Appraising a Retiring Senator\u27s Papers: A View from the Staff of Senator Alan Cranston

Congressional records, although defined as personal manuscript collections, are comparable to business records-typically, however, from an office that never implemented any records management. In order to describe the scope of the Cranston project, it is helpful to think of the Alan Cranston Papers as a collection originating in an office that has been in business for twenty-four years and employs over ninety people in four different work sites--the main office in Washington, DC and three California branch offices. This, of course, does not take into account campaign offices that have come and gone over the years as well as the activity that created presenatorial papers

Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California

Based on 2005 Health Interview Survey data, examines the link between soda consumption and the prevalence of overweight and obese adults and children, geographical differences in soda consumption, and the social and environmental factors that affect it

Stereotype Threat in U.S. Students Abroad: Negotiating American Identity in the Age of Trump

An underinvestigated and significant source of stress for U.S. student sojourners across racial/ethnic groups is exposure to stereotypes that target their American identity. This study built on the extensive research literature on stereotype threat to investigate U.S. students’ vulnerability and reactions to being the target of stereotypes. Stereotype threat occurs when one expects to be judged negatively based on stereotypes of one’s social group and when one feels at risk of confirming these stereotypes. An online questionnaire administered to 95 students studying abroad just prior to and following the 2016 U.S. presidential election assessed predictors of, and common responses to, stereotype threat. Multiple regression analysis identified participant gender, motivational cultural intelligence (which involves attention and energy directed toward cultural differences), and exposure to Trump-related stereotypes as significant predictors of stereotype threat. Exploratory analyses indicated possible responses to stereotype threat, including distancing one’s self from a U.S. American identity and altering one’s appearance and behavior to look less American. Implications for sojourner support and for future research are discussed

Predictors of Preference for the Exported Campus Model of Study Abroad

Since the early 1960s, there has been a steady increase in the number of students enrolled in institutions of higher education outside of their home countries. This study contributes to the information available to study abroad professionals seeking to guide students in selecting programs that are best suited to their individual characteristics and needs. In addition, it identifies critical attitudes and skills to target for improvement in pre-departure and in-country training that may otherwise limit the culture learning of exported campus students. With better understanding of the traits, attitudes, and skills of students who prefer the exported campus model, these programs can better fulfill the important function of facilitating participants\u27 successful encounters with the host culture. A total of 188 students signed up to participate in this study. Students with previous college level study abroad experience were dropped from the analysis, including five international students and nine domestic students. The remaining 174 respondents included 63 male and 111 female undergraduate students (83.4% first year, 10.7% sophomores, 5.3% juniors, and .6% seniors) whose participation fulfilled a research requirement. They ranged in age from 18 to 23 years (M = 18.63) and attended a small liberal arts university in Southern California. At this institution more than 50% of students participate in one of several study abroad options, including exported campus, direct enrollment, and hybrid programs. Students who signed up to participate in this study were contacted via e-mail and asked to voluntarily complete an anonymous, on-line survey. The questionnaire used in this study took approximately 20 minutes to complete and assessed basic demographic information, preferred model of study abroad, and potential predictors of model preference. Students who preferred the exported campus model scored significantly higher on ethnocentrism and lower on measures of adventurousness, language learning interest, motivational cultural intelligence (CQ), and metacognitive CQ than those who preferred the more immersive model. These students also scored higher on intercultural communication apprehension, and lower on tolerance of ambiguity, cognitive CQ, and behavioral CQ, although these differences only approached significance in the discriminant analysis. There was no significant difference between groups in general self-efficacy. Future research might investigate the role of domain specific forms of self-efficacy in preference for model of study abroad, such as self-efficacy in intercultural communication

The use of tobacco in Johannesburg high school youth

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in the branch of Community Health.Tobacco is a major cause of morbidity and mortality world-wide. Smoking rates in South Africa have been increasing over the past decade. The promotion of health by targeting anti smoking campaigns at school going children is a common strategy throughout the world. The aim of this study was to examines the extent and nature of cigarette smoking in high schools in Greater Johannesburg in 1994, in order to inform health promotion programmes dealing with tobacco controIT201

MAINTENANCE OF NONSMOKING FOLLOWING SELF-INITIATED CESSATION

The process of trying to maintain abstinence from cigarettes was assessed in a longitudinal, descriptive study of self-initiated quitters. Participants completed: (1) a preliminary questionnaire; (2) six follow-up questionnaire packets mailed to them monthly; and (3) a final questionnaire sent with the sixth follow-up packet. Abstainers and relapsers differed in the following ways: (1) Relapsers more often indicated cessation goals which left open the possibility of future smoking; (2) Although both groups began their participation with relatively high levels of commitment to quit, abstainers\u27 levels were slightly higher than relapsers\u27. At the conclusion of their participation, relapsers\u27 commitment to quit had dropped significantly; (3) Both groups began with relatively high success expectations, although abstainers\u27 expectations were slightly higher. At the conclusion of their participation, relapsers\u27 expectations for success at remaining abstinent had dropped significantly; (4) Although they did not differ at the start of the investigation, at the conclusion abstainers\u27 difficulty expectations had dropped significantly, whereas relapsers\u27 expected difficulty abstaining had increased significantly; (5) Relapsers reported a significantly higher percentage of smokers in their combined home, work and social environments; (6) Overall, abstainers reported feeling significantly more in control of themselves during and after temptations or smoking episodes than did relapsers. Most temptations occurred at home or at work and they were primarily precipitated by intrapersonal negative emotional states or social pressure. Most smoking episodes occurred at home or in public places and they were also primarily precipitated by intrapersonal negative emotional states or social pressure. Factors which emerged as important to examine for a more in-depth understanding of long term abstinence and for intervention for relapse prevention were: (1) Individuals\u27 confidence in their ability to remain nonsmokers (self-efficacy); (2) Expectations about the effects or consequences of smoking a cigarette following abstinence; (3) Strategies used for coping with temptations to smoke; (4) The influence of significant others who smoke on relapse; (5) The influence of sociocultural factors on relapse

A Patchwork of Progress

Outlines changes in childhood obesity and overweight rates in California between 2005 and 2010 by county. Considers implications of regional variations, including public policy options for promoting healthy diets and physical activity

Childhood health-care practices among Italians and Jews in the United States, 1910-1940

This paper examines attitudes toward childhood health-care practices among urban Italian and Jewish families in the United States in the first part of the twentieth century. Although women in both groups were concerned about their children’s health, Italian and Jewish respondents differed in their attitudes toward home remedies, doctors, and medical advice literature. Jewish women were more likely to turn rapidly to professional medical assistance, typically from Jewish doctors, whereas Italian women were more likely to rely longer on common sense before eventually seeking professional medical intervention outside the family and ethnic group. These differences are evident both in the respondents’ recollections of their mothers’ and their own child-care practices, and suggest persistent ethnic cultures. That differences in child care are consistent with the mortality differences documented in other sources supports previous speculations about the importance of child care, and thus the role of culture in health transitions