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Submitted: May 29, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

Music is around us everywhere, whether in the mass media, movies, social celebrations, and even mass public protests can sometimes include music as an element of political education. As a commonly noticeable aesthetic function in contemporary societies, music has been heavily underestimated and sometimes not even considered to be a vital tool in educating the confused masses. The sixties helped to change all of that. Historically, it was during these previous times in which music was commonly associated, if not the revolutionary trigger that provided a discourse of dissent that wanted to change the planet. Not since the era of the Hippies, was music such a significant and culturally produced dynamic. As two scholars named Ron Eyerman and Andrew Jamison discovered that, \"In the 1960\'s, songs contributed to the making of a new political consciousness, and were often performed at political demonstrations and collective festivals. Singers and songs were central to the cognitive praxis of the 1960s social movements\" (Eyerman & Jamison 1998: 106).

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Submitted: May 28, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

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Submitted: May 27, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

Through a new perspective on culture shock which includes issues of dominance and identity, a broader theoretical framework for identity transformation is discussed. It is argued that the experience of culture shock, through either a cognitive or physical separation from the dominant culture is crucial to the abandonment of a dominant racial identity and transformation to a new non-dominant racial identity. By connecting theories on racial identity formation, social-dominance and culture shock, a wider ranging framework for racial identity transformation is created. The article concludes with a personal narrative of the author’s personal experiences which exemplify the perspectives.

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Submitted: May 26, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

This research project discusses the impact that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has on the U.S. trucking industry and its employees. Qualitative methodologies, such as semi-structured interviews (with truck drivers and trucking executives) and theoretical sampling, yielded relevant data, which was further triangulated with U.S. government statistics and other sociological accounts of trucking. This data showed that NAFTA has primarily affected the trucking industry by redefining the role that customer service plays in trucking corporations and in the lives of those employed at these institutions. Trucking companies now offer a variety of global services within an overall culture of complete customer service that is distinct to the post-NAFTA era. This research is important as a general analysis of the current and potential health of the trucking industry and its employees, which both control the U.S.’ ability to participate in international trade.

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Submitted: May 26, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

This study was based on the data collected from a survey of the sexual behaviour and use of contraceptives among adolescents not in school in Ondo Town, Nigeria. This was done so as to identify their needs for reproductive health programmes. Using multistage random sampling procedure, 200 respondents who are between ages 12 and 27 years were interviewed. Fifty seven percent of the respondents were males while the remaining fourty-three percent were females. Sexual activity was initiated early for females at mean age of 13.4 years and 15.8 years for males, but only 44.3 percent and 66.2 percent of sexually experienced females and males, respectively had ever used contraception. The most common methods ever used by the males and females, respectively, were the condoms (15.6%) and pills (22.5%). There is urgent need to establish appropriate reproductive health programmes to respond to the sexual needs of adolescents both in school and not in school

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Submitted: May 15, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

Keywords: KEYWORDS: tobacco, behavioral science, public health, Epidemiology, Qualitative Study.

Submitted: Apr 28, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

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Submitted: Apr 18, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

The study examined the conceptions of what constitutes good family life among three generation of Nigerians resident in the South Western pat of the country. Specifically addressed was the association between age, gender, socio-economic status and the conceptions of family life held (by Nigerians). Data were collected using survey method. The survey consisted of 171 Nigerian Youths, adults and elders who responded to semi-structured questionnaire. Results show that gender and socio-economic status were not related to the types of conception of family life held. Age relates positively with people’s conception of what constitutes a good family life. The implications of all these for the mental health of various family members are discussed.

Keywords: Globalism, Imperialism, Time-Space Compression

Submitted: Jan 28, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

During the last decade the subject most discussed in social sciences has, undoubtedly, been the debate on globalization. The two main categories of scholars examining this topic, as classified by Held/McGrew (Held/McGrew 2000), are the globalists and the sceptics. The supporters of the globalist view claim that globalization is a transformational trend towards a more unified world, where an event in one area will affect developments in other areas (Giddens 1990). This entails a time-space compression - in essence a change in the notion of the relationship between space and locality, signifying a shrinking form of the world (Harvey 1989).

Keywords: ICT, Globalization, Digital Divide

Submitted: Jan 28, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

The dominant ICT discourses are: (i) ICT evolution is more or less a linear process where there is a possibility of leapfrogging; (ii) ICT is expected to carry the solutions for a wide range of social problems and challenges; (iii) If a country do not get on the ICT train and adapt quickly, it will run into severe trouble (Ekdahl and Trojer, 2002) . Loader (1998) states that it is not unreasonable to suppose that the digital divide will be a significant feature of the political dialogue in the near future, where the present benefits of ICTs are unevenly distributed and the disadvantageous are particularly concentrated in the \'black holes of human misery\'.

