Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2006. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-81). Also available on the World Wide Web.

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.

This thesis is a rhetorical analysis of sexual harassment codes on college and university campuses. The situational model proposed by Lloyd Bitzer is used to examine representative artifacts from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, so as to determine whether they operate as "fitting" rhetorical responses to the situation generally and the exigence of sexual harassment specifically. The body of this analysis develops in eight stages: an introductory discussion of sexual harassment and research conducted thereon; examination of codes as ethical and situational constructs; explication of the rhetorical framework; the nature of the exigence as a historical and campus-specific imperfection; examination of the publics that create the rhetorical audience; the inartistic and artistic constraints operative within the rhetorical situation; an analysis of the two codes; and summary comments and recommendations. Within the last two sections the determinations are made that: 1) the codes do not currently function as a "fitting" response to the situation/exigence, and that 2) revisions can be made so as to promote a more pragmatic and "fitting" response to sexual harassment. / Graduation date: 1997

Organic agriculture is an important and growing sector of U.S. and world food production. Consumers are increasingly aware of and interested in the production practices and impacts associated with agriculture and as such, are showing a preference for sustainably produced, raised, and harvested foods. In order to continue to meet the growing demand for organic produce, organic growers need cultivars that are optimally adapted to organic and low input conditions. Quality seed is the foundation of any functional and stable farming system. Unfortunately the lack of organically bred and produced seed is hindering the continued growth and success of organic farming. Meeting the needs of the organic sector has been a challenge for the seed industry; it is an industry that often doesn't understand the specific and unique requirements associated with the diversity of environmental and market demands of organic systems. However, organic farmers and the organic food systems they supply, require a robust organic seed system that is appropriately adapted to regional agronomic challenges and market needs, meets standards and regulations, and encompasses the social and ecological values of organic agriculture. One plausible approach to meeting the cultivar and seed needs of organic and low input production systems is through the use of participatory plant breeding (PPB). PPB is a collaborative approach for identifying and developing genetically diverse plant material and varieties involving partnerships among formal sector breeders and researchers, farmers, extension agents, educators, and end users. Participatory plant breeding fundamentally changes the way that formal breeding programs and farmers manage germplasm and plant genetic resources. Typically, formal breeding programs restrict access to germplasm and breeding materials and only supply farmers with finished varieties. In PPB, farmers are involved in the early stages of creation and evaluation of germplasm and breeding material, and stay engaged with the breeding process until new varieties are created. PPB is an excellent model for breeding specifically for organic systems because organic systems in developed countries have many similarities to low-input agricultural systems in the developing world. Some of these parallels include heterogeneous growing environments, a wide range of end uses and marketing strategies, lack of suitably adapted and/or derived varieties, lack of attention from the formal seed sector, and a reduced reliance on synthetic inputs (compared to conventional systems). Breeding for organic systems is a relatively young field and breeders in the formal sector do not have a good handle on what traits are important for robust production under organic conditions. Thus the opportunity to meld farmers' experience and knowledge with breeders' expertise is an effective way to breed for organic production systems. The purpose of this project was to investigate and explore the opportunities and challenges of organic plant breeding using participatory research methods. This research had three goals: 1) to develop an open pollinated broccoli with contemporary quality traits for organic production systems using participatory strategies; 2) to compare broccoli selections made by formally trained plant breeders and farmer breeders; and 3) to capture the stories and experiences of the formal breeders and farmer breeders involved with this broccoli material in order to contribute to the growing wealth of knowledge on collaborative and organic breeding work. The Oregon State University Vegetable Breeding Program made significant progress towards decreasing the variability of the broccoli project material through three successive years of modified half-sibling selections. Evaluations and selections were based more strongly on quality traits rather than soley on production traits such as yield. Although progress was incremental and statistically verified in only three out of the fifteen quality traits, we observed trends in the data indicating progress towards an increasingly uniform, stable, and reliable open pollinated broccoli with specific adaptation for organic production systems. There were very few differences between broccoli materials developed by formally trained plant breeders and farmer breeders. This was especially true for the three cultivars developed in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) (one in Washington and two in Oregon). The 'East Coast' population, which had been collaboratively selected by formal and farmer breeders in New York, expressed significantly distinct differences from the PNW materials. When the farmer breeder and formal breeder materials were pooled together and compared to pooled check cultivars they expressed significant differences for nearly all traits across all years. This demonstrated that all of the collaboratively developed open pollinated materials are distinctly different from the F1 hybrids currently available. Our work has demonstrated a few of the myriad of positive outcomes achievable with the use of participatory plant breeding for organic production systems. The participatory nature of this project resulted in increased confidence and feelings of empowerment for all involved. Both farmers and breeders felt their involvement was socially beneficial and widened their networking and seed community circles. The farmer-bred cultivar 'Solstice' is now available as a result of Jonathan Spero's work, and a cultivar tentatively named 'Benton' is about to be released for sale through Oregon State University. Our results agree with previous study findings that formal and farmer breeder selections are often not distinctly different; thus providing evidence for continuing to support the involvement and education of farmers in plant breeding, especially in reference to organic production systems. This study demonstrates the potential of collaboratively developed and farmer-bred cultivars to become viable and vibrant open pollinated alternatives to the current open pollinated cultivars on the market today. / Graduation date: 2013

