Investigating the Implementation of Charitable Choice

Abstract

This paper reports on a project to investigate the implementation of charitable choice in TANF-funded job services in Indiana, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. A number of issues needed to be addressed in the course of the research project. State-level government responses to charitable choice were found to vary widely, making comparisons across states difficult. In Indiana, job training providers and clients were also interviewed. For providers, a major research issue was the assessment of the degree to which they were faith-based and the impact of this. To measure the impact of provider faith orientation on clients, a pre-and post-service study was designed. Providers were to administer the tests, but in many cases failed to do so correctly, thereby limiting the utility of the results. Finally, during the last year of the study, the state changed its funding priorities, thereby altering the provider system. A number of the providers changed their programs or stopped providing services, thereby dropping out of the delivery system. The paper considers the impact of these difficulties on the ability of research to make contributions to the discussion of charitable choice.     

计算机专业课堂教学有效性探讨

当前职业学校计算机专业课堂教学缺乏活力、缺少灵活性、模式呆板,教学目标、教学情境、课堂提问、教学活动方面都存在有效性缺失。针对这种情况,若提高计算机专业课堂有效性必经采取如下策略:仔细研究学生、做好学情分析,创造性地使用教材,指导学生由"学会"变为"会学",还要创造民主、和谐的课堂教学环境。     

Compulsion mechanisms: state-movement dynamics in Buenos Aires

The article reveals and explains the workings of generally ignored mechanism of state–movement interaction proposed by Charles Tilly, namely the compulsion mechanism. Specifically, two types of compulsion mechanisms will be defined: compulsive support and compulsive control. In both types, without using physical repression, the state’s institutions reinforce the movement’s identity while also prompting it to adapt its repertoire of strategies to the state institutions’ requirements. Empirically, this article focuses on the interaction of the assembly movement with the state in the City of Buenos Aires. This movement emerged as a result of the socioeconomic and political crises of 2001–2002 in Argentina. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and archival research, the purpose is to unpack how the assembly movement’s identities and strategies were built and how its interaction with the state evolved.     

Lottery expenditure in a non-lottery state

One of the major arguments for legalization of lotteries in new jurisdictions in the United States has been the fact that neighboring states, with their own lotteries, have captured lottery purchases from the other jurisdiction's citizens. This paper explores the issue by examining lottery purchase patterns in the state of Indiana prior to the start-up of the Indiana lottery, at a time when three adjacent states offered a variety of lottery product. Tobit analysis is also done on survey data to determine important contributing factors to the decision to play the lottery, as well as individual lottery expenditures. The paper concludes that, even though lottery revenues for a state are regressive, legalization might be justified on the basis of reducing the regressive outflow of revenue to bordering lottery states.My colleague, David Good, provided many helpful insights in this work and Irene Wirkus assisted with data management.     

Current theoretical and political perspectives of Western sociological theorists

While sociological theorists frequently express concern about theoretical fragmentation and the politicization of sociology, little research has been done to demonstrate the actual state of the field. In an earlier study of sociologists in general, Sanderson and Ellis (1992) found a high degree of theoretical fragmentation and a close correspondence between sociologists’ political views and their theory preferences. The current study extends this line of analysis to sociological theorists. Data gathered from over half of the members of the American Sociological Association (ASA) Theory Section show sociological theorists to be enormously divided with respect to their preferred theoretical perspectives, their conceptions of the most important social theorists, and their stance on modern theoretical debates and controversies (such as the virtues of postmodernism). As was the case with sociologists in general, political ideology was the strongest correlate of theory choice, and gender was less closely related to theory choice than would be expected. From these data, a picture is painted of the current state of social theory as we approach the next millennium. Jane T. Lord received her M.A. degree in sociology and her Ph.D. in rhetoric and linguistics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is currently teaching at the Community College of Allegheny in Pittsburgh. He is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters, and has authored or edited five books, the most recent of which is Social Transformations: A General Theory of Historical Development, expanded edition (Rowman and Littlefield, 1999). His book Synthetic Materialism: A Unified Evolutionary Theory of Human Society will be published by Rowman and Littlefield in the near future.     

