Focusing on knowledge of four public affairs issues important to residents of a Midwestern inner-city neighborhood, a study examined the relative contributions to knowledge made by two neighborhood newspapers and by organized community group activities. A sample of 239 residents was asked open-ended questions about housing, crime, economic…

Resulting from the involvement of LaGuardia Community College (LCC) in an Urban Demonstration Project, this report discusses a community needs assessment conducted by LCC, provides a profile of the community of Western Queens, and relates needs assessment findings to a separate study by a consulting firm which focused on the community's…

To examine characteristics and needs of participants and potential participants of nineteen lifelong learning centers in Lake County, Ohio, a study was conducted. Because of the great variety of agency offerings, no attempt was made to summarize or analyze results. A descriptive format was used, and agencies were encouraged to examine performance…

This first in a set of three reports presents the findings of Australia's Community Information Sharing Service (CISS) study designed to (1) collect data on public libraries in New South Wales which currently offer or contribute to a community information service; (2) analyze that data to assess the extent to which library involvement in community…

THis study identifies the social, familial, and childhood characteristics which predict and explain the development of antisocial behavior. It also examines the extent to which violent antisocial behavior presents a distinct entity with its unique etiological processes. Several major studies which purportedly attempted to identify the causes and…

A major goal of the project was to secure improved treatment resources for alcoholics and their families within family service agencies. The project sought changes in the following areas: (1) attitude change, (2) information transfer, (3) increase in effectiveness, and (4) a more open admission policy. After two training periods, a similar amount…

Urban decentralization is an attempt to reorganize local services through some combination of: (1) giving service recipients or clients greater responsibility over service policies (the client dimension) and (2) increasing service resources at the level of specific, geographically defined neighborhoods (the territorial dimension). The…

Presents full text of the Educational Priorities Panel Report, researched and written by Robin Willner (May 1985), which examined mandates, services, materials, staff, and use of New York City (NYC) public school libraries. Comments by key people formerly or currently involved in administration of NYC's public school libraries are included. (EJS)

Participant observation and intensive interviews of fifty people from a rural midwestern community provided information on the importance of women in women's organizations and in behind-the-scenes arenas of local politics and economics. Bringing women into community studies expands the concept of community into private, familial arenas where…

Profiles a case study of a Puerto Rican community in New England to determine how natural support systems and human service organizations within the community influence substance abuse program development. Provides recommendations for community-based substance abuse programs. (SNR)

This research, conducted with an introductory sociology class at the University of British Columbia during the 2001-2002 academic year, explored community service-learning as a pedagogy and philosophy. The theoretical focus of this paper is Nancy Fraser's (1997) criticisms of Jurgen Habermas' (1992) bourgeois liberal model of the public sphere. We…

This study analyzes the results of a survey conducted on the participation of Colombian migrant households in the New York City labor market and the occupational mobility of these men and women in that labor market. It focuses on the socioeconomic dimensions of their migration on three levels: (1) macroeconomic--concerning the New York City labor…

The Attendance Improvement/Dropout Prevention (AI/DP) Program is a six-component program involving selected high schools, middle schools, elementary schools and nontraditional school settings in New York City. This study of the program included site visits, examination of student records, staff interviews, and analyses of information from the…

A sociological field study of the development of a Puerto Rican community organization in an American city (Maplewood, New Jersey), this book describes what happens when an ethnic minority attempts to attain a voice in the affairs of an affluent city. Chapter 1 discusses the study's purpose. Chapters 2 to 11 narrate, from the members' viewpoint…

A study of the process of a 1977-1983 oil and gas boom in Caldwell, Texas, disproved the assumption that local social effects of rapid energy development are severe and negative. Using interviews, surveys, observation, local newspapers, and other writings as data sources, researchers determined that during the boom, Caldwell's population grew…