In this qualitative research study, I examined the experiences of single parent females who enrolled or withdrew from a flagship university since the implementation of Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The research questions the study was designed to explore were: Are there differences in the students' experiences based on prior academic success and ages of children? What is the experience of current and former TANF recipients at a flagship northeastern university who have attempted to persist in college? What kind of psychological and sociological factors do students make use of to persist in college? Grounded theory was utilized to explore how women balanced the demands of parenting, school and the economic constraints they encountered while enrolled in school. The students were found to use multiple strategies to ensure that they met the requirement of the two-year time limit for TANF while attempting to complete school. This study also indicated that Tinto's theory of persistence could be used to examine the women's experience. The study found academic and social integration to be mutually interdependent for the single parent students.

This dissertation will examine the determinants of international variations in child welfare. In particular, I intend to focus on the relationship between child welfare and the distribution of power in societies. In pursuing this objective, I will proceed in four steps. First, I will identify elements to construct a holistic child welfare index (WINOCENT). Second, drawing on the chapter on literature review, I will assemble and present data on various determinants of child welfare identified in that chapter. I will sort these determinants into two broad categories: structural variables, which are not readily amenable to alternation by policy makers, at least in the short run; and the policy variables, which can be more readily manipulated. Third, I will calculate the National Performance Gaps (NPG)s for the child welfare index (WINOCENT) and the variables comprising it, by regressing them against per capita income using the ordinary least squares method. In the fourth and last stage, regression analysis will be used to examine the relationships between the dependent variable, i.e. the WINOCENT and its constituent elements, and the independent variables, i.e. the structural and policy variables.

This study in fiscal sociology explores the extractive and distributive effects of the Massachusetts State Lottery (MSL) on the state's 351 cities and towns. In Massachusetts, lottery profits are distributed as local aid that is intended to have an “equalizing” effect. This investigation was prompted, in part, by political controversy over the MSL's redistributive impact. Critics of the MSL argue that it functions as a “reverse Robin Hood,” whereas proponents stress its “fiscal friendliness” to all communities—poor and wealthy alike. This study differs from most previous lottery research in two major respects. First, it examines the tax incidence of the MSL with regard to geopolitical communities, rather than individuals. Second, it examines the MSL's distributive effects in addition to its extractive effects. Conceptualization of lottery ticket expenditure as a property of communities allows for comparison of the dollar amount paid into the MSL system by a community in relation to the amount it receives back in the form of lottery aid. Multiple regression analysis strongly suggests that the relationship between community level of affluence and per capita ticket expenditure is curvilinear, that the proportion of community income spent on lottery tickets decreases as income increases, and that the number of lottery agents per capita decreases as community affluence increases. Although no evidence is found of a “reverse Robin Hood” pattern of redistribution across all communities, a “take from the poor and give to the rich” effect is noticeable with respect to some cities and towns. This research illuminates the Lottery as a mechanism whereby the State exerts power over both individuals and communities as consumers of lottery tickets, payers of the lottery tax, and purported beneficiaries of its proceeds. It demonstrates the fruitfulness of investigating the real, as opposed to purported, effects of state finance policies. By determining who taxation and expenditure policies really benefit, how they benefit, and to what degree, sociologists can illuminate their political content and demonstrate that they are powerful tools of the State—tools that may be used to serve the interests of particular social groups, be they economic classes or geopolitical communities.

