Digital Commons Network^™

One Size Does Not Fit All: Creating Educational Equity For Later Diagnosed Autistic Women, Naomi Julian

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Autism research focuses on the externalized behaviors usually associated with the male phenotype of autism with little representation of the internalized behaviors associated with the female phenotype of autism. Even more so, there is little research involving later diagnosed autistic women — especially women of color. Beyond this, non-white individuals have been marginalized within the sphere of education, and their marginalization is exacerbated by an autism diagnosis.

In the realm of schooling, the relationship between race, gender, and disability lacks investigation. In this exploratory study, I draw upon qualitative data from interviews of 17 racially diverse autistic women ages ranging …

Are Women The Silver Bullet? Understanding Women’S Perceptions Of Gun Reform And Red Flag Laws In The United States, Emmeline Farwell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines women’s perceptions of gun reform policies and how they can be used as a measure to predict how women could potentially view specific gun reform policies like red flag laws. Specific policies like the assault weapons ban and red flag laws are becoming increasingly common, practical measures to reduce gun violence, but little academic research has been done on them. Using data from the 2022 Congressional Election Survey conducted by the University of Texas at Austin University, I use several linear regressions to ascertain how one’s gender affects feelings or support for gun reform generally and for …

Facebook Complaints On Dating By Gender, Whitley Williams

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With changes in technology, world events, and society in the last 20 years, dating has been both recreated and redefined. From the dating process itself to new technology, the way American youth see dating has changed from times past. By examining feedback on dating from both genders (collected via Facebook), it is possible to see how dating trends have changed and what is being complained about in each of those time periods. Although no exact causes within this study can be determined about how much technology and world events have influenced the changes in dating trends, the coincidences of both …

The Rites Of Women: The Continuity Of Gender Roles In Roman Religion, Ariel E. Bybee

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The second-centrury B.C. historian Aulus Gellius recounts the ceremony by which a girl was inducted into the cult of the Roman goddess Vesta in his Attic Nights. A maiden between six and ten years of age and of aristocratic birth was selected from among her peers by the drawing of lots. The chief pontiff took her by the hand and declared, "I take thee, Amata, as one who has fulfilled all the legal requirements, to be priestess of Vesta, to perform the rites which it is lawful for a Vestal to perform for the Roman people, the Quirites." She was …

Women And Gender In Mountaineering And Climbing, Natalie Gunn

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines how gender and ideas about gender affected early female mountaineers and rock climbers. The study focuses on female dress standards in the Victorian era, the relative equity of accomplishment between male and female mountaineers and climbers, the portrayal of female climbers in the media, and the misrepresentation of female motivations for climbing. By analyzing primary sources from female climbers and mountaineers, this paper uncovers how women challenged traditional gender roles and navigated the complexities of the male-dominated climbing community.

Mahu And Native Hawaiian Culture: Experiences Of Non-Heteronormativity, Rachel Beth Chapman

Theses and Dissertations

There are extensive amounts of psychological research that highlight the needs and experiences of racial ethnic minority populations in general and more specifically minority sexual identities and genders, also referred to as non-heteronormative populations (Alexeyeff & Besnier, 2014). However, there continues to be a lack of representation in the research of Polynesians and an even greater lack of representation of non-heteronormative Polynesians and their experiences (Allen et al., 2011). Māhū, a population of native Hawaiians who identify as non-heteronormative or third gender, are almost completely absent from scholarly work. This study examines the experience of self-identified māhū and how mental …

Evaluating The Impact Of Math Self-Efficacy, Math Self-Concept, And Gender On Stem Enrollment And Retention In Postsecondary Education, Marcia Bingham

Theses and Dissertations

Low enrollment and high attrition of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) continues to be an issue for postsecondary institutions. Improvements in representation of women has been seen in some of the agricultural and biological sciences; however, in many of the more math intensive areas such as geosciences, engineering, mathematics/computer science, and physical sciences (GEMP), women continue to be underrepresented leading to underrepresentation in the workforce and further exacerbating gender gaps. Studies suggest the lack of representation is not due to a gap in math ability between men and women, yet underrepresentation remains predominantly within math intensive STEM …

The Ideal Spanish Candidate: The Effects Of Gender On The Electability Of Religious Candidates, Arabella Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

