Keywords:

Submitted: Sept 16, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

Across the country, there have been several mass school shootings in recent years occurring in rural/suburban areas. The most memorable of which occurred It is proposed in this paper that these students feel wronged and as a result of real and/or perceived injustices feel they must retaliate with violence. This paper analyzes the system that deflects attention from those students that have been responsible for these rampages and how this relates to our social definitions of crime. Then, the experiences and influences that turn these students into school shooters will be explored. Finally, this paper will investigate what can and should be done to help prevent the next school shooting, help the victims and perpetrators.

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Submitted: Sept 12, 2005

Type: Tier Two - Popular

Abstract

In this work I attempt to offer a foundation for the sociological study of art. In specific I argue that art is Weltanschauung, or a window into the world through which we can identify and explore the social contexts of artistic forms. Further, I highlight the traditional theoretical perspectives of the Functional, Conflict, and Interpretivist approaches to ground a framework from which to study art sociologically.

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Submitted: Aug 23, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

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Submitted: Aug 23, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

Keywords: India, South Asian Societies, Gender, Inequality

Submitted: Aug 23, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

Vast gender disparity is one of the prominent features of Indian and most of the South Asian societies. Many of these societies are characterized by patrilineal descent, patrilocal residence, and patriarchal decision-making (Jejeebhoy et al., 2001). Widespread powerlessness exists among women, not only in the sphere of activities outside the household, but also within the household itself. Huge gap exists between women’s and men’s educational attainment, control over economic resources and hence in their decision making authorities. All these factors have critical consequences on women’s well-being and demographic outcomes. Yet the dimensions of women’s situation are diverse across the globe. It may differ in different geographical and in different cultural settings. For instance, in India, the famous north - south dichotomy, as pointed out by Dyson and Moore (1983), in the context of all major demographic indicators, reflecting the status of women, is mainly attributed to different cultural norms practiced in these two regions. Being a part of culture, religion often influence a wide range of social behaviours. Religious precepts could affect autonomy of women, their decision-making power, mobility and access to economic resources through various restrictive measures. Some religious doctrines could even influence the content of education; resist individualism and rationalism (Bhat 2005). It is often argued that greater female power and autonomy are mirrored through better performance in the major demographic and social indicators e.g. higher age at marriage, lower level of fertility and mortality, reduction in infant and child mortality, higher level of educational attainment, etc. Differential pattern of control over women’s own lives in different cultural, regional and religious settings have been cited as the central explanatory factor for gender differentials (McDonald, 2004).

Keywords: Female Genital Mutilation, Nigeria, Gender

Submitted: Aug 23, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), sometime locally referred to as female circumcision, is a deeply rooted traditional practice that adversely affects the health of girls and women. It also reinforces the inequity suffered by girls and women in the communities where it is practiced. This phenomenon must be addressed if their health, social, and economic development needs are to be met. This study is meant to provide data relevant to policy formulation and change. It is also intended to examine the factors influencing the practice of female genital mutilation. In addition, the study is designed to examine the various social-economic variables and the practice of female genital mutilation. A single method was used to collect data. Five hundred and twenty-nine (529) respondents (both male and female) were randomly interviewed from the three (3) selected communities within Ado–Odo /Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. The study tested for certain variables. Frequency tables, cross tabulations, pearson chi-square and logit regression model were used in the analysis of data collected from the field. It was revealed that about 3 out of every five respondents have circumcised a baby girl. The practice cuts across various socio-economic status of the respondents in the study area. The practice was found to be more prevalent among respondents with primary school education and below. It was also revealed that the farmers, artisans and the full-time housewives are more likely to practice and continue with the practice of female genital mutilation. The professionals and those in clerical jobs showed less likelihood of practicing female circumcision. About half of the respondents cited female circumcision as a traditional rite, which is widely approved by the society, while an insignificant number of respondents cited female circumcision as a religious obligation. The practice was also found to be more prevalent in the rural areas than in the urban areas and this emerged as the strongest determinant on the practice of female genital mutilation.

Keywords: Wiki, internet communication, electronic reporting

Submitted: Aug 23, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

Fast and wide dissemination of research promotes successful discussion, debate and dialogue. This paper describes internet -facilitated discussion on ethno-religious research as one component of a communication plan. International organizations asked me to keep them informed on my research when I began a pilot study in Iraq after the 2003 war ended. I began a \"wiki\" (an open co-authoring forum, and collaboration tool) as a public place to post concept pieces and research-in-progress reports and to organize internet links and resources. The wiki rapidly became a no-cost discussion arena for scholars, practitioners, and the public about social and political systems. This collaboration became global, with often more than one hundred daily readers! Research application is important, and there is no substitute for multi-disciplinary live discussion, archiving online the facts and opinions for future reference, with print versions supplemental instead of primary. While this style of e-review and e-reporting will not take the honoured place of print publishing, it certainly should be considered for rapidly disseminating research in progress, exploring theoretical challenges, and providing resources for practitioners.