Given the growing homeless population of men, women and children in temporary housing, the researcher was interested in focusing on determining whether a grass roots organization called "Parents on the Move" was perceived by its population as a success or failure. The research paradigm that was used to conduct this study was qualitative. The study participants were interviewed in-depth and were tape recorded. Profiles of the participants were constructed. Themes, and metaphors and symbols were catalogued and coded, and then constructed into a narrative around the basic questions on which the study was based. Tables were constructed presenting frequencies and distributions on background variables and responses to the questions listed above. The major findings of the study were that the leaders defined the organization as successful, even though different individuals defined success in quite different terms. The organization was successful in making people feel good about themselves and their homeless situation. It provided support to the residents and helped improve conditions at the hotel. These accomplishments instilled in the participants the courage to handle problems on their own. It is less clear whether POM, through its protests and efforts, caused the closing of the hotel and the successful placement of the residents in permanent housing. It was also found that POM consisted of two quite different constituencies: those who were politically committed and willing to engage in social action to better their lives and those who were not politically active, who wanted to make sure that they received their social services. For those who were the more politicized, POM was a greater success than for those who were not. When the hotel was closed, many of the less politicized parents were nostalgic about life in the hotel, since services were provided on site.

Thesis advisor: Joseph Quinn / Thesis advisor: Christopher Berger / In Economics, the concept of welfare, and specifically maximizing welfare, has been an important area of study since the inception of the field. Historically economists have used single indicators, like Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or Composite Indicators, like the Human Development Index (HDI), both to compare welfare across societies and understand the welfare level within one society. This paper presents a dashboard approach to welfare as an alternative and shows how a collection of indicators listed together gives the best picture of the welfare of a society. This project considers both the philosophical and theoretical background necessary for measuring welfare as well as the economic data to argue for this dashboard approach. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Economics.

No description available.

A survey aimed at assessing the nutritional impact of resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) was conducted in Northern Iraq between July and November 2000. The sample consisted of 301 households in the collective town of Dyana, representing the IDPs, and 282 households in ten villages of Rostey Valley, representing the resettled IDPs. The methodology consisted of structured questionnaires, anthropometry, and measurement of hemoglobin levels of one child under the age five years, one adult mate, and one adult female per household. The prevalence of low height-for-age among the children from the resettled households was 30.6% and among those still in the collective town was 18.9% (p < 0.01). Incidence of diarrhea was more than three times and acute respiratory infection (ARI) was more than seven times among the children in the collective town (p < 0.01). No significant differences existed in acute malnutrition and underweight rates among the children or in adult BMIs between the two populations. Anemia was present among 56.8% of the children in the collective town and among 46.8% of the children in the resettled villages (p < 0.01). When children who had diarrhea and ARI during the two weeks prior to the survey were removed from the analysis, the difference was not statistically significant, suggesting that the higher prevalence rate of anemia in the collective town may be due to higher infection rate. The presence of anemia among both male (42.9%) and female (47.2%) adults was significantly higher among the IDPs in the collective town than among the male (22.5%) and female (28.0%) adults in the resettled villages (p < 0.01). Except for vegetables, all other types of food were available in higher quantities to the resettled households (p < 0.05). Availability of food energy, protein, iron, zinc, thiamin, and folic acid was significantly higher in the resettled villages and availability of calcium, riboflavin, and vitamins C and A was significantly higher in the collective town (p < 0.05). The IDPs in the collective town had better diet diversity (p < 0.05). These results show that the resettled IDPs did not have a superior nutritional status than those still considered IDPs.

The health care reform debate in the United States is defined by the choice between free market reform and a government-administered single payer alternative. Nearly half the population receives access to health care through government directed programs (e.g. Medicare) while the remainder is covered by private insurers. In spite of the current mix of allocation mechanisms advocates on both sides of the debate have argued for the superiority of one form over the other in controlling costs and constraining aggregate demand. Precisely because allocation is the focus of the debate, "health care" is conceived of as a cost incurred by businesses, individuals and/or the government. A miserly attitude prevails. This dissertation aims at developing a new discursive context in which to politicize health care reform. I have used qualitative research techniques to explore the spaces in which health care is produced, allocated and consumed. The concept of the diverse/community economy, developed by J. K Gibson-Graham and the Community Economies Collective, provides us with a language for differentiating the economic landscape. This typology not only allows us to recognize the importance of informal caregivers in the economy of care but also to recognize the different organizational forms, processes of exchange, ethical commitments in health care's "market sector." A common theme has emerged from my interviews with informal care providers, physicians, community based health care institution administrators and alternative practitioners. All of these people spoke of their ethical commitment to care, how the practice of caregiving is deeply affecting. Interviewees recognized that caregiving was at moments a source of profound meaning while, at other times, it was a threat to their emotional and physical wellbeing. This dissertation concludes with an argument for thinking of health care "reform" as a process of development that focuses on the affective intensity of care and the ethical commitment of care providers. The aim of this development project is to produce supportive conditions for caregivers operating in both the formal and informal settings to be ethically engaged subjects.