An evaluator of the future

For the evaluator who is part of the management of a human service organization, future expectations will be more demanding than at present. Operating staff, managers, and funders will already be familiar with the methods and the usefulness of capable program evaluation. Improved information tools will help the evaluator meet this challenge, by keeping the organization visible and manageable. A more fundamental change will be an improved “language of accountability”. Program standards, accreditation, and review now focus on structure and process characteristics. What is emerging is a growing consensus on definitions of client problems and program objectives in relation to these problems. This consensus spurs psychometric research on measures of problems and of the attainment of program objectives. Dependable, standard measures and meaningful comparative data will make the evaluation of program effectiveness possible.     

What's green about the 1996 award-winning school districts: A comparison of Indiana's districts containing Blue Ribbon winners with 30 randomly selected Indiana school districts

The relationship between spending on education and equal opportunity has been a subject of debate for several decades. This study aims to shed light on this debate by examining correlations between the distribution of Blue Ribbon awards to Indiana middle and high schools and per pupil expenditure. Based on criteria that include curricula, instruction, school climate, leadership, community support, goal setting and attainment, success with all students, skill development, and character education, Blue Ribbon School awards are a recognition of outstanding achievement given by the federal government. Using total federal, state, and local expenditures as the basis for comparison, we found that the federal government did not select more wealthy schools than poor schools for the Indiana Blue Ribbon School awards. However, there was a large difference in the expenditures per pupil in the Indiana districts with Blue Ribbon schools vs. the 30 randomly selected Indiana districts without Blue Ribbon schools. Total local sources were significantly greater in Blue Ribbon school districts than in non-Blue Ribbon school districts. A discussion of items related to the power, prestige, and wealth of the award-winning schools is included.     

The American Stop Smoking Intervention Study. Conceptual framework and evaluation design.

Reducing tobacco use, especially cigarette smoking, is a public health priority. The American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST) was initiated in 1991 to prevent and reduce tobacco use primarily through policy-based approaches to alter the social-political environment. This article describes the conceptual design, research framework, evaluation components, and analytic strategies that are guiding the evaluation of this demonstration research endeavor. The ASSIST evaluation is a unique analysis of the complex relationships between the social context, public health activity at the state level, tobacco use, and individual behavior. The measures of tobacco control activity developed for this evaluation may be useful in ongoing national cancer control surveillance efforts, and the lessons learned will enhance the development of tobacco control programs.     

Sociodemographic correlates of public perceptions regarding a smoking ban in bars and restaurants

As the health threat of environmental tobacco smoke is widely recognized, more state and local governments join the passage of ordinances that ban smoking in public establishments. This study investigated public perceptions regarding banning smoking in bars and restaurants among Indiana residents. A representative sample of 529 adult Indiana residents ages 18 or older was interviewed using random-digit dialing after two waves of pilot tests. Of the total respondents, 65% favored the smoking ban in bars and restaurants. Logistic regression analyses indicated that gender, education, and spouse's education were significant predictors for attitudes toward the smoking ban in bars and restaurants.     

Briefly Noted

Carmen Beatrice Pearman Arlt died last December after a long illness. News of her death started circulating throughout the field only last month, however. Arlt, a longtime Indiana resident, was born in 1955. She organized one of the oldest chapters of the National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery (NAMA Recovery), the Methadone Advocacy Group (MAG) of Indiana. NAMA Recovery Director Joycelyn Woods recalled last week that Arlt, in the early 1990s, sent an index card to NAMA Recovery with dimes taped to it and a short message saying she could not afford the $10 membership fee. “Like all letters we receive from patients, she received a letter back saying that we would rather have her advocacy than money,” said Woods. One of the things MAG of Indiana did was clean the street around the methadone clinic. “While they were out picking up garbage and sweeping the street, the reverend from the church across the street came out to warn them about those addicts over there. Carmen explained that they were those addicts,” said Woods. “From this encounter, patients were given space in the church to set up 12‐Step groups and to have meetings. The following year, there was a big drug conference in Indiana, and the chapter acted as the color guard for the governor when he entered the arena. I remember Carmen sending a picture of them all dressed in white shirts, navy bowties for women and regular ties for men and navy pants.” Arlt received the Nyswander/Dole Award from the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence in 2001 for organizing the state provider organization — at the time, Indiana had no opioid treatment program representation and clinics saw one another more as competitors than associates working for a common cause, said Woods. More recently, in addition to being president of NAMA Recovery, Arlt developed the program for women and children at Porter‐Starke Services in Valparaiso. She was continuing her education to get a Ph.D. in social work when she became ill. “NAMA Recovery will miss Ms. Pearman‐Arlt's dedication and compassion to patients and the field,” said Woods..     

