William F. Woodman

Sex and orientations toward winning in sport.

Abstract As a basis for this study the authors first proposed that when respondents expressed orientations toward winning (OTW) in sports activities, differences would occur by sex, and that the logical direction would be for females to demonstrate a significantly weaker OTW than males. Second, based on a phenomenological model, the authors proposed that females would be more likely than males to participate in sports to have fun (stage 1); that females would be less likely than males to participate in sports to play well (stage 2); and that females would be less likely than males to participate in sports to win (stage 3). A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 451 male and female students for the collection of data. To measure OTW, a four item scale (.76 reliability) was generated from the questionnaire. Analysis of data indicated a sex linked difference in the expressed desire to win at sports, with women tending to rate low and men tending to rate high on the OTW scale. The 3 stage model did n...

Social change through photographs and music: A qualitative method for teaching

This paper examines the use of qualitative methodology in the sociology classroom by demonstrating the use of photographs and music in teaching the human element of social change. The authors maintain that traditionally only one side of social change is taught to the students; the objective view with facts and figures. By adding the other side of social change, the subjective view, the students are better able to appreciate the significance of the larger social change process. The authors maintain that photographs and music best relay the subjective view to the class. By using the modernization of American society as an example, the authors proceed to identify specific pictures and music which they feel most accurately depict this view of social change. A detailed description of their selection process is also presented.

Economic development and biotechnology: Public policy response to the farm crisis in Iowa

In periods of social crisis, policymakers become particularly vulnerable to interest groups mobilizing to compete for scarce funds. At this point, legislators are no longer able to address the specific needs of their primary constituency directly, but rather are forced to do so in pretext only. New, unfamiliar technologies provide ample ammunition for astute interest groups to take advantage of times of economic turmoil and maneuver for policy support through dramatic campaigns of “salesmanship.” By publicizing a crisis situation, dramatizing it effectively, and advertising an innovation as the solution to the crisis, legislators may be effectively persuaded to give priority to interest group pressures above and beyond those of the local constituency. Iowas attempts to address the farm crisis through economic development strategies relying on biotechnology is examined in this paper. The results of extensive surveys of Iowas legislators and farmers are examined and the consequences for Iowas policy process of using biotechnology under the auspices of economic development are discussed.

General and specific measures of alienation: Is there a difference?

Nisbet and Perrin (1977) suggest that of the two types of alienation, general and specific, the latter is more prevalent. This paper examines differences between general and specific measures of alienation by breaking each into three component parts: powerlessness, self‐estrangement, and anomia. Results of tests to determine whether specific and general alienation are novel traits are mixed; the general and specific powerlessness measures are found to be more different from each other than are the measures of self‐estrangement and anomia. When the reported extent of general alienation and specific alienation is compared, all specific types are significantly greater. Finally, general measures of alienation correlate more strongly with measures of general phenomena than with specific phenomena, while specific measures of alienation correlate more strongly with measures of specific phenomena than with general phenomena.

An adapted model of the sport participation choice process.

Abstract In a conceptual examination of sport participation, the concept of “sport careers” is introduced. Sport careers are defined as the modal patterns of temporally ordered sport roles current in a sport subculture as well as the sequence of sport roles individuals may perform over the course of their lifetimes. Treating sport participation as a career pattern (but not as an occupational pattern) can be seen to have numerous advantages, among them that the considerable literature of work careers can be brought to bear on problems of sport participation. A conceptual model of the career entry choice process created by Blau and others is presented and adapted to the parallel problem of the sport participation choice process.

Social Change and Ethnicity: A Multimedia Approach.

This paper describes a multimedia aid to teaching about ethnic relations in American history, whose purpose is to enhance student understanding of the sub ject through visual and musical images. The instruc tional technique and its content are relevant to a wide range of courses, not only to those on ethnic relations. Bower cites evidence that visual imagery can aid the learning of abstractions (2). The abstraction here is that social change in America forms three phases: agrarian, industrial and post-industrial (1). This history of the na tion frames that of its ethnic groups, and both are il lustrated with photographs and music in this slide and music presentation. Our approach is consistent with the statement of Brown, Lewis and Harcleroad (5) on the merits of still photography in instruction, and that of Quinney, (8) and Smith (9) on the use of film in the teaching of social science. It is also consistent with our experience. Recognizing that students are individuals and respond as such to instruction (7), we nonetheless find that in our own state university most students come from culturally homogeneous backgrounds and have a time perspective bound by their own biographies. It is dif ficult to teach about different ethnic groups in an historical framework. Therefore, we developed a slide and music presentation. Visual images and music were used on the premise that todays students turn toward both for meaning. Historical photographs from a multitude of sources

THE FUTURE ROLE OF INTERACTIVE SIMULATION AS A DEVICE TO IMPROVE HOUSEHOLD QUALITY OF LIFE DECISIONS: WHERE DYNAMIC FORECASTING IS GOING

ABSTRACT Household quality of life is defined herein as the degree to which objectives articulated and agreed upon by the household, and subsequently accomplished meet the goals to which the household aspires. Resources available to the household include time, money, space (of activities) and activities (number and variety). Decisions balancing resources among competing objectives can only be effectively accomplished by a dynamic forecasting simulation.

TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS OF RATIONING ON INDIVIDUAL TRAVEL DECISIONS IN A QUALITY OF LIFE CONTEXT

ABSTRACT A long and protracted debate has developed about whether gasoline rationing should be implemented and if implemented what form it should take. Because our past national experience with gasoline rationing has been in a different social and political context than planners expect to exist when (and if) rationing is instituted, an interactive man-machine simulation has been developed to test whether it is possible to shift travel decisions through rationing or the threat of rationing. Experimentation examining policy preferences before and after the simulation indicate individual mobility is perceived as a crucial aspect of life to be maintained, that government (rationing) and industry (shortage of allocation) are both seen as threats to personal mobility, and, therefore, that long-term rationing is not likely to be well received nor effective without severe police action.