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THE PERCEPTION OF HOMELESS PEOPLE: IMPORTANT FACTORS IN DETERMINING PERCEPTIONS OF THE HOMELESS AS DANGEROUS
Title
THE PERCEPTION OF HOMELESS PEOPLE: IMPORTANT FACTORS IN DETERMINING PERCEPTIONS OF THE HOMELESS AS DANGEROUS.
Creator
Donley, Amy, Wright, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study uses two quantitative and two qualitative data sources to determine if homeless people are viewed as dangerous and if they are what factors contribute to this perception. Areas examined are respondent's characteristics, media affects and the perceived rights of homeless people to urban space. Actual levels of perpetration among the homeless are examined to allow for comparisons between perception and reality to be made. Findings showed that race plays a major role in the...
Show moreThis study uses two quantitative and two qualitative data sources to determine if homeless people are viewed as dangerous and if they are what factors contribute to this perception. Areas examined are respondent's characteristics, media affects and the perceived rights of homeless people to urban space. Actual levels of perpetration among the homeless are examined to allow for comparisons between perception and reality to be made. Findings showed that race plays a major role in the perception of homeless peo-ple among whites, while gender is more influential among blacks. There was no rela-tionship between media and perceptions. A negative relationship was found between support of rights of the homeless and the perception that they are dangerous. While the homeless have higher incarceration rate as compared to the poor-but-never-homeless, the crimes for which they are sentenced appear to be non-violent in nature and are of-ten what are characterized as nuisance crimes. Recommendations were made to study actual perpetration rates among the homeless to allow for a more in-depth analysis of criminal involvement.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002261, ucf:47846
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002261
THE UNRAVELING OF AMERICA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM
Title
THE UNRAVELING OF AMERICA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM.
Creator
Wright, Amy, Kiel, Dwight, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This research project takes a critical look at the data that drives educational policies. This research project looks at the data at the national level as well as the regional levels in order to see if the data is functioning differently at the different levels. All data has been collected from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) through reports published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an independent committee assigned to collect and analyze...
Show moreThis research project takes a critical look at the data that drives educational policies. This research project looks at the data at the national level as well as the regional levels in order to see if the data is functioning differently at the different levels. All data has been collected from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) through reports published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an independent committee assigned to collect and analyze educational data. The data was collected and then correlations were run between the expenditures per pupil, number of pupils per teacher, standardized test scores, such as average ACT, average SAT, average 8th grade Math and Reading tests, and average 4th grade Math and Reading tests. This research project also included the percentage of minority students in the classroom, a variable whose data has been collected over the years, but it has never been included in any prior analyses. What this research project found is that some of the data, such as the standardized test scores, have a different strength of relationship between variables at the different levels. For example, expenditures per pupil have strength in the relationship between the different standardized test scores at the national level, but once those numbers are broken down by region, the strength in the variables relationship is weakened. This research project also discovered that the make up of the classroom, specifically the percentage of minority students, is a vital factor in the performance of all students.
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Date Issued
2005
Identifier
CFE0000766, ucf:46556
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000766
'Til Death Do I Wait: Experiences of Food Insecurity Among Elders on the Meals on Wheels Waiting List
Title
'Til Death Do I Wait: Experiences of Food Insecurity Among Elders on the Meals on Wheels Waiting List.
Creator
Gualtieri, Marie, Donley, Amy, Gay, David, Wright, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Food insecurity is not a new phenomenon experienced by elderly persons living in the United States. In a recent report by Feeding America, approximately 4.8 million Americans over the age of 60 are food insecure, which has doubled since 2001, and is 50% higher than in 2007. Due to lack of funding to the program, Meals on Wheels by Seniors First is unable to give meals to seniors in the Central Florida area who are food insecure. Through structured face-to-face interviews, this study examines...
Show moreFood insecurity is not a new phenomenon experienced by elderly persons living in the United States. In a recent report by Feeding America, approximately 4.8 million Americans over the age of 60 are food insecure, which has doubled since 2001, and is 50% higher than in 2007. Due to lack of funding to the program, Meals on Wheels by Seniors First is unable to give meals to seniors in the Central Florida area who are food insecure. Through structured face-to-face interviews, this study examines elders on the program's waiting list and explores how this population obtains food if they are not being served through the program. Findings suggest that seniors on the waiting list are in need of the resource for survival, not convenience. This study has strong implications in which additional funding is needed as the Baby Boomer population ages and the need for food programs increases.