Keywords: Outgroups, Wiki, Iraq, Civil Society

Submitted: July 12, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

At the Iraq \"liberation\" in 2003, many asked, \"Could Sunni, Shi\'a and Kurdish factions be brought together, or is it likely that ethnic conflicts would lead to civil war?” This pilot project addressed: 1) How do Iraqis’ self-reported ethnic/religious identities (their membership in their personal ingroups) relate to their perceptions of other unlike groups (outgroups)?, and 2) How does their place of residence relate to their perceptions of outgroups? My team collected 479 surveys of Iraqi opinions in Iraq, Jordan, and The Netherlands, asking for perceptions of Those Other Groups, their outgroups. I found that background items of religion, ethnic origin, and location, taken by themselves, did not relate strongly to respondents’ attitudes towards outgroups. But, some combinations of background items did give significant differences in perceptions towards other groups. For example, moderate Arabs (ethnicity) in Iraq were the group most opposed to foreigners, and were the group most opposed to expatriate Iraqis returning to Iraq. In this paper I explain important terms (outgroup and wiki); report on my findings in the midst of a period of regime change in Iraq; mention the use of an alternate way to disseminate research findings over the internet via a wiki; and propose follow-up projects on social networks of Iraqis. My hope is that this will contribute to a base from which researchers and fieldworkers can develop theories to explore and explain elements of civil society in Iraq and other societies.

Keywords: Social Capital, outcomes, Non Linear Principal Component Analysis, Cluster Analysis, indices, dimensions

Submitted: Jun 29, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show how empirical data collected in household surveys can be transformed into indices of social capital and its outcome. Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis (NLPCA) transformed the original data into dimensions of SC. The first four dimensions explained more than 70% of the variance and were related to social networking, socialization and trust, social norms and reliance on neighbors in case of need. The NLPCA and the Cluster Analysis (CA) were than applied to the outcome variables to divide the households into one better off and one worst off group. The variables related to political commitment/participation, tension and violence were transformed into outcome dimensions through NLPCA. The CA was applied to such dimensions to cluster the households into one better off and one worst off group. Logistic regression showed that the probability of belonging to the better off group increased with the score of the households’ SC dimensions. The analytical approach described in this paper could be used to improve the measurement of SC to test hypotheses on the determinants and the effects of SC.

Keywords: Professional Learning Communities, Organizational Behavior

Submitted: July 18, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: July 19, 2005

Abstract

This paper critically examines some of the foundational assumptions embedded in the concept of professional learning communities and the implications of those assumptions. The examination is focused on the model of professional learning communities employed in Alberta public schools, and takes an integrated approach, drawing on research from the fields of labor studies, adult education, sociology, and organizational management. The paper concludes that professional learning communities tend to restrict teacher learning and support the status quo, it shifts responsibility for educational shortcomings to individual teachers, and it employ processes designed to make teachers more manageable.

Keywords: School Funding, Tennessee, African Americans

Submitted: Jun 29, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Sept 12, 2005

Abstract

Literature: The state of Tennessee is part of the United States that includes a special set of school districts known as the Southern Black Belt. Named for the black, fertile crescent-shaped land, utilized for the agricultural industry for hundreds of years in the south, these school districts have disproportionately been under funded, and as a result have created a vicious cycle of poverty among the residents that appears inescapable. Research Question: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate these funding inadequacies by answering the following research question: are Black Belt school districts spending less for education than non- Black Belt school districts? Data & Methodology: The data for this study was gathered from the Tennessee Report Card for Education over a period of ten years. Pooled time series cross-sectional regression analysis was the data-testing device employed in the study. Findings: The findings suggest that Black Belt school districts are spending significantly less on per pupil expenses, as well as capital expenses for education. Limitations: Policymakers need to caution the generalizability of this study because it only represents those Black Belt school districts in Tennessee. Future Studies: Future studies should incorporate all the Black Belt school districts in the south to see if other states are witnessing the same funding discrepancies as Tennessee.

