Eight home economics teachers and I took up the invitation of Coulter (1993) to explore the work of Mikhail Bakhtin as a way of making us more "wide awake" (Greene, 1978) and "answerable" (Clark & Holquist, 1984) for our teaching and researching practices. The study involved learning from our own experiences inquiring into global home economics education. We met as a group once a month, and I met periodically with each teacher, for one semester. Using action research, conceptualized as grounded ethical practice, the research methods were primarily dialogues as conversational inquiry, whereby greater emphasis was given to listening and hearing than ocularcentric methods of gathering data. The three research questions that guided the study related to learning from experience in: the substantive area, in this case developing curriculum for a global perspective in home economics; the action research process, in this case as a process to effect a specific educational change; and the self or personal growth, in this case primarily professional development (Reinharz, 1992). This research report includes narrative and reflective accounts from three forms of action research within the study: teachers cooperating with an outside researcher where the researcher defines the topic and purpose of the research; teachers collaborating with a researcher where the research is seen as mutually beneficial and the topics and purposes are jointly defined; and teachers defining and conducting their own research independently or in collaboration with one another. It captures the diversity and complexity of the teachers' and the researcher's experiences and explores some of the struggles, the tensions, and the inner turmoil associated with action research for educational change. As a result of this research, we have become more consciously intentional in our practices and more thoughtful and reflective of their consequences. The phrase theorizing practice/practicing theorizing captures this notion as the teachers and I turned/retumed to the ethical questions that hold us in education.

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of voice teachers regarding the degree to which they believe they teach and monitor healthy vocal behaviors among their students as they sing and speak. Participants for the study were college/university voice professors who were members of the College Music Society and listed in its Directory of Music Faculties in Colleges and Universities, U.S. and Canada, 2012-2013 Edition. Online, survey research procedures and a researcher-generated questionnaire were utilized for data collection purposes. Results indicated that an overwhelming majority of participants believed there to be a relationship between the health of one’s singing voice and the health of one’s speaking voice. Participants’ perception scores were the most positive for variable MBSi, or the degree to which they believe they monitor the vocal behaviors of students when singing. Participants’ perception scores for variable TVB, the degree to which they believe they teach healthy vocal behaviors to students, and variable MBSp, the degree to which they believe they monitor the vocal behaviors of students when speaking, ranked second and third respectively. Perception scores for variable TVB were primarily associated with participants’ familiarity with vocal rehabilitation techniques, gender, and participants’ familiarity with the McClosky Technique. Perception scores for variable MBSi were primarily associated with participants’ familiarity with vocal rehabilitation techniques, gender, type of student taught, and whether participants had instructed a student with a vocal disorder. Perception scores for variable MBSp were correlated with the greatest number of characteristics, including participants’ familiarity with vocal rehabilitation techniques, participants’ familiarity with the McClosky Technique, type of student taught, years of teaching experience, and whether participants had instructed a student with a vocal disorder. The researcher concluded that, while many voice teachers understand the relationship between the health of the speaking voice and the health of the singing voice and use various methods within their private studios to work with injured voices, voice teachers and students may not understand, nor be adequately prepared to prevent and intervene when it comes to issues of the speaking voice. In fact, the researcher concluded that there seems to be a disconnect among teachers and students alike when it comes to teaching and understanding healthy vocal behaviors and applying them to the speaking voice. Multiple resources exist, however, in the form of various certifications, symposiums, and workshops, through which voice teachers may avail themselves of the knowledge necessary to care for the overall health of their students’ speaking and singing voices. Indeed, the voice teacher is obligated to teach well-rounded, healthy vocal behaviors, applying them to both the singing voice and the speaking voice. As medical professionals more frequently reach out to voice teachers, voice teachers will have increased opportunity to assume a more active role on a voice care team. Because so many teachers already implement methods found within the McClosky Technique, if used with understanding and commitment, the Technique could be a means for habilitation, prevention, and intervention on behalf of students suffering from speaking voice disorders within the voice studio. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / School of Music

This study is a contextual analysis and evaluation of the Arts-in-Culture curriculum at Ongwediva College of Education. Arts-in-Culture is one of the core subjects in the Basic Education Teacher Diploma (BETD)’s Broad Curriculum. At colleges such as Ongwediva, Caprivi and Rundu, student teachers study Arts as a core subject, while at Windhoek College of Education it can be studied as either a major or a core subject. In this study, I have raised some questions: Why is it that at Ongwediva College, the status of Arts-in-Culture is still low in comparison to other curriculum subjects like sciences and languages? Do student teachers and teacher educators fully understand how to assess the subject? Is the syllabus open for everyone? Is the learning environment conducive to offering the subject? Do the syllabus; learning environment, teacher educators and student teachers promote the goals of education for all? This study first gives the historical background of the subject. The background is of a diverse nature, namely African Indigenous Arts education, Black Arts education under the missionaries, Black Arts education under the South Africa Regime and Arts Education in the current Namibian reform dispensation. Second, the data collecting methodologies of this study are discussed. This includes how I collected information, who I contacted to collect this information, the tools I used to collect data, when and where I used them, why they were used and how they were used, the difficulties or problems I encountered and what I have learned about myself during the process. The third part of this study is the analysis of my findings from the participants interviewed and the fourth is how I have tried to link these different sections together. The last part of the paper is my conclusion.

