This study examines ethnic group differences on different dimensions of parentrated and teacher-rated parent involvement after adjusting for the influence of family socioeconomic factors, and the role of involvement scale in moderating ethnic differences in parent involvement. Parents and teachers provided information on parent involvement for 476 first-grade children attending one of three school districts (1 urban, 2 small city) in Southwest Texas, who were recruited in two sequential cohorts to participate in a larger longitudinal study on the impact of grade retention on academic achievement and psychosocial outcomes. Parents rated the following four dimensions of parent involvement: Positive Perceptions about School, Communication, Parent-Teacher Shared Responsibility, and Parent School-Based Involvement. Teachers rated the following three dimensions of parent involvement: Alliance, General Parent Involvement, and Teacher Initiation of Involvement. The two research hypotheses generated for this study were partially supported by the data. As predicted, controlling for parent education and employment status, the data showed significant ethnic/racial group differences in Communication (parent-rated), Alliance (teacher-rated), and General Parent Involvement (teacher-rated). In addition, ethnic differences in parent involvement were moderated by the type of involvement for teacher ratings. However, contrary to prediction, no significant ethnic differences were found in Parent School- Based Involvement (parent-rated) whereas significant ethnic differences were noted in Parent-Teacher Shared Responsibility (parent-rated). In addition, ethnic differences in parent involvement were not moderated by the type of involvement for parent ratings. Current results demonstrated a low correspondence between parent ratings and teacher ratings on parents’ school-based involvement. Possible explanations and implications for current findings and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Florida, 2003. / Title from title page of source document. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanA (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2003. / Design option. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 389-396).

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University, 1950. / Advisor: W.C. Batchelor, School of Social Administration. Text made available in compliance with Section 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 256-272). Online version of print reproduction.

This thesis makes a contribution to three areas of sociological thought. First, it is concerned with the elaboration and extension of the political economy approach to migration as it is represented in the work of Stephen Castles and his various co-authors. It suggests that the work of Castles, et al., is relatively silent on the role of the state, and ideological relations in the structuration of migration. In seeking to further refine the political economy framework as it is applied to migration, this thesis draws upon two other sets of literature which, in part, have emerged as counters to some of the more economistic of their formulations. In this light, the second area of sociological literature I draw upon is the recent work on the concepts of free and unfree labour. Finally, this thesis is informed by an analysis of recent debates on the concept of racialization. In synthesizing these three strands of sociology, this thesis advances the theoretical claim that political economy oriented theorists should focus on modes of incorporation, or the manner in which foreign-born labour articulates with capital and the state. Within this context, four distinct modes of incorporation under capitalism are identified. These modes of incorporation are designated as: free immigrant labour, unfree immigrant labour, free migrant labour and unfree migrant labour. This thesis suggests that agents are subject to particular modes of incorporation, in part, on the basis on the process of racialization. This thesis uses the cases of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Chinese migration to Canada, and the post-1945 migration of farm labourers, from a number of source countries, including, specifically, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, and the Caribbean, to the south western Ontario fruit and vegetable industry to highlight the centrality of the state in the process of migration, and the differential modes of incorporation of foreign-born persons into sites in production relations. Furthermore, the process of racialization is seen to have an impact on whether particular groups are allowed entry to a social formation, and upon how they are incorporated into sites in production relations.

According to the 1991 Census, Indians are the largest ethnic minority group in the UK. This thesis uses quantitative techniques to investigate the experiences of Indians in the British labour market over the past five decades. This study analyses the factors that encouraged Indians to migrate and settle in the UK and highlights the changes in their skill composition and labour market experiences over time. A comparative study is also made between Indian males and females and their counterparts from other ethnic groups in order to investigate the differences in industrial and occupational distribution, participation decisions and earnings across the various ethnic and gender groups. This thesis attempts to evaluate the extent of discrimination faced by Indians in the British labour market and investigates the consequences of discrimination and labour market disadvantages. Over the years, economists have made significant contributions towards analysing the employment prospects, earnings and disadvantages faced by minority groups in the labour markets of developed countries. Most of the UK studies in this area using quantitative techniques have attempted to evaluate the relative positions of different ethnic groups in the British labour market. This study is more focussed since it concentrates on the experiences of Indians - the largest minority group in the UK. The research also provides a perspective from India, that is, mainly the lessons learnt from the experiences of migrant Indians in the labour market of a developed country. This thesis investigates the impacts of migration on the Indian economy with emphasis on how the Indian government can address the problem of "brain drain" and benefit by utilising the technical know-how, skills and savings of Indians residing in the UK and other countries.

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This dissertation explores the ways in which ethnic boundaries are constructed and reconstructed as expressions of identity, solidarity, and mobilization. In particular, this project documents and attempts to explain the development of panethnicity---solidarity among culturally and linguistically diverse national origin groups---in order to understand the strength of structural conditions in the formation of an ethnic group and to shed light on boundary formation processes. Moving toward the construction of a general theory of panethnicity, I extend competition theory and cultural division of labor theory to make new predictions about when panethnic behavior will increase among Asian Americans from 1970 to the present. I test these new predictions about the structural conditions under which identity, solidarity, and mobilization will emerge using three dependent variables: intermarriage, organizational formation, and collective action. I constructed several data sets documenting patterns of panethnic group formation from census data, government documents, Encyclopedia of Associations, and national newspapers. Using event history, pooled time series, and logistic regression analyses, I find support for the hypothesized relationship between occupational segregation and panethnic behavior which indicates that the mechanisms of dependence and control, rather than competition, are more important for understanding the emergence of panethnic identity, solidarity, and mobilization.

No description available.