Keywords: Internet, Globalization, Culture, International Comparison

Submitted: Jun 29, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Sept 12, 2005

Abstract

The Internet has changed the world, revolutionized communication methods, and impacted youths enormously over the past decade. However, there is a limited knowledge on cultural differences among youths that use the Internet. To address this gap, we conducted a short Internet-based survey that included 170 youths from the United States and China during 2001 to early 2002. The survey, including seven 5-point Likert scale-based and two numerical questions related to pop culture, family relations and academic plans and four demographical questions, was administered to participants through online discussion forums, e-mails and handing out its website address to youths in malls and other public areas. The participants, 51.1% from United States and 48.9% from China, contained 51.4% females and had a mean age of 17.8 with a standard deviation of 2.6 years. The statistical analysis demonstrated that American youths share more similarities than differences with Chinese. However, remarkable differences remained among youths on cultural elements regarding to music preference, academic stress, and academic satisfaction. The study shows that the Internet may provide a way to hasten globalization and greater understanding of culture across and between countries.

Keywords: impact, biotechnology, indicators.

Submitted: Jun 20, 2005

Type: Tier Three - Experimental

Reviewers Assigned: July 19, 2005

Abstract

This article exposes a methodological proposal aiming to guide the measurement of the different aspects of National Biotechnology Programs as social and political constructions intended to foster the introduction of research and applications of this technologies and the impacts of research products in social development. The goal is hence the capability to reflect the evolution and specific characteristics of the processes of development and spreading of National Biotechnology Programs among the society. The proposal has three parts, the first one exposes a general conceptual framework about our experience over the National Biotechnology Program in Colombia and the social and economic system when it evolves. The second one is an attempt of making a contribution on how to approach to the measurement of impacts in a specific framework that exposes a multicriteria matrix and methodological steps. Finally, the last one, it is an application of the methodology, developed for the potato case in Colombia.

Keywords: asylum; ethics; hospitality ; immanentism; immigration ; politics

Submitted: Jun 06, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Sept 12, 2005

Abstract

This paper aims to provide an extended reflection on Michael Howard’s pre-elections speech on immigration in the UK in order to expose the violence, ethical corruption and xenophobia embedded within the political discourse, this, by taking cue from the work of Nancy regarding figures of immanentism which, in the case of immigration controls, function through the will to absolute separation, technicism and the notion of mythical collective identity. Levinasian ethics are also invoked in an attempt to stress upon the necessity of a politics of generosity founded on ethical hospitality and total exposure to alterity rather than self-enclosure and fear of otherness.

Keywords: homeopathy, mainstream media, quackery

Submitted: May 10, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: July 19, 2005

Abstract

In this paper I examine representations of homeopathy in primarily North American mainstream magazines and newspapers. While the media generally followed good journalist practice, making an effort to provide balanced and informative coverage of homeopathy, a small but powerful set of articles in leading papers revealed a very different approach. These articles portray homeopathy as an out dated pre-modern treatment, as the quackery and snake oil of nineteenth century pedlars, as the superstitious ritual of pre-modern peoples, and as the irrational beliefs of a population who should have been educated to know better.

Keywords: STRESS

Submitted: May 06, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: July 19, 2005

Abstract

Call it by whatever name, strain, conflict or pressure are terms synonymously and interchangeably used to denote stress. The first and general aim of this paper is to have an understanding of stress. Stress, resulting from the inability of self-curative faculty (homeostasis) or the internal environment of the body to cope with stressors gives rise to diseases and illnesses. This paper also emphasizes that contextual factors within which the structure develops are the determinants of stress. While general support is drawn in order to distinguish between stress arising from domestic and occupational overloads, the discussion looks at the relationship between role overloads and stress. Besides discussing the causes and effects of stress, stress-inducing environment is shown to engender diseases and illnesses and thereby endanger life. Evidences therefore establish a correlation of socio-environmental conditions and diseases. Calling attention to the compelling need to counteract and counter-balance the ill effects of stress, this paper suggests remedial measures keeping in view that the prosperity of a Nation depends upon the health of its people.

Keywords: guruism, charismatic leadership, authoritarianism

Submitted: Apr 28, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: July 13, 2005

Abstract

This article explores the potential for charismatic group structure (an intense form of group communion) and subsequent charismatic leadership to emerge in the traditional American collegiate acting classroom. The sociological theories of hierarchy, authoritarianism and charismatic leadership tendencies are compared to those found in contemporary acting classes built on the Stanislavsky System/Method model. The article is divided into the following sections addressing charismatic group structure and actor training: (1) The trappings of Guruism: Avoiding Negative Charismatic Leadership (2) Training The Teacher: Areas for Further Research and (3) Conclusions. The main intent of this article is a sociological and artistic examination of the contemporary acting teacher’s role in encouraging positive and discouraging negative aspects of charismatic group behaviors in acting programs.

