions of filth and ignorance. This strongly rooted and uniquely American idea owes its tenacious existence to the well-orchestrated campaign of the medical profession and state health officials, whose aim it was to eliminate the "midwife menace" within this century. Their goal was to make inroads for the more scientific and relatively new field of obstetrics. Through the mechanisms of the state, midwifery was successfully eradicated in three rational stages: education, regulation, and elimination. In phasing out midwifery, the state made incursions into a cultural tradition and permanently altered an ethnic institution. An important segment of women's (as well as southern and ethnic) history was forcibly ended, and one of the few long-respected, exclusively female roles of leadership was lost to American life. The existing literature on midwifery is predominantly statistical and anti-midwife (propaganda would not be too strong a word), gathered and publicized by the medical establishment in the early part of the century. Because of the underlying economic motives and the middle- and upper-class "professional" bias, the accuracy of this material is questionable. Neither does it address, in any depth, the role and personality of the old midwife from a cultural, historical perspective. This is the emphasis of this document, which includes a look at the process of state licensing and its effect on cultural institutions, original interviews with the few remaining Florida midwives or their daughters and granddaughters, and specific models from the licensing process in Florida, both past history and its present struggle to implement new midwifery legislation. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-03, Section: A, page: 0816. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

Contemporary text books do not address the subject of lighting for the black actor. Because we are living in a multicultural society, the need to address this topic is becoming more essential. The topic was addressed in 1951 by W. Dury Cox, Jr., in a study done at Tennessee State University, an Historically Black College/University (HBCU). The contributions of theatre educators at HBCUs have been significant, but there is little documentation. Therefore, this study first discusses the historical growth of black theatre at Tennessee State University from its founding until the work of W. Dury Cox, Jr. / Using Cox's work as a basis, the study examines the significance and validity of his work. Through questionnaires sent to 273 theatre venues, data was gathered regarding the venue itself, the number of and skin tones of black actors at the venue, the desire for information on the topic, and suggestions for solving problems of lighting for the black actor. / An empirical study using a range of dark-complexioned subjects was completed. The subjects were lit with several colors of light. A panel judged the effect of this light on various skin tones. The results were compared with the predictions made by Cox. An objective measurement of the skin tones was made with a chromaticity meter. These measurements were compared with chromaticity data generated from gel media equivalent to those used by Cox. Computer plots of these data showed that the work of Cox was indeed significant, accurate and an important tool for developing strategies for lighting dark-complexioned black actors in today's theatres. / Some of the conclusions include the importance of determining the undertones in the complexion; the discovery of the usefulness of Roscolux 02 gel; the general appreciation of pink and lavender gels; the need for interactive discussion of the topic within the profession; and the need to train the eye to note the subtleties of skin undertones. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-03, Section: A, page: 0931. / Major Professor: John A. Degen. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1996.

This research study was conducted to determine factors about the selection and acquisition of children's materials about Black people. Citing the various interpretations of the American Library Association's "Bill of Rights," the paper argues that there may be disparity between an interpretation titled "Cultural Diversity" and the practice of librarians to either include or exclude Black materials in the selection and purchase of library materials. / The study's sample consisted of 202 library employees at public libraries in the United States though its aim was at children's librarians. The frequencies and respective percentages were found for survey items pertaining to selection particulars such as the selection cycle; types of materials selected such as periodicals and reference books; holdings of Black materials in various subject categories; review sources for selection; and specific problems in selecting Black materials. Means and standard deviations were found for responses to items pertaining to materials budget allocations for types of library materials; and the number and percentage of holdings in the children's collections. / The testing of hypotheses revealed five groups which have the most influence on the selection and purchase of children's materials. Those groups are: reviews, children, parents, teachers and library staff, respectively. There was found to be no significant difference between the short-term and the long-term goals of public libraries for selecting more books about minorities or about Blacks. / The tenor of libraries is displayed through their comments which were given in response to the open-ended question. Primarily, one sees a reflection of the pervasive attitude of the dominant group's members to exclude some of the materials based on their estimation of whether patrons will ever call for the materials or not. Additionally, as has been noted in the literature review section, not every item in any library's circulating collection will be called for or will circulate. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-03, Section: A, page: 0369. / Major Professor: Phyllis Van Orden. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

<p> This dissertation study examined how adolescent students who identify as Black, i.e., African American, Caribbean American, and African, in an urban comprehensive public high school characterized their relationships with literacy. A narrative analysis methodological framework was utilized to trace and document students&rsquo; formative primary and secondary exposures to reading and writing. The theoretical lenses of New Literacy Studies and critical literacy were employed to elucidate the in school and out-of-school literacy experiences of these minoritized adolescents and to determine how those experiences influenced their attitudes about literacy. Drawing upon multiple data sources: 1) literacy autobiographies; 2) semi-structured interviews; 3) 8^th grade English Language Arts (ELA) Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores; and 4) 9^th grade fall and spring semester ELA report card grades, enabled me to capture a rich, nuanced description of the scholars&rsquo; literacy identities and development, academic achievement, and relationships with academic literacies.</p><p> Several provocative thematic patterns emerged from this study. Some of the most striking findings detailed how many of the scholars: a) self-identified as authors and had a personal affinity for writing; b) grew up with a strong sense of intergenerational literacies at home; c) developed an astute cognizance about diverse literary genres and text selection in order to avoid boredom; d) enacted multiliteracies and engaged in online (me)search to access supplemental curricular resources, search for spiritual understanding and enlightenment, research background information for personal writing projects, and to engage in the independent study of extracurricular activities like teaching oneself another language, ballet, and Pilates. Another key finding revealed that several students overcame being held back a grade, and did not allow that experience to define their literacy or academic identities.</p><p> The analysis of the students&rsquo; complex literacy profiles showcased that overall these Black adolescents had positive and intimate identifications with literacy. More importantly, their narratives served as counter-narratives to the dominant discourses about Black youth as their literacy practices painted a very different portrait of Black adolescent literacies and intellectualism; even though, many of the essential elements of their academic and literacy identities were nearly undetectable by school records and transcripts.</p>

<p> The Black community has historically been beset by much higher school suspension rates when compared with other racial groups. The U.S. Department of Education reports that black K-12 students are 3.8 times more likely to receive school suspensions as white students. Researchers have determined that suspensions also enhance dropout rates for students. Across all racial demographics, dropping out of school promotes negative social behaviors and below average successes in a youth&rsquo;s lifetime, which is more evident in the Black community. Black suspended youth, if not assisted, have the potential to become high-school dropouts which may result in becoming juvenile delinquents, social nonconformists, and later underachieving adults. This doctoral project consists of assessing two existing programs for black youth through <i> IN-AGAP&Emacr; Family Life and Educational Center</i> organization: (1) <i> Stay Up While You Are Out,</i> which supports youth who are suspended for a short-term or a long-term from the Newport News Public School system, and (2) <i>One More Chance,</i> which supports the youth that is recommended to the program by the Newport News Juvenile Court system but can return to school after a period of court-imposed probation.</p><p>

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.