KU ScholarWorks

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An investigation of the public’s attitudes toward the DeSoto School District
(University of Kansas, 1983-05-31) Sebanc, James
During the 1970's there was a steady decline in the attitudes the public had toward the public schools. Few studies have evaluated how these attitudes varied among different subsets of the population and what relationship existed between attitudes and specific variables. Therefore, this investigation tested a questionnaire designed to ascertain the relationship between attitudes and 36 variables. A questionnaire was mailed to 25 percent of the patrons in the DeSoto School District, located mid-way between Kansas City and Lawrence, Kansas. There were 348 respondents. There was significant positive correlation between how one rates the schools and: perceived job performance of school personnel, age, longevity in the district, perceived reliability of information, adequacy of amount of information, degree of interest, and number of school functions attended. A significant negative correlation existed between the variables how one rates the schools and family income and educational attainment. Parents had a more positive attitude than did non-parents as did elementary parents over secondary parents. Attitudes varied significantly between geographic areas. Parents perceived one's child as the most preferred, most reliable, and most used source of information. Non-parents viewed a friend with a child in school as the most used source of information. Secretaries received the highest ratings regarding job performance followed by teachers, superintendent and principals. Certified personnel were perceived as the most reliable sources of information. There was a significant correlation between one's attitude and what one perceived as the most favorable aspects of the schools, but not with what one perceived as the most serious problems facing the schools. There was no significant correlation between one's attitude and one's voting intention on bond referendums.
Self esteem and family attitude concerning the adopted individual
(University of Kansas, 1994-05-31) Barker, Elizabeth Ann
The purpose of this study was to measure objectively whether or not there was a significant difference in the self esteem and family attitude scores between adopted and nonadopted individuals. The study also assessed whether or not there was significant differences in the incidents of physical or sexual abuse for adopted and non adopted individuals, whether or not there was significant differences on self esteem and family attitude scores for those adopted before and after age three. Another purpose was to determine if there was a significant difference between adoptees who searched for birthparents and those who didn't on both the family attitude and self esteem scales. The subjects consisted of college age students from a midwestern city, persons who attended adoption support groups in other midwestern towns, along with personal contacts. The nonadopted and adopted samples were selected from this population. The Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory by Coopersmith was used to determine the self concept of the individuals who participated in the study. The Family Attitude Scale was developed by the author and her advisor to determine the family attitudes of the adopted and nonadopted persons. An analysis of variance was used to decide if there were significant differences between the mean scores of adoptees, nonadopted persons, searching adoptees and non searching adoptees, and those adopted before age three and those adopted after age three, along with the incidents of sexual and/or physical abuse. The findings of the study were: 1 ) there was a significant difference between the adopted and nonadopted group on the CSEI and the FAS, 2) there was not a significant difference in the rates of physical and/or sexual abuse, 3) there was not a significant difference between the adoptees who searched and those who did not search on the CSEI and the FAS, 4) there was not a significant difference between those adopted before age three and those adopted after age three on the CSEI, 5) there was a significant difference between those adopted before age three and those adopted after age three on the FAS.
The political is the personal: political conflict within families in Brazil, 2018-2024
(University of Kansas, 2025-03-14) Romanetto, Matheus
The rise of contemporary right-wing movements has been followed by dramatic political conflicts in Brazil. Clashes within families are among the most severe. They display a surprisingly varied morphology, ranging from avoidance and rupture of social relations, well into open threats and violence. Their underlying motivations are not any less diverse, including economic interest, political loyalty, and libidinal aspects. This presentation elaborates on results from preliminary interviews on this subject, carried mostly in São Paulo, in preparation for my current research. Three conjectures are advanced and illustrated: (1) political strife within families can be understood in analogy to corresponding forms of intervention in the public arena; (2) conflict among kin is better understood as posing a new form of relatedness, not as dissolving existing social relations; (3) variations in the development of such conflicts (according to class, race, gender) are summarized in the functions kinship systems and household relations assume within different communities.
Constructing Cologne: Creating a Communal Ideal in the View of the City of Cologne
(University of Kansas, 2025-05-09) Nordengren, Cara
In 1531, the city council of Cologne, Germany, presented Holy Roman Emperor Charles V with a monumental woodcut print depicting the city. The View of the City of Cologne, which includes a panegyric poem and a list of local churches and relics, portrays Cologne as a prosperous, densely-built urban center. By foregrounding a bustling port and the abundance of churches within the city walls, the print aggrandizes Cologne by insisting upon the city’s importance in the economic and spiritual landscape of the Holy Roman Empire. In an era of divided loyalties, the View of the City of Cologne promotes Cologne as a Catholic stronghold in the imperial fight against Protestantism. Simultaneously, the print belies signs of internal conflict, such as civic uprisings, power struggles between the city council and the archbishop, and the forcible expulsion of Cologne’s Jewish inhabitants. The omission of this information, whether deliberate or not, serves to portray Cologne as a peaceable contrast to rebellious Protestant cities. The image of Cologne set forth by the print is, therefore, imaginary. The print does not depict Cologne as it was, but rather, as civic officials wanted the Emperor to perceive the city. This paper will explore the biases inherent in mapmaking through the distortions present between the physical city, its printed image, and the accompanying inscription. It will consider how the printmakers both intentionally and unintentionally suppressed information about Cologne in order to create the appearance of a coherent communal ideal. An analysis of the print’s text-image relationship will provide fresh critical engagement with the artwork, exploring how the cityscape and inscription expand upon and reinforce the ideas presented in their counterpart. Thus, the View of the City of Cologne demonstrates the strategic use of visual and written communication to construct a favorable yet fictitious representation of a city.
The Great Escape to Hong Kong: Meanings and Implications in Historical and Transnational Contexts
(University of Kansas, 2025-06-08) Xiaoyan, Li
This study examines the lived experiences of Chinese sent-down youth who escaped from Guangdong to Hong Kong during the Cultural Revolution. Drawing on trauma-informed oral history interviews with survivors, the research investigates their motivations to flee, the conditions that compelled their decisions, and how they understand their choices in retrospect. The narratives reveal a complex interplay of personal trauma, systemic oppression, and collective agency, highlighting how oppressive living conditions and cultural repression spurred acts of resistance and pursuit of freedom. A "culture of escape" emerged among these youth, fostering networks and strategies for survival and rebellion against an authoritarian regime. The findings underscore the enduring impact of this history on survivors and the importance of memory in reclaiming agency and identity.