This qualitative study explores the experiences of women who are welfare recipients attending a community college under the auspices of a new program, Washington State's WorkFirst/Work Study program. The study, conducted over two academic quarters, includes in-depth interviews with WorkFirst/Work Study students, observations in a weekly seminar, and interviews with community college staff who work in the program. The overarching research question is: "What are the challenges and the transition issues confronted by women who are living in poverty and participating in a community college program?" The research elicits responses about the women's expectations and fears about education, their aspirations for themselves and their children, what they hope to gain from the college experience and what barriers may interfere. The study identifies five contextual issues in the women's lives: family background and history, relationships, physical and psychological health, housing, and finances. And the study explores the participants' experience with and attitudes toward four thematic areas: parenting, welfare, work and school. A major goal was to give voice to these women. Underlying assumptions are that community college administrators and faculty want to improve access, success and satisfaction with the college for poor women; that learning about how poor women experience the community college gives college personnel valuable information; that Washington community colleges have an interest in working with WorkFirst; and that better understanding of WorkFirst/Work Study participants' experiences is valuable to the colleges and benefits low-income students. The women interviewed are highly motivated and believe that an education is key to a better life for them and their children. Some of the barriers they face are embedded in the restrictions and requirements of the WorkFirst program. Nevertheless, these women say they are better off on welfare, working and going to school than they were when they were among the working poor. The study questions the value of some vocational education and suggests that more low-income women could be recruited to community college earlier in their lives. / Graduation date: 2001

The study of the social dimensions of Shakespeare's art is represented by the work of Mikhail Bakhtin, C.L. Barber, Robert Weimann, Edward Berry, and Michael Bristol. Their work analyzes the background in Elizabethan social practices and popular dramatic traditions that contribute to the form, structure, and meaning of Shakespeare's comedies. The purpose of this study is to review the work of these authors, apply their insights into three productions of A Midsummer Niqht's Dream, and suggest further implications of their work. A review of these authors' major premises provides the context for analysis of three productions of A Midsummer Niqht's Dream: those of Max Reinhardt, Peter Hall, and, Joseph Papp. This study suggests that the popular festive tradition created a dialogic mode in Shakespeare's art and accounts for important features of our aesthetic experience of the plays. / Graduation date: 1994

From the beginning, social theory has been motivated by the desire to advance human freedom and bring about social change (Seidman, 2008). From classical theorists such as Marx, who writes of class division and the exploitative nature of capitalism in order to bring about change, to more contemporary sociologists such as C. Wright Mills, who helps to redefine personal problems in terms of public issues, many of sociology's foundational texts clearly demonstrate a propensity for advancing human freedom and inducing social change. Thus, it is interesting to examine what sociologists are doing because their work has historically had, and will continue to have, the potential to make real and significant change in the world. And, it is imperative to have knowledge of the current state of affairs in the discipline in order to facilitate discussion around how to promote sociological work that seeks to bring about social change. It is in this context that this research project seeks to answer the following: what is the distribution of sociology professors in Canada using Burawoy's (2009) disciplinary mosaic framework? In addressing this question, two sub-questions are asked: to what extent do Canadian sociologists agree or disagree with Burawoy's normative vision of the discipline? And, to what degree do the socio-demographic shown to be relevant by Brym and Nakhaie (2009) continue to emerge in the Canadian context. Using data collected from an online questionnaire delivered to all full-time sociologists in universities and colleges in Canada, this project reveals that Canadian sociology is dominated by Professional sociology with Public, Policy and Critical sociology featuring much less prominently. This is despite the fact that in aggregate Canadian sociologists tend to agree that all types of sociology ought to be conducted. Finally, several socio-demographic variables-such as gender, income and type of post secondary institution-continue to be relevant in the Canadian context.

From the beginning, social theory has been motivated by the desire to advance human freedom and bring about social change (Seidman, 2008). From classical theorists such as Marx, who writes of class division and the exploitative nature of capitalism in order to bring about change, to more contemporary sociologists such as C. Wright Mills, who helps to redefine personal problems in terms of public issues, many of sociology's foundational texts clearly demonstrate a propensity for advancing human freedom and inducing social change. Thus, it is interesting to examine what sociologists are doing because their work has historically had, and will continue to have, the potential to make real and significant change in the world. And, it is imperative to have knowledge of the current state of affairs in the discipline in order to facilitate discussion around how to promote sociological work that seeks to bring about social change. It is in this context that this research project seeks to answer the following: what is the distribution of sociology professors in Canada using Burawoy's (2009) disciplinary mosaic framework? In addressing this question, two sub-questions are asked: to what extent do Canadian sociologists agree or disagree with Burawoy's normative vision of the discipline? And, to what degree do the socio-demographic shown to be relevant by Brym and Nakhaie (2009) continue to emerge in the Canadian context. Using data collected from an online questionnaire delivered to all full-time sociologists in universities and colleges in Canada, this project reveals that Canadian sociology is dominated by Professional sociology with Public, Policy and Critical sociology featuring much less prominently. This is despite the fact that in aggregate Canadian sociologists tend to agree that all types of sociology ought to be conducted. Finally, several socio-demographic variables-such as gender, income and type of post secondary institution-continue to be relevant in the Canadian context.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Trier, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [195]-206) and index.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2001. / Typescript. Bibliographical references: leaf 287-297.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2009. / Title from title screen (site viewed January 5, 2010). PDF text: vii, 162 p. : ill. ; 748 K. UMI publication number: AAT 3360090. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

