The purpose of the study was to interpret and compare the meanings attributed to furisode by selected female Japanese college students living in Japan and living in the U.S.A. The furisode is a type of kimono worn on formal occasions by young Japanese women. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in this exploratory study to further understand meanings attributed to the furisode by Japanese college students. A symbolic interactionist perspective was employed to understand the meanings which participants attached to the furisode. A purposive sample of two groups of Japanese college students were investigated: seven female Japanese college students living in Japan and seven female Japanese college students living abroad. The college students were recruited at a university in eastern Japan and at a university in western U.S.A. The semi-structured questions asked during the interviews captured participants' experiences and memories related to the furisode, its meanings, and participants' demographic characteristics. The findings revealed that there were no particular differences in the meanings attached to the furisode by the college students in this sample living in Japan and living abroad. Emergent themes were classified into three groups: 1) symbolic themes related to culture: formal wear, age or youth, marital status, entrance into adulthood, national costume of Japan, a costume or kimono related to culture and tradition, a traditional costume, a dress that represents conformity to other girls, a dress that represents ideal cultural images of a wearer; 2) themes related to individual perceptions: a dress that enhances the spiritual and mental state of the mind of a wearer, a dress that makes a wearer feel pleased or happy, a dress that represents a valuable experience, a dress that reflects feelings or moods of perceivers, a dress or kimono which is valuable, a dress or kimono seen as an heirloom, a dress or kimono that represents the individuality or personality of a wearer, a dress regarded as a memento ; and 3) themes associated with the furisode itself: A dress or kimono with increased costs for preservation and maintenance, a dress or kimono that restricts the movement or activity of a wearer, a dress or kimono that takes time and labor in preparing for wear, and a dress or kimono that is rarely worn in everyday life. The study also found the sources of information for participants in both countries were a mother, a grandmother, the mass media such as TV, magazines, and a book, leaflets to promote the sale of the furisode, clerks at a kimono shop, staff at a beauty salon who had a participant put on the furisode, friends at school, friends outside the university, and neighbors. Further, the themes that emerged from the interviews also illustrated that symbolic meanings attached to the furisode were communicated meaningfully between a wearer and a perceiver in Japan. Based on the results from this study, the furisode appears to be a cultural symbol for which shared meanings are attributed. Future research may analyze the relationships among meanings, demographic variables such as age, and other variables that influence the attitudes toward or perceptions of the furisode, such as practicing Japanese traditional arts and the wearing of other Japanese traditional costumes. / Graduation date: 1999

The student perspective is a largely ignored element of educational research. This study used the college student viewpoint to assess the influence Black high school educators have on their pupils. Given today's reality of racism in this society, the existing literature addressing this topic is inadequate. Using an open-ended questionnaire, the responses of 272 students enrolled in speech communication and education courses at a Northwestern land grant institution were analyzed using a descriptive methodology. Students having no experience with a Black educator answered the questionnaire from an imagined standpoint. Results indicated a large majority of the predominately White subject pool found their Black high school educator(s) to be credible. Aspects of institutionalized racism emerged when students deemed their Black educator(s) credible by measuring them against an assumed "White standard of credibility." Findings from this study provide additional evidence of the racism, albeit covert, in our public school classrooms. / Graduation date: 1998

