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State Level Mental Health Education Compared To Suicide-Related Behavior In Adolescents, 2019, Sonia Rao

Honors Theses

Objective: Determining correlations between state level mental and emotional health (M&E) education and suicide prevention (SP) education to suicide-related behaviors (I.e. feeling sad or hopeless, suicide ideation, making a suicide plan, suicide attempt, suicide attempt treated by medical personnel, and death by suicide) within high school adolescents aged 15-19 within the United States in 2019.

Methods: State level education policies, M&E and SP, were retrieved from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). Self-reported adolescent suicide related behaviors were retrieved from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Data on deaths by suicide of youth aged 15-19 …

Nigeria-Biafra War And The Politics Of Oblivion: Implications Of Revealing The Hidden Narratives Through Transformative Learning, Basil Ugorji

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Ignited by the secession of Biafra from Nigeria on May 30, 1967, the Nigeria-Biafra War (1967- 1970) with an estimated death toll of 3 million was followed by decades of silence and a ban of history education. However, the advent of democracy in 1999 catalyzed the return of repressed memories to public consciousness accompanied by renewed agitation for the secession of Biafra from Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a transformative learning of the Nigeria-Biafra War history will have a significant effect on conflict management styles of Nigerian citizens of Biafran origin regarding ongoing agitation for …

The Impact Of Food Justice Advocates In Creating And Influencing Public Policy, Michael Joseph Chadukiewicz

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored the impact that food justice advocates had on creating and implementing public policy to provide access to adequate, healthy, and culturally appropriate food for the residents of New Haven, Connecticut. The problem the case study explored is in 2020 food insecurity affected 22% of the residents of New Haven, more than twice the national average. This qualitative case study used grounded theory to analyze the experiences of 31 food justice advocates that were members of a coalition of researchers, food service providers, non-profit agencies, grassroot organizations, and residents tasked with improving the city’s emergency food system. …

Online Communication Wars: A Critical Recursive Frame Analysis Of Online Responses To The Article Entitled, “This Is Why Colin Kaepernick Took A Knee”, Rebecca Jean Arklie

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The World Wide Web provides us with a doorway to explore our world and access to social media; a “place” where we can keep in touch with family and friends and meet people from different cultures. Social media provides us with the ability to communicate using an Avatar, providing us with anonymity. Unfortunately, this anonymity gives people the freedom to unapologetically express their opinions, using any type of language they desire, without fear of repercussions. This study of the social and cultural implications from anonymous, unrestrained comments in a discussion thread will interest communications experts, psychologists, academics, and peacekeepers because …

Womenwarography: A Qualitative Exploration Of Women, War, And Humanitarianism In Junction City, Kansas, Kimberly Janine Hamilton-Wright

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

There has been significant attention paid to localized humanitarianism initiatives by women military spouses in military communities. What has been missing from the discourse is the study of the intersections between military veterans and military spouses, particularly as relates to women. This study seeks to bridge the gaps in understanding the experiential intersections between women military veterans and women military spouses. Additionally, the study introduces womenwarography: the tri-fold, collective study of women, war, and humanitarianism. Thematic narrative inquiry methodology was applied to explore and comparatively analyze the experiences between eight women military veterans and eight women military spouses in Junction …

Identity Formation During Nonviolent Protests: A Thematic And Structural Narrative Analysis Of Interviews Conducted With March For Our Lives Protesters, Richard Shawn Queeney

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

In the spring of 2018, student protesters around the United States took to the streets and campuses of their schools to call for tighter gun control laws following the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, FL. The highly visible nonviolent protest movement, known as the March for Our Lives (MFOL), was carried out by young people still in middle or high school and was fraught with risks that included disagreement with parents, teachers, and school administrators, detention or other penalties on their school record, and threats of violent harassment from counter protesters. MFOL protesters in and …

Understanding Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes And The Safety Needs Of Jewish People In South Florida, Ningxin Li

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 514,000 Jewish immigrants fled from different countries during World War II and migrated to South Florida. They came from Poland, Russia, Cuba, Brazil, France, Syria, Israel, and other countries, hoping to find a more tolerant and secure place to raise their families. However, anti-Semitic violence and incidents have occurred over the years. This dissertation relies on Social Identity Theory and Human Needs Theory to understand the causes of the conflicts among the different groups. Using a quantitative methodology, the author collected information on participants’ perceptions toward anti-Semitism and safety needs. This study included 300 participants of the second and …

Strangers In The Classroom: A Study Of Black Males, Curriculum Bias, And Protracted Identity Conflict In Public Schools, Adrian N. Carter