Predictors of contraceptive use by adolescent mothers

This study examines the differences between adolescents who do versus those who do not use contraceptives after the birth of their first child. The sample consists of 89 low-income mothers in the state of Indiana. A discriminant function analysis is used to determine if the adolescents' home environment, financial resources, self-esteem, or future orientation discriminates between contracepting and noncontracepting adolescents. If the adolescent is not receiving financial support from a romantic partner, intends to have another child within the next year, and expects to be a single parent in one year, she is less likely to be using contraceptives.     

Setting Priorities for Research: New Politics for the Social Sciences*

This paper examines the emergence of sociopolitics in the United States during the 1980s. The Reagan Administration's drastic budget cuts for social research prompted social scientists to engage in interest-group politics. The newest development in sociopolitics is setting priorities for research. This paper examines the intellectual and political risks of setting priorities. I conclude that sociologists must begin to discuss the objectives and strategies of funding social research, and seek ways of reducing our dependency upon federal funding.     

Developing an empirical profile for elder abuse research in Canada

The aging population of Canada and the associated caregiving demands highlight the need for elder abuse research. The objectives of this article are to provide a review of literature while identifying recommendations and directions for future research. Significant gaps in the knowledge base are identified that preclude the development of effective programming and policies. Future research directions include prevalence studies in community and institutional settings; studies on correlates, risk, and protective factors; research to clarify definitional issues and to develop psychometrically sound measurements; qualitative studies; and the need to support elder abuse research through capacity building and appropriate resource strategies.     

The contribution of research to community development

In this article I consider the relationship between differenttypes and methods of conducting research in the context of communitydevelopment. In particular I will consider the degree to whichdifferent approaches contribute to core objectives of communitydevelopment to empower communities and promote social justiceby engaging the most excluded. The contents will draw on a dialoguewithin my own agency, the Scottish Community Development Centre(SCDC).     

Gambling on an alternative revenue source: The impact of riverboat gambling on the charitable gambling component of nonprofit finances

This article examines the impact of casino gambling in and around Illinois on charitable gambling in that state. The research targets the impact of casino gambling on one of the vital revenue sources of many nonprofit organizations. Charitable gambling represents the most widespread form of legalized gambling in the United States. Net income from charitable gambling totaled an estimated $1.3 billion in 1997. Despite its apparent importance in providing an alternative revenue stream to nonprofit organizations, in a growing number of states charitable gambling operations must compete with an increasing number of private for‐profit gambling enterprises, including riverboat and land‐based casinos, Indian gambling operations, and pari‐mutuel wagering venues. As a result, there is interest in the extent to which forprofit gambling is crowding out charitable gambling—and in the process reducing funds (such as receipts from gambling operations) available to nonprofit organizations. The data analysis presented in this article suggests that spending on casino gambling in Illinois and in bordering areas of Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri may be displacing consumer expenditures on charitable gambling.     

