Digital Commons Network^™

Barriers For Foreign-Born Students In Elite Post-Secondary Education In The United States, Charmian Lam

Theses and Dissertations

Foreign-born students complete college at a lower rate when compared to native-born students. It is essential to examine both the known and latent barriers that prevent foreign-born students from successfully completing the first four years of college. The purpose of this study is to assess the applicability of Bourdieuian notions of capital in explaining the discrepancy in educational attainment between foreign-born and native born students. The data is from the 1999 National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen (n=3176), a survey designed to test various theoretical explanations for minority underachievement in higher education. Stepwise regressions were used to determine the individual impact …

The Relationship Between Mother's Level Of Education And Parent Involvement, Meagan Rawls

Theses and Dissertations

Despite an extensive body of literature on the relationship between parents’ education and a child’s academic outcomes, there is considerably less research into the factors that influence parent involvement. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates associated with parent involvement with their child inside and outside of school. I use Pierre Bourdieu's theory of the Forms of Capital and Habitus, specifically focusing on cultural capital, to frame my analysis. I use data from the 2007 National Household Education Survey of Parent and Family Involvement (n=10,628), a nationally representative sample, to examine if mother’s level of education is …

Do It Yourself: A Content Analysis Of Free Pornographic Tube Sites, Jill Kubichan

Theses and Dissertations

In 2008 it was reported that there are approximately 28,258 internet users viewing pornography every second, and that men look at pornography online more than any other subject matter (Eberstadt 2009). Pornography has become a primary tool of sex education for young men (Bowater 2011) with the average age of first exposure being age 11 (Stefan 2012). However, research on viewer understanding and interpretation of the images is scarce. What are boys learning about sexuality as they watch pornography? Do they use pornography as a ‘how-to’ manual expressing a desire to mimic the onscreen act or do they use pornography …

Racial/Ethnic Differences In Fatality Rates From Motor Vehicle Crashes: An Analysis From A Behavioral And Cultural Perspective, Huda Hamdan

Theses and Dissertations

Ethnic/racial minorities in the United States are overrepresented in fatalities from motor vehicle crashes (MVC). Growing evidence indicates that there are differences among racial/ethnic groups in risk of involvement in fatal crashes. Based on previous research, numerous factors may be involved in high racial/ethnic fatality rates from MVCs, including failure to use safety equipment, driving while under the influence of alcohol/drug, red light running, and speeding. Using data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) and the FR300P Police Crash Report, this project explores differences in variables associated with traffic safety behavior and traffic law obedience between non-White …

The Role Of Doctor-Patient Race Concordance In U.S. Health Disparities, Sarah Simon

Theses and Dissertations

It has been established that much of the disparity in health outcomes between blacks and whites can be explained by accounting for education and income. Once education and income have been taken into consideration, research has found racial disparities in health outcomes for low-income populations are small, and in some cases no longer significant. For middle and upper income populations, however, a significant racial disparity in health outcomes persists even after accounting for education and income. Seeking to explain this variation, I analyze the literature concerning health disparities, race and class, the prevalence and distribution of black physicians, and issues …

The Ticking Of The “Biological Clock”: Worry About Future Fertility In Nulliparous Women, Karen E. Kersting

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Title: The Ticking of the “Biological Clock”: Worry about Future Fertility in Nulliparous Women

By: Karen Kersting, M.A., M.S.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013.

Major Director: Kathleen M. Ingram, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Department of Psychology

Modern women are waiting until later in their lives to have children than women of previous generations, a trend influenced by a number of factors including financial stability, dating norms, and career goals and responsibilities. As women age, their fertility may decline …