While the existing literature illustrates that voters living in Western countries are likely to elect female candidates and less likely to elect minority non-Christian candidates, literature has not yet addressed how the intersectionality of gender and religion affect voter preference. In this paper, I investigate how a candidate’s gender and religion interact to affect their likelihood of being elected. I use vignettes in a conjoint survey experiment of Spanish voters to show voter preference across two intersecting identities: gender and religion. I find that female Muslim candidates are significantly more electable than male Muslim candidates. This contributes to the body …

Pausing In American English: Documenting Native English Speakers' Pausing Patterns, Ammon Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine more deeply the relationship between pause location and duration and its connection to clause and phrase boundaries for native English speakers (NESs). Previous research has shown pauses produced by NESs to be located at clause boundaries (Brown & Miron, 1971; Hawkins, 1971; Tavakoli, 2011), but little empirical work has been done to probe this issue further. For this research, 80 speech samples, 40 male and 40 female, were randomly selected from the International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA) representing different regions in the United States. Oral data from the read-aloud portion of …

The Impact Of Gender On The Acceptance Of Surveillance Technology, Jody Messick

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

A classic dilemma facing governments and citizens alike is the trade-off between privacy and security. This concept is found in the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, which implies that citizens have a right to be protected against “unreasonable searches and seizures by the government” (FindLaw 2019). The technological revolution, and its implications for privacy, has complicated the nature of this right. Different types of data require different approaches to the privacy versus security tradeoff. A 2003 panel by Wright et. al asks how “sensor data,” data that is collected through technology that tracks a user’s online or real-world movements, should be approached, …

It Takes Two, Jenet Jacob Erickson

BYU Studies Quarterly

In 2006, Canadian fathering scholar Andrea Doucet shared an illuminating moment from her extensive research with single dads. After a long evening discussing these fathers’ experiences, Doucet asked, “In an ideal world, what resources or supports would you like to see for single fathers?” She expected to hear that they wanted greater social support and societal acceptance, more programs and policies directed at single dads. Instead, after a period of awkward silence, one dad stood and said, “An ideal world would be one with a father and a mother. We’d be lying if we pretended that wasn’t true.” Nods of …

"This Is The Way": Gender Representation In Disney's The Mandalorian, Brooke Solorio

Theses and Dissertations

When Disney released The Mandalorian, it quickly became the top show on its highly popular streaming platform. As with all media wielding this level of exposure, it is important to closely examine its content for depictions of peoples including females. In accordance with Sandra Bem's gender schema theory, the implicit messaging in this series can influence the formation of people's mental shortcuts about what it means to be female. This study employs content analysis to illuminate the portrayal of physical and non-physical attributes of the women present in the two seasons existing at the time of this study. Results reveal …

A Hug For Humanity: Metamodernism And Masculinity On Television In Ted Lasso, Kennedy Lesley Koford

Theses and Dissertations

The Apple TV+ sports comedy Ted Lasso has been a hit among fans, who flock to the show and its positive messages. The show offers a refreshing tone, one that promotes positivity and optimism even when faced with the reality of a cynical world. By using the analytical perspective of metamodernism to understand its popularity, scholars and fans alike can gain a deeper understanding of core message of the show, which mimics the oscillation between the cynical and the sincere. Fundamental scholars in the emerging study of metamodernism, such as Robin Van Den Akker, Timotheus Vermeulen, and Alison Gibbons will …

Gendered Differences In The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Adolescent Substance Use, Emley A. Holcombe

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a high-risk period for substance use, and the prevalence of adolescent substance use is a public health concern. Contributing factors for adolescent substance use are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are potentially traumatic childhood events that have negative associations with health and risk behaviors. The purpose of this study is to examine how the accumulation, timing, and duration of early ACEs (by age 5) impacts adolescent substance use. In addition, this study examines differences in these relationships by gender. Data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCW) were used for the logistic regression analyses. The results …

The Moon Within, Amanda Bishop

Children's Book and Media Review

Celi isn’t as excited about her changing body as her mother is. She is nervous about the changes it will bring in her life, and isn’t sure if she is ready to become a woman. But this doesn't stop her mother from insisting on a Mexica Moon Ceremony to celebrate her first period. Her mother is deeply involved in holistic healing and the celebration of the female body as well as incorporating their history. As Celi dreads her impending initiation, she latches onto the things in her life that she enjoys the most, particularly Bamba dancing while her best friend …

Reading Fluency Development And Science In A Fourth Grade Dual Language Immersion Classroom, Talia A. Casares

