Honors Projects for Family Resources

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    Expressive Writing and its Effects on Blood Pressure and Self-Reported Stress
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Ganir, Ronelyn ; Yancura, Loriena ; Department of Family Resources
    College students experience high levels of psychological stress, which may be accompanied by physiological stress such as high blood pressure. Expressive Writing (EW), an intervention developed by Pennebaker (1996), has been shown to alleviate stress and blood pressure in white college students. The purpose of this study was to examine whether EW is effective in an ethnically diverse student population. Thirty-four undergraduate students (35% white, 44.1% Asian, 154.7% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 2% Hispanic/Latino) completed pre-post measures of stress and blood pressure. Of these, 15 completed an online EW intervention for 20 minutes, and 19 spent an equivalent amount of time surfing the internet and then writing a short paragraph about websites they visited. Stress was measured by self-report and blood pressure were measured with an automatic blood pressure monitor. No significant differences on stress or blood pressure were found between EW group and control group. However, both showed significantly reduced diastolic blood pressure (p < .02) after the intervention. Pre-post differences in reactions to stress approached significance (p < .06). These findings suggest that writing itself, not specifically EW, may be helpful in reducing college student populations.
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    The Department of Social Services and Housing - Adult Social Services and Elderly Clientel Served
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-09-26) Yonezaki, Susan ; Schwitters, Sylvia ; Family Resources
    The elderly are becoming.an increasingly visible group in Hawaii. Within only a decade, the elderly population aged 65 and older in Hawaii has grown by 36% (Schwitters, 1981) and currently totals 71,000 individuals (Hawaii State Department of Health, 1979). Correspondingly, resources to serve this rapidly increasing group have also grown in numbers. The Hawaii State Executive Office on Aging in its 1979 report on aging programs lists close to 200 services which are already in existence and geared to meet specific needs of older people (Hawaii State Executive Office on Aging, 1980). A qualifying senior citizen in Hawaii today may take advantage of the numerous services and facilities offered by the State. Senior centers offering educational, cultural, and social opportunities have been erected for the State's multi-racial elderly population. Free bus passes enable senior citizens to utilize public transportational services at no expense. "Meals on wheels," Medicare and Medicaid assistance, and Senior Companion/Respite Services also serve the elderly by directing themselves to specific needs, such as nutrition, health support, and personal care.
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    Opposition to the Possible Airport at Bellows Air Force Station Viewed through the Human Development Perspective
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-09-26) Yamashita, Diane ; Kiyuna, Kenneth ; Family Resources
    In this thesis, the aurthor shall attempt to view conflict and its resolution through a real situation (confrontation between the DOT and the Waimanalo residents on the subject of a possible GA airport at Bellows) employing the "Human Development" perspective. In particular, she shall define conflict and present different modes of conflict resolution for the confrontation described above.
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    Chinese Immigrants' Adjustment in Hawaii in the Mid-1990s
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-09-26) Wong, Wai-Kwan ; Martini, Mary ; Family Resources
    Five years ago, I experienced the greatest turning point o f my life: immigrated from Hong Kong to Hawaii, a place I knew nothing about except for the famous palm trees and hula dancing. Similar to many other Hong Kong people who migrated during the 1990s, my family migrated to escape the ruling Communist Government. I personally migrated however to seek a better education. In Hawaii, I gained a different perspective on the Chinese culture. Although I was brought up and nurtured by traditional Chinese values, I never realized their impacts on me. After I moved to Hawaii, I learned for the first time, how China and Chinese people are viewed by people in other racial groups. Then, I found that I, and many other Chinese people in this era do not fit the frame of the so called "traditional Chinese." I wondered if the Chinese traditional values are diminishing today or whether Chinese immigrants were quickly adjusting to the host culture in Hawaii. Also, as a new immigrant, I encountered many adjustment difficulties, such as a language barrier and culture shock. I understand and have experienced the stress of migration. I hope I can use my knowledge and experience to help other new Chinese immigrants. One purpose of this study is to get a better understanding of the Chinese immigrants in Hawaii. To get a complete understanding of Chinese immigrants, this study examines three areas: the history of the coming of early Chinese immigrants, the history of the United States Immigration laws and their effects on Chinese immigration, and the current adjustments of Chinese immigrants in Hawaii.