This study examined lifestyle changes as related to the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in Chinese students at Oregon State University (OSU). The study population included male students or scholars from the People's Republic of China who were attending OSU during spring term 1992. Fifty subjects were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included eight categories of information: (1) bodyweight and blood pressure, (2) diet, (3) alcohol consumption, (4) cigarette smoking, (5) physical activity, (6) psychological stress, (7) acculturation factors, and (8) demographic factors. Results indicated that for this group of Chinese students, bodyweight, consumption of dietary fat, dairy products, soft drinks, and psychological stress had increased significantly during their stay in the US. Meanwhile, the level of physical activity had decreased. These changes, especially if continued, may have the potential to increase their risk of developing CHD. On the other hand, there were no significant changes in blood pressure and alcohol consumption. For cigarette smokers, smoking had decreased. In their responses to the open-ended questions, the reasons given for bodyweight changes included diet, decreased physical activity, and increasing age. Diet changes were attributed to food availability, relative price, and convenience. For decreased cigarette smoking, lack of smoking environment was considered to be the most important factor. Automobile use, limited spare time, and no friend to play with were the reasons for decreased physical activity. Finally, pressure in school, financial difficulty, and worrying about future were considered to be the reasons for increased psychological stress. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the length of US stay and decreased physical activity were significant predictors for bodyweight gain. The length of US stay was also a significant predictor for changes in total dietary fat. Having financial aid from school was associated with decreased physical activity. Living as single was significantly associated with increased psychological stress. This study failed to identify any significant associations between acculturation factors and changes in the CHD risk factors. / Graduation date: 1993

Research studies indicated that teachers' sense of self-efficacy is a multidimensional construct related to teachers' beliefs about teaching, their ability to teach, and their students' ability to learn. This study described the change in a cohort of graduate preservice elementary teachers' sense of efficacy as they progressed through a four quarter Master of Arts in Teaching degree program. Forty-nine subjects were administered the Teacher Efficacy Scale (Gibson and Dembo,1984) at four selected times during their program. Subjects' sense of efficacy was compared to the independent variables of age, years since completion of the baccalaureate degree, scores on the General Knowledge and Communication Skills components of the National Teacher Examination (NTE), and baccalaureate degree major. Data were factor analyzed. The three factor solution selected suggested that factors one and two represented the teacher's sense of personal teaching efficacy. Factor one represented the teacher's responsibility for positive student outcomes. Factor two represented the teacher's confidence in personal skills and abilities. Factor three represented the teacher's sense of general teaching efficacy. Subjects were divided into three groups based on their baccalaureate degree major. Means and standard deviations of efficacy factors discussed in this study were calculated for each of the three baccalaureate major groups at the June, 1991.; August, 1991; November,1991; and June, 1992 administrations. A summary of correlations (p = ≤ 0.05) was presented with data plots including best fitted lines. Multiple regression analyses indicated no significant interactions between age, and years since completion of the subject's baccalaureate degree, but did indicate that in two predictions, age made the most important contribution. Recommendations for further study and program improvement were presented. / Graduation date: 1993

