The study sought to identify the relationship between the increase in participation in adult education and the rate of social change in American society. Three major research questions were examined: 1) What changes are taking place in the traditional social institutions which may be causing adults to rely upon education as a means of adjustment; 2) What are the effects of technology upon the cultural values in contemporary American society; 3) What changes are taking place in the social roles and responsibilities of American adults.The study related the knowledge of the intellectual and psychological growth of adults to educational programming, and suggested the role which adult education will continue to play in the immediate future. Relevant publications by social critics and educators were examined, and statistical information related to social change in the United States was cited. It was determined that there had been dramatic social change in the United States during this century as a result of the deep and pervasive impact of technology on all aspects of society. As an example it was reported that an enormous upheaval in family life was refected in the 350% increase in the divorce rate in the fifteen year period from 1960 to 1975.The impact which this change has had upon individual adjustment is reflected in the fact that the largest percentage of increase in reasons for participation in adult education programs was in the area of personal and family interests and that the increase itself was strongly related to the general increase in participation in adult education programs by women.The study concluded that the changing role of women in society and the upheaval in family life was related to the increase in the number of women taking courses for personal and family reasons. It concluded that the impact of technological change on all aspects of society would have to be dealt with by educators for many years to come, directly assisting adults to develop the flexibility and creativity necessary to adapt to change. It recommended specific areas for planning adult education programs, and cited a number of areas of sociological and educational concern which were raised during the study, to which other scholars might address themselves.

The increase in voluntary activities in both public and private sectors of the U.S.A. has begun to make it clear that information is needed concerning models for new or different ways of working with people in volunteer agencies. This study attempted to develop a model for a Human Resource Center for Voluntarism which began with three objectives. They were to: 1. stimulate and/or provide avenues for closer working relationships among existing agencies and organizations involving volunteers, 2. broaden the base of citizen participation in community services, 3. reinforce the relationship between adult education and community service by allowing for individual growth and task completion as interdependent goals. Fundamental statements underlying the purpose for developing a Model included the following: 1. Involvement of citizen volunteers is a valuable facet of the American cultural heritage, and is unique in its application. 2. An adult's responsibility as a citizen is to become involved in the community to work toward improvements for all individuals. 3. Education is the principal avenue by which this can be accomplished becasue: (a) learning results in behavior change, (b) behavior change is necessary for cultural growth and progress. From this, a Model was developed which described in general terms what tones, atmosphere, and relationships were necessary to achieve the goals. In addition, a proposal was made for more specific details for the requirements of the Directing Group and its components. Data for the study was obtained from documented literature primarily from 1960 to 1970, as well as personal experiences of both the writer and many colleagues in the field of voluntary community service agencies. The writer concluded that the proposed Center could have some lasting, positive effects on a community by being both a model for other community service agencies as well as an action agency which could develop innovative and experimental ways of work.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / I examined a panel of all 50 states over a period of 30 years between 1981 and 2010, estimating a random effects model to examine the relationship between the party of a state’s governor and changes in pretax and transfer income inequality. Though the literature has quite consistently shown that income inequality increases more quickly under Republican governors or when policies favored by Republicans are implemented, I find no evidence to support this, though this is perhaps because I did not allow a long enough lag time for new policies to have an effect. I did, however, find that pretax income inequality increases more quickly under Democratic presidents than under Republicans, in spite of the fact that all previous research shows the opposite to be true. I suspect that this unusual finding is the result of a quirk in my 1981-2010 time frame, namely the effects of the shift in welfare policy under the Clinton administration in the 1990s.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Oral health is crucial to overall health and a focus of the U.S. Health Center program, which provides preventive dental services in medically underserved communities. Dental hygiene is an oral health profession whose practice is focused on dental disease prevention and oral health promotion. Variations in the practice and regulation of dental hygiene has been demonstrated to influence access to dental care at a state level; restrictive policies are associated lower rates of access to care. Understanding whether and to what extent policy variations affect availability and access to dental care and the oral health of medically underserved communities served by grantees of the U.S. Health Center program is the focus of this study. This longitudinal study examines dental service utilization at 1,135 health center grantees that received community health center funding from 2004 to 2011. The Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) was used as an indicator of the state policy environment. The influence of grantee and state level characteristics are also considered. Mixed effects models were used to account for correlations introduced by the multiple hierarchical structure of the data. Key findings of this study demonstrate that state policy environment is a predictor of the availability and access to dental care and the oral health status of medically underserved communities that received care at a grantee of the U.S. Health Center program. Grantees located in states with highly restrictive policy environments were 73% less likely to deliver dental services and, those that do, provided care to 7% fewer patients than those grantees located in states with the most supportive policy environments. Population’s served by grantees from the most restrictive states received less preventive care and had greater restorative and emergency dental care needs. State policy environment is a predictor of availability and access to dental care and the oral health status of medically underserved communities. This study has important implications for policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Findings demonstrate the need for policy and advocacy efforts at all levels, especially within states with restrictive policy environments.