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Submitted: Aug 23, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

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Submitted: May 24, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: May 24, 2006

Abstract

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Submitted: May 17, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: May 17, 2006

Abstract

In countless societies around the world, violence against women in its myriad forms is an insidiously effective tool for curtailing female power and maintaining the patriarchal status quo of male dominance. At this very moment in every country across the globe, numerous forms of male violence are wreaking havoc on female bodily integrity and psychological well-being in what feminist theorists have deemed a systematic and institutionalized war against women. Each year in America an estimated two million women are physically assaulted by their intimate partner, and between five and ten million girls and women starve themselves or self-induce vomiting or swallow handfuls of diet pills or relentlessly exercise in a seemingly self-inflicted quest to attain the impossibly thin contemporary feminine ideal––to eke some semblance of power from within a sociocultural system intent on keeping women objectified.

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Submitted: Mar 23, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Mar 23, 2006

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the successfulness and usefulness of Death Metaphors in the contemporary debate over the Secularisation Theory. In so doing, it will examine metaphors employed by Stark, Bruce and Callum Brown. It will firstly discuss the nature of the Secularisation debate, metaphor and metaphor in religious studies and science more broadly. Then, drawing upon previous research in this area, it will discuss the use of metaphor and analogy in academic discourse. It will also briefly examine the main points of contention in the Secularisation debate. Thereafter, it will look at the successfulness of the main recent death metaphors employed by proponents and critics.

Keywords: Corporate Corrpution, Information Control, Transperancy

Submitted: Jan 28, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Feb 10, 2006

Abstract

Transparency seems to be the solution to many problems in society and politics. The supply of information and the demand for more control as the two parts of an encompassing system of full transparency seem to be the only guarantee that the virtues of social and political systems can be maintained, while negative outcomes can be prevented before they take place and acquire a self-sustaining quality. In a situation where control mechanisms in business and politics are far from being satisfactory and where we can read about the latest corruption scandal in the daily papers, the information monopoly of a few seems to be the reason for their power over the ill-informed masses that are the victims of this imbalance in information access.

Keywords: Female Morbidity, India, Reproduction, Infectious Diseases

Submitted: Jan 28, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Mar 13, 2006

Abstract

Gynecological morbidity of women was rarely addressed in a country like India where it is considered as part of a natural process and hesitated to reveal to anybody due to the cultural barriers. The objective of the study is to identify the prevalence as well as determinants of gynecological morbidity among tribal women in India. The analysis of data from NFHS II showed a high prevalence of urinary tract infections (21.4) among tribal women in India. The women who experienced both abnormal discharge with itching or irritation (symptom of lower reproductive tract infection) was 11.6 and those who had fever during discharge and abdominal pain (symptom of pelvic inflammatory diseases) was 8.7 percent. Lower reproductive tract infection is high among those who are using Intra Uterine Device and Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases are high among the female sterilization users. The results of the study stressed the need for greater attention to the quality of care in reproductive health programmes in connection with gynecological morbidity. Along with obstetric care, gynecological morbidity should be addressed properly by incorporating the socio-economic and demographic differentials.

Keywords: Heavy Metal Music, Identity Construction, Delinquency

Submitted: Jan 28, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Feb 09, 2006

Abstract

The ubiquity of media in contemporary North-American societies exposes individuals to myriad presentations of social actors as archetypes. Whether through advertising, television, print, or film, stereotyped images of a certain class of person are widely distributed and absorbed by the minds of the public at large. While both anecdotal and scholarly evidence suggest that this process has a tangible influence on the formation of identity within mainstream society, there is a paucity of research on the phenomenon’s effect on subcultural groups. The purpose of this exploratory research project is to analyze the validity of the application of theories of social construction of self to members of the ostensibly-delinquent youth Heavy-Metal (HM) subculture. Using the survey method, this project administered a questionnaire to two groups of twenty males aged sixteen to twenty-five. The variable that separates these groups is the presence or absence of an affinity for HM based on both subjective visual cues and objective survey self-report. The survey used was divided into two complimentary elements. The first of these sought to measure the extent to which respondents had been exposed to media portrayals of HM (Media Saturation Rate). The second used six indexes of behavior to measure the respondents’ perceptions of delinquent activity through both direct and hypothetical questioning (Average Delinquency Rating) Correlational analysis was used to study the link between these two variables. The findings of this analysis were that while there is no relationship between the variables within the non-HM control group, a strong relationship exists within the HM experimental group. Although sampling deficiencies and a lack of qualitative data make any inference regarding causality spurious, the findings of this project nevertheless provide significant insight into the influence of media upon subcultural identity formation.

