This dissertation examines the themes of regionalism, feminism and traditionalism as discussed by Camille Lessard-Bissonnette in her journalism, from 1906 to 1938, and in her novel, Canuck, published in 1936, in order to determine if the experience of immigration influences the treatment of these three themes. An immigrant herself, Lessard-Bissonnette was poised between two cultures. Moreover, her writing spans a period of burgeoning feminism. As a result, her depiction of her two homes,--Quebec and the United States,--her views on the rights and roles of women, and her maintenance of traditional perspectives and values from her culture of origin comprise the primary focus of this analysis. In addition, a biography outlining the writer's life and contextualizing her work, and a comparative study of the novels of three other Franco-American women writers round out this dissertation. The methodological approach is one which encompasses a variety of disciplines: sociology and anthropology illuminate a discussion of the effects of industrialization upon the institution of the family; research in women's studies informs an examination of female fictional development, women's part in labor history, and the role of gender specificity in the elaboration of nationalism, and; the field of ethnic studies sheds important light on recurrent themes in immigrant literature. The result of this dissertation is the revelation that Lessard-Bissonnette's regional loyalty eventually shifts from French Canada to be extended primarily to her pays d'adoption. Synchronous with this development is the author's increased participation in American public life, including the feminist movement. At the same time, however, the influence of her pays d'origine's traditionalism continues to be reflected in her preoccupation with family life, the preservation of language, faith and culture, and the expression of loyalty to the Quebec homeland. The conclusion of this dissertation, therefore, is that Lessard-Bissonnette's views, as expressed in her fictional and non-fictional work undergoes an evolutionary process. This is the result of an immigrant's slow but steady acculturation and is indicative of social change in the Franco-American community of which the writer is a member.

This study was designed to investigate the environment at a predominantly White public university, seeking to identify factors the literature suggest have an impact on Black attrition and retention rates. More specifically, this study focused on examining the perceptions and interactions with the institutional environment that are believed to affect Black students' academic performance and dropout behavior at predominantly White colleges. A student-environment congruence model is used to explain the process of Black student persistence and withdrawal. Data was obtained by the use of two questionnaire instruments. The Environmental Satisfaction Questionnaire and a specially constructed biographical data survey instrument were used to obtain the perceptions of Black undergraduate students of their campus environment. Black male and female undergraduate students at a large public predominantly White university were the respondents in the study. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed; one hundred and thirty-three were returned completed. An ex post facto, survey research design was used. Investigated were: Satisfaction with minority advising, perceived racial climate, feelings of alienation, presence of minority faculty, adequate financial assistance. Five hypotheses were tested; two were supported by the research data. Significant differences were found to exist between the various classes, with juniors being the most dissatisfied with the environment and with their relationships with the faculty on campus than either the freshmen, sophomores, or seniors. The findings of this study also revealed that the majority of the sample of Black undergraduate students: (1) indicated that the financial aid was inadequate in meeting their educational costs, (2) expressed feeling alienated on campus, (3) perceived some degree of racial hostility on campus, and (4) felt that more recruiting of Black students and faculty was needed. This study concluded that increased contact with professors, and administrators on campus can create a more supportive and friendly environment for Black students. Recommendations include faculty and student awareness workshops and suggestions to address these areas.