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

"Strangers in the Classroom" is an instrumental case study research that examines the Black male student as a stranger in Title 1 middle school classroom due to the subtleties of cultural domination and racial bias in the English Language Arts curriculum. The structural, direct, and cultural violence experienced by Black people in America, ranging from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, Willie Lynch, Jim Crow, and institutionalized racism, have resulted in a damaged identity and post-traumatic slavery syndrome of Black Americans. The same root of racism that founded the United States of America includes the formation of the K-12 and higher education …

A Culture Of Corruption: A Case Study Of The National Culture Affecting The Socioeconomic Outcome Of Haiti, Dwindell Jean-Louis Sr

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the impact of organizational culture on Haiti from a socio-economic standpoint. The study used a case study approach in examining how Haiti’s national organizational culture influences the organizational structure of the various entities that make up the overall system. Overall, this study explored the influence that culture has in the shaping of a collective phenomenon. The established institutions are themselves products of the dominant cultural value systems, and in examining this system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs, this study aims to better highlight how the current organizational structure is fueling corruption. Even with the extensive history …

A Qualitative Study On The Perceived Value Of Emotional Intelligence Training On Foster Parents, Omar Shere Johnson

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The experiences of a child in the foster care system rely heavily on the preparedness ofthe foster parent. For decades, researchers and practitioners have written about the challenges that foster children face while in the foster care system and discussed ways to assist them. This research discusses another way to improve the preparedness of a foster child as they go through the foster care system—improving the parenting skills of the foster parent using emotional intelligence. The entirety of this study is the analysis and study of this specific research question, “What perceived impact can emotional intelligence training (IV) have on …

Organizational Conflict And Perceptions Of Gender Equality In The United States Military, April Coan

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Despite historical advancements toward gender equal policies, perceptions and attitudes regarding gender have the ability to impact the recruitment, retention, and promotion of gender minorities in the United States military. This quantitative study analyzed survey results from 493 military veterans regarding the perceptions and attitudes of gender equal statements, and sought to answer three research questions: 1) What factors predict perceptions and attitudes of gender equality in the United States military? 2) Do perceptions and attitudes of gender equality differ between different military branches? 3) Do demographic factors impact perceptions and attitudes of gender equality in the military? Chapter one …

Prostitution In Havana, Cuba, A Conflict Analysis Of “The Phenomenon Of Jineterismo In Havana, Cuba.” A Narrative Study, Nery Roman

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This narrative inquiry discovered the phenomenon of jineteras and jineterismo in Havana, Cuba. Jinetera (single) or jineterismo (group) refers to female prostitution in Cuba. Thus, the study examines the life experiences of jineteras, including the causes and influences. This dissertation provided an opportunity for women currently involved in jineterismo to voice their narratives in a natural and safe environment. The study involved seven jineteras who engaged in the research through informal interviews. This narrative inquiry protects individuals’ social situations and circumstances. The researcher examined the interview data through a holistic – content, the life story of an individual, and the …

A Brand New Narrative: Social Attitudes Toward Conflict Resolution And Inefficiency In Marketing And Branding, Emily Skinner

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to bring to light infield internal assumptions, expectations, and knowledge that may influence limitations on fostering an environment that can increase a social demand for conflict resolution services, knowledge, and practices. The research explored if the field’s marketing is influenced by the macro social norms, assumptions, and expectations of conflict and if they influence how the field communicates with its market. The study’s goal was to investigate if the marketing and the branding of conflict resolution are influenced by the social fact of conflict as negative. This study explored conscious and unconscious broad patterns of common-sense knowledge, …

A Silent Dilemma: The Challenges Black Collegiate Women Face Disclosing Sexual Victimization, Lawrence William Henry

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on Black women, who were sexually assaulted in college, and the dilemmas they faced with disclosure between 1989 to 1999. The purpose of this study was to conduct an interpretative phenomenological analysis on the experiences of how Black women, who were sexually assaulted as college undergraduates, understood reasons for their non-disclosure while in college. Interviewing eight research participants, the researcher sought to identify, through one’s lived experience, the factors that created disclosure dilemmas for Black women who were sexually assaulted as college undergraduates. Through this effort, the researcher identified several intrinsic and extrinsic reasons and the leading …

“Square Peg In A Round Hole” An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Workers’ Experiences With Workplace Conflict, Katherine Joanna Sosa

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Conflict is a predictable aspect of organizational life. Research indicates that workers spend the majority of their lifetime at work and that unresolved conflict is one of the largest reducible costs in organizations. However, the majority of employee conflicts are not accurately addressed by rights-and-power based conflict management systems. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study explored the experiences and perceptions of workers who had been involved in an unresolved or escalated workplace conflict that was of consequence in their lives. The study sought to learn how it impacted them and how they made sense of the conflict, their organizations, and …

An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Women Veterans Transitioning Back Into Civilian Life, Paula Boros