This portfolio consists of three research projects that predominantly lie within the socio-cultural strand. The first project is a qualitative ethnomathematical study that links students' knowledge of mathematics to their cultural heritage. The study was conducted with a group of final year student teachers at a College of Education in Umtata, Eastern Cape. These students visited a city museum where mathematics concepts were identified from beadwork artifacts. Mathematics concepts that were identified consisted of symmetry, tessellation and number patterns. Students' views about the nature of mathematics shifted radically after their own explorations. Initially students did not perceive mathematics as relating to socio-cultural practices. But now, they have reviewed their position and see mathematics as inextricably interwoven in everyday activities and as such, a product of all cultures. They also pride themselves of their own cultural heritage to have mathematical connections. A more positive attitude towards studying mathematics in this approach was noticed. Data was collected by means of interviews, reflective journal entries and photographs. The second project is a survey with a group of practising teachers who have already implemented Curriculum 2005, and a group which is about to implement it in 2001. The study sought teachers' understanding of connections between mathematics and socio-cultural issues. The new mathematics curriculum in South Africa calls for teachers to grapple well with these issues. About a third of the articulated specific outcomes specifically relate to socio-cultural issues. If teachers' understanding of these issues is poor, implementation of the new curriculum will remain a mere dream. The findings of the survey revealed that the majority of teachers could not identify the culture related specific outcomes in the new mathematics curriculum. Complicated language used in the OBE policy documents was found to inhibit meaning to these teachers. Although, all teachers showed a positive attitude towards the inclusion of socio-cultural issues in the mathematics classroom, the implementation of these outcomes was found to be very problematic. In this survey data was collected by means of questionnaires. The third project is a literature review on the need to popularise mathematics to students in particular, and to the broader public in general. The 21 st century places great technological demands. Mathematics underpins most thinking behind technological development. The role played by mathematics in advancing other fields is largely hidden to the majority of people. There is, therefore, a need to bring forth the vital role that mathematics plays in these fields. The number of students participating in mathematics is decreasing. Mathematics, as a field, is experiencing competition from other science fields. There is a need to bring some incentives to attract more students into this field and retain those mathematicians already involved. Also important, is the need to change the negative image that the public often holds about mathematics. Many people are mathematically illiterate and do not see mathematics as an everyday activity that relates to their needs. There is, therefore, a need to change the face of mathematics.

Teachers are the primary implementers of a curriculum as they need to bring the curriculum to life in the classroom. In order to optimize the success of the implementation of a specific curriculum, it is necessary to monitor the experiences of the educator in the classroom and in drawing conclusions from the data gained, make recommendations for the continued improvement of implementation. As mentioned earlier, Fullan’s reference (1991:117) to the significant effect of teachers thoughts on the implementation gave rise to the central research question, namely to determine teachers’ perceptions about the implementation of the Arts and Culture learning area at a particular school ‘Perceptions’ however, is a subjective concept and thus any form of quantitative research would appear to be inappropriate. Based on the above it was decided to approach this investigation qualitatively and so this project was done within the qualitative paradigm.

Eight home economics teachers and I took up the invitation of Coulter (1993) to explore the work of Mikhail Bakhtin as a way of making us more "wide awake" (Greene, 1978) and "answerable" (Clark & Holquist, 1984) for our teaching and researching practices. The study involved learning from our own experiences inquiring into global home economics education. We met as a group once a month, and I met periodically with each teacher, for one semester. Using action research, conceptualized as grounded ethical practice, the research methods were primarily dialogues as conversational inquiry, whereby greater emphasis was given to listening and hearing than ocularcentric methods of gathering data. The three research questions that guided the study related to learning from experience in: the substantive area, in this case developing curriculum for a global perspective in home economics; the action research process, in this case as a process to effect a specific educational change; and the self or personal growth, in this case primarily professional development (Reinharz, 1992). This research report includes narrative and reflective accounts from three forms of action research within the study: teachers cooperating with an outside researcher where the researcher defines the topic and purpose of the research; teachers collaborating with a researcher where the research is seen as mutually beneficial and the topics and purposes are jointly defined; and teachers defining and conducting their own research independently or in collaboration with one another. It captures the diversity and complexity of the teachers' and the researcher's experiences and explores some of the struggles, the tensions, and the inner turmoil associated with action research for educational change. As a result of this research, we have become more consciously intentional in our practices and more thoughtful and reflective of their consequences. The phrase theorizing practice/practicing theorizing captures this notion as the teachers and I turned/retumed to the ethical questions that hold us in education. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

