The present field experiment investigated the interaction between influence and locus of control in determining procedural justice and satisfaction, in a classroom situation. Perceptions of influence accounted for unique variance in procedural justice and satisfaction. The proposed moderating effects of locus of control on the influence-procedural justice and influence-satisfaction relationships were not supported. Unfortunately, the manipulation of influence was unsuccessful, and several methodological considerations are proposed for future research. / Master of Science

Reciprocity in friendship has been identified as necessary to developmental stages of friendship formation in children and adolescents. Studies of young adults and older adults in reciprocal friendships have focused on gender differences, communication, and social satisfaction, including social supports. There has been little research on the role of reciprocity in same-sex close friendships of middle aged women. Eighteen interviews of women ages 40 to 56 years were qualitatively analyzed to explore the importance of reciprocity and how it is expressed in middle aged same-sex close friendships. The Jones and Vaughan (1990) categories of self-disclosure, emotional support, tangible assistance, and social initiatives were used as a starting point for coding the interview responses. Shared values, acceptance and trust, feedback, and similarity/mutuality over time were additional themes that emerged from the data. The women in this study expected reciprocity from close friends. Tangible assistance and social initiatives did not seem to be important whereas shared values and self-disclosure were the foundations of their friendships. However, there were contradictions and reservations about sharing problems and successes. Self-disclosure, feedback, emotional support, and acceptance and trust were found to be interrelated and reciprocal. Two different levels of listening emerged from the data. The first level was expressed as listening when a close friend self-disclosed with the expectation of being "heard" and "accepted." The second level was expressed as listening when a close friend shared with the expectation of providing feedback. Acceptance and trust emerged as being reciprocally related, while similarity and mutuality emerged as being developmental over time. A relationship between feedback and self-esteem also became evident. The middle aged participants valued reciprocity in their friendships and expressed it with complexity and richness that was multi-dimensional. / Master of Science

Community firearm violence in the United States (US), defined as intentional fatal and nonfatal shootings that result from interpersonal violence, has a disproportionately negative impact on racialized and minoritized groups. Recent research indicates that areas with limited economic prospects, higher concentrations of poverty, and residential instability tend to experience increased firearm violence. These factors are commonly recognized as social determinants of health. It is hypothesized that these determinants are symptoms of deeper upstream factors, including structural racism and longstanding structural disinvestment. This dissertation aims to deepen the understanding of current trends in community firearm violence, especially in relation to the historical context of structural racism. This will be achieved through a systematic review of existing literature and comprehensive empirical research. This dissertation is divided into five chapters, beginning with an introductory overview. The second chapter presents a systematic review of the literature, focusing on various methodologies for measuring structural racism and estimating its association with community firearm violence (Aim 1). Chapters 3 and 4 involve empirical analyses. In Chapter 3, I develop and apply a structural racism index to study its relationship with community firearm violence in U.S. cities (Aim 2). This investigation spans three distinct historical periods of structural racism, testing its long-term impact on the risk of community firearm violence. Chapter 4 examines the impact of hot spot policing specifically through the use of stop, question, and frisk (SQF) on community firearm violence (Aim 3). It is posited that SQF perpetuates structural racism by disproportionately targeting minority communities, thereby contributing to the cyclical nature of violence within these neighborhoods. The aim is to determine if there is a measurable relationship between this single aspect of structural racism and the occurrence of community firearm violence in New York City. The final chapter, Chapter 5, synthesizes the research findings and situates them within the wider epidemiological discourse on firearm violence. The results from Aim 1 of this study highlight a range of methods used to measure structural racism, all consistently demonstrating a positive association between structural racism and the incidence of community firearm violence. The Aim 2 findings demonstrate a statistically significant association between historical structural racism and increased incidence of community firearm violence in cities. Notably, the study identified significant associations between each of the three historical periods under study and a heightened risk of community firearm violence over time. Finally, Aim 3 reveals that stop, question, and frisk practices are statistically significantly associated with an increase in community firearm violence in block groups in New York City, even after controlling for additional indicators of structural racism and spatial dependencies. In conclusion, this dissertation demonstrates a consistent and significant relationship between historical structural racism and the incidence of community firearm violence. Structural racism has a long-standing and widespread influence on community firearm violence, evident across various cities and scales, from broad systems of inequality to individual neighborhoods. This reality necessitates comprehensive, well-targeted interventions by policymakers and community leaders to tackle the deep-rooted causes of violence.