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Officially, women have been serving in the United States military since 1948 when President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. Women currently make up approximately 8% of active duty military. Based on progress due to equality and equity, women are now occupying positions previously designated for men. Although women have made great strides in the military, there is limited research on women in the military or how their military service affects them. There is even less literature on women who have transitioned out of the military. For this reason, I conducted an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) with a …

Youth’S Conceptualization Of Peace, Violence, And Bullying And The Strategies They Employ To Address The Violence And Bullying In Their Lives, Charles H. Goesel

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation allowed the researcher to analyze 171 pieces of youth-created artwork and narratives by children aged six to nine who took part in the peace education, mentorship, and literacy program, READING PEACE PALS, implemented with an underserved population at a Boys and Girls Club in the U.S. Qualitative content analysis (Krippendorf, 1980; 2004) was used to analyze the artwork and narratives to gain insight into children’s conceptualization of peace, violence, and bullying and their strategies for addressing bullying and violence.

The findings uncovered the myriad of unique ways youth conceptualize and define peace and the strategies they employ to …

A Phenomenological Research Study On The Effects Of Paternal Abandonment On Hispanic Women In South Florida And Their Conflict Management Skills, Diana Herrera

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Even though women who have been abandoned by their fathers at a young age are more likely to exhibit destructive behaviors as adults, there are cases in which women develop new social skills and become successful at building new relationships (Stolberg, Complair & Wells, 1987). The main purpose for this phenomenological research wasto understand the shared experiences of Hispanic women who were abandoned by their fathers at a young age and explore their conflict management skills. This research wasguided by the following research question: What are the lived experiences of Hispanic women who were abandoned by their fathers before the …

How Do You Like Me Now? Social Media Bridging The Distance In Online Education, Lee Heller

Theses and Dissertations

Distance education has disrupted our educational norm, with students taking more online courses than ever before. Some research has assumed that online students experience a feeling of isolation, disconnect with their institution, and overall, have a diminished educational experience. During the last 10 years, another phenomenon, social media, has also experienced explosive growth, including the largest and most interwoven into modern society: Facebook.

With almost 92% of respondents in this study reporting they use Facebook daily, this study found there was statistical significance (1) between using Facebook for social use and the feelings of isolation; (2) between belonging and participating …

Academically Resistant Athletes: Victims Of Aces Or Commodities Of The System, Melnee Berry

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Fans of college sports embrace the idea of athletes playing sport and, in turn, receiving tuition scholarships that provide them an opportunity to trade athletic talent for a free education. A contradictory body of research using internal colonization theory posits that the trade of education for playing sports is not a fair exchange but is fraught with exploitation that continues to perpetuate subjugation. An accepted narrative in athletic competition is that the recruiting pipeline draws athletes from impoverished inner-city areas engaging young athletes who experience difficulties keeping up scholastically becoming academically resistant as they focus on their sport at the …

Parents Of War: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Experience Of Parenting Through The War Experience, Margaret Wilkie

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on experiences of refugee parents who have experienced war and displacement. There is a lack of academic research in the area of parenting and war, and this study hopes to begin to fill that gap. Research that is based on personal experiences is the ultimate guide to forming policy and programs that meet real needs. This study employed Grounded Theory methodology and in-depth interviewing to explore the questions of how parents manage to meet their own needs, the needs of their children, and overall cope with the experiences of war and displacement. Through intense analysis of interviews …

Countering Violent Extremism In Peshawar Pakistan, Licona Bryan

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Spikes of militancy, intolerance, ethnic division and sectarianism have all risen within Pakistan in recent years, yet Pakistan’s continuous battle to deter violent extremism fails to be successful. Following the December 16, 2014 Army Public School (APS) massacre in Peshawar Pakistan little empirical attention has been paid on how the Pakistani government, in the Northwest region of Pakistan, is countering violent extremism (CVE). As well as, its link to policy-making decisions on CVE. This dissertation study sought to analyze the currently active CVE narrative that Pakistan implemented into its Constitution in 2014. This qualitative explanatory case study project focused on …

The Moderating Role Of Interactional Justice On The Relationship Between Justice And Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Arlene Ramkissoon

All Theses, Dissertations, Capstones, and Applied Clinical Projects

This research was designed to examine the moderating effect of interactional justice on the relationship between justice constructs and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) with organizational identification as a mediator of the influence of justice perceptions on OCB. This study was based heavily on social exchange, the norm of reciprocity, and psychological contracts between individuals and their supervisors. The study sample was comprised of respondents drawn from a crowd sourcing internet website (N = 250). Niehoff and Moorman’s Organizational Justice Scale was used to measure justice perceptions. Mael and Ashforth’s Organizational Identification Scale was used to measure the degree of the …