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Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005175, ucf:50667
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005175
Promoting Courage: An Evaluation of Harbor House of Central Florida's Domestic Violence Primary Prevention Initiative Project Courage
Title
Promoting Courage: An Evaluation of Harbor House of Central Florida's Domestic Violence Primary Prevention Initiative Project Courage.
Creator
Navarro, Jordana, Jasinski, Jana, Wright, James, Reckdenwald, Amy, Abel, Eileen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
While the old adage of "it takes a village" is often stated in reference to raising children, this statement is also extremely applicable in combating social problems such as intimate partner abuse (IPA). All too often society members turn a "blind eye" to abuse occurring within our homes between intimate partners. Although recent research has shown improvement in attitudes condemning IPA, other research has identified that many individuals continue to perceive IPA as largely a private...
Show moreWhile the old adage of "it takes a village" is often stated in reference to raising children, this statement is also extremely applicable in combating social problems such as intimate partner abuse (IPA). All too often society members turn a "blind eye" to abuse occurring within our homes between intimate partners. Although recent research has shown improvement in attitudes condemning IPA, other research has identified that many individuals continue to perceive IPA as largely a private problem (Bethke and DeJoy, 1993; Straus, Kaufman Kantor, and Moore, 1997). This commonplace belief stands in stark contrast to the vast amount of research that shows IPA is anything but a private problem. In order to halt these occurrences, various intervention programs have been implemented (i.e. batterer intervention programs, mandatory arrest policies, etc.). However, less effort has gone into creating programs to prevent abuse in the first place (Harvey, GarciaMoreno, and Butchart, 2007). In order to fulfill this need, Harbor House of Central Florida (Orlando, FL) created one notable primary prevention initiative referred to as Project Courage. Launched in 2010, Project Courage staff flooded an Orlando neighborhood (Pine Castle, FL) with IPA services. The following evaluation details Project Courage's successes, challenges, and provides recommendations for the future. The data used in this evaluation were made available by Harbor House of Central Florida, and have been used with permission from the agency and from the University of Central Florida's Institutional Review Board. Data from Project Courage were originally collected by the agency's Prevention Department. Firstyear funding for the project was provided by the 100 Women Strong giving circle located in Orlando, Florida. The collector(s) of the original data, the funder(s), and their agents or employees bear no responsibility for the analyses or interpretations presented here.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004898, ucf:49649
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004898
Down in the Mouth: Homelessness and Oral Health
Title
Down in the Mouth: Homelessness and Oral Health.
Creator
Kleinberger, Jessica, Wright, James, Rivera, Fernando, Donley, Amy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The burden of dental disease in American has been termed a (")silent epidemic,(") affecting the most vulnerable populations in society. Poor oral health has been linked with general health issues, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as decreased mental health and impairments in social functioning. This burden weighs particularly heavy on the homeless, who are not only denied access to private systems of care, but are further rejected by an inadequately supported public safety...
Show moreThe burden of dental disease in American has been termed a (")silent epidemic,(") affecting the most vulnerable populations in society. Poor oral health has been linked with general health issues, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as decreased mental health and impairments in social functioning. This burden weighs particularly heavy on the homeless, who are not only denied access to private systems of care, but are further rejected by an inadequately supported public safety net. Despite the recognition of social inequalities and the call for further scientific research, oral health care has not been extensively recognized within sociology. The aim of this research was to uncover how Central Florida's homeless adults cope with oral health issues in the face of barriers. This study intends to begin closing the gap by exploring the ways in which structural inequalities are embodied in the teeth of the homeless. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with homeless individuals in the Central Florida area in regards to their oral health and coping mechanisms. Results indicate that without conventional access to dental care, homeless are forced to rely on emergency departments, alcohol, illegal drugs, home remedies, and over-the-counter medications. When treatment was received, only emergency services were provided. This led to an extraction-denture treatment model which left many homeless individuals edentulous, with continued complications in their ability to eat, work, and talk.
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Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005192, ucf:50640
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005192