Abstract not available

The purpose of this study was to consolidate the myriad theories of crime and create a comprehensive list of reasons a person may violate the law. This thesis aimed to accurately identify and categorize the general criminal motivations of sentenced inmates at Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center (GHRC). By administering a survey to sentenced inmates this study supported the research hypothesis that all of the participants would agree that they had committed their illegal act due exclusively to one or more of the nine reasons discussed.

Outdoor recreation on national forests near large urban centers is changing and diversifying as users of many ethnic and racial backgrounds increasingly choose urban-proximate forests as recreation sites. These changes are particularly evident on the national forests of Southern California where large numbers of individuals of Hispanic origins are utilizing dispersed, relatively undeveloped sites for day-use recreation activities including picnicking, barbecuing, and swimming. This usage is the focus of the study. Previous studies of outdoor recreation participation have treated ethnic group membership as a unidimensional, categorical variable. Using a social structural model, this study more fully explores inter- and intra-ethnic differences by examining the role of ancestry, generational status, and acculturation in influencing recreation experiences. Additionally, the study attempts a more holistic exploration of recreation experiences, including their meaning and significance as a way of more fully understanding the experience from the visitor's point of view. The study uses a combination of quantitative (on-site, self-administered surveys) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews and observations) methods to accomplish these objectives. From the results of the study it appears that Hispanic visitors to the study sites vary in terms of their structural characteristics. Certain forest sites are visited primarily by relatively unacculturated immigrants to the United States, with few Anglos or more acculturated Hispanic present. Other areas are composed of more acculturated individuals of longer generational tenure. In addition to structural variation in the study site's Hispanic visitors, there is also variation in meanings and preferences related to the recreation experience. Among the variables examined were past use history, social group composition, primary reason for the visit, what respecting the forest means, and place attachment. The largest differences among the study's respondents in the above questions were found between those of Anglo and Central American descent. Among the study's findings are that those of Anglo descent come to the sites more frequently and had been doing so for a longer time, are in smaller groups, and are less attached to the sites than those of Hispanic descent. Considerable structural differences between the two primarily Hispanic ancestral groups were revealed. The Central American response group contained more individuals born outside the United States and of lower acculturation levels. Hispanic participants born outside the United States were more dissimilar to Anglos in their responses to the questions related to recreation experiences than those born in the United States. / M.S.

Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology in Environmental Management In the Faculty of Applied Sciences Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Rivers, lakes and streams are the only way people encounter water sources in urban areas. Human endeavours have consequently deteriorated the environmental quality provided by river systems thus rivers are supporting a fraction of their original biodiversity and abundance. Urban streams are highly valuable and sensitive systems which, can be assessed by means of impacts of urban catchment and pathway influences. Many of the problems associated with environmental quality and management of urban watercourses are as a result of poor public perception. Advances in river assessment and management has come about through the recognition that water resource problems involve biological, physical and chemical components and more recently the addition of social and economic aspects. Social public participation is therefore achieved by studying and acting on people’s values, behaviours and perceptions of environmental quality. The main aim of this research was to identify whether a difference in socio-economic status is an influential factor in people’s perception of environmental quality. The objectives of the research were to determine whether the Elsieskraal River has a perceived low environmental relevance and quality (health and aesthetics), to determine what sensitizes people about issues relating to the natural environment and to identify people’s uses and perceptions of the Elsieskraal River corridor and its importance to the enjoyment as a recreational space. The study used a qualitative approach to obtain the data using the focus group technique. The purposive sample of participants from Pinelands and Thornton were the population that this study sought to investigate. Two focus group discussions; one in each study area was conducted. The results of this study found both similarities and differences in people’s perceptions of the Elsieskraal River between the two different socioeconomic urban communities. The perceived observation that the Elsieskraal River was a canal and not a river set the foundation for the envisaged low environmental quality the river so acquired. The majority overall environmental quality scores for the attributes of aquatic life, vegetation and water quality were found to be lower than they were scientifically found to be. Two clear avenues concerning environmental information sourcing and sensitization to the public was found. Politicians and government officials were unreliable to relay environmental information of a trustworthy nature. Community newspapers were a useful tool to present theevidence of information concerning the status of the natural environment especially at a local level. Three themes namely safety, maintenance and facilities and community attachment emerged on the importance of the Elsieskraal River as a recreational space. It is recommended that further studies should examine the perceptions of other similar rivers in the urban environment, both natural and canalised within Cape Town and the greater South Africa. The findings can assist environmental managers, planners and educators identify the gaps between the scientific environmental conditions and what people’s perceived awareness and knowledge about environmental quality are (factual versus perceived). It is also recommended that emphasis and support from local authorities must be given to non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) and adjacent property owners to aid in mobilising people into “ownership of rivers” within their communities to enhance their value and utilisation.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if formal early childhood education was related to the likelihood of later criminal activity. The secondary data analysis within this study did support inferences for four specific crime factors. This study found that preschool attendance lessened the incurrence of future criminal activity in crime categories of total numbers of damage offenses, total numbers of theft offenses, total numbers of damage alone offenses, and total numbers of injury and theft offenses.

