Digital Commons Network^™

Career Paths, Barriers, And Professional Experiences: A Comparison Study Of African American Community College Presidents And White Community College Presidents, Cedric Andreas Bradley

Theses and Dissertations

The community college is one of the most diverse institutions of higher learning in regards to the make-up of its student population. However, with such a large representation of diversity within its student population, the community college has not been as successful in diversifying the community college presidency. The purpose of this research study was to examine the career paths, barriers, and professional experiences of African American community college presidents and White community college presidents. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine potential recruitment strategies to recruit minority administrators. A total of 176 African American and White community …

Exploring The Relationship Between Racial Factors And Critical Social Analysis Among A Group Of African American Youth, Brandeis H. Green

Psychology Theses

The aim of this study was to investigate the contributions of racial identity and racial socialization beyond peer and parental influence, to the development of critical social analysis in African American youth. Young people perceive injustice and inequality in their world in varying ways. The recognition of societal inequalities, or the development of critical social analysis may be a contributing factor to activism for youth. Factors such as sense of agency, parental and peer influence and intellectual curiosity have previously been explored as contributors to activism for African American youth (Watts, 1999). Study results indicated support for the link between …

The Impact Of After School Learning Centers On Low Achieving African American Elementary Students, Jorja Lockhart Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of after school learning centers in a rural school district in South Carolina on Measures of Academic Progress achievement scores for low achieving African American elementary students. The researcher collected and analyzed Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test data administered in the Spring of 2008 from the state database and identified 419 African American low achieving fourth and fifth grade students for the study. The Educational Accountability Act of South Carolina requires that schools develop individual academic plans and provide remediation for students in grades three through eight who score Below Basic …

But Not In Vain: The Civil Rights Movement In San Luis Obispo, California 1947–1969, Joshua M. Harmon

Master's Theses

Civil rights have long been an important focus of historical scholarship. As the United States continues to grapple with issues of racism and the complicated legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, it is imperative that a variety of perspectives are incorporated into scholarship on the subject. Traditional scholarship on the subject has focused on the large organizations, individuals, marches, and activities that have come to characterize the Civil Rights movement. This study seeks to integrate the perspectives of a case study population, African Americans in San Luis Obispo, California, to assess the ways in which African Americans away from large …

Robust Protective Factors That Help Youths With A Parent Experiencing Depression Achieve Positive Adjustment, Hsing-Jung Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Based on a resilience framework, the purpose of this study was to address knowledge gaps about minority youths who lived in rural and poor areas, had a primary caregiver with a diagnosis of depression, and faced multiple psychosocial stressors. Three research objectives included: 1) To explore the association between ecological protective factors and four developmental outcomes-emotional adjustment, behavioral adjustment, school performance, and educational aspiration; 2) To identify the robust protective factors; and 3) To explore the interactive relationships between risk and robust protective factors. Families (N=126) where the primary caregiver had a diagnosis of major depression and had a child …

African American School Psychology Program Leavers, Sherrie L. Proctor

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

This phenomenology used 21 in-depth interviews to explore seven African Americans’ experiences at the school psychology programs they left. The purpose was to investigate what experiences contributed to participants’ decisions to leave programs; if programs used retention strategies and if so, participants’ view of the strategies; and what participants believe might have encouraged their retention. Findings indicate that misalignment between participants’ career aims and their perceptions of school psychology practice as well as poor relationships with faculty and peers contributed to decisions to leave programs. Five participants reported that programs did not utilize retention strategies. Two reported that a sole …

Identity Development Among Black Gay Men : The Relationship Between Racial And Sexual Orientation Identity Development, Sandra Lauren Dipillo

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study examined the relationship between racial and sexual orientation identity development among Black gay men. Preliminary research implied that the relationship between these two processes was complex though there was little research that explored it. Fifty-seven Black gay men participated in an anonymous online survey which asked a range of questions about racial and sexual orientation identity as well as the experience of being both Black and gay. Findings indicated that Black gay men experience more internalized homophobia and racism than individuals who are Black or gay but not both. The results also implied that the two developmental processes …

The Relationship Between Intrinsic Motivation, Motivational Interviewing And Physical Activity In An African American Church Population, Simone S. Rahotep

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

African Americans carry a disproportionate amount of the health burden for chronic disease in the United States (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). Diabetes, heart disease and cancer, to name a few, are diseases which prematurely capture the lives of African Americans. While chronic, these diseases are preventable with the advent of behavioral change. Physical activity is a primary contributor to longer life expectancy and fewer health concerns (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 1996). While American society, as a whole, struggles to incorporate more physical activity in their lifestyles, African Americans exhibit higher levels of physical …

The Effect Of Looping And Teaming On Rural Black Middle School Students' Sense Of Belonging, Tanisha Shantelle Westerfield

