Daniel J. Klenow

Older People in Disaster: A Comparison of Black and White Victims

This research examines differential vulnerability to environmental stressors among white and black elderly and non-elderly disaster victims. The research identifies the determinants of psychosocial recovery for those four demographic groups. A total of 431 families who were victims of a tornado were interviewed for the study. A path model of the determinants of psychosocial recovery is presented, and observations are made regarding intervention strategies for older disaster victims.

Belief in an Afterlife: A National Survey

This article presents an exploratory analysis of factors affecting belief in an afterlife. Data are taken from the 1978 subfile on the National Opinion Research Centers General Social Survey. With belief in life after death serving as the dependent variable, a number of variables are introduced in a tabular analysis. Among factors found to be statistically significant are sex, race, age, marital status, and several religious and residential variables. Controlling on frequency of church attendance and religious intensity, it is shown that Protestants have the highest incidence of belief in life after death, followed closely by Catholics, with Jews exhibiting the lowest level. A discriminant analysis was run in order to select a group of independent variables that were good predictors of belief in an afterlife. Race, religion, and church attendance were found to be significant discriminating variables of such belief.

The impact of gender on gambling attitudes and behavior

Researchers have often attributed the consistent relation of gender and gambling behavior to gender role socialization. If they are correct, gender should affect different sets of gambling attitudes in a manner consistent with at least three aspects of gender role socialization: a double standard of morality, a guardian of the hearth role for women, and a dualism of orientations. A survey measuring gambling attitudes and behavior was sent to a sample of residents in North Dakota after legalization of several games of chance (e.g., blackjack). Gender affects behavior but only some of the specified attitudes. These mixed results may reflect changes in gender role socialization and the increasing legalization of gambling.

Emotion and Life Threatening Illness: A Typology of Hope Sources.

This article presents a typology of hope sources for patients with life-threatening illness. Ten sources of hope are detailed in the typology, including five major hope sources: religion, medical science, fallibilism, self-discipline, and renewal and deception by others (false hope). These hope sources are also divided into cognitive and behavioral dimensions. Further analysis examines varying hope orientations among patients and physicians. Suggestions for additional research are outlined.

An empirical exploration of selected policy options in organ donation.

This paper presents findings from a mail survey of 414 persons regarding organ transplantation and donation policy issues. Three measures of support for organ donation were measured: donor card commitment, required request of next-of-kin support, and weak presumed consent support. High levels of support exist for organ donor cards and the required request of next-of-kin law. Little support was found for the policy of weak presumed consent.

Staff based ideologies in a hemodialysis unit

Abstract This study presents data derived from a field study of a chronic maintenance hemodialysis facility. Three selected social features of this medical setting are analyzed: the time frame of chronic treatment, dealing with the impact of a patients death and problems of noncompliance. These social features are related to the hospital based ideologies of cure, care and core elaborated by Hans Mauksch. In addition, the grounded theory of awareness of dying from Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss provides an additional theoretical resource for this paper.