In an age of biomedicine, technologies, drugs, and treatments are expanding in new and diverse ways. Especially relevant to biomedicalization and this research is how such information is conveyed to the public through the media. Medical information is omnipresent in the media through direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising and regular coverage of health topics in the news. The accessibility and proliferation of medical information provides an important opportunity to examine the ways in which these topics are framed in the media. This research specifically examines the framing of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil in the mass media. In this study, I explore how Gardasil was framed, how gender and sexuality were utilized within such frames, and what groups influenced these frames. I employ frame analysis to examine the presentation of Gardasil in the mass media. Due to the vaccine's intricate connection to gender and sexuality, I examine how these dimensions are utilized and reproduced in such frames. Gardasil was originally approved only for women, making gender a salient aspect of the vaccine. The current body of research examining Gardasil in the media presents data from the time the vaccine was only available to women. Now that the HPV vaccine is approved for men, this research seeks to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how Gardasil was framed in the media now that it is available to men and women. And given that Gardasil prevents a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in men and women, it is uniquely tied to issues of sexuality. To analyze Gardasil in the media, I examine newspaper articles, magazine articles, and media representations from stakeholder groups, including DTC advertising, official statements, and group websites. Analysis of key sources indicates that Merck dominated the framing of the vaccine in DTC advertisements and the news media, illustrating the power of the pharmaceutical industry. Findings indicate that the initial marketing of Gardasil constructed the vaccine as uniquely tied to femininity and later, women's empowerment. However, once the drug was approved for men, messages were reframed to appeal to a wider audience. Overall, the media continued to frame the vaccine specifically for women, further constructing HPV as a "woman's disease." The dominant focus on women concomitantly silenced the sexual health of men and sexual minorities. In conclusion, the marketing, discourse, and structural elements of Gardasil make it less accessible to those most in need, therefore contributing to the ongoing problem of cervical cancer and HPV.

Today, raising children under the best of circumstances represents a daunting endeavor as any parent and a growing body of research confirm. When a single parent is on active duty in one of the U.S. armed forces, there are additional challenges involved that may not exist among civilian counterparts. The phenomenon of single parents on active duty with its unique difficulties associated both with single parenting and with military service was the basis of this study. The purpose of the research was twofold: to describe the experiences of Air Force single parents as related to social support and work-life theory in the context of bureaucracy and to use that understanding to identify needed improvements in support services. The specific aim of this study was to gain an understanding of single parents in the military through a phenomenological approach. Purposive sampling was utilized to identify the 13 participants. The central question for the study was the following: What are the experiences of single parents serving on active duty in the United States Air Force? The seven themes that were identified as part of the single parent experience were: (a) transition to single parent in the Air Force, (b) better life (c) parental responsibilities, (d) work responsibilities, (e) support provided by the work organizations, (f) informal social supports, and (g) work-life conflict. Major findings include the importance of family-friendly supervisors that alleviated work-family conflict. Participants also noted the military family as being significant to their adjustment and acceptance of military life. Finally, participants were seeking a better life for themselves and their children by either joining as a single parent or deciding to stay as a single parent. This study offers an opportunity to change policy and practice to enhance and encourage the retention of single parents. One application of study findings is the reexamination of the Family Care Plan to alleviate work-family conflict. Another area identified for practice enhancement is the education and training of family-friendly supervisors.