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine rural black middle school students’ sense of belonging in looping and teaming settings. This research is based on prior research that school offers an essential source of support for adolescent students as they come to an all-important crossroad in their life journey: the merging of school culture, home culture, and the transition to adulthood. The literature on adolescent psychology confirms that sense of belonging is important during adolescence. The importance of this study lies in its ability to examine how the constructs of teaming and looping contribute to rural black middle school …

A Sense Of Trust Through The Eyes Of African American Doctoral Students: An Examination Of How A Predominantly White Institution Of Higher Education Can Create An Environment Of Inclusiveness, Zelda M. Deboyes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study explores whether trust influences the experiences of African American students, particularly those in doctoral programs at predominantly White institutions. Recent studies suggest that colleges and universities can benefit in several ways by building and maintaining student trust. However, the body of research typically provides a general understanding of the role and benefits of student trust in the academic arena through the eyes of White students only. Very few studies examine the benefits of student trust for a diverse population, and even fewer address African American students enrolled in predominantly White doctoral programs.

This research provides an …

Blue Skin, Yellow Flesh, Candace Wiley

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Set in November 2009 in the United States South, Blue Skin, Yellow Flesh will eventually cover eleven days and will be separated into two parts—before and after Thecla's funeral. It begins the Tuesday after Thecla dies and ends the day after Thanksgiving. The major conflict involves Thecla's death, how it affects her family, and how the family deals with the concept of family. Other important conflicts are Tam and Lynn's marriage, JoJo's sexual orientation, Lynn's affect on her children, and Julius's trek toward death. This novel excerpt consists of seven chapters, submitted in partial fulfillment of Clemson University's Master …

Childhood Maltreatment And Adult Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptomotology In Abused, Suicidal, Low-Income, African American Women: A Moderated Mediational Model, Sarah E. Dunn

Psychology Dissertations

There are elevated rates of childhood maltreatment and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in low-income, abused, suicidal African American women. This investigation aimed to: (1) identify the components of childhood maltreatment in this sample; (2) ascertain whether or not the constructs of childhood maltreatment and PTSD symptomatology were associated in this sample; and (3) examine if maladaptive coping mediated the childhood maltreatment-PTSD symptomatology link and if the magnitude of the mediated relationship was influenced by level of social support (i.e., moderated mediation). Specific types of childhood maltreatment generally loaded onto three components according to a principal components analysis (PCA) of …

Physical Activity, Physical Fitness And The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Obese Adolescents, Nichole Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Overweight and obesity are associated with an array of negative physical and psychosocial symptoms in adolescents. Numerous pediatric obesity interventions have emerged in an attempt to address this significant public health concern. However, few have focused on African American females, a particularly high risk group for negative health behaviors and associated complications. Moreover, research examining the psychosocial changes associated with increases in physical activity and fitness, although promising in elder and adult populations, is nearly nonexistent in adolescents. Thus, the current study addressed limitations in the research and examined the psychosocial outcomes of adolescent participants in T.E.E.N.S., a culturally sensitive, …

Our Greatest Want: An Examination Of The Rhetorical Tendencies Employed By African American Female Abolitionist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911), Lauren Deborah Nye

English

You are standing at the doorway of a church in Philadelphia. Looking in, you see a mass of heads, all turned toward the podium, waiting for someone to get behind that podium. Then you see her. She is an attractive African American with “a fair figure, long, lustrous hair, and facial features pleasant to behold” (Logan 49). You overhear one person comment that she looks like “a bronze muse” (Logan 31). A reporter will later write that she has “a strong face, with a shadowed glow upon it, indicative of thoughtful fervor, and of a nature most femininely sensitive, but …

Determinants Of Physical Activity Behavior And Self-Efficacy For Exercise Among African American Women, Bridget K. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: Inadequate physical activity behavior persists among African American women despite the widely documented benefits of physical activity. Literature notes a positive correlation between self-efficacy for exercise and physical activity behavior. In addition to socioeconomic factors, culturally influenced factors mediate self-efficacy for task such as physical activity. Past studies indicate differing perceptions related to religiosity and body image among African American populations. Additionally, reports indicate Southern and Midwestern states have the highest prevalence of obesity. These states are located in a geographical area known as the Bible belt. Moreover, 73.5% of the African American population in the U. S. resides …

Marital Satisfaction: Factors For Black Jamaicans And African Americansx Living In The United States, Nvischi Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Marital satisfaction is the strongest predictor for happiness in many areas of life (Russel & Wells, 1994). A satisfying marriage is associated with better general adjustment and fewer health problems (Bray & Jouriles, 1995). Factors that contribute to marital satisfaction reported by researchers include religion and spirituality (Anthony, 1993; Marks et al., 2008; Shehas, Boch & Lee, 1990), family of origin dynamics (Cohn, Silver, Cowan, Cowan, & Pearson, 1992; Webster, Orbuch, & House, 1995), and quality of family relationships (Timer, Veroff, & Hatchett, 1996). Additionally, satisfying marriages are beneficial to couples and children of these marriages. The purpose of this …