In two empirical articles, this dissertation investigates how a college organization of black men used the concept of brotherhood to foster personal social mobility among members. Both chapters take advantage of two years of fieldwork and interviews with group members. The first article (chapter 2) explores the process whereby a group of black men on a college campus used the concept of brotherhood to create their own emotion culture. In order to support their emotional and social needs without jeopardizing their manhood status, group leaders promoted brotherhood among their new recruits to encourage emotional expressiveness, vulnerability, and trust. By providing one another with support under the ideology of brotherhood, group members were able to construct an emotion culture to help group members cope with the discrimination they faced as socially mobile black men in predominantly white institutions. In the second article (chapter 3) I analyze how a group of collegiate black men came together as a brotherhood to adopt and present professional behaviors and styles in order to navigate professional settings. These behaviors were designed to evoke in potential employers, campus administrators, faculty, and other students images of positive black men that have been celebrated culturally. As a group of young black men with professional aspirations, group members sought to develop professional self-presentation strategies, and present these presentations to the broader community. Overall, this research shows how group members fostered personal social mobility by providing one another with support and teaching professional behaviors that benefited them during their time in college. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2013. / June 11, 2013. / Black Men, College, Emotions, Gender, Race, Social Mobility / Includes bibliographical references. / Douglas Schrock, Professor Directing Dissertation; Patrick L. Mason, University Representative; Irene Padavic, Committee Member; John Reynolds, Committee Member.

This study used social engagement theory to examine the relationship between attending worship services and the trajectories of physical decline among Mexican American elders. Data for this study came from eight waves of the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H-EPESE), a representative panel study of Hispanic elders across five states conducted from 1992-2006. First, linear growth curve models were used to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between attending worship services and physical limitations. Findings from this study highlighted the independent affect of attending worship services at baseline for reducing the onset and development of physical disability among Mexican American elders. Second, this dissertation explored if gender moderated the association between attending worship services and physical disability at baseline and over time. Findings from this dissertation suggest that the health benefit of attending worship services varies across gender. At baseline, attending worship services protected against health limitations among women but not for men. Over time, baseline attendance at worship services tended to benefit men more than women. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2013. / May 31, 2013. / Heatlh, Race, Religion / Includes bibliographical references. / Jill Quadagno, Professor Directing Dissertation; Patrick Mason, University Representative; Amy Burdette, Committee Member; Koji Ueno, Committee Member.