A social involvement measure using subscales from Pace's (1979) College Student Experience Survey and the social adjustment subscale of the College Student Adaptation Questionnaire (Baker and Siryk, 1989) were used to investigate the nature of the relationship between the degree of Black undergraduate students involvement in nonacademic activities (clubs, organizations, and peer interactions) and their social adjustment and academic achievement (GPA) at a four year predominantly White public institution of higher education in northeastern Massachusetts. The major focus was on the correlation between student involvement and social adjustment as they relate to Black students on a predominantly White campus. A statistical program for the social sciences (SPSS-X) was utilized to analyze eleven research questions which were grouped under the following three broad questions: (1) What is the nature of the relationship between involvement, social adjustment, and academic achievement for Black undergraduates? (2) What are the effects of selective Black student characteristics on the measures of involvement, social adjustment, and academic achievement? (3) What are the effects of the racial composition of clubs and organizations on the measures of involvement, social adjustment, and academic achievement after controlling for socioeconomic status and commitment? The data supported the following assumptions: that there is a positive relationship between student involvement and social adjustment; and that one's commitment to college has a significant effect on one's level of social adjustment and involvement. The data, however, did not support assumptions regarding academic achievement, gender differences, academic college of enrollment, and socioeconomic status. There was no intercorrelation between academic achievement and measures of involvement and social adjustment. The findings suggested that social adjustment may be affected by the racial composition of the clubs and organizations students become involved in. Black students involved in predominantly White and predominantly Black clubs and organizations tend to have higher social adjustment scores than those with no involvement or involvement in either predominantly White or predominantly Black clubs and organizations. Recommendations for enhancing student involvement and further research are included.

This study of a school improvement project in a predominantly African-American junior high school examines the efficacy of a course on social dynamics, "Dynamics of Relationships." The study explores the historical and cultural factors (notably fictive kinship) which structure African-American life in the dominant White society. Given the traumatic physical and emotional changes that occur during adolescence, African-American adolescents are besieged with special challenges and problems identified with ethnic kinship. How these factors affect African-American adolescent school success is investigated. Data were gathered through ethnographic research procedure over a three-year period. Triangulation or multi-methods of participant observations, questionnaires and student interviews were utilized. The data from each method were analyzed and the student interviews afforded the participants opportunities to make recommendations for improvement and modifications needed for the social dynamics course, "Dynamics of Relationships." Immediate results from pre- and post-tests after the course was completed indicated no significant change in behavior or knowledge. The students were promoted to various high schools--African-American neighborhood schools, culturally diverse schools with special programs, and schools in neighboring jurisdictions. However, after a three-year period, the students' reports supported the hypothesis that the course on social dynamics positively influenced their social development and increased their self-esteem and self-concept. The students in the culturally diverse schools reported no greater concerns about their fictive kinship than their peers in African-American neighborhood schools and both groups expressed feelings of high esteem. The students in substantially different high schools (social and academic) provided an understanding that they had not been adversely affected in their self evaluation. The study discusses the implications of the scores which reveal gender variance: the females gained more knowledge during the course than did the male participants. Recommendations for further research are presented in which other researchers can initiate a case study that will address some of the analysis of this study.

The origin of and impetus for the development of different and common life-styles and lifeways within various cross sections of modern society is a debated issue within anthropological scholarship. Different paradigms which guide the researcher in analyzing common objects of knowledge effect multiple foci and explanations of processes and patterns. The historical materialist paradigm argues that common life-styles and lifeways within a particular society are the effect of common fundamental conditions of existence. Utilizing the method of participant observation, the life-styles and lifeways of African-American, Latino, and European-American working people in the industrial community area of South Chicago, the second largest steel center in the nation, were studied. Emphasis was placed on attitudes and behaviors in the realms of electoral politics, during the era of Mayor Harold Washington, race and ethnicity, and sex-love practices toward discussing the degree of the expression of a common culture and consciousness of a common class position. Consciousness, as an effect of the ability to assess the conditions of existence and life processes in modern industrial society, is most manifest at the level of trade union consciousness in the context of working people in the United States. Elements of class consciousness gain expression intermittently.