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    A Critical Analysis of the Validity of Play for Pre-School Children
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-09-26) Wong, Susan ; Allen, James ; Family Resources
    The emphasis of this paper will be on children's play and how it benefits children in their physical development. Observing that young children and constantly engaging in play during their first few years of life, parents, teachers, and adults in general question whether play is or is not beneficial to the motor development of children. When children learn to walk, they delight in walking everywhere and anywhere they are allowed. Then they learn that they can run and run they will as if they were in a constant state of excitement. Eventually they learn to climb, jump, skip, and balance themselves on boards and boxes. They delight in experimenting with new experiences and in repeated learned experiences. All this is play to young children and yet, it is more than play, it is furthering the development of their muscular coordinations. They are learning to control and use their body, hands, and feet to do what they desire. They are also strengthening their muscles which are very important to physical growth.
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    Resiliency and Emotional Literacy: Promoting the Development of Life Skills and Coping Skills in Students
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-09-26) Wong, Christine ; Family Resources
    Today's children and adolescents face greater hardships and challenges than ever before, and since the tragedy of the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, the term "resiliency" has become a popular "buzz word" for child advocates throughout the nation. Another concept, which is gaining foothold in school children's educational lives, is that of emotional literacy. While still relatively new, emotional literacy has caught fire with educators for the improvement of the student as a whole, and to help students better face the life experiences and choices that they may encounter. First, this project illustrates the relationship between resiliency and emotional literacy, which are very much connected but have yet to be adequately documented as supporting one another. Second, this project explores two existing, effective emotional literacy curricula currently used in schools. Third, this project proposes the addition of a cultural aspect to emotional literacy curricula, especially adapted for Hawaii's multicultural environment. By learning more about resiliency and emotional literacy, how they fit together, and why students will benefit from them, parents, educators, and child advocates can better understand how to assist students with their emotional and social development in the classroom. Through paradigm shifts in students' mindsets, students will benefit from this support in their everyday life and future, as well as in the classroom.
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    Views of Infant Day Care from an Ecological Perspective
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-09-26) Takaichi, Marja ; Davidson, Dana ; Family Resources
    "If we apply what we know today, we can make a significant impact on the future" (Green 1983). There is a large body of research on the direct effects of day care on children, which if analyzed in an ecological framework and tested for applicability to the variable resources and needs of Hawaii's communities, can serve as a base for decision making and policy planning. The purpose of this study is to look at infant care from an ecological perspective and synthesize models which can be applied in Hawaii. Using a systems approach with a critical review of the recent literature, a distinction between the theoretical and applied research on the effects of group care on infants will be proposed. The issues will be identified and outlined for integration with the theories.
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    Personality Correlates of Marxist and Nonviolent Political Activists
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-09-26) Spalding, Barbara ; O'Reilly, Joseph ; Family Resources
    Four personality inventories were given to political activists separated into two groups, one pacifist and one Marxist, by their scores on a pacifism scale and by a self-reporting measure of political ideology. The inventories were tests of Complexity of Self-Concept, Locus of Control, and 2 factors of the 16 Personality Factor Test, ego & superego. All of these tests differentiated the two groups with the pacifists scoring more complex self-concepts, more internally oriented, more emotional stability and more superego control. Comparisons between these activists & student activists of the 60's showed them to have few demographic similarities. Possible biases could have occurred due to the small sample size and on questions pertaining to relationship with parents on the locus of control scale.
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    Patterns of Marital Happiness in a Sample from Hawaii
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-09-26) Harano, Jeanne ; Family Resources
    A considerable amount of unhappiness occurs in many marriages, although not all unhappiness ends in separation, desertion, or divorce (Bossard and Boll, 1955). Children born to a married couple were once thought to symbolize the permanence of marriage (Levy and Munroe, 1938). Nowadays the declining birthrate, increased use of contraceptives, and legalized abortion reflect the idea that children are not as welcome in a marriage as they once were. Other variables such as chared interests, recreation, and philosophy of life have been shown to be related to marital happiness. The purpose of this study is to obtain descriptive results concerning the degree of marital happiness and its relationship to various aspects of marriage by studying a sample from the local population who will be administered a marital happiness questionnaire.
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    Nisei, Sansei, Yonsei -- Women of Hawaii
    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-09-26) Glaser, Gaye ; O'Reilly, Joseph ; Family Resources
    "Nisei, Sansei, Yonsei--Women of Hawaii" -- is a study of three generations of five Japanese American families in Hawaii. This study was undertaken to explore the value orientations of women in the same family and to preserve undocumented information of the Japanese American in Hawaii.