The study revealed that the subsidy programs implemented in Malawi over the years have exposed many farmers to the advantages of using improved farm inputs. Almost 86 percent of the participants had a chance to grow hybrids in their farming career and out of that number 89 percent continues to grow them on a yearly basis and 76 percent indicated that hybrids have turned out to be their preferred variety. It has also revealed that complete removal of subsidy will result in the demand for inputs from subsidy eligible farmers to be removed from the market. This is based on the fact that only 5 percent of the participants were willing to pay for the improved input packages at market prevailing price.

The pet overpopulation problem is a multiactorial problem that many organizations such as animal shelters attempt to manage. Many studies have focused on the reasons animals are relinquished by their owners but few have also looked at the characteristics that may influence adoption. Identifying which characteristics that influence adoption may help shelters provide more detailed adoption programs based on their dog and cat profile. Increases in the number of dogs and cats entering animal shelters during the spring and summer month is a perception among shelter staff. Investigating the seasonal trends in the number of animals entering a shelter may help the facility prepare to provide additional space and resources. The focus of this study was to identify any seasonal variation in the number of dogs and cats entering animal shelters in Mississippi and to determine the characteristics of dogs and cats that influenced their adoption.

This study examined whether adopted adolescents’ attachment to their adoptive parents predicted attachment experiences in close relationships outside one’s family during emerging adulthood. Data were taken from the Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project, a longitudinal study of 190 adoptive families followed for three time points (target adoptee’s childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood). Parental attachment was assessed through the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA: Armsden & Greenberg, 1987), and hierarchical linear modeling allowed for calculations of the average and discrepancy of attachment to each adolescent’s parent dyad. Using the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire (ECR: Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998), attachment style in emerging adulthood was evaluated in terms of the level of avoidance and anxiety in close relationships. While avoidance in close relationships was predicted by dyadic parental attachment, anxiety was not. Congruent with expectations, less avoidance was associated with stronger parent dyad attachments. Additionally, older age appeared to predict less avoidance in close relationships. These findings demonstrate the important contribution of adoptive parent-child relationships for later relationships.

This study explores the notion of racial empathy and whether or not the nonadopted white siblings in transracially adoptive families develop the ability to empathize within the context of race. Specifically, I look at the following three questions: Do white siblings who have black adopted siblings develop racial empathy – the ability for one to personally identify with racially sensitive issues that affect persons of a separate racial category – toward blacks outside of their family by virtue of their interactions with the adoptee? What are the different dimensions of racial empathy? How is racial empathy displayed at each dimension? Participants are interviewed in-depth about their experiences being reared with black siblings. Ten out of 15 participants developed racial empathy in at least one dimension by virtue of having black adopted siblings. This is a limited sample (e.g. gender, class, religious affiliation) and the findings cannot be extrapolated; however, these findings suggest that further research needs to be conducted on racial empathy, as well as the nonadopted white siblings.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / After the 1989 fall of Communism in Romania, the world became aware of the plight of the country's thousands of institutionalized children, and an international adoption system saw the adoption of many of these children to other countries. Thousands of children, however, remained in institutions as the newly Democratic Romania struggled with the legacy of its Communist era. During the process of applying to join the European Union, Romania in 2000 initiated the eventual banning of international adoption. Using a qualitative approach that relies on interviews, document review, and observation, this study finds both positive and negative interpretations of the ban, with subjects pointing to Romania's desire to join the EU as a supposed major factor in its decision to ban international adoption. The implications of the ban include the emergence of a foster care system and domestic adoption, efforts to reunify families and to prevent the abandonment, relinquishment, and removal of children from their biological families, and the development of alternative forms of care in tandem with a new deinstitutionalization initiative. / 2031-01-02

While evidence suggests that adoptees do not differ from non-adoptees in their ability to achieve a stable sense of identity, much is still unknown about how specifically the fact of being adopted affects one's identity. The purpose of this research is to take a deeper look at the significance and meaning of being adopted to one's sense of identity through qualitative analyses of in depth interviews with adoptees. Participants were recruited from Psychology classes via the SONA system. The participants (N = 16) took part in an in-depth structured interview and completed a survey battery which included a demographic questionnaire, the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire, the Identity Distress Survey, and the Brief Symptom Index-18. Interviews were transcribed, analyzed, and coded for emerging themes using thematic analysis. The themes and their effect on adopted individuals' identity is discussed with multiple case examples.

No description available.

Med en kritisk diskursanalys undersöks hur den adopterade representeras i tv-serien Leende Guldbruna Ögon ur ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv. De verktyg som används i diskursanalysen är teorierna om semantisk täthet, hegemoni och inkodning/avkodning. Resultatet av undersökningen är att den adopterade representeras som ett fritt flytande subjekt mellan den svenska dansbandsdiskursen och invandrardiskursen. SVT:s avkodade budskap är av undersökningen att döma att den adopterade blir en del av ett homogent blattedansband. Det budskapet har potential att påverka svenska folkets syn på människor med en kulturell identitet som inte sammanfaller med det som hudfärgen representerar.

