Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, June, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University, 1981. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (PhD) -- Macquarie University, School of History, Philosophy and Politics, 1983. / 'Biographical references': leaf 384-409. Bibliography: leaf 418-434.

Volunteerism has been the subject of much controversy in the last few years inasmuch as it is so often identified as a women's issue. Many areas, previously considered the rightful domain of women, have come under scrutiny as women question the value of their participation in “feminine activities.” As stereotypes are examined, fictions are explored and facts determined so that these former stereotypes can be reviewed in a new light. Many persons are becoming familiar via the popular media with these stereotyped roles (i.e., woman as “Good Mother”) , and learn that, for example, “good mothering” is not a monolithic behavior, but that a complex set of attitudes and skills enter into the caregiving process. “Good Mother” Is no longer a term that really means anything, except as a stereotype. Just so, women have of late been looking at the stereotype of the volunteer. Who is she? Like the “Good Mother,” expected to attend selflessly to her young while foregoing personal achievement, the woman volunteer has often been pictured in limited ways as either a little old lady pouring coffee for blood donors or perhaps as a bored, well-to-do housewife aspiring to social status, raising funds for charity at a fashion show. Women like these undoubtedly appear in the ranks of volunteers, to be sure, just as there is some truth in all stereotypes. It is the intention of this study to examine the facts behind the myths, however, and to obtain a clearer description of the women who do so much of society’s caretaking work without pay. In doing so, it is important to know who these women volunteers are, what they do as volunteers, and how they feel about themselves as volunteers and about volunteerism in general. In exploring these three areas, this study will concentrate specifically on volunteers in agencies whose goals can be described as “altruistic” or public-service oriented.

Photocopy of typescript. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Open Source Software (OSS) communities are homogenous and their lack of diversity is of concern to many within this field. This problem is becoming more pronounced as it is the practice of many technology companies to use OSS participation as a factor in the hiring process, disadvantaging those who are not a part of this community. We should expect that any field would have a population that reflects the general population given no constraints. The constraints within OSS are documented as being a hostile environment for women and minorities to participate in. Additionally OSS communities rely predominately on volunteers to create and maintain source code, documentation, and user interface as well as the organizational structure of the project. The volunteer nature of OSS projects creates a need for an ongoing pool of participants. This research addresses the lack of diversity along with the continual need for new members by developing a pedagogical paradigm that uses a collaborative environment to promote participation in an OSS project by diverse students. This collaborative environment used a Communities of Practice (CoP) framework to design the course, the indicators of which were used to operationalize the collaboration. The outcomes of this course not only benefit the students by providing them with skills necessary to continue participation and experience for getting a job, but also provide a diverse pool of volunteers for the OSS community. This diverse pool shows promise of creating a more diverse culture within OSS. In the development of this pedagogical paradigm this research looked primarily at student���s perception of the importance of their group members and mentors provided to guide their participation in and contribution to an OSS community. These elements were used to facilitate the formation of a CoP. Self-efficacy was also used as a measure; an increase in self-efficacy is associated with the successful formation of a CoP. Finally the intent to continue, as reported by students, was measured to determine the potential contribution to the OSS community overall. This research was designed to use collaboration to support the formation of a CoP within the groups formed between students based on common interests in the OSS project. Additionally students were provided with a mentor from the community to assist in finding paths to contribute. The Ubuntu project was chosen for its commitment to diversity and its reputation for being a welcoming environment to newcomers, reducing the risk of negative community interactions for students. Written reflections were gathered at mid and end of term and used in conjunction with transcripts or reports of group meetings as well as emails between mentors and mentees. Additionally self-efficacy was measured at the beginning and end of the term. The results of this study show that this pedagogical paradigm supports student contribution. Contribution levels were found to be associated with the level of the formation of a CoP within each group and the use of mentors, as well as attending a live, hands-on bug triage demo and the Global Jam, to gather resources. It was also evident that students intend to continue participating at a rate higher than the average rate for newcomers trying to contribute without the type of support offered by this class. Further research into the examination of the use of reflective dialogue with mentors is recommended. It is also recommended that the results from the operationalization of the indicators of the formation of a CoP be used to assist in a more consistent formation of this important resource across more groups within the class. The results of this research point to the effectiveness of this paradigm to promote contributions to an OSS community. These contributions provide the skills students need to improve their attractiveness to future employers. This class also produced a number of students who intend to continue participating in OSS, providing a diverse pool of potential volunteers to the OSS community. / Graduation date: 2013

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1995. / Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Herv[symbol] Varenne. Dissertation Committee: Paul Byers. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 201-205).

Thesis (M.W.S.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2002. / Bibliography: leaves [168]-175.

Thesis (M.S.W.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-124). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.