Keywords: Gender stereotypes, advertisements, children

Submitted: Jan 21, 2006

Type: Tier Two - Popular

Reviewers Assigned: Jan 28, 2006

Abstract

This paper examines the continued prevalence of gender stereotypes in advertisements targeting children and the influence that exposure to these stereotypes has on children and our culture. More specifically the lessons that are learned about gender roles and expectations from these advertisements are discussed.

Keywords: Kinship Caregiver Support Act

Submitted: Nov 30, 2005

Type: Tier Two - Popular

Reviewers Assigned: Jan 14, 2006

Abstract

The poor environmental and financial situations confronting kinship care families could be alleviated through resources that would be provided within the policy. These would involve such things as the Kinship Navigator program which provides families with resources involving school enrollment, information about safety precautions and even health care related services. The impact and importance of this legislation can not be understated due to the sheer number of individuals involved in kinship care. Despite the magnitude of this problem, this policy is a step towards solving the issues involved in the kinship care program and child welfare as a whole.

Keywords: economic restructuring, metropolitan areas, service employment

Submitted: Nov 18, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Mar 13, 2006

Abstract

In recent years, there have been significant changes in the way that many Americans make a living. This economic restructuring has resulted in America moving from an agricultural society, to an industrial society, to the post-industrial society of today where the majority of people are employed in the service sector. This manuscript examined two research questions of relevance to these economic restructuring processes. The first research question focused on the extent of economic restructuring in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties, and the factors related to this restructuring. It was found that increases in service sector employment were greater in metropolitan communities than in nonmetropolitan communities. In addition, counties with more amenity resources and smaller minority populations also had greater increases in service employment. The second research question explored the socioeconomic and demographic outcomes of economic restructuring. It was found that increased service employment was related to a reduction in poverty levels, higher median household incomes and to overall population growth. The implications of these findings were discussed.

Keywords: militarization, literacy, civilian services

Submitted: Nov 18, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Mar 13, 2006

Abstract

In the absence of total primary education for a country\'s populace, it is possible that other social institutions may further literacy by providing an opportunity for its practice and by demanding a literate work force. The military is such an institution, not only providing an opportunity for the practice of reading and writing in its daily operations but also in demanding an increasingly sophisticated number of civilian services. However, the benefits of the military in a developing nation are hotly contested. Modernist proponents continue to founder in providing concrete, indisputable evidence demonstrating that a strong military presence provides the theoretical investment and impetus necessary for modernization as proposed by classic modernization theorists (Rostow, 1964; Levy, 1967, Smelser, 1964). Bullock and Firebaugh (1990) offer the most comprehensive discourse on the subject by separating the social benefits of the military (e.g.. welfare, health care, and better nutrition for its soldiers) from the economically deleterious components (e.g. massive capital expenditure on imported technology and contractual services). It is because domestic dollars are removed from social programs to fund military expenditures that the military is overlooked as an agency of social welfare and therefore as a means for the expansion of literacy within a society.

Keywords: Personal Risk, Anxiety, Risk Society, Moral Panic

Submitted: Oct 06, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Jan 21, 2006

Abstract

Recently theorists of the risk society have argued that the time has come for a reassessment of the utility of the idea of moral panics. Moral panics, it is argued, have become superseded by new social dynamics and in particular the idea of an endangered social order has been replaced in popular and media fears by rational calculations of personal risk. This paper approaches this issue through a consideration of the methodological grounds which underpin these analyses. The paper applies a dominant scheme of differentiation in order assess and illustrate the difficulties of applying taxonomies of anxiety to popular fears. The paper argues that such approaches are flawed insofar as they construct both risk and moral panics in too unitary a manner and fail to adequately account for the role of the media in promoting and framing anxieties. The paper concludes by arguing that risks and moral panics cannot,at a methodological level, be considered as separate entities which may supersede each other, but rather must be understood as selective framings of social anxieties. The paper uses a case study of popular fears concerning the internet between 1995 and 2000 in order to illustrate these themes.

Keywords: India, South Asian Societies, Gender, Inequality

Submitted: Aug 23, 2005

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Jan 14, 2006

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).