A qualitative study of how first year foreign language students perceive different interactions in an online environment. In depth interviews were conducting with ten students after the completion of an online second semester Spanish course. Individual case studies recorded the unique experiences of each study participant and those experiences were then compared and analyzed for common themes. Emerging themes included the value of explanatory feedback programmed into the course, the use of message boards for making interpersonal connections, the difficulty of conducting online chats, the role and value of announcements and the importance of immediacy behaviors for creating social presence. The themes were then applied to the following research questions: 1) What is the effectiveness of the available interactions in a web-based Spanish course as perceived by community college foreign language learners? 2) How do these interactions work together to facilitate learning based upon their purpose? 3) How do these interactions work together to facilitate learning in an online foreign language learning environment based upon with whom or what the student is interacting? The results of this study included three attributes of effective interaction. The participants indicated a need to make a connection between their personal learning goals and the available interactions. Timeliness was also identified as a key component of effective interactions. Automatic feedback, archives for previous information and a quick turnaround on email correspondence were listed as important aspects that created a feeling of timeliness. The third attribute was identified as a low level of frustration when compared to the potential benefit of an interaction. The study participants indicated a willingness to endure some frustration if they thought it would be worth it in the end. Final recommendations suggested that designers of online foreign language courses should include non-linear instructional activities, carefully designed chat opportunities, quality automatic feedback and reading and listening passages that are level appropriate. Instructors should engage in behaviors that enhance the effectiveness of interactions by making regular announcements, helping learners draw connections between the interactions and their learning goals, maintaining and organizing archives and keeping response times as close to 24 hours as possible. / text

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The purpose of this study was to identify differences in attitudes of vocational teacher education majors based on age, sex, marital status, earner status, educational level, vocational program area, mother's work history, and familial attitudes. Data for the study were obtained from 1,182 vocational teacher education majors. The more contemporary attitudes were held by those who were female, aged 26 - 35, currently members of dual-income families, graduate students, identified as homemaking education majors, from families whose mothers had worked outside the home when they were growing up, and who were not brought up to believe that a woman's place is in the home.While females had more contemporary attitudes than males, both could be described as having moderate attitudes toward the dual-income financial support of the family. Both females and males felt that women should contribute financially to the support of the family, that it is just as important for a woman to be able to earn a living as it is for a man, and that women should expect to be permanent members of the labor force.

Seven percent of the national four year college population is involved in Greek Life (Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia, 2008, ~5) with over sixty percent on some campuses (Finkel, 201 0). An often unexamined aspect of collegiate learning pertaining to this context is students' spiritual development, yet this is a vital part of a student's life throughout college and critical to whole student learning (Love & Talbot, 2005). Students report a high level of interest in spiritual activities while struggling with existential questions on a regular basis (Higher Education Research Institute, 2003). Most social fraternities and sororities embrace Christian ideals, making the spiritual development of non-Christian students involved in Greek Life a unique challenge. Focusing on the spiritual development of Jewish students within these social organizations is important because until the mid-twentieth century, there were restrictive membership clauses barring Jewish students from becoming active members of multiple fraternities and sororities founded on Christian ideals (Callais, 2002). The purpose of this study was to examine the unique dichotomy created by students who do not participate in the systemic religious views of a majority of Greek Life organizations; specifically focusing on students of Jewish faith in primarily Christian based Greek letter organizations. The students interviewed show a richness of experiences and information finding that Jewish students (1) identification as spiritually or culturally Jewish defines college experiences, (2) find sanctuary and community with other Jewish students and in groups such as Hillel, (3) who interact with faculty and staff that identify with their heritage feel a sense of belonging on campus, (4) struggle with campus dining practices, (5) face academic penalties due to practice of faith traditions, (6) did not feel welcome or comfortable at the local places of worship, and (7) in Greek letter organizations felt · excluded or challenged because of the founding ideals.