Keywords: Ancient Eurasia, Gender Stratification, Religion

Submitted: Mar 30, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Apr 05, 2005

Abstract

This paper argues that our sociological explanations of the historical advent of gender stratification in the Occident has given too much attention to techno-economic causes and too little attention to religious, cultural and ideological causes. Evidence for this claim is taken from archeology, mythology and anthropology for the relevant historical period (4500 and 3000 BC) in Eurasia. I assert that the observed decline of gender equality resulted when techno-economic changes collided with religious and cultural transformations; thus, our theories should expand to include religion, culture and ideology.

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Submitted: Mar 21, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Mar 22, 2005

Abstract

This paper explores the entwinement of issues of social justice and communication. Such a relationship is commonly supposed today and primarily discussed in the contexts of the mass media and new information technologies. But less commonly observed are the philosophical connections between communication and social justice. I would like to illuminate these here through an initial consideration of the social and political analyses of communication put forward by two important classical thinkers—namely, John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx—which is then followed by a reflection on Jürgen Habermas’s contemporary critical theory of communication. The intent is to pose a number of problems that emerge at the intersection of political philosophy and communication theory and to show how Habermas’s normative communication theory joined with an appreciation of systems theory addresses key problems in the work of Mill and Marx.

Keywords: Deinstitutionalization, mental health, social service, mental redardation, success, mentally varied, mentally ill, person centered planning, homeless, group home, vocational.

Submitted: Mar 12, 2005

Type: Tier Two - Popular

Reviewers Assigned: Apr 05, 2005

Abstract

Within the past thirty years there has been a trend in the mental health industry to de-institutionalize the overcrowded state ran institutions. The new trend is to integrate adult mentally varied consumers into the community using a ìperson centered planningî model for success. The adult care/assistance industry tends to overuse new terms in which reflect a new way of thinking. The overuse of the terms leads the industry as a whole to lose the original practice of the meaning of the term, therefore leading to new terms, and so on. Since quantifying success in this field now has a high level of ambiguity, the industry has a tendency of using the terms while changing little to nothing in the actual program besides facing the old plan with new words. The rhetoric design is placed upon a field with little community, political, or institutional support.

Keywords: caste system, social stratification, hierarchy, caste mobility, comparison

Submitted: Mar 03, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Mar 17, 2005

Abstract

Stereotype studies on pre-modern Indian social structure have suggested the apparent differences between Indian caste system and social stratification as one can discern in other parts of the world. However, one needs to question such dogmatic assertion that such vast difference really existed. An attempt is made to suggest that one needs to compare the real contemporary social institutions in order to arrive at such a conclusion which can applied in the case of pre-modern Indian social institutions.

Keywords: wiki, textbook,

Submitted: July 21, 2005

Type: Tier Three - Experimental

Abstract

Textbooks play a significant role in the education of millions of students every year. This article discusses a budding technology that could revolutionize the development of textbooks through the use of “wikis”or collaborative websites . The article discusses the pros and cons of such an approach and describes the author\'s effort to develop a free, online, introductory sociology textbook. Also discussed are responses from a course evaluation in which this text was used.

Keywords: biopolitics; control; discipline; panopticism; post- panopticism; surveillance

Submitted: Jun 06, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: July 19, 2005

Abstract

The paper addresses the relationship between contemporary modes of surveillance and biopolitics, precisely in terms of borders management. It is suggested that the shift from disciplinary society (panopticism) to control society (post-panopticism) is a problematic one in that the two modalities of power (discipline and control) are not mutually exclusive but coexist within the working of biopolitics and through the hybridisation of management techniques as is the case at the borders.

Keywords: pedagogy, multiple intelligences

Submitted: May 02, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

The “One-Size-Fits-All” outdated instructional model does not apply to our students anymore. According to Walter McKenzie, in fact, many students’ approach to learning requires tools that they do not possess. In other words, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything around you looks like a nail . . .”(McKenzie, 1996). Current learning theory confirms that students today have a wide range of intellectual abilities and competencies that cannot be measured or quantified on any standardized test. For testing, certainly, measures students’ problem-solving, linguistic, logical-thinking abilities, yet testing (especially multiple choice) excludes a large number of students from being successful. That is to say, through current testing methods and procedures, primary, secondary, and higher education institutions practice an exclusive pedagogy that caters to a fairly small number of students whose primary intelligence is either logical/mathematical or linguistic. However, all-inclusive pedagogy ought to address and accommodate the various intelligences under which the majority of our students operate.