Objectives and Theoretical Framework This study addresses the social dynamics of associations between chronic inflammation and quality of life in older adults, as well the ability of social factors to cause inflammatory disease. It builds on growing evidence in sociological and clinical literatures that chronic inflammation has negative net effects on quality of life across the life course, as well as negative indirect effects via social mechanisms (Hamer and Chida 2011; Lal 2006; Marnell et al. 2005; Testa and Simonson 1996; Sprangers et al. 2000; Epel et al. 2004; Finch and Crimmins 2004; Willson et al. 2007). Biomarkers are used to capture inflammatory pathology, ensuring that people with rare inflammatory conditions are included and thus avoiding many of the challenges presented by the diagnosis data used in previous research (Mirowsky and Ross 1989; Mirowsky and Ross 2003; Crimmins and Seeman 2001). Using this more inclusive method for studying people with chronic inflammation, elaboration models are created to explore how social factors influence the consequences and causation of chronic inflammation. Methods and Data Sources Data from Wave I of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) are used to examine relationships between levels of the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein and two different sets of quality of life outcomes. Because many inflammatory diseases are present at birth, studying older adults can reveal long-term effects from living with chronic inflammation (Geronimus 1992). Quality of life is measured in two ways: self-ratings of satisfaction with life in general (happiness, enjoyment of life, and sadness), and self-ratings of satisfaction with intimate relationships (overall happiness, physical satisfaction, and emotional satisfaction). Three types of social factors are examined: structure variables (age, race, sex, income, education), sociomedical sequelae (disability, pain, diagnosis), and process factors (communication and social support, relationship participation). The unique role of each of these elements of social life is explored via mediation, moderation, and fundamental causation analyses. All analyses use ordinal logistic and ordinary least-squares regression techniques as theoretically and mathematically indicated. Findings reveal how chronic inflammation may entrench and even foster social inequality. Key Findings Bivariate models suggest that total effects of chronic inflammatory biomarker levels on quality of life are significant and negative, indicating that chronic inflammation can decrease satisfaction with life and relationships. However, effect significance varies somewhat depending on the measure used; the effects of chronic inflammation on quality of life may thus be sensitive to slight differences between domains of psychosocial experience. Each additional milligram per liter of C-reactive protein appears to reduce the odds of reporting high levels of quality of life between 7 and 10 percent for the following outcomes: overall happiness, happiness with intimate relationships, physical satisfaction with relationships, and emotional satisfaction with relationships. Including sociomedical, interactional, and sociodemographic variables reveals inconsistency in the effects of different social attributes and processes. Associations between emotional quality of life and chronic inflammation may be partially mediated by sociomedical sequelae and social relationship factors. Associations between relational quality of life and chronic inflammation appear to be partially mediated by social relationships, but not by sociomedical sequelae. In both cases, dynamics related to partner intimacy may play an important mediating role. Social structure factors do not appear to moderate overall associations between chronic inflammation and quality of life. However, these constructs do demonstrate consistent ability to predict both emotional and relational outcomes when incorporated into models containing C-reactive protein as the main predictor. Likewise, both social structure and relationship factors may play a role in causing chronic inflammation. Extant research and theory from both sociological and clinical disciplines support these findings, and recommend multiple strategies for further study. Significance and Future Directions Using biomarker data to measure inflammation status reveals important information about how chronic inflammation may impact psychosocial quality of life. Looking at a variety of quality of life outcomes in tandem suggests that several individual domains of emotional and relational quality of life may be especially vulnerable to detrimental effects from chronic inflammation, and that these negative effects occur through different social pathways. Emphasizing social structure and relationship factors that shape relationships between inflammation and different quality of life outcomes can illuminate specific ways that chronic inflammation may predispose people to psychosocial disadvantage and/or exacerbate existing social inequalities. Relational processes, especially those related to participation in and dynamics of intimate partnerships, may be more important than social structures in shaping the effects of chronic inflammation on quality of life. Likewise, further research is needed to explore how different social factors may fundamentally cause chronic inflammation. Future scholarship on these topics can contribute immensely to understanding of both social inequality and medical risk. Finally, effects of chronic inflammation are likely underestimated due to very small samples of people with extremely high C-reactive protein levels; more data on these individuals are thus needed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2013. / September 3, 2013. / Biosocial Research, Chronic Conditions, Inflammation, NSHAP, Quality of Life, Social Relationships / Includes bibliographical references. / Jill S. Quadango, Professor Directing Dissertation; Neil H. Charness, University Representative; Miles G. Taylor, Committee Member; John R. Taylor, Committee Member.

The concept of sustainability is theoretically comprised of three distinct dimensions: environmental, economic, and social. Most public and academic discourse, however, focuses on environmental and economic sustainability to the neglect of social sustainability, which refers to a condition where an extended set of basic needs are met for all residents regardless of their race/ethnicity, age, religion, gender, socioeconomic status and/or level of ability and the highest possible level of social inclusion and participation in community life is promoted. While some scholars and policymakers have recently turned their attention to social sustainability, conceptualizing and assessing social sustainability is fraught with problems. In this dissertation, I develop a comprehensive social sustainability assessment framework that focuses on six key policy areas: housing, transportation, food, leisure and recreation, social cohesion, and identity and sense of place. I then incorporate data on Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland into the social sustainability framework in order to conduct a comparative analysis of the cities' relative degree of social sustainability. My analysis--which brings both qualitative and quantitative data to bear on 30 social sustainability criteria--indicates that Vancouver is ranked higher than Seattle and Portland in terms of social sustainability. I then adapt and use two sociological theories of policy development--institutional politics theory and power constellations theory, which tend to focus on the national or state level--to test which one better explains the differential level of social sustainability in the aforementioned cities. In short, I find that power constellations theory best explains why Vancouver has the most socially sustainable policies and programs, primarily due to the strength of organized labor and center-left political parties in the city. Overall, this dissertation contributes to research on social policy development and social sustainability and provides scholars and policymakers with a deeper understanding of the institutional and political determinants of social sustainability. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2014. / May 30, 2014. / Comparative-Historical Analysis, Institutional Politics Theory, Power Constellations Theory, Social Sustainability, Urban Policy / Includes bibliographical references. / Douglas Schrock, Professor Directing Dissertation; Andy Opel, University Representative; Jill Quadagno, Committee Member; Daniel Tope, Committee Member.