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Submitted: Apr 18, 2006

Type: Tier Two - Popular

Abstract

Teaching the sociological perspective to individuals new to the discipline can be challenging. As such, numerous pedagogical techniques abound. Most common are methods of lecture and class discussion, which can effectively illuminate sociological concepts. However, the use of “interactive exercises” can also be a valuable way by which to underscore the connection between individual actions and social structure. So stated, this paper identifies a number of “everyday” participatory exercises designed to spur classroom interaction and highlight core sociological concepts. Specifically, I use interactional scenarios within the typical American men’s public restroom to emphasize: 1) that individual actions, even those that exist in the mundane, are influenced by larger social-cultural forces; and 2) that a number of core sociological concepts can be found and explored in a place generally ignored or taken for granted

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Submitted: Apr 12, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

In recent years, there have been many disasters and casualties in Taiwan. Through suicide, accidental death, diseases, and death caused by violence, death seems to engulf life. Yet, death is a taboo subject in Chinese culture. When death occurs, it is always taken care of privately and often causes feelings of fear and helplessness, which leads to grief counseling and, due to the strong emotional nature of adolescent relationships, death impacts on a large scale. In particular, Schachter (1991, 1992) states that adolescent students do not know how to face the sudden death of their peers and as such, may experience a mental or emotional breakdown. Problems are connected to the students’ attitudes about death. In particular, Taiwanese adolescents understand that their society does not expect them to grieve for their peers.

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Submitted: Apr 05, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Abstract

Almost half of the world’s population is under the age of twenty-five, and nearly 90% of these young people live in the Third World countries. The example of Iran has been chosen to reflect a picture of Children and Youth in a small part of the developing world. They are affected by globalization, technological developments, modern education, urban life and other such agents. Children and Youths’ status focuses on the ways in which changes in development theory and practice have influenced the increasing youth. The present study used various theories to prove why the changes take place within these people. Constant and increasing cultural change within the youth contributing to challenges in various socio-economic forms, has led to new issues by these people and for these people. The paper explores some of the roots of such challenges. The inevitable changing lifestyle of the young people as a controversial problem is an objective of the present sociological study.

Keywords: Social capital

Submitted: Jan 30, 2006

Type: Tier Two - Popular

Abstract

Social capital is becoming an increasingly familiar theme in a number of academic fields, yet significant inconsistencies in conceptualisations of the term remain (Ziersch et al., 2005). This paper makes the case for a straightforward definition of social capital which is in keeping with the spirit of Hanifan’s (1916) original use of the term.

Keywords: Health promotion, body, body image,

Submitted: Jan 30, 2006

Type: Tier Two - Popular

Reviewers Assigned: Apr 12, 2006

Abstract

The history of attitudes towards the body in society is one centred on fear, played out through a culture of discipline, exclusion, punishment and conditioning which is becoming increasingly internalised through the constant mutual exchange of influence between the public and private spheres. These influences play a significant role in determining health behaviour and receptiveness to health promotion messages through the manipulation of self-esteem. Health promotion itself must find a balance between utilising and doing battle against the effects of these dominant cultural influences in its quest to improve health behaviour. It must speak the contemporary language of the body and understand the culture in which it operates, working within the public and private spheres in order to effectively communicate its message.

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Submitted: Jan 21, 2006

Type: Tier One - Scholarly

Reviewers Assigned: Jan 21, 2006

Abstract

This study establishes that the effects of depression on risky behavior and suicide ideation vary significantly between three racial groups in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina. Using binary logistic regression we found that Caucasian respondents who were depressed didn’t believe that their depression interfered with their daily lives, while depressed African-American and Latino respondents were more likely to recognize that depression interfered with their daily life. Interestingly, Caucasian respondents exhibited higher levels of suicide ideation, substance abuse and risky behavior than either African Americans or Latinos, despite stating their belief that their depression didn’t affect them adversely.

Keywords: Social Work, Praxis, Intervention Strategies

Submitted: Nov 18, 2005

Type: Tier Two - Popular

Abstract

The paper is divided into three parts. The first part problematises the profession of social work and suggests the practice of praxis intervention as an alternative professional social work practice. The firs part of the paper also gives a brief account of a praxis intervention initiative actually carried on in the field. The part I ends locating the praxis intervention within the critical practice of social work. The part II of the paper examines the theoretical aspects of praxis intervention. The part III of the paper speculates the implication of praxis intervention to the social work and related fields.

Keywords: Extremism, Muslims, Pakistan, US Foreign Policy

Submitted: Oct 06, 2005

Type: Tier Three - Experimental

Abstract

The present extremism and terrorism is a result of US policies of supporting religious parties around the world and particularly during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the unjust US support for Israel, Saudi Arabian efforts and misdeeds to promote Wahabbism and creation of Al Qaeda and funding for madarass in Pakistan. The religious leaders of Pakistan have intentionally promoted extremism to divide people to grab power, and have played a negative and dangerous role in society and continue to ignore real issues and problems faced by the masses. Muslim Ummah (community) is only a myth and symbol of exploitation of Muslim masses by their religious and political leadership.

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

Submitted: Mar 03, 2005

Type: Tier Two - Popular

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: 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.