Emigration dynamics in developing countries

This paper describes the research objectives and summarizes first-stage findings of a joint project of the International Organization for Migration and the UN Population Fund on emigration dynamics in developing countries. The paper was prepared for a conference in Bellagio organized to allow academics, policy-makers, and officials to evaluate the first-stage findings and to appraise the stage-two research proposals. The research methodology developed at a 1993 project launching meeting held in Geneva drew on demographic transition theory and involves inclusion in the research framework of economic; demographic; community, family, and individual; and sociopolitical variables which would provide a dynamic understanding of why different migration flows were occurring and allow projections of various types of future migration. In addition, the research was to explain all types of migration, with disaggregation by type provided. The first stage of research (reported at this conference) was devoted to obtaining and assembling data on the factors known to influence emigration dynamics. The second stage will be devoted to attempts to measure the interaction among variables in a specific region. The first-stage findings are summarized in this paper for sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, and Central America and the Caribbean. This paper ends by noting that this research takes the same direction as objectives cited in the 1994 UN Conference on Population and Development's (ICPD) Programme for Action. The evaluation of the proposal of second-stage research will include ways to maximize the concordance of that research with the goals of the ICPD.     

Diaspora Philanthropy in the Context of Policy Coherence for Development: Implications for the post‐2015 Sustainable Development Agenda

Thus far, there has been a dearth of studies that systemically examine the relationship between diaspora philanthropy, the development community and securitised migration regimes. This article addresses this by responding to the research question, “How coherent are securitised migration policies with diaspora philanthropy and the transformative development objectives that characterise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda?” The analysis is based on the concept of policy coherence for development (PCD). The article compares the simultaneous regionalization and securitization of European Union and United States migration policies and contends that these policy strategies undermine diaspora philanthropy, development partnerships and transformative development. Normative change must be introduced in order to establish coherence between globalized migration policies and diaspora philanthropy objectives. Normative coherence for development can be achieved by introducing principles from the SDG's and the Busan Development Partnership Agreement amongst other international development agendas, into migration policy‐making at the national and regional levels.     

Are Liberal Studies teachers ready to prepare human rights respecting students? A portrait of teachers’ attitudes towards human rights

As in most countries, human rights education (HRE) in Hong Kong has never been high on the educational agenda. In 2009, a compulsory subject, Liberal Studies (LS), which could be used as a platform for HRE, was introduced. The Hong Kong Institute of Education launched a research and development project which, as one of its objectives, studied LS teachers’ attitudes towards human rights and Rule of Law. This article first provides a brief overview of HRE. Then, the potential of HRE in LS will be discussed, followed by an introduction of the research project. Subsequently, the research design and findings will be presented. The findings reveal that there is a large gap between teachers’ understandings of human rights and international human rights standards. Since LS teachers’ attitudes are crucial for effective HRE, the findings are quite striking. The paper ends with recommendations for further research, policy formulations, and teacher preparation.     

Coping with guilt and shame in the impulse buying context

In this study we investigate how consumers cope with guilt and shame in the impulse buying context. Based on recent psychological research on guilt and shame, we posit that the intensity of shame experienced after buying on impulse will be positively associated with the use of avoidant coping strategies, whereas the intensity of guilt experienced will be positively associated with the use of problem-focused coping strategies. Furthermore, we predict that the use of avoidant coping strategies will be linked with more frequent depressive symptoms and worse financial well-being. These hypotheses were generally supported in an on-line survey of 274 respondents who had recently made an impulse purchase and reported the emotions and coping strategies associated with the event.     

Boards of trustees must assume responsibility for making alcohol prevention on campus a top priority

ABSTRACT

Few colleges have made the prevention of alcohol-related injuries and deaths an institutional priority, and even fewer have implemented prevention strategies with a solid evidentiary base. We look to presidents to provide leadership on this issue, but those who do are atypical. Boards of trustees should step in by asserting that student wellness be a primary focus in the institution's strategic plan, with specific, measurable goals; holding the president accountable for progress in reducing high-risk drinking and its consequences; and mandating a line item in the annual budget, with adequate staffing and revenues to put evidence-based practices in place. Boards will be more likely to respond when led to focus on the cost implications of the campus alcohol problem; the link between high-risk drinking and mission-critical institutional objectives such as academic performance, student engagement, and retention; and the institution's potential liability if evidence-based prevention strategies are not in place.