Women make up a significant minority of the homeless population in the United States. This dissertation examines the social and health characteristics of homeless women, the data having been obtained from the National Health Care for the Homeless Program (HCH), sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pew Memorial Trust. This program is designed to provide health care and social services to homeless people in 19 U.S. cities. The data are gleaned from medical and social service records on the entire HCH client population (over 20,000 individuals), and from a supplemental questionnaire completed on a sample of the HCH client's. The findings indicate that there are at least five types of homeless women in the HCH population. The first, and largest group includes the single, significantly mentally impaired women, most closely fitting the stereotype of the "bag lady." Two-thirds of this group are receiving government entitlements, but only one-half are receiving mental health counseling. Release from a mental institution is a reason for homelessness for nearly one-third of these women. The second group of women are the women with dependent children in their care. Only half of these women receive AFDC benefits, but they are in better physical health and are rated as having better chances at employment and finding housing than any other type of women. The very young, single women make up the third, and smallest, group of HCH women. Findings suggest that this group may be the most difficult to reach and to maintain contact with, given their low average number of contacts with the HCH program and the lack of information available in their files. The fourth type includes the women with adult family members but no dependent children. The adult support they were presumed to have appears to be of little benefit in their homeless state. The fifth type of women, single, with no significant mental impairment, no children, and no adult support, are by far the most deviant and addicted of any group. The implications of the findings are significant for both service providers and policy makers. Interventions for homeless women must be tailored to their specific problems, and can be guided by the health and social characteristics found here to be associated with each type of homeless woman.

Opioid abuse has become a global epidemic and is now a huge public health concern here in the US. Non-medicinal use of opioid prescription drugs is at the forefront of the epidemic and considered the "gateway" drug to other illicit opioid use. As opioid prescribing has increased over the last decade in the US, so has opioid-related deaths, surpassing car accidents and suicide as the leading cause of injury-related deaths. Medication assisted treatment (MAT) is fundamental in decreasing opioid abuse overdose and mortality. Therefore, the research study aims to determine if counseling adherence, opioid abstinence, and retention in MATs are influenced by personal characteristics, socio-economic factors, readiness to change, social support, and integrated care. Guided by social cognitive theory, transtheoretical model, and theory of reasoned action, the study will employ a retrospective cohort design utilizing opioid dependent patients from a MAT Program in West Florida. Analysis of three cox regression models indicated for personal factors: an increase in age was associated with patients being more likely to adhere to counseling (p=.001) and retention (p=.034), full-time employment (p=.043) was positively associated with opioid abstinence, whereas part-time employment (p=.037) was positively associated with retention, having insurance (public: p=.000) was positively associated with counseling adherence, opioid abstinence (public: p=.000, private: p=.035) and retention (public: p=.000, private: p=.000). With regards to environmental influences, social support was positively associated with opioid abstinence (p=.022) and integrated care was positively associated with opioid abstinence (p=.027) and retention (p=.000). Examining these factors are necessary to improve treatment adherence and expand MAT programs. Additionally, providing funding is crucial for practitioners to continually create educational intervention strategies to engage patients in treatment, thereby reducing the opioid overdose epidemic. This study extends the literature contributing to understanding personal factors and environmental influences in MATs.