This dissertation evolved from a need to investigate whether the goals and objectives of the school system are the same as the expectations of the client Hispanic parents, especially in a school system where over 60 percent of the student population is Hispanic. The purpose of this study is to examine the interrelationship between the goals and objectives of the school system and Hispanic parents' expectations within a small, urban industrial city in Western Massachusetts. In order to implement this study, a questionnaire was devised and administered to randomly selected Hispanic parents. The questionnaire explored the attitude of Hispanic parents through responses to the following: (1) The following statements are my expectations for my son and/or daughter (18 items listed). (2) Yes, I know about or have heard of the following ideas and programs described in the goals and objectives of the school system where I live (21 items listed). (3) Yes, the following ideas and programs described in the goals and objectives of the school system satisfy my expectations as a parent for my son's and/or daughter's education (21 items listed). A Likert rating scale was used to measure parental expectations and the goals and objectives of the school system. The researcher utilized both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The following research questions guided this study: (1) What are the goals and objectives of the school system? (2) What are the characteristics of the parents whose children attend these schools? (3) What do the parents do to enforce achieving these goals? (4) What is the interrelationship between parent expectations and the school system with regard to the achievement of these goals? The researcher's major findings are that: (1) Hispanic parents should have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process in developing the goals and objectives of the school system. Parental expectations can be addressed and taken into account as a result. (2) When families and communities have strong connections with schools, everyone benefits--children, families, teachers, schools, communities, and our democratic society. (3) Reliance on the delegation model in public education has created a fundamental gap between families and schools. There are other conclusions presented in this study concerning parental expectations and the goals and objectives of the school system.

The purpose of this study was to collect information about the prevalence of a clinical breast examination, mammography, and pap smear among Vietnamese women and to identify predictive factors that influence women to engage in early cancer detection behavior. Particularly, the study is to explore what role, if any, acculturation factors play in predicting cancer screening behaviors. In this study, the level of acculturation is measured by language use, cultural identity, and sociocultural preference. In addition, the length of residence in the US is used as another measure of acculturation. The telephone survey method is conducted with 141 Vietnamese women ages 17 years or over living in western Massachusetts. The participation rate was 79.2%. The overall socioeconomic status of the study sample was low. For example, 53.9% of the respondents had less than a high school education and more than 50% of the respondents reported that their annual household income is less than $20,000. According to survey data, the study sample tended to have lower usage of clinical breast examination and pap test compared with general population. For women over 50 years of age, the study sample had a higher usage of mammogram compared to other groups in Massachusetts. Bivariate and multivariate methods, including logistic regression were used to analyze the differences between users and nonusers. The final model for clinical breast examination and pap test included: age, income, length of residence in the US, and marital status. Those women who have had a clinical breast examination and pap test were older, married, had a high income, and lived in the US longer. The final model for mammogram included: age, sociocultural preference, length of residence, and had a regular place for care. Those women who have had a mammogram were older, had a better access to care, and were less acculturated. Interestingly, those who associate more with the Vietnamese community and lived in the United States for a shorter period are more likely to have had a prior experience with a mammogram than those who associate less with Vietnamese community and lived in the United States for a longer time. Although perception of susceptibility to mammogram and perception of barriers to pap test have been significantly related in bivariate analyses, none of the Health Belief Model components were included in the final model. Moreover, the final model is indicative only of cancer screening behavior in this population and should not be used to predict an individual's cancer screening behavior until it has been assessed in additional populations.

The present exploratory study attempted to investigate the frequency of codeswitching, preferred learning/cognitive style for decision-making processes and the relationship to the development of bicognitive skills among three categories of successful Puerto Ricans. Three categories of Puerto Ricans were identified as: Puerto Ricans who came from Puerto Rico to pursue a master of doctorate degree (Group I); Puerto Ricans who came to the United States during their teenage years and finished their education in the States (up to master's and/or doctorate degree--Group II); and second generation Puerto Ricans (born, raised and educated--master or doctorate degree--in the United States--Group III). A total of fifteen (15) subjects participated in the study: nine (9) in Group I, three (3) in Groups II and III. The criteria aforementioned was used for participants screening selection and specific answers to six research questions were sought. Data for the study were collected through audiotaped ethnographic interviews, Cultural Life Style Inventory (Mendoza, 1986), and transcript records. The results of the analysis of the frequency of codeswitching among all participants suggested the existence of codeswitching as a sociolinguistic phenomenon; topics, the content of the questions and whether the questions were asked in Spanish or English played an important role in generating switches to either English or Spanish. Codeswitching varied in frequency according to the questions asked to participants. The predominant topics that triggered the occurrence of codeswitching were philosophy of life, experiences in the United States, food, influences of three cultures on the development of bicognitive skills and language competency. Participants exposed to both (field independence/sensitive) learning styles are able to respond appropriately no matter what the situation; whether it is taking a standardized test, working by him or herself or working in groups. The results of the analysis of participants' responses of how codeswitching and bicognitivism relate to each other suggest that the exposure to two (2) cultures (Puerto Rican and American) positively influenced their ability to develop bicognitive skills. There seem to be more similarities between Group I and II and between either of them and Group III with regards to the frequency of switching from English to Spanish and vice versa when answering the interview questions. The preferred language to answer questions for Group I and II was Spanish. For Group III it was English. The overwhelming majority of the participants expressed that it was fine to codeswitch. The results were interpreted as indicating that the degree of bilingualism, degree of biculturalism, and learning/cognitive style contribute to the development and enhancement of bicognitive skills.