Theses and Dissertations

Students from dual language immersion (DLI) classrooms are required to learn the language through content. However, some students have not yet developed these abilities by the time they start fourth grade. Thus, to fully comprehend content such as science, students need stronger reading and writing abilities in the second language (L2). To help stakeholders have a better understanding on how to effectively help students throughout this process, this action research studied the effectiveness of integrating literacy with science and mobile assisted language learning (MALL). Findings showed that the integrations of literacy, science and MALL were effective with statistically significant results …

To Put Her In Her Place: An Interrogation Of Death And Gender In Shakespearean Tragedy, Isabella A. Zentner

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

This analysis investigates the gendered implications of Shakespearean heroines' deaths. Using Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, and Titus Andronicus as case studies, evidence is drawn from the text. This evidence is then supported by extensive historical research and reference to external critical studies of these tragedies. By identifying the gendered aspects of these heroines’ deaths, one can gain a greater understanding of Shakespeare’s view of female autonomy and power. The deaths Shakespeare inflicts often act as a punishment for the heroines' betrayal of traditional gender roles and forcibly return the heroines to the feminine sphere.

Esports And Title Ix: Addressing Scholarship Distribution Across Gender Lines In Collegiate Esports Programs, Adam Martin

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Since its implementation in 1972, Title IX protects people in the United States from discrimination on the basis of sex under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Currently, women do not receive scholarship funds from universities with esports programs proportionate to their overall participation in esports. The Department of Education’s Office of Civil rights, which oversees Title IX implementation, currently does not have a concrete definition for “sport.” Instead, they evaluate any given activity as a “sport” under Title IX on a case-by- case basis using the following three criteria: whether or not the activity has a …

How Gender Affects Writing: Jackson’S And Fitzgerald’S Portrayals Of Mental Illness, Cryslin A. Ledbetter

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

Cryslin Ledbetter's essay, "How Gender Affects Writing: Jackson’s and Fitzgerald’s Portrayals of Mental Illness" examines the similarities and differences between Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle and Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night. Through a careful comparison of male and female writers, the author analyzes defining factors that effect the final product of each novel.

Strength In Numbers: A Field Experiment In Gender, Influence, And Group Dynamics, Olga B. Stoddard, Christopher F. Karpowitz, Jessica Preece

Faculty Publications

Policy interventions to increase women’s presence in the workforce and leadership positions vary in their intensity, with some including a lone or token woman and others setting higher quotas. However, little is known about how the resulting group gender compositions influence individuals’ experiences and broader workplace dynamics. In this paper, we investigate whether token women are disadvantaged compared to women on majority-women mixed-gender teams. We conducted a multi-year field experiment with a top-10 undergraduate accounting program that randomized the gender composition of semester-long teams. Using laboratory, survey, and administrative data, we find that even after accounting for their proportion of …

Signals From On High And The Power Of Growth Mindset: A Natural Field Experiment In Attracting Minorities To High-Profile Position, Jeffrey A. Flory, Andreas Leibbrandt, Christina Rott, Olga B. Stoddard

Faculty Publications

We conduct a large-scale natural field experiment with a Fortune 500 company to test several approaches to attract minorities to high-profile positions. 5,000 prospective applicants were randomized into treatments varying a portion of recruiting materials. We find that self-selection at two early-career stages exhibits a substantial race gap. Importantly, we show that this gap can be strongly influenced by several treatments, with some increasing application rates by minorities by 40 percent and others being particularly effective for minority women. The heterogeneities we find by gender, race, and career stage shed light on the underlying drivers of self-selection barriers among minorities.

Online Appendix: Who Are(N’T) Our Students?, Dianna Murphy, Hadis Ghaedi

ScholarsArchive Data

*Scroll to bottom of page to download images

The document is an appendix to the article "Who Are(n’t) Our Students?" by Dianna Murphy, Hadis Ghaedi published in RLJ Vol. 71, No. 3 . It provides high-resolution images which, due to their large size, are not legible in the print edition.

Warning! Explicit Material: The Effects Of Adolescent Pornography Use On Risky Sexual Behavior Over Time, Emily Jensen-Schvaneveldt

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the longitudinal effects of adolescent pornography trajectories on risky sexual behavior, as well as predictors of pornography trajectories. Data was taken from Waves V-X of the Flourishing Families Project, which included a sample of 463 families. A zero-inflated Poisson growth mixture model was run to determine class participation and growth trajectories. Findings revealed that gender and religiosity significantly predicted class participation, and class participation significantly predicted risky sexual behavior. While this study did have limitations, this study adds to the previous literature by examining adolescent pornography trajectories over an extended period of time.