No / The Court of Appeal in Re B-S (Children) [2013] EWCA Civ 1146 delivered a judgment on 17 September 2013 that has led to confusion and uncertainty in adoption cases specifically, but public law cases more generally. In his judgment, the President of the Family Division, Sir James Munby, highlighted the need for a greater degree of analysis and a weighing up of all the options for the child, including adoption. Significantly, the President stated that adoption without parental consent is an extremely draconian step, and as an option should not therefore be based on resource constraints if the most appropriate option for the child is to remain living within his or her own family with support. The authors are concerned that following the decision in Re B-S the courts appear to be more willing to grant leave to appeal an adoption order, especially where parents are not legally represented. Members of the judiciary may be concerned to uphold the Article 6 rights of parents, but this must be carefully balanced against the welfare of the child. Furthermore, following the decision in Re B-S we are seeing evidence in unreported cases of social workers being heavily challenged on their oral evidence in court. The judgment in this case will inevitably lead to uncertainty amongst professionals who are already working under considerable strain and these may result in further delay for children; this is ironic given the rhetoric of recent reform of family justice is premised upon the importance of the timetable for the child.

Silvopasture is a land-use management practice which intentionally integrates trees, forage, and livestock. It is increasingly prevalent in outreach and extension, yet considerations for adoption are complex. The implementation of a cost-share initiative for silvopasture created by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Virginia in 2011 provides an opportunity for landowners to establish silvopasture systems on their properties, thus diversifying land management and income, as well as providing environmental benefits. However, research on who might adopt silvopasture and why is needed. For this research, a mail survey was distributed to 307 cost-share enrollees in NRCS' livestock limitation initiatives and 139 were returned (45.3%). The first objective of this survey was to gauge interest in two forms of silvopasture implementation: a) thinning a woodlot and b) planting trees in a pasture. Furthermore, the study was utilized to test which hypothetical benefits might increase a livestock producers' interest in either implementation form. Results show that respondents preferred thinning to planting but risk and uncertainty were perceived in both. Environmental outputs and assistance from technicians increased interest in both practices over economic benefits; however, livestock performance was most important. Literature on the topic aligns with findings and highlights that more research is needed to understand risk, environmental, and resource-related factors. The second objective was to measure interest in silvopasture and classify respondents based on their operational or their beliefs-based characteristics and assess which classification set mattered more. Results indicated that interest in silvopasture varied but the majority (60%) indicated they were either interested or very interested. Two-step cluster analysis was used to classify respondents based on their operational considerations and a combination of Exploratory Factor Analysis and K-means clustering was used to group livestock producers according to their beliefs on traditional and land-use values. A Kruskal-Wallis independent samples analysis for each classification revealed no statistically significant differences in the interest in silvopasture between operational groupings. Conversely, there were statistically significant differences in silvopasture interest according to beliefs-based classifications. These results suggest that operations of livestock producers do not matter as much as their attitudes and beliefs related to the practice. A cross-tabulation of the operational classification and beliefs cluster resulted in no correlation. Literature suggest both operational characteristics and producer beliefs may matter in agroforestry adoption, but that positive or negative correlation in terms of interest may vary. / Master of Science / Silvopasture is a agroforestry conservation practice that integrates trees, forage, and livestock in a managed system. The adoption of this practice is complex, though education on the practice has been increasing. A cost-share initiative for silvopasture was created by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Virginia in 2011, which creates the opportunity to implement silvopasture systems on landowner properties. This system could lead to more diversification of land and income, as well as providing environmental benefits. However, more research is needed. A mail survey was sent to 307 NRCS cost-share enrollees who were managing livestock and 139 were returned. The survey had two objectives; the first was to measure interest in the two forms of silvopasture implementation: a) thinning a woodlot and b) planting trees in a pasture. Hypothetical benefits which might increase a livestock producers’ interest in thinning or planting for silvopasture was also measured. Results show that respondents had a preference for thinning over planting. Economic benefits were not as effective in increasing interest compared to environmental outputs and assistance from technicians; however, livestock performance was most important. Findings were aligned with literature on silvopasture and agroforestry but more research is needed. The second objective was to measure interest in silvopasture and classify respondents based on their operational or their beliefs-based characteristics and to see which classification set mattered more. Results indicated that interest in silvopasture varied but the majority (60%) indicated some level of interest. Statistical analyses were used to classify respondents based on their operational considerations and used to group livestock producers according to their beliefs on traditional and land-use values. Outputs showed no statistically significant differences between operational groupings and their interest in silvopasture. There was a statistically significant difference in silvopasture interest according to beliefs-based classifications. These results indicate that the operations of livestock producers do not matter as much as their attitudes and beliefs on the practice. Previous literature indicates that both operational characteristics and producer beliefs may matter in agroforestry adoption, but interest may vary regardless.