Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 2005. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 293-297).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 2005. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 293-297).

No description available.

The societal youth problems of violence, racism, poverty, obesity, and depression have impacted a population of youths within the urban district of Worcester, Massachusetts known as Main South. The coach of a track team there, a Catholic woman whose hobbies include marathon running, leisure reading and theological exploration, combines her passions to create a program that transports small groups of youths out of the city for day trips that include fun runs along scenic trails, followed by silent reading, group discussions and shared meals within a home-like setting. Undergirded by a spirit of playfulness, the author notes the transformational benefits of each program element: distance running, leisure reading, hospitality, and time in nature, toward easing youth problems. Also recognizing a spiritual hunger as complicit in youth problems, “Mama Clark’s” Doctor of Ministry project infuses non-denominational spirituality into an otherwise secular program, toward total wellness of youths, body, mind, and spirit. While long-term change could not be immediately shown, initial responses from participants indicated positive outcomes. Referencing theology, the author suggests that seeds sown can begin to bridge the gap between the problems of youths and a “kingdom” ideal of happy, healthy, and delightful young people, playing on the face of the earth.

This study aimed to determine if Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory (JEPI) scores would differentiate between youth with and without PTSD. More specifically, the study compared JEPI Neuroticism and Extraversion scores across youth with PTSD, trauma exposed youth without PTSD, and non-traumatized youth using a three group case control design. The Children’s PTSD Inventory and unstructured DSM-IV based diagnostic interviews were utilized to determine diagnostic status. Given that prior research has indicated a relationship between neuroticism and internalizing disorders, and as PTSD is primarily an internalizing disorder, it was expected that youth with PTSD would have higher JEPI Neuroticism scores relative to trauma exposed youth without PTSD or case controls. It was further expected that JEPI Neuroticism scores of trauma exposed youth without PTSD and control subjects would not significantly differ. Finally, it was expected that JEPI Extraversion scores would not significantly differ between groups. As expected, youth with PTSD had significantly higher Neuroticism scores relative to traumatized youth without PTSD and controls. The Neuroticism scores of trauma exposed youth without PTSD and controls did not significantly differ. There were no significant differences between groups in regard to Extraversion scores. Implications for research and practice were considered.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1996. / Issued also on microfilm. Includes tables. Sponsor: Franceska Smith. Dissertation Committee: Kathleen Loughlin. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 235-245).

The advent of urbanization has paved the way for the emergence of varied social problems amongst which is youth unemployment. The occurrence of youth unemployment varies across countries with its nature and extent been determined by the local context in which it prevails. Youth unemployment in Cameroon is a major problem prevailing in urban areas in the country, based on the high rate of unemployed young people in the country. This study was set to analyze the prevalence of youth unemployment as an urban social problem with the goal of providing a better understanding of its prevalence. The problem was analyzed around the individual and structural perspectives with the aid of the individualization concept and human capital concept. Three themes constituted the central issues that guided the study of the problem; they are; views on causes, its impact, and measures adopted to address it. The premise behind these themes was geared towards outlining governmental as well as public opinion on the causes of the problem, as well as analyzing the measures the government has adopted or set in place in a bid to mitigate the occurrence of unemployment amongst youth.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-162).

As a former journalist and a columnist for the very first community newspaper in Chatsworth: the Chatsworth SUN, which is no longer in circulation, and a teacher of English Home Language at secondary school level for twenty years, my research project combines an interest in print media with my efforts to promote a pedagogy in which issues of inclusion, access, and identity are addressed. The impetus for this study was a research assignment I conducted in 2002 for the "Introduction to Research Methods" module of this degree. I carried out a survey at my school that aimed at ascertaining the media habits among a class of Grade 10 learners. The survey revealed important information regarding 'newspaper reading habits' . Almost every learner read the weekly community newspapers or 'knock and drop' publications circulated free of charge to almost every household in Chatsworth, south of Durban, where the majority of learners, of Indian descent, resided. In some cases these were the only publications that learners read. In 2003, I therefore decided to involve the same learners in a research project for the dissertation component of the degree. The Project would allow the learners to become active and critical participants in the media culture that is omnipresent in their lives. Interesting perspectives on issues of identity, ethnicity, and gender would emerge from this heterogeneous sample, which included five African learners, in the deconstruction of community newspapers that targeted Indian readers. Community newspapers, by virtue of their convenience of access, are potentially very influential publications and the research project provided the opportunity to assess and change attitudes to the discourses that arise from reading such newspapers. Particularly important are the ideologies, hegemonies and issues of power found in the language of these community newspapers, as well as the technological and production processes involved. Hence, the main objective of my study was to narrow the divide that exists between educational experience and the real world. I demonstrate this in the thesis through the interactive application of Critical Literacy theories to printed texts by learners who deconstruct, critique, and subvert taken-for-granted assumptions that result from submissive interpretation ofmedia like the community newspapers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Bronfenbrenner (2001) proposes that individual development is based on reciprocal interactions between personal variables, social interactions and the environment. If exposed to a non-accepting environment, individuals are assumed to have poorer adjustment as compared to those in accepting environments. Once exposed to a more accepting environment, psychosocial adjustment is expected to increase. D’Augelli (1994b) also sees sexual identity development as influenced by interpersonal interactions occurring in one’s environment. Sexual minority adolescents have high rates of depression, suicidality and victimization, and lower levels of self-esteem and social support. Methodological issues, including recruitment and inclusion of only those who are “out”, have potentially inflated previous results regarding psychosocial maladjustment. Therefore, the current study was designed to address those methodological flaws. A sample consisting of 286 sexual minority college students completed the following measures: demographics questionnaire, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and victimization questionnaires. It was hypothesized that when controlling for social support, rural participants would report higher rates of psychological maladjustment (depression, suicidality, self-esteem) and victimization (in person and electronic), as compared to non-rural participants; males would have higher rates of suicidality and victimization as compared to females, whereas females were expected to have higher levels of depression and lower self-esteem as compared to males; and sexual minorities spending more time in an accepting macrosystem (greater than two years in college) were expected to have lower levels of psychological maladjustment and victimization than those spending less time in an accepting macrosystem (less than two years in college). It was also hypothesized that participants would report higher rates of victimization prior to college, as compared to when in college. Results showed that psychological maladjustment did not differ based on gender, environment or time spent in college. However, rates of psychological maladjustment were found to be lower than previous studies reported. This may indicate that previous research is skewed due to using a non representative sample. Rates of victimization were higher for participants prior to entering college, as compared to when in college, and were higher for men than women. No differences were found between rates of victimization between environments, however. These results may indicate different things. It is plausible that persons in rural environments are more accepting of sexual minorities than has been noted in the past. This may be due to the increased exposure of sexual minority issues in the media and the internet. However, rates of perceived social support were high for the current sample, and essentially the same between those from rural and non-rural areas. Such results may confirm Bronfenbrenner’s assertion that microsystemic processes combat psychological maladjustment. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services