Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1990. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Ann K. Mullis, Florida State University, College of Human Sciences, Dept. of Family and Child Sciences. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 7, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 122 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-115).

M.A. / Most of the unemployed juvenile delinquents used in this study come from single parent families or from families where both or either of the parents are deceased or have deserted. The majority of families used were found to consist of parents who were either unemployed, deserted or deceased. Most of the unemployed juveniles were, as a result, forced to leave school due to financial problems. The majority of them left school before they reached Standard 6. As a result of this, a high percentage of the unemployed juveniles involved in this study do not qualify for admission to the two identified institutions.

This study is motivated out of a concern for the declining church attendance of young adults. The goal of this study is the identification of the needs of young adults in relation to the church service and the measurement of the success of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (A.F.M. hereafter) in meeting these needs. The reseach is done through an exploratory-descriptive literature study and an empirical study within certain A.F.M. congregations. In the literature study the developmental tasks, context and needs of young adults are identified and these needs are explained within the framework of several need-models from psychology and other sciences. The context of young adults is explained by the generation gaps as described by Codrington (1999). The identified needs of Carroll (1991), a sense of meaning, belonging and empowerment, forms the focus of this study. In the literature study the church service, within the context of the A.F.M. Church is explored, as well as how the liturgical elements are able to meet the needs of Carroll. The needs of young adults in relation to the church service and how the A.F.M. Church succeeds in meeting these needs, are explored through the use of self-administered questionnaires. The most important finding of the empirical study, is that young adults do agree with the needs identified by Carroll. A surprising result in contradiction with the literature, is that young adults do have a strong sense of social responsibility and want to be empowered to make a difference in the world. The four participating A.F.M. congregations, Goodwood, Strandfontein, Doxa Deo Langeberg and the Paarl Protea Worship Centre, were positively evaluated by respondents in terms of meeting the needs of Carroll. There was however, a significant statistical difference between the respondents’ evaluation of Carroll’s needs and the success of the participating churches’ success in meeting these needs. The study is concluded with recommendations for the planning of church services within the context of the A.F.M. as well as follow-up studies. The conclusion of this study is that the true character of the church service must be reflected in the planning of the liturgical elements. Enough freedom for the functioning of the Holy Spirit must also be created in such a way that the needs of young adults can be met. The planning of the church service must be focussed on the worshipping of God, the preaching of the gospel in such a way that people can find new meaning in their lives, the facilitating of a meeting between congregation and God, the creating of a loving community and the empowerment of people to make a difference in the world. In this way, the commands of God and the needs of young adults are kept in balance. / Prof. W.J. Hatting

This study is based on young adults’ identity in Japan and Hong Kong and its relation to conspicuous consumption. The purpose of this study is to explore how conspicuous consumption influenced the young adults’ identities in Japan and Hong Kong. In order to study this phenomenon, we created a conceptual model, we named “Young Adults Conspicuous Consumption Identity” (YACCI), which is based on previous research on identity and luxury values. The research is based on a qualitative study and the empirical data was gathered through 11 semi-structured interviews with young adults from Hong Kong and Japan. Findings show that the identities of young adults in Japan and Hong Kong are heavily influenced by the society that surrounds them. The results of the societal pressures force them to keep up with a certain standard of image which increase their conspicuous consumption behaviour. This study has contributed to a further understanding of underlying factors that influence young adults’ identities in Japan and Hong Kong.

Physical inactivity and unhealthful diet are major risk factors for noncommunicable diseases, and strategies worldwide now focus on improving diet and encouraging physical activity (PA). Participation in PA lowers the risk for numerous chronic diseases, while a healthful diet also offers resistance to disease. However, practicing both behaviors offers greater protection than practicing either behavior alone. Research evaluating the relationship of diet and PA has focused primarily on nutrients or food groups. Little research exists on PA and overall diet quality, and no research has used the Healthy Eating Index 2005 (HEI-2005) to assess diet quality in healthy young adults, the objective of the current study. To this end, a convenience sample of 70 healthy, young adults was recruited from a university community in 2005-2006. Dietary intake was measured with 7-d weighed food records and HEI-2005 scores were computed to assess diet quality. PA was obtained from 7-d activity records accounting for all minutes of each day. Linear regression models were used to assess the association of HEI-2005 scores to participation in moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA. In this sample, HEI-2005 scores increased as weekly minutes of PA increased (p=0.006, B=0.007). When PA was examined categorically, only the VeryHighPA (≥841 min/week) group had diet quality scores significantly higher than the LowPA (≤420 min/week) group, independent of age, BMI, and gender (p=0.033, B=7.987). Further studies are warranted to clarify the relationship of these health behaviors, an especially important topic as prevalence of obesity and chronic disease continues to rise. / Graduation date: 2013

Thesis (M.A.)--Wheaton College (Ill.), 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-120).

Thesis (M.A.)--Wheaton College (Ill.), 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-120).

Master of Science / Department of Marriage and Family Therapy / Amber Vennum / The majority of scholarship on romantic relationship development in emerging adulthood is with Western populations using theories grounded in a Western cultural context. This study had two goals. The first goal was to explore the experience of non-arranged romantic relationships for young people in urban India through in-depth interviews with four men and four women. The second was to examine the relevance of Western notions of emerging adulthood, romantic relationship development, and theoretical constructs related to relationship development (e.g., terms such as ‘dating’, ‘commitment’ and ‘satisfaction’) for this population. Findings indicated one potential pathway to relationship formation that begins in friendship and gradually evolves into a romantic relationship. Other findings shed light on young adults’ culturally bound negotiation with their families around the issue of romantic relationships and the similarities in definitions of relationship terms with Western literature. This study makes important contributions to the growing field of romantic relationships in emerging adulthood by suggesting that, first, while Indian youth display several characteristics of emerging adulthood and define commitment similarly as in the West, there are important differences too. Second it has implications for future quantitative measurement of romantic relationships among Indian young adults.