A review of the research literature concerning the role of the social network in health and illness has indicated little attention to studying the social networks of psychiatric patients. Even less attention has been given to the study of veteran psychiatric patients. In an effort to understand more about the supportive or non-supportive aspects of social networks, an exploratory study of 224 male veteran psychiatric patients was conducted in two settings--a general hospital and a large psychiatric hospital. A description of the social networks as perceived by the patients themselves was obtained through semi-structured interviews. Network analysis was used to examine the characteristics of veteran psychiatric patients' personal networks within the social context of needing assistance or support for psychosocial problems. Some aspects of network structure, such as size and availability of family-kin members, were addressed, as well as the nature and quality of network links. Findings indicated that patients had an ample number of family-kin sources to turn to for assistance but chose to turn to only a small number (three or less) of informal sources, including nuclear family, kin, or friends. Formal sources of support were found to play a predominate part in the networks of veteran psychiatric patients. Both the immediate family and institutions were considered to be important sources of help in times of need but a great deal of ambivalence was evident concerning the use of them. A factor analysis of the data identified five social network patterns. Three multiplex patterns emerged in which patients were likely to turn primarily to the nuclear family, to kin, or to significant others for support. Two other patterns were identified--an Anomie Pattern and a Self Versus Institution Pattern--in which neither informal nor formal sources were considered by patients to be sources of support. A stepwise regression was also performed to determine the relationship of selected background variables to choice of support pattern. The variables found to be potentially important predictors of the patterns were marital status, living situation, diagnosis, religious preference, religious practice, age, and history of previous treatment. Conclusions of the study have both clinical and theoretical importance. Findings point to the need for not only reviving or expanding the supportive functions of veteran psychiatric patients' networks, but in some instances the necessity of assisting patients in establishing new personal networks.

Water shortage is one of the greatest challenges that the world faces today. International and national water initiatives are increasing simultaneously with the number of implemented drinking-water projects. The provision of sustainable safe drinking-water supply is here conceptualized through the Sustainable Livelihood Approach with the view of helping poor people secure their essential basic needs, improve their quality of health and increase their livelihood opportunities. However, a lot of drinking-water projects do not end up with satisfactory outcomes. Widespread results have demonstrated low quality water resource management, worsened access to water supply, constructions shutting down and not the least, that consumers have not been able to take advantage of their new basic drinking-water systems. Projects have often failed in remote rural areas in developing countries where strong social norms, cultural values and power structures prevail. The research is based on identifying and analyzing to what extent past drinking-water projects have addressed public participation and been aware of social, cultural and structural surrounding factors. By using Gunilla Åkesson’s sociological framework the research also addresses the role and value of sociological aspects in drinking-water projects. It is found that past projects have often failed to include public participation and lacked situational awareness to a sufficient extent. The research show the importance for projects staff, managers and technicians to take into account social behaviors, cultural norms and societal structures in the local environment and to provide local people with health awareness and education. By taking this into consideration it would enable people to change their behavior and take advantage of the improved drinking-water systems provided for them. In conclusion, there is a need to address more sociological aspects in water resource management in order to promote sustainable safe drinking-water supplies in remote rural areas in developing countries. It can be argued that this is not only applicable in drinking-water projects but also in other areas of fields within grass root development work.

The reported rate of violent crime tops the agenda on the mind of South Africans. It remains the main contending problem facing the current administration and the general populace. Its effect cut across race, class, sectors, provinces, cities, or locations. With violent crime against the individual and property continually escalating the very survival of the civil populace and the institution of democracy would remain undermined. Consequently, the effects of a high crime rate are presently affecting the image of the country abroad, as it is threatening other vital sectors of the economy such as: tourism, transport, construction and building projects and other domestic sectors of the economy. It leads to problems such as the brain drain and has a high cost associated with sustaining the criminal justice system. In the light of the above, the central thrust of this thesis is to identify the role and functions of organized criminal organizations that have proliferated and are greatly entrenched in South Africa. Although this thesis acknowledges the findings of victim surveys, which have shown that more than 50% of murders, assaults and sexual assaults in South Africa occur between people who know each other, the fact is that illicit and criminal activities such as thefts and smuggling extend beyond the shores of the country in an organized fashion. There seem to be no doubt that the activities of organized crime operate in a democratic dispensation that has adopted a broad range of rights including the right of privacy. The Government response through social policy documents has clearly failed to combat organized crime or reduce the levels of violent crime. The reason is that since organized crime is complex to observe, criminals have become more daring in their exploits. In addition this thesis would examine major policies starting with the South Africa National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) and the White Paper for Safety and Security, recent budget increases to fight crime as well as a range of policies under the present ANC-led government. While not assuming that this research has a permanent solution to solving violent crime, it is a fact that income inequality, drug abuse, and poor socio economic conditions remain core problems facing the government. One is hopeful that the solution of South Africa crime problem may lie within the political leadership. That is if the political will power can be exercised and the leadership of the country and the security apparatuses become decisive in their relentless fight against crime. / Thesis (M.A)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.