Student affairs divisions at colleges and universities across the nation are currently implementing a variety of programmatic responses to develop multiracial campus environments. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the multiracial change efforts currently utilized by student affairs administrators. This study surveyed 225 Chief Student Affairs Officers (CSAOs) using a specially designed questionnaire which assessed the levels and types of multiracial change efforts utilized on individual campuses. A conceptual model, Multicultural Change Intervention Matrix (MCIM), based on the concepts of multicultural organization development (MCOD), provided a framework for codifying and understanding the range of activities that student affairs divisions currently use to address multiracial issues. A total of 126 questionnaires (56%) were returned. Over 70% of the respondents were from schools with 10,000 students or less. The range of multiracial interventions reported was 0-300. Nearly 60% of the respondents reported offering five or fewer multiracial interventions during the past two years. There were no significant differences found in the frequency of interventions across institutional size or region. Using the MCIM for analysis, student affairs divisions instituted an almost equal number of 1$\sp{\rm st}$- and 2$\sp{\rm nd}$-order changes targeted at both the individual and group level. However, student affairs practitioners attempted fewer 2$\sp{\rm nd}$-order than 1$\sp{\rm st}$-order change interventions targeted at the division level. Only six respondents utilized MCOD strategies as the basis of their multiracial change efforts. While additional work needs to be done with the underlying model (MCIM) and the questionnaire designed for this study, this research has provided an initial and important step in understanding the multiracial interventions currently utilized in student affairs. Gathering this type of information is crucial in order for student affairs administrators to make informed and effective decisions about what interventions will help create affirming and inclusive multiracial campus environments.

In this dissertation, peer editing as one pedagogical practice in ESL writing is studied from a sociocultural perspective. Such a perspective has been neglected in the previous research in the field. In this study, the theories of the self, the ethnic identity and the acculturation are examined and an ethnographic study reported. The study suggests that pedagogical practices such as peer editing in ESL writing are also sociocultural practices. We cannot fully understand ESL teaching and learning if we ignore the sociocultural aspects and concentrate only on linguistic, psychological, and cognitive aspects. Using Mead, Bakhtin, Freire, and MacIntyre's theories, I have constructed a theoretical framework for my research in critique of the previous sociocultural theories on ESL acquisition. This theoretical framework has three interrelated components: a non-essentialist theory of the self, a non-ethnocentrist theory of ethnic identity, and a theory of acculturation as pluralistic cultural coexistence and amalgamation. Of these three components, the most important is the constructing and ever changing of a person's ethnic identity, which in turn could have a strong impact on transforming the social world. My ethnographic study, which has been conducted in four ESL writing classes in a college on the West Coast, suggests that students' interaction in peer editing helps students enact their ethnic identity and acculturate into the multicultural American society. Telling and retelling their stories in peer editing, student writers and readers reach out to each other as narrative selves and narrative others. Together, they use the stories to give their life-world meaning. Peer editing not only could help students understand their past and present, but could also help them to choose the actions they want to take to transform themselves and their life-world.