The purpose of this study is to examine how members of the Oregon State University polo team negotiate aspects of their social identity. Over the course of the 2011-2012 school year, 15 interviews and 30 hours of observations were conducted. From the data, five overarching themes were identified: inclusion as a motivation to join the club, perceived stereotypes associated with polo, levels of self-presentation when discussing identity, hierarchy within the club structure, and the perceived future connection with the social identity as an OSU polo club member. Discussion of the themes include applications to Ting-Toomey's identity negotiation theory and Picket and Brewer's ingroup inclusion and exclusion concepts. This study also provides recommendations based on the findings in order to promote competent identity negotiation amongst the members. / Graduation date: 2013

The initial research question for this study asked whether single women were having their employment needs met by the union in a university setting. Twelve single women who were members of a union at a university participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences with the union. To the surprise of the researcher, the single women interviewed felt they had no needs. Drawing from feminist literature on the social construction of gender, this analysis argues that because of the patriarchal nature of our culture, women were raised to be mindful of other's needs and not their own, which made it difficult for participants to identify their own needs. / Graduation date: 2013

Since the inauguration of the King Abdullah-Aziz Foreign Scholarship Program in 2005, the number of Saudi university students in the United States has increased exponentially, and an unprecedented amount of Saudi women are seeking international degrees. The absence of scholarly research within these women���s home and host countries highlights the need for an ethnographic account of their transnational experiences, which can elucidate ways in which knowledge, values, and customs are in a constant process of contextual negotiation. This in turn influences available sources of social support and psychological well-being. Drawing on data from free-lists, a focus group, and in-depth semi-structured interviews, this ethnographic research aims to uncover and examine the social determinants of psychological well-being as described by the narrative experiences of Saudi Arabian women studying at Oregon State University. After providing a detailed analysis of specific sociocultural structures operating in these women's lives, two sides qualifying Saudi Arabian women's experiences are examined: stakes of their international education projects and challenges in maintaining good mental health. These stakes, formed by sociocultural structures, circumscribe their experiences, decisions, and behavior in the U.S., where they must navigate through new challenges and sources of distress. The challenges they face cause distress, but also delineate possible sources of support and create avenues for agency. Finally, this thesis is concluded by recommending applications for mental health care providers and examining macro-level theoretical underpinnings of social determinants of psychological well-being. / Graduation date: 2012

This thesis seeks to better understand the most pressing cultural barriers to progress in the sustainability movement, and to offer suggestions for overcoming barriers. This research includes a two-year long case study of the sustainability movement at OSU, where the researcher coordinated projects encouraging behavior change. Despite increasing severity and knowledge of environmental problems, behavior on-campus continues largely unchanged. Cultural norms and values of western society underlie reasons why behavior is not changing on-campus. The OSU case study grounds cultural barriers identified in analysis of semi-structured interviews with campus sustainability leaders. Literature for this research looks at cultural norms and values which block progress in the movement and critiques current efforts which rely too heavily on science and technology to solve fundamentally human problems in pursuing sustainability. Some of the more prevalent cultural barriers identified in this research include: a lack of time and/or money to get involved in the movement or make behavior changes, reactionary thinking, a growing sense of entitlement, and a lack of dialogue about the sacrifices needed to create a more sustainable society. In examining ways to overcome cultural barriers to progress, the researcher suggests crafting the sustainability message to be accessible, relatable, valuable and manageable to the average person. The framework for crafting the sustainability message is guided by the notion that progress in the movement will be defined by a focus on creative, personal, and spiritual aspects of human life, in addition to scientific and technological measures. / Graduation date: 2012