The Relations Among Parental Monitoring And Warmth, And Adolescent Externalizing And Internalizing Distress: The Effects Of Parent And Adolescent Perception Of Neighborhood Danger, Jonathan Goldner

Dissertations

Parental monitoring and warmth have traditionally been studied in the context of white, middle-class families. This paper adds to recent research that has begun to explore what levels of these parenting behaviors are optimal for the prevention of adolescent psychopathology in impoverished, urban high crime areas. It also takes into account parent and child perceptions of neighborhood danger. This study employs a longitudinal design, with data collected at two times points one year apart, among a sample of 240 African American young adolescents and their parents in urban, high crime neighborhoods. It aims to study parental monitoring, parental warmth, parent …

Roses That Grew From The Concrete: A Critical Investigation Of The Intersection Of Race And Gender On The Lived Experiences Of African American Male Senior Student Affairs Officers At Predominately White Institutions, Rahmon S. Hart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite past efforts to address the racial disparities that exist in the higher education workforce, African American male Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs) are dramatically underrepresented at predominately White institutions of higher education (PWIs). The lived experiences of this unique group of African Americans have been ignored in the empirical literature. The main research question that guided this study was the following: How does the intersection of race and gender influence the experiences of African American male SSAOs at PWIs? A particular focus of this research was to gain a better understanding of how African American male SSAOs experience and …

The Lived Experiences Of Older African Americans Residing In Urban Nursing Homes, Marilynn Gail Byrd Knall

Wayne State University Theses

As huge numbers of baby boomers reach old age, an increased need for nursing home care in the future is inevitable. Older people face more complex health issues that often lead to debilitation or disability and thus the need for long-term care. The numbers of consumers needing long-term care services will more than triple during the next 30 years.

African Americans compose less than 10% of nursing home residents and even at age 84 and older, when the likelihood of nursing home placement is higher, proportionately fewer African Americans live in nursing homes. The underrepresentation of ethnic minorities groups in …

A Woman Of Action: Elma Lewis, The Arts, And The Politics Of Culture In Boston, 1950-1986/, Daniel N. Mcclure

Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014

No abstract provided.

The Effect That Intercollegiate Athletic Participation Has On The Grade Point Averages Of African American Male Student Athletes At A Four Year Public Institution In The Black Belt Region Of Alabama, William Earl Brophy

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT There are many important factors that impact the grade point averages of African-American males at 4-year public institutions. Factors such as race, gender, SES, and ath-letic participation are potential influences that may have an effect on academic achieve-ment in a college setting in Alabama's Black Belt region as well. This study sought to de-termine if such factors coupled with other demands placed on African American male student athletes effected their respective academic achievement. Important questions an-swered in this study included how the variables above impacted the academic plights of the sample group that was examined. Research hypotheses examined the …

White Institutional Presence : The Impact Of Whiteness On Campus Climate & The Relational Context Of White Institutional Presence, Diane Lynn Gusa

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation purports to offer a new lens on the retention puzzle of African-Americans in Predominately White Institutions. The purpose of this paper is to notice the properties of a PWI and analyzes the relational context these properties create for its African-American undergraduates. This dissertation is formatted into two sections. The first section frames, examines, and theorizes the "racism effect" in higher education - the "ways in which race and racism explicitly and implicitly impact on the educational structures, processes, and discourses that affect people of color" (LatCrit Primer, 2000, p. xx). I maintain that African-Americans' experiences of marginalization and …

"Keep Going" : African Americans On The Road In The Era Of Jim Crow, Gretchen Sullivan Sorin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

"Keep Going": African Americans on the Road in the Era of Jim Crow

Maintaining Healthy Eating Behaviors With Women After A Weight Management Program: A Grounded Theory Approach, Christie Zunker

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the process of how women maintain their weight and continue healthy eating behaviors after completing a weight management program, which emphasized low-energy density foods. This is important since many women regain weight after participating in weight management programs. Theoretical sampling strategies guided participant recruitment. Inclusion criteria were: self-reported African American or Caucasian women aged 30 and older who lost > 5% of their body weight during their participation in the EatRight weight management program at least one year ago or longer. Height and weight was measured. Participants that remained > 5% below their …

The Perspective Of School Personnel In A Georgia School District Concerning The Recruitment Of Minority Teachers, Shyla D. Ridley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recruiting and attracting minorities into the teaching profession is difficult. Given the competitiveness of the current job market and the heavy emphasis on standardized testing for all teacher candidates, the difficulties of attracting quality minority teachers are becoming more challenging. The lack of a racially and culturally diverse teaching staff remains a major issue in education nationally and locally, especially since projections indicate that the representation of minority teachers is declining while the number of minority students is increasing. This need for more minority teachers is even more critical in urban public schools characterized by large percentages of minority students …