An Exploratory Study On Physical Fitness Policies Among Police Departments In North Carolina, Jay H. Fortenbery

School of Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the existing state of physical fitness maintenance policies among police departments in North Carolina, and how those policies impact reported injuries among police officers. The research identified a sample of police departments with and without mandated physical fitness maintenance policies (n = 145) for years 2013-2015 and through collaboration with the North Carolina League of Municipalities, determined the number officer injuries per department for comparison. This information also included the cause of injury, costs, lost work days and claims by male and female for comparison. A cross-sectional analysis and purposive sampling method …

Understanding The Effectiveness Of Incarceration On Juvenile Offending Through A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis: Do The "Get Tough" Policies Work?, Jacqueline Anita Black

School of Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

The juvenile system is no longer perceived as a social welfare model, but has become more punitive approximating a crime control model. Juveniles are not responsible for the majority of crime in the United States and are not the most serious and violent demographic; however, they are incarcerated at a higher rate than adults. Incarceration is an element of deterrence currently used by the juvenile justice system without a clear conclusion of whether or not it works to reduce juvenile crime.

The goal of this research was to first conduct a systematic review of prior studies on the effectiveness of …

Conflict In Families And Nursing Home Placement: A Phenomenological Study, Stephen John Pidwysocky

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

In the limited qualitative research about families who have placed a family member in a nursing home, conflict is identified as a significant problem (Lashewicz & Keating, 2009; Lashewicz et al., 2007). Whether it is related to absence of filial responsibility on the part of adult children, (Ganong & Coleman, 2005; Piercy, 1998), adult child ambivalence (Bengtson et al., 2002; Lüscher & Pillemer, 1998), female and male gender caregiving roles (Spitze & Trent, 2006; Dayton-Ingersoll, 2003; Aronson, 1992), differences in levels of commitment on the part of adult children to assist older parents (Silverstein et al., 2008), adult children being …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Sustainable Value And Water Conservation: A Case Study Of Social, Environmental, And Economic Concerns In The Rookery Bay Estuary, Bruce Victor Lilyea

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Stakeholders’ perceptions of social, environmental, and economic concerns in the Rookery Bay Estuary were examined through this research. The purpose of this study was to discover the shared value and common resolution responses for the people of the Rookery Bay area that can extend to other local environmental management scenarios. Using Stakeholder Theory, Rational Choice Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, and Systems Theory as theoretical foundation, the following research questions were considered: RQ1) What are the points of shared value of community stakeholders facing environmental management issues? RQ2) How do the perspectives of the community stakeholders toward the social, environmental, and economic …

Tweeting Away Our Blues: An Interpretative Phenomenological Approach To Exploring Black Women's Use Of Social Media To Combat Misogynoir, Kelly Macias

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

In the age of social media, many Black women use online platforms and social networks as a means of connecting with other Black women and to share their experiences of social oppression and misogynoir, anti-Black misogyny. Examining the ways that Black women use technology as a tool to actively wage resistance to racial, gender and class oppression is critical for understanding their role in the human struggle for greater peace, beauty, freedom and justice. This study explored the experiences of 12 Black women in the United States and Britain who use social media for storytelling and testimony about their lives …

Afghan Muslim Male Interpreters And Translators: An Examination Of Their Identity Changes And Lived Experiences During Pre And Post-Immigration To The United States During The Afghanistan War (2003-2012), Michael Tyrone Solomon

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the lived experiences of an Afghan Muslim male participant group. This study explored their immigration from a Southwest-Asian, highly non-secular society to a Western-style, liberal, secular nation-state. Further, this research was an examination of Muslim male identity as an attribute that is closely related to lived experiences, environment and cultural assimilation. Also, this study looked closely at the meanings that this Afghan Muslim male immigrant group attached to identity, as well as exploring their unique narratives during pre-immigration and post-immigration periods. This qualitative research study used narrative methods to unearth the lived experiences of five Afghan Muslim …

"The Classical School, Deterrence Theory, And Zero Tolerance" An Analysis Of A Mandatory Zero Tolerance Sanctioning Policy In Relation To The Classical School Of Criminology And Deterrence Theory, Adam Saeler

School of Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

Mandatory sentences, and especially those that promote severe detention lengths, have become a popular mechanism in the fight against crime, but are they effective? Certain Sanctions, an adult probation-based sanctioning mandate, is an example of one such mandatory policy that emphasizes harsh sanctions in order to promote reduced future criminality. The philosophy behind such a device fits well into the theoretical framework of deterrence theory in that quick, severe sanctions ought to reduce future criminality. However, little research exists regarding the effectiveness of such a mandatory probation-based sanction policy with regards to the reduction of future criminality. Furthermore, the impact …