Asthma disproportionately affects children who are non-White and of low socioeconomic status. One innovative approach to address these health disparities is to investigate the child's neighborhood environment and factors influencing asthma symptoms. The purpose of this integrative review is to critique research investigating the relationships…

Background: Researchers focused on mental health of conflict-affected children are increasingly interested in the concept of resilience. Knowledge on resilience may assist in developing interventions aimed at improving positive outcomes or reducing negative outcomes, termed promotive or protective interventions. Methods: We performed a systematic…

This study conducted a newspaper content analysis as part of an evaluation of a community-based participatory research project focused on increasing physical activity through policy and environmental changes, which included activities related to media advocacy and media-based community education. Daily papers (May 2003 to December 2005) from both…

Using data for 108 colleges in the California Community College System, this paper poses two questions. First, do California community colleges differ in their missions? Second, if they do, can inter-college differences in missions be explained? We address the first question by developing college-specific measures of curriculum mix, which we use…

Rural communities have experienced dramatic demographic, social, and economic transformations over the past 30 years. Historically characterized by close links between natural resources and social, cultural, and economic structures, few of today's rural communities remain heavily dependent upon traditional extractive industries like ranching,…

Investigates how aggressive behavior is differentially perceived by two types of perceivers, teachers and peers (N=765), as a function of student neighborhood, gender, and grade level. Teachers in the more violent community perceived students to be relatively less aggressive and more similar across genders. Peers in the less violent community…

Investigates changes in parents' use of restrictive and promotive management strategies from early to middle adolescence. Data included 50 African American adolescents and their parents living in a low-income school district. Findings suggest that increasing parents' use of promotive management strategies may be more beneficial in supporting the…

Economic explanations do not fully account for the vitality of the Gifford (Illinois) business district. Case study demonstrates how a cohesive, persistent German American community generates and maintains a sense of place for Main Street, and examines the vital social role that Main Street plays in the maintenance of community. (TD)

This study focuses on the tension between community norms/values and teacher behavior in Canada. A series of instances where teachers in public or denominational schools are accused of misconduct are presented, and these instances are traced from their beginnings to their ends (that is, to the resolution or acceptance of the social conflict). Part…

Over 200 county park agencies were surveyed to determine: (1) what kinds of recreational services they provided; (2) the age and origin of visitors; (3) park acreage and its relationship to county population; and (4) the number and type of employees. Implications for the future role of county parks are discussed. (PP)

Examines a dimension of neighboring that need not assume friendship as the role model. When the model assumes only a sense of connectedness as defining neighboring, then the residential correlation, shown in many studies between urbanism and neighboring, disappears. Theories of neighboring, study variables, methods, and analysis are discussed.…

Research indicates that living in company towns created a population lacking in initiative and self-determination. In one community that was a company town until the mid-1950s, key-informant interviews indicated high levels of dropping out, illiteracy, teen pregnancy, poverty, and dependency. However, a survey of high school students revealed no…

Study describes how college students (N=39) constructed their residential experiences during pilot implementation of the Community Standards Model. Identifies three major themes related to democratic living: program purpose and structure; engagement and decision-making; and constructions of community. Proposes conditions to promote…

Citizen perception of public service quality was examined to determine its relationship to demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the community, variations in service expenditures, and quantitative service performance measures. The Bureau of the Census, state agencies, and a mail survey of residents in all 100 North Carolina counties…

Examines development of rural communities and regions that depend on extractive industries (involving removal of raw materials from nature). Discusses "addictive activities" in such communities characterized by rising operation costs and declining commodities' prices. Discusses community and regional characteristics contributing to…