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Title: | Socio-Economic Status and Community Integration: A Study of Formal and Informal Participation of Urban Migrants |
Authors: | Denton, Anne Margaret |
Advisor: | Pineo, P.C. |
Department: | Sociology |
Keywords: | Sociology;Sociology |
Publication Date: | Apr-1976 |
Abstract: | <p>The focus of this thesis is twofold, the first being theoretical, the second being methodological. Chapter I consists of a review of the migration literature, specifically that relevant to tie relationship between socio-economic status and the migrant's integration into a new community. From this review, a number of hypotheses are generated and subsequently tested employing data from the Migrant Relocation Study. Socio-economic status is postulated to be related to both formal social participation in voluntary associations and informal social participation--both important aspects of integration.</p> <p>The methodological portion of the thesis consists of the use of a number of methodological techniques, including specifically, index construction, a two wave path analysis and a correction for measurement error, as aids in testing the hypotheses.</p> <p>Factor analysis, one method of index construction is applied to the informal social participation indicators and points out that categories of social relationships are somewhat more complex than a simple kin, non-kin dichotomy which was used previously in the literature. Instead of grouping all kin together, kin can be more accurately represented by considering it to be at least three separate variables and regarding non-kin, there is reason to distinguish between friends, neighbours and co-workers.</p> <p>The hypotheses generated by tho review of the literature are tested using the technique of causal modelling. The particular two wave path model used to test the hypotheses is suggested by Heise (1969). It is for application to survey-type data with measurements made on the same variables and the sample at two times. The lagged paths representing the impact of one variable on another during the period between measurements are the basis for causal inference. This model, thus, allows a test of a causal relationship between socio-economic status and social participation.</p> <p>An important contribution in this thesis is the consideration of measurement error. This thesis attempts to take measurement error into account in solving the path model. Reliability coefficients are calculated for each indicator in the path analysis and the correlation coefficients generated from these are subsequently corrected for attenuation. These corrected coefficients are then used to test the two wave path model.</p> <p>The results of this thesis are not specifically conclusive. Employing the corrected model support is found for a number of the hypotheses. Results generated from the uncorrected model, however, are somewhat more problematic. Support is found for a causal effect of socio-economic status on formal social participation in voluntary associations and a weak effect in a negative direction of socio-economic status on informal social participation with kin. The analysis also suggests that the causal effect of socio-economic status on informal social participation with friends is in a positive direction and with neighbours is in a negative direction.</p> |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11375/15243 |
Identifier: | opendissertations/2561 3639 1396063 |
Appears in Collections: | Open Access Dissertations and Theses |
Files in This Item:
File | Size | Format | |
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fulltext.pdf | 3.92 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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