Chinese international students in American colleges and universities report low levels of physical activity involvement, which may limit them in terms of realizing their full human potential (i.e., cognitively, physically, socially). The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the psychosocial mechanisms as well as the sociocultural influences to understand physical activity behavior among Chinese international students in American higher education. The first manuscript reviewed the background of physical activity participation among Chinese students. It also reviewed empirical findings related to the Youth Physical Activity Promotion (YPAP) model (Welk, 1999). The second manuscript tested a model of meeting physical activity recommendation (MPAR), using the YPAP model as the guiding framework in an effort to identify theoretical predictors of physical activity participation among Chinese international students. Results revealed that the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors predicted MPAR among Chinese international students. Different from Welk's (1999) model, however, we found that the enabling and reinforcing factors influenced physical activity indirectly through the predisposing factors, able(i.e., Am I able?) and worth (i.e., Is it worth it?), instead of directly. The results clarify how the YPAP model might be used to understand the physical activity behavior of Chinese international students studying in American colleges and universities. The third manuscript qualitatively explored the physical activity experiences of Chinese female international graduate students in terms of meanings, facilitators, and barriers to participation. It revealed that physical activity provided the participants with a break from their academic work, allowed them some alone time, gave them feelings of accomplishment, and taught them a process for accomplishing other things in their lives. Major facilitators included social influences, the availability of ample resources, their changing perceptions of femininity, and the need to improve or maintain their health. The most frequent barriers included a lack of time, self-efficacy, social support, "how to" information, and cultural barriers. This study adds to our understanding of the physical activity experiences of Chinese international graduate students, as well offers some direction to colleges and universities in the U.S. regarding how they might facilitate the physical activity behavior of Chinese international graduate students in the future. Based on the two empirical studies, colleges and universities ought to provide physical activity resources, as well as social resources, to increase the perceived competence, self-efficacy, positive attitude, and enjoyment of physical activity among Chinese international students. University curriculums and fitness training programs should include cross-cultural course content to increase awareness of the unique needs of international students, as well as to help them to remove barriers to their physical activity participation. / Graduation date: 2012

Schwartz and Bilsky (1987, 1990) constructed a universal psychological structure for cross-cultural studies of motivational dynamics. To test this structure, Simmons (1991) adapted data from a twenty year broad-based value survey of student cohorts at an American university. The availability of reliable, long-term data on American students permitted a comparison with responses of contemporary Chinese college students to a standardized personal value questionnaire. Ratings and priorities assigned by the Chinese and American students differed significantly. Chinese students emphasized Achievement, Maturity, and Prosocial motivational domains. American students emphasized Self-Direction, Security, and Enjoyment. Tradition, Power, and Stimulation were listed as least important for both groups. The effects of traditional Chinese religious and philosophical teachings on the stability of community norms were noted, as was some evidence of priority shifts in the values for Chinese youth, suggesting changes in response to altered political and economic expectations in China. / Graduation date: 1992

The purpose of the present study was threefold. First, to investigate Icelandic and American students' counseling expectations. Second, to study counseling expectations of men and women. And finally, to explore the relationship between counseling expectations and Holland's typology. Eight-hundred-and-one useable responses were gathered from the students. To explore the first two objectives, a 2 (Nationality: Icelandic and American) x 2 (Sex: men and women) between subjects multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was calculated with prior counseling experience as a covariate and scores on the three factor scales of the Expectations About Counseling Questionnaire-Brief Form (EAC-B) as the dependent variables. It was found that the Icelandic students expected greater expertise from the counselor than did the American students. It was also discovered that women, as compared to men, expected to be more personally committed to the counseling process, whereas men expected more counselor expertise.To investigate the third objective, a canonical correlation analysis was performed using responses to the three factor scales of the EAC-B as the predictors and scores on the six Holland's types (RIASEC) as the criterion. It was found that counseling expectations were significantly related to Holland's typology. That is, the more Social persons were the more they expected to be personally committed to counseling and the less counselor expertise they expected. Also, the more Realistic persons were the greater their expectations about counselor expertise and the lower their expectations about being personally committed to counseling. On the whole, it appeared that Icelandic students' counseling expectations resembled expectations of persons with no past counseling experience, counseling expectations of men, counseling expectations of some minority groups, and counseling expectations of individuals who tend to posses Realistic personality characteristics. Namely, expecting direction and guidance from an expert counselor. On the other hand, women and persons who tended to be Social expected less guidance from the counselor and expected to be greatly involved in the counseling process. Results were discussed in relation to past findings in the expectancy literature, the validity of the expectancy construct, and the need for unique counseling interventions to meet the needs of diverse multicultural groups. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

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