Keywords: habitus, Chinese immigrants, ethnography

Submitted: Feb 21, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Mar 03, 2005

Abstract

This paper focuses on the migrant group of Mainland Chinese scholars living in Northern Ireland. It examines their discourses surrounding topics of their country of origin, their adopted society in Northern Ireland and their expectations for their children. The paper analyses not only the surface discourses themselves, but also the background social, cultural and political context in which such dispositional discourses were nourished and made possible. Theoretically, the author uses Bourdieu’s concept of ‘habitus’ as the analytical tool to interpret and explain such discourse dispositions. Methodologically, the author takes ethnographic approach, in-depth interviewing and observations to achieve a more objective and overall understanding of their discourses.

Keywords: cultural capital, secondary school literature, centralized standards

Submitted: Feb 03, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Mar 22, 2005

Abstract

In his many writings, French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu articulates the concept of “cultural capital,” a social reproduction theory born out of Karl Marx’s idea of class struggle, Erving Goffman’s notions of human behavior, Michel Foucault’s beliefs regarding societal knowledge, and Ivan Illich’s criticism of schools. In essence, Bourdieu argues that the structure of a society is reflected by, and perpetuated by, its education system, a system that conveys a collection of cultural beliefs, values, and attitudes essential to the society. These ideas bear the marked influence of Bourdieu’s early contemporaries Basil Bernstein and Robin Nash, both of whom espoused theories concerning the educational system‘s role in shaping individuals within society. Since the work of Bourdieu, Bernstein, and Nash an array of sociologists have expanded the scope and application of this popular, and easily adaptable, theory. The first part of this paper examines the expansion of Bourdieu’s theory; the second part applies this theory to the current state of American education.

Keywords:

Submitted: Jan 13, 2005

Type: Tier Two - Popular

Reviewers Assigned: Jan 13, 2005

Abstract

In this paper we use qualitative methodologies to investigate the way that ad placers represent themselves in online personal ads. Specific attention is paid to the comparison between self-expression in print (newspaper) media as well as the comparison between male and female ad placers. A variety of sites were investigated in a preliminary overview, and the data from (48 = 34 = 82) personals advertisements were examined in greater detail for an analysis of their content. Results suggest that the size and format differences between Internet and print personals is meaningful and that they allow for a broader range of self-representation, as well as imposing more specific requirements. As a result, although the use of cultural markers of desirability continues, the traditionally noted differences between genders (specifically gendered trade of women’s looks for men’s money) appears to be lessened. We believe that this not only has significance insofar as the method of partner seeking is likely to become more common in the future, but also because it appears to offer the possibility of altering the traditional gender inequalities present in initial processes of heterosexual courtship.

Keywords: Norms, Educational Quality, Economic Behavior Types, Labor Supply

Submitted: Dec 14, 2004

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: May 25, 2005

Abstract

This paper analyses Individual Labor Supply (ILS) survey data gathered on various russian labor markets. Institutional parameters of the ILS schedule, their influences on ILS elasticities as well as the shapes of the ILS curves have been the special points of interest of the researches. Besides the canonical C-shaped and the S-shaped curves their mirrored reflections and also L-shaped and J-shaped forms were observed. The “backward bend” concept for poor households and the S-shaped LS curve concept for the household with primary, secondary and tertiary workers helped to find explanations for the cases. The dummies for regions and professions as well as “institutional numbers” were successfully used in order to improve the regression quality. It was revealed that threshold effects noted as changes in the market strategies – shifts to a different ILS curve type – take place because workers behavioral patterns are framed by certain types of conventions. So behavioral patterns change when a convention, that a worker positions him(her)self in, is changing. The degree of such effects probability increase when households are forced by external factors to review their economic strategies. Thus assuming that the shape of an ILS function as well as current wage value (roubles per hour) characterizes the economic agent strategy a hypothesis has been worked out: The strategy choice made by a worker in standard labor market situations may be predicted with a certain degree of accuracy if the combination of the individual institutional norms values distribution is known. Hence following D.North’s proposition that institutions are not only carries of history but also accumulators and means of education the author suggests that the combination of institutional norms might be regarded as a signal of Individual Educational Quality.