Cross-National Analysis Of Mothers' Occupational Status In Germany And The United States: Before And After Germany's Work-Family Policy Changes, Paige N. Park

Theses and Dissertations

In many OECD countries, women are underrepresented in the highest status, highest paying positions and overrepresented in the lowest status, lowest paying positions. One potential reason for this inequity is the "motherhood penalty," where women with children face more roadblocks in hiring and promotions. This research investigates occupational segregation among mothers and fathers and analyzes whether gender gaps in occupational status are more extreme for immigrant populations. Using data from the Luxembourg Cross-National Data Center, I compare changes in gender occupational segregation from 2000 to 2016 in Germany and the United States among immigrant and native-born parents. Multinomial logistic regression …

Editor's Letter: Mindfulness, Marianna Richardson

Marriott Student Review

This issue of the Marriott Student Review (MSR) is all about the way Generation Z fits into the new world of marketing and financial risk, the importance of gender diversity in STEM and business, and need for increased mindfulness practices within the workplace. As future participants in this business world, we should overall strive to be more mindful of ourselves and the impact that we have on others.

The Eternal And The Transitory: Exoticism, Otherness, And Commodity In Giovanni Boldini's La Zingara, Brandon Esposto Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Giovanni Boldini's La Zingara is an image fraught with mystery. As a lesser-known artist, scholarship on him and this painting is sparse. This thesis details the innovations that Boldini exhibited as an artist working in nineteenth-century France, using the lenses of feminist and Marxist art historical readings for a new interpretation of this piece. Participating in the oppressive systems of capitalism, sexism, and prejudice, Giovanni Boldini created the image of La Zingara for personal gain. Painting a subject from a marginalized community, the Romani, Boldini benefitted from those systems. He "others"his Italian heritage and modern art developments to construct a …

Group Gender Composition: A Field-Experiment Evaluating Individual Levels Of Group Satisfaction And Perceived Group Effectiveness, Jacob Davis

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Group collaboration is commonly used in educational and professional settings. This paper will identify whether female-majority groups are more likely to see positive group dynamics than female-minority groups. Group dynamics in this project will be measured as individual levels of group satisfaction and group effectiveness. I use data from a field experiment where university students who took a weekly study group class had their experience evaluated with monthly surveys. My results find no statistically significant relationship between female-majority group conditions and perceptions of group satisfaction or group effectiveness.

Examining Criteria For Adulthood Among Young People In Sabah (East Malaysia), Walton Wider, Norazah Mohd Suki, Melanie L. Lott, Larry J. Nelson, Sew Kim Low, Gertrude Cosmas

Faculty Publications

This study aims to identify perceived adult status and to explore the criteria for adulthood of young people in Sabah (East Malaysia). The differences in such criteria based on gender and student status are also examined. Data collected from 208 respondents were analyzed via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The empirical results of CFA revealed six criteria for adulthood: family capacities, norm compliance, interdependence, biological transitions, role transitions, and chronological transitions. However, the independence factor was discarded for further analysis because of having weak item loadings. In addition, the ANOVA test showed that women have …

Increasing Workplace Diversity: Evidence From A Recruiting Experiment At A Fortune 500 Company, Jeffrey A. Flory, Andreas Leibbrandt, Christina Rott, Olga B. Stoddard

Faculty Publications

While many firms have set ambitious goals to increase diversity in their ranks, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on effective ways to reach them. We use a natural field experiment to test several hypotheses on effective means to attract minority candidates for top professional careers. By randomly varying the content in recruiting materials of a major financial services corporation with more than 10,000 employees, we find that signaling explicit interest in employee diversity more than doubles the interest in openings among racial minority candidates, as well as the likelihood that they apply and are selected. Impacts on gender …

Gender Portrayal In Marvel Cinematic Universe Films: Gender Representation, Moral Alignment, And Rewards For Violence, Kristen Ray

Theses and Dissertations

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the most popular film franchise in terms of box-office dollars. This superhero franchise has the power to influence their vast and dedicated audience greatly regarding gender. Social cognitive theory and cultivation theory shows that MCU movies could influence the gender schemas some people have. Previous research has shown that men are often portrayed as evil and as preparators of violence. Women that are violent are considered unnatural and go against gender stereotypes. Evil women are often portrayed as victims of circumstance or good women that are compelled to be evil for a short time. …