O. J. Keller

Publication Date

1963

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Martin, James J., 1916-

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Sociology||Department of Anthropology

LCSH

Anomy; Dropouts; Social isolation

Abstract

PROBLEM: THERE IS INCREASING CONCERN AMONG EDUATORS AND THE GERNERAL PUBLIC IN REGARD TO SCHOOL "DROP-OUTS." WHILE AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY DEMANDS AN EVER HIGHER STANDARD OF EDUCATION, BETWEEN 30 TO 40 PER CENT OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ENTER AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOLS LEAVE SCHOOL WITHOUT COMPLETING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATIONS. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE DROP-OUT LEAVES SCHOOL BECAUSE OFHOSTILITY, UNHAPPINESS, AND A SENSE OF INADEQUACY. THAT FROM 7,500,000 TO 10,000,000 YOUNG PEOPLE WILL PROBABLY DROP-OUT Of SCHOOL IN THE 1960's IS CERTAINLY CAUSE FOR CONCERN. OFTEN UNABLE TO FIND EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF EDUCATION ANO TRAINING,THE DROP-OUTS MAY WELL BECOME THE EMBITTERED, FRUSTRATED MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY. SEVERAL EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHERS HAVE USED THE TERM "ALIENATED" IN DESCRIBING THESE CHILDREN. IT SEEMS IMPERATIVE TO LOCATE THESE CHILDREN AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE IN THEIR SCHOOL CAREERS, BEFORE ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR OWN ROLES BECOME CRYSTALLIZED. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY HAS TWO PURPOSES. FIRST, ALIENATION MUST BE DEFINED SO THAT IT CAN BE MEANINGFULLYAPPLIED TO PROBLEM CHILDREN IN THE NATION'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SECOND, USING THIS DEFINITION OF ALIENATION, AN INSTRUMENT SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED THAT WILL PROVIDE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS WITH A USEFUL TOOL IN DETECTING ALIENATION IN SCHOOL CHILDREN OF TENDER AGE. METHOD: A REVIEW or SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON ALIENATION AND ANOMIE WAS MADE, AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OF ILLINOIS YOUTH COMMISSION CASE HISTORIES. PERSONAL OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION, THE SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND MENDERS OF THE SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY WERE CONSULTED. IN THIS FASHION, A WORKING DEFINITION OF ALIENATION DEVELOPED. USING THIS DEFINITION, A SCALE WAS DEVELOPED, ACCORDING TO THE LIKERT DESIGN. ITS FOUR SUD-SCALES COVERED THE FOLLOWING AREAS: DESPAIR, HOSTILITY, AGGRESS IVITY, AND WITHDRAWAL. The FINAL SCALE OF 25 ITEMS WAS ADMINISTERED TO 157 CHILDREN,SELECTED AT RANDOM, AND COMPRISING SLIGHTLY MORS THAN TEN PER CENT OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS IN THIS AGE GROUP (10 TO 12 YEARS) IN THE SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